Customer Reviews

Supreme Power - Volume 3: High Command (v. 3)

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Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski's spectacular Supreme Power MAX ongoing series came to an end with the issues collected here in High Command. The volume picks up with Hyperion, recently turning his back on the government that has brainwashed and manipulated him, teaming up with Nighthawk and The Blur to take down a superhero serial killer. Following that, Doc Spectrum furthers his relationship with fish-girl Kingsley, and the government revealing Hyperion's alien origins to the public. As Straczynski plants the seeds for the Supreme Power: Hyperion spin-off and future series', he continues to weave brilliant work here. Re-imagining the Squadren Supreme universe into the reality-laden, strikingly mature, and ever politically relevent Supreme Power may very well be the best comic work that Straczynski has ever done, with possibly his Rising Stars series being the only thing to outshine it. There's more great artwork from Gary Frank too, with the only downside of being High Command is that it comes to an end. All in all, Straczynski's Supreme Power was and is a masterpiece of mature mainstream comics, and if you've never read the series before, you have sadly been missing out.

Collects issues 13-18 of Supreme Power

Hyperion, the Blur, and Nighthawk team up to fight Redstone (Bizarro? Red Kryptonite?), the serial killer hinted at in the previous volume. The government attempts to bring Hyperion back under their control, and he refuses to cooperate in a rather big way, leading in to the Hyperion and Nighthawk Miniseries. The Art and story are still top-notch in this volume, but this level isn't maintained in the subsequent Squadron Supreme comics. Contrary to what another reviewer has stated, the comics this volume were made of continued to have the "explicit content" warning on them.

Like volume 1, this one has also been republished with a new cover:

Supreme Power, Vol. 3: High Command

Nighthawk browbeats Hyperion into taking up some of his responsibilities, because of what he can do.

A superhuman, also a product of the government, has gone on a serial killing spree. This serial killer has superhuman strength, toughness, and speed, so Nighthawk, Hyperion, and their superfast friend go out to try and stop him, with some reservations.

A nasty confrontation awaits.

This is the third book in the reimagining of Mark Gruenwald's Squadron Supreme. In the original series, a Justice League-type team uses their powers to try to make a perfect world. J. Michael Straczynski has taken the idea and turned it on its ear. Instead of being about superheroes who become the government, this is about the government finding and creating the Squadron Supreme. He also shows a world teetering on the brink as people with super powers have absolutely no reason or responsibility. Incredibly disturbing, with only one and a half symptathetic characters, this is an amazing book, hearkening to the granddaddy of superheroes in the real world story, Watchmen.