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Powers Vol. 12: The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time

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Powers is just one of the those books that you just don't want to end. The story stays as strong as the art. Powers volume 12 is no exception. There's something gripping about the boxy art style which really works well in this series. I don't want to ruin anything here other than to say that this is well worth the wait for any Powers fan. And if you haven't started the series, get reading!

Brian Michael bendis and Michael Avon Oeming show no signs of slowing down in the 12th Powers TPB. Bendis continues to find new life in these characters that we've come to know so well. The story here is well paced and grips you as it builds to its climax. Oeming's artwork, with its thick lines and expressive faces, continues to fascinate readers. I wouldn't want to read a Powers story with any other artist.

Without getting into spoiler territory, I have to admit that I'm a bit perplexed about how the series will continue after the conclusion but I eagerly look forward to the next chapter.

wow, I have been continuously amazed by this series, and while I was initially critical of the art, it's Toth influenced design and ability to convey human emotion even in the environment won me over completely.
This trade paperback draws together the many threads from which this story has been woven into a satisfying conclusion. I can only hope for more.

As comic series go on, it must be increasingly difficult to keep the stories as fresh and exciting as they once were. Somehow Bendis & Oeming do just that and possibly hit a high point here. After following the TPB series all the way from volume 1, for my money, vol. 12 The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time hits an absolute high water mark. Unlike so many typical superhero tales, this one had a grip on me throughout. There was tension, suspense, and action. There was smart, meaningful dialogue and thoughtful character development. Continuing threads from previous volumes were wrapped up, and as usual, Bendis & Oeming might be the most effective story telling tandem in comics today. Their experience and familiarity with each other make the work seamless, deepening the impact and emotional resonance of these dark tales.

If you are new to Powers, start at the beginning and work you're way through. If you didn't have the patience to wait (and wait) for the next volume, then go back to where you left off and pick it back up. As a long running series, Powers is up there with Sandman, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, and others as the best ever and certainly must be the best series still going.

This doesn't disappoint, it gave some more background into the life of the hero, which I love, and it resolved all of the long running arcs. The worst part about reading this is it goes by too fast and you have to wait 6 months for the next one!!

When this much-delayed TPB finally arrived at my door, I read it in one sitting. It didn't disappoint. It's hard to believe that the author could continue to find new angles and dimensions to these characters, but he does. Characters continue to evolve. Some storylines move to the backburner while others come to the fore. A couple of long-running arcs are resolved in this volume (no details, no spoilers!), a couple of new ones are hinted at, and Triphammer is back. This is, in my opinion, the strongest Powers volume to date -- and that's saying something.

Remember how Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans had a point where everything seemed to be crashing down around Nicholas Cage and there was no way he could get out of it? Only through both clever tricks and lucky breaks, he turns out ok? Well, that feels like a cheat but you weren't watching that movie for The Shield: Complete Series like doom.

THis storyline takes a similar tact. Deena Pilgrim has gone on the run and her powers are turning against her - the crack cocaine = superpowers metaphor is reaching its apex. This is a desperate and creepy storyline where Pilgrim and Walker have run out of options and they are desperately clinging to the few things that they can still control.

THis is a brilliant book about desperate people and while I have my reservations about everything more or less working out at the end, I do think that it's definitely worth a read and it is a worthy conclusion to the major storylines of Volume 2.

Okay, so we've got some story arc resolution and a couple of interesting things happening (uh, oh, Callista) but for all the action near the end of the story (and lovely graphics Mr Oeming) some lovely story threads end in a little bit of a whimper. Gordian Knots like the IA investigation and the powers infection are untied a little too sweetly for my taste (interesting insurmountable troubles like the ones you came up with shouldn't be so easy to solve, BMB).

Big fan of the title, still point people to it as an example of why comics are worth reading, but really sick of the lag between editions.

Powers Vol. 12: The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time