Customer Reviews

Empowered Volume 1

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

She's not a typical superheroine by any stretch. Her powers come from her tight-fitting supersuit, which gives her various abilities and, apparently, works only for her. As she takes hits in battles, the suit absorbs the damage but tears and shreds provocatively, leaving her overexposed (and weakened) until it regenerates. She learned the hard way not to wear underwear beneath tight spandex. She's pretty sure her butt's too big. She gets captured a lot, and she's usually tied up until someone thinks to rescue her. She (deservedly so) lacks self-confidence, and even her super-powered teammates don't like her much. One describes her as a "chubby, half-naked white girl who spends most of her alleged superhero career bound and gagged." That sounds about right.

But there's something simply endearing about Empowered, the oddly named heroine written and drawn by Adam Warren, best known in the U.S. for his work on Gen-13 and the American manga feature Dirty Pair.

As Warren noted in an interview about the new series, "I've created a superhero book contaminated with manga influence, a book that could very well appeal to neither audience." Actually, I think it will appeal to portions of both, at least sufficiently to warrant a second and third book in the series. The art is roughly textured, giving Warren's mangaesque lines an unfinished look that, surprisingly, works well for these short vignettes. There is also a lot of implied nudity, with key body parts blocked by draped hair, costume fragments and well-situated props, as well as suggested sexual activity that makes the book inappropriate for younger readers.

OK, so you probably can tell what audience Warren is aiming for, and since the book is cute and funny and sexy, he'll probably get it. Or at least he should. Why not? Readers looking for a more empowered heroine have plenty of options out there on the shelves. Perhaps it's time one of them did worry a little bit about the kind of message her skin-tight and concealing-nothing costume is sending to her fans, foes and teammates. And, considering her vulnerabilities and her track record against the villains, Empowered certainly is a brave little cheesecake idol.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor

"Empowered" is the name which a fledgling superheroine has chosen for herself. Her real name is not specifically given, although it may be a variant of "Ashley", as suggested on one episode. She is a twenty-something, beautiful, blonde, and very insecure about how others perceive her.
She has superpowers, not inborn and not inherent, but only as a result of her costume, a high-tech hypermembrane which can stop bullets, give her super-strength, and the ability to cast energy blasts, but which also deteriorates as it provides protection, somewhat like the "shields" on the starship Enterprise.
In almost every battle which lasts more than a few moments, the suit eventually deteriorates to the point where the suit itself is in tatters and her powers are gone, The suit will spontaneously regenerate itself, in 8 to 12 hours, but in the meantime, Empowered is rather a liability than an asset to the team.
To "Emp's" chagrin, the suit provides no more support or concealment than a layer of body paint, so she is acutely aware of people staring at various jiggling body parts when, for example, she runs. She cannot wear any article of clothing either under or over the suit, or it simply doesn't work at all. If she fails to shave her bikini area (or presumeably, her legs or under her arms), the growth is visible through the suit, described as "latex over steel wool", leading to further embarrassment.
She works with a group of heroes who call themselves the "Superhomeys", and they hang out at the "Homeycrib" (if this sounds satirical, it is intended to be). Some of her companions include Sister Spooky (a former classmate who can cast powerful spells), Ninjette (a enemy who eventually becomes one of her closest friends), Proteus (a human who became a sort of anthropomorphic ameoba as a result of a "close encounter" of a very personal kind), Major Havoc (kind of an arrogant jerk with super-strength), and a number of others. Each character has a distinctive personality, some with considerable depth.
The villians who fight the Superhomeys are no less satirical, and every bit as imaginitive. These include giant Ammonites (shelled squids similar to the creature in "It Came From Beneath The Sea"), giant killer robots, supervillians such as "DeathSloth", teams of armored "Stormtrooper" types, as well as simple gangs of armed human thugs. One villian in particular, introduced as "He Whose Name Is Too Scarey To Be Spoken", but also known as the "Blazing Eyed Demonwolf", the "Cataclysmic Snuffer of Civilizations" and the "Eldritch 12 Cylinder Engine of Destruction" is a sort of bodiless galactic entitiy who possesses humans, and who has a recurring role AFTER being defeated to the point where he is no longer a threat, but continues to provide a great deal of comic relief and sage wisdom.
What makes "Empowered" so enjoyable is that it works on so many levels:
The drawings are gorgeous. "Emp" may be insecure with her body image, but she is actually a knockout, as are Sister Spooky and Ninjette (is there such thing as an UGLY superheroine?). Other characters are drawn in such a manner as to emphasize their particular best quality, or superpower, as the case may be.
"Empowered" might be a comic book, but it is not for kids. There are many, many scenes in which she and/or another character is almost completely nude. There are many, many sexual situations. Its all in good fun, but it ALL isn't simply gratuitious, but is often part of the natural development of relationship between characters.
The writing is also very good. There are several themes being developed simultaneously, including "Emp's" strong desire to fit in with and be accepted by the rest of the Superhomeys, their varying individual views of her (in one case including a back story showing WHY one 'homey carries a deep grudge against her), her meeting and gradual development of a relationship with a "special someone" (and the problems associated with this "forbidden fruit"), and her gradual increase of confidence and competence as she continues to take punishment and come back for more. As the stories progress, "Emp" slowly earns the grudging respect of some, the friendship of others, and the heartfelt love of at least one. The dialog between characters is alternately funny and touching.
I happened on "Empowered" browsing in a bookstore in San Francisco, and after reading the first couple of pages, looked for a chair in which to sit down and read further. I laughed out loud so many times reading this, because I had read so many superhero comics over the years, and seen so many superhero movies which take themselves a bit too seriously. This is satire done RIGHT, and what comics like "Inferior Five" and films like "Mystery Men" were trying to be (I liked Mystery Men, although I felt it could have been even better).
"Empowered" is superhero satire which does more than simply mock the genre, but rather, affectionately uses the cliches we've all come to expect to illustrate the human side of the various superheroes, specifically that, minus their various super-abilities, under the skin-tight costumes and bulging muscles, they are people very similar to ourselves.

