Customer Reviews

Powers Vol. 5: Anarchy

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The series by Bendis and Oeming appeared, at first light, to be a police procedural applied to superheroes; "NYPD Blue" cops exploring superhero-related murders. That was interesting enough for the first several story arcs. With this particular story arc (collecting Powers issues 21-24) the focus widens to reveal a widespread antipathy towards the Powers. It's what would have happened if extremists like the Ku Klux Klan or the Weather Underground found popular support for their murderous plans. It's no longer just "murders with capes" - it's a society turning against people it once adored. It's like the stories of "celebrities in trouble" that fill our news. (It's also much like comic book fans who have "outgrown" the superheroes of their youth, and how they hate their early obscession.) The author and writer have said the "Powers" story is building up to a final conclusion - although they insist they aren't even half finished with the stories they want to tell - and this volume, slimmer than most of the "Powers" trade paperbacks, is an important step on that road.

Deena Pilgrim must solve a new mystery involving a series of brutal murders on superheroes, but these deaths also bring a new perspective into the forefront concerning how superheroes affect everyday lives.

Bendis and Oeming have produced one of the best arcs yet in this innovative title. Bendis' writing is, of course, very good as we see the best characterization yet of the series in a story that is darker and more serious than earlier stories. Bendis pulls out all of the stops as we see Deena when she is pushed to her limits, but we also see a tender, caring side as she confronts her relationship with her partner. Also, many of the past story arcs finally come into play as well as some heavy foreshadowing that alludes to future arcs. Oeming's cartoon noir art matched with Pantazis' dark, yet at times very vibrant colors combine to create visuals that perfectly match the story. Also included in this book is an interesting interview between the creators on their own careers. With better storytelling and improved artwork over the first storylines, "Powers" continues to be one of the best, most original titles in years. Keep them coming!

NOTE: This book is recommended for older readers due to strong language and violence/gore (a comic book equivalent of an R-rated movie).

I must now stop saying that Alan Moore and Frank Miller killed the superhero genre. Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming have given us a great world building series in which superpowered beings mess up, kill each other and go into some very dark places. The cops for superheroes trope seemed rather silly in Powers, Vol. 9: Psychotic (v. 9) but now that I've grown accustomed to the series, I find it rather brilliant.

When it comes to this particular storyline, the authors have been quoted as saying that this is the Sex Pistols of the series in which punk rock comes to the forefront and fight the power takes a literal approach as the murderers are idealists who see Powers as an evil - not a necessary evil - just evil - and they choose to throw molotov cocktails at flying heroes and burn them to death.

Knowing where this series is going, it's not hard to sympathize with the perspective but like all dogmas, it can't be taken to the extremes. Beyond that, this is a tight and powerful storyline in which things blow up, people die and the punk verges on splatterpunk.

Great stuff.

This is a really short Powers volume, as the words 'Kaotic Chic' appear again, seen near a corpse. There is one woman that is really, really, really unhappy about The Powers and what they are allowed to do.

Basically, what you have here is a commentary on the ethics and legality of those individuals operating, and the devastating effects their conflicts can have on those around them. This is all wrapped up around a crazy murder case.

Brian Michael Bendis, Powers: Anarchy (Image, 2003)

Welcome to a world where regular, everyday mortals and superpowers coexist side-by-side-- and, unlike most such worlds, there are a whole lot of people with superpowers in this one. Bendis and artist Mike Oeming pose the question of what such a world would be like, and for the most part, they've given us quite a satisfactory answer.

Anarchy, the fifth Powers book, hands us a string of murders of Powers, and a detective squad who can't make heads or tales of it. Finally, they go to the one person they think can get a handle on things: Christian Walker, dismissed from the force a year before for giving an interview to the press.

If you like the series, you'll continue to. Anarchy isn't going to change many minds one way or the other about the series; it's good, but not great. ***