First off, it really is for the mature reader. Having said that, there is no frontal nudity. There are however, plenty of adult situations.

Secondly, Empowered is damn funny. Adam Warren has a great take on the whole 'superheroine in distress' schtick that's been a prominent, if unsavoury, part of comic books from their inception. The art suits the material perfectly, helping to maintain a generally light atmosphere. The characters develop, which is always nice. No one, especially the heroine, is perfect.

This is not about Superman. Or even Batman. This is a book about a heroine with the heart and soul of Wonder Woman and the powers of Speedy.

And it's absolutely lovely. Easily the best graphic novel I've read this year.

Adam Warren built his reputation on books like Dirty Pair and Gen 13 for funny, well develioped characters and very cool technology. This book expands on his skills creating a superhero-sex comedy where every supporting character has a hysterical back story (one says "I got my powers from an alien venerial disease", another "sold her soul for hotness").
The main character 'Empowered' is a wanna-be superhero with a malfunctioning supersuit and a host of body-image issues. She cries after being rejected for an alien harem because her butt is too 'generous'. Over the course of the book she gets a boyfriend (a former witless minion) and an alcholic ninja friend, oh and a caged demon prince who sits on her coffeetable watching DVDs.
Fans of superheroes, anime and pop culture should definitely check this out.

Adam Warren's comic "Empowered" is gathered together in this generous first volume of what I hope is a long series in graphic novel form. Warren tells the story of Empowered, his endearing costumed super heroine. If, while playing Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs) steely little Sarah Michelle Gellar made you know she would always triumph, then conversely Emp bumbles through her adventures. She could be played in a movie version by Sarah Chalke, the sexy but painfully insecure Dr. Elliot Reid of Scrubs - The Complete Sixth Season. It appears that Warren has spent a lot of time talking to the opposite sex because he shows a fine understanding of the issues that bedevil the self-images of many young women. (And he also shows a tender respect for Emp. Despite her many failures she keeps on fighting with great bravery.)

Of course this is a very funny book. Every page contains clever satirical jabs at superhero cliches, fanboy obsessions, manga rules, and man/woman strife. I suppose some could consider "Empowered" to be misogynist because of the many "damsel in distress" situations which she gets into, but that would be mistaken. Every one of those particular pages contain funny jibes at male voyeurism (while admittedly at the same time exploiting that tendency.) Warren's accomplishment is that he has smuggled a certain feminist sensibility into a series seemingly aimed right for the male libido. Hilarious and smart, "Empowered" has become a favorite of mine.

There're just so many 'Adams' in comics today - Adam Kubert, Adam Hughes, Adam Strange, Adam Antium (sorry...couldn't resist), but surely among the best of them must be numbered Adam Warren, he of the manga-esque art and audaciously worldly sense of humor. I first became aware of him through his Dirty Pair work, and then through his clever writing on Gen 13 (collected in Gen 13: Superhuman Like You (Gen 13) and Gen 13: Meanwhile. So, thus armed, when this little book popped up in my recommendations, I decided to take a chance. I wasn't expecting much.

Boy, was I surprised. "Empowered" is a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud superhero yarn with a postmodern twist and more wackiness than you cna shake a stick at.

"Empowered" is the story of, well, Empowered (Emp for short), a clumsy superheroine (or, as Warren terms it, "superchica") and associate member of the superteam "The Superhomeys." Emp's powers stem from her skintight supersuit, which is always ripping and disintegrating during the team's violent missions, almost always robbing her of her powers. Emp has a number of issues: she's horribly inept, her teammates don't like her, she has no confidence, she has to take on awful part-time jobs to make ends meet, and she's constantly worried if she looks fat in the suit. Her salvation comes in the form of a new boyfriend (a former villain's helper) and a group of quirky pals who help her see that the superhuman life is worthwhile.

The real pleasure of this book is Warren's especially apt sense of humor. There were numerous times during this book that I actually laughed out loud. His sense of timing is impeccable. However, readers beware - there are a number of very explicit scenes in this book. Despite its kid-friendly appearance, this is definitely NOT for children.

I used to be a big fan of Adam Warren's work, but hadn't picked up a comic book in years. A friend brought this little gem to my attention and I'm now looking forward to more in the series.

This first volume has a nice, sketchbook quality with very tight pencils that have opted to skip the ink brush. The story moves at a nice clip once it finds focus, the characters are enjoyable, and the Kirby-esque cosmic entity steals every scene he's in. The only downside to this collection, in my opinion, is an over-reliance on too many short, unrelated chapters at the start of the story. However, the narrative really begins to gel as you go along.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

Artists don't give you what you like. Artists give you what they like. Every element of Empowered; the contrived slang, the exaggerated visuals, and (most importantly) the satirical yet deeply human characters, provides an open house invitation into the gifted mind of the artist Adam Warren.
In the first installment of Empowered we're offered snippets of a rookie super heroine's attempts to be a valuable public servant while forming personal bonds that blur the good guys vs. bad guys divider. The story isn't so much about what happens as how the characters feel about what happens.
'Emp' is the protagonist with more heart than good fortune. Her superpowers are dependent on on a 'super-coating' which refuses to stay on her body for longer than a grand entrance. Though her protection and dignity disappear every other page, her charms never wanes.
Refreshingly there's more sex than violence in this adult graphic novel. 'Delight' is a word typically associated with family oriented material, but this action sex comedy is a true delight. Emp is a delight. Her friends are a delight. Her fourth wall penetrating criticisms of the storyline, the artist and the reader are all delightful. One hopes (and believes) that this series will continue for years without losing its shine.

This graphic novel is NOT for children. It contains scenes of a sexual nature, including many illustrations of nudity and bondage. It's also very, very funny. "Empowered" is not the most confident or effective superhero but she is very enthusiastic (in more ways than one). It's not her fault that her suit, which gives her her powers, is rather unreliable and so she keeps getting captured.
I've been a fan of Adam Warren's work for a long time and this is one of the best things he's ever done: a superhero parody which is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Well recommended to anyone who's doesn't mind a little bad language (suggested only) and kinky fun. I'm so looking forward to volume 2!

Emp, or Empowered, is a lovely superheroine with amazing powers- she's got a unique supersuit that gives her the power of ten men and the ability to shoot energy zaps from her hands. She should be awesome, right? Unfortunately, her powers diminish tremendously when her suit gets damaged, and that happens pretty regularly thanks to the suit having about as much substance as soap suds. So more often than not, poor Emp is found bound and gagged like a BDSM star in every villain encounter. But no matter what, she keeps plugging away, like the real superhero she is... much drama and comedy ensue.
Adam Warren has been known for being the premiere US 'manga'-style artist and comics creator, and as well for his black humor and manic writing. He's at his nasty best with this one, his thoroughly original and funtastic superhero soap opera/dramedy/action-adventure. Empowered, or Emp is a C-list superheroine with A+ spirit, a loveable protagonist whose life is sketched out in short but sweet morsels of story. But with each 4-8 page chapter, more and more of this saga is revealed in Warren's incomparable non-inked pencil art. Wonderful support characters like a thuggish (but totally sweet) boyfriend and a ninja-powered gal pal are introduced, as well as an imprisoned demon lord on the tabletop. It all sounds crazy but it's even better on paper.

For bite-size laughs, tears and jeers served in a slightly-larger-than-normal Graphic Novel format, Empowered makes the grade and how for some raunchy guilty-pleasure comic fun. The somewhat rampant sex makes this mature reading, but comic fans of any caliber will want to get 'empowered'. Highly recommended!