Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? (Paperback)

by Brian Michael Bendis (Illustrator), Michael Avon Oeming (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Heroes glide through the sky on lightning bolts and fire. Flamboyant villains attempt daring daylight robberies. God-like alien creatures clash in epic battle over the night-time sky. And on the dirty city streets below, homicide detective Christian Walker does his job. He has to investigate the shocking murder of one of the world`s most popular superheroes, Retro Girl. Walker has teamed up with spunky rookie, Deena Pilgrim, as the murder investigation takes them from the seediest underbelly the city has to offer to the gleaming towers that are home to immortal beings. As hidden truths about Retro Girl come to light, Walker finds that to solve this crime, he may have to reveal a dark secret. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher
Brian Michael Bendis is the Author of Powers, Torso, Jinx, Goldfish and Fire, all from Image Comics, as well as Fortune & Glory (Oni Press), Sam and Twitch (Todd McFarlane Productions) and Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel Comics). Bendis is widely considered one of the top writers of comics working today. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Image Comics (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582401837
• ISBN-13: 978-1582401836
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #664,108 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comic readers take note!, September 27, 2001

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl?" is a welcome surprise. Brian Michael Bendis obviously wanted to write crime drama comics, but was a little trapped by the omnipresence of Superheroes. As a compromise, he did a superhero crime drama, and it is really, really good.

"Powers" is character driven and full of dry humor. The storyline is very dark, in the same tone as "Seven." The animated-style art work is excellent at portraying the serious subject matter, and the dialog between characters is perfect. I don't know another writer that has such a grasp of dialog.

The conscious use of panels is something I haven't seen since Matt Wagner's "Grendel." There are few creators in comic books that make full use of the comics medium, and most creators follow somewhat standard layouts and formulaic story lines. This is a comic for people who enjoyed Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics."

If you are a fan of fun, high-quality, intelligent comics, you should read "Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl?" It is that simple.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 'em, October 31, 2001

By	Dino (Scotland) - See all my reviews

I recently read a Superman comic from 1991 which was a typical action-based story, exactly the type of tale that most non-comic readers probably imagine all comics to be like. Ten years on, although the traditional super-hero genre is still alive and well, there are other mainstream comics that break new ground, presenting accessible stories in a fresh and innovative style. Powers is one such comic. It's ironic, given my earlier reference to Superman as an example of the traditional style of hero, that Powers' inspiration seems to partly come from the Man of Steel himself....with a heavy dose of Hawaii 5-0's Steve McGarrett. Writer Brian Michael Bendis has transformed well-known titles including Spider-Man and Daredevil, in addition to penning his own original publications such as Alias and Jinx. Here he expertly tells the story of a former super-hero turned cop, Christian Walker, who specialises in cases involving the super-hero fraternity with the help of his fiesty sidekick Deena Pilgrim. Walker is an imposing figure, tall, square-jawed and dedicated. The artwork by Michael Avon Oeming is suitably untraditional - very cartoonish, much more so than the majority of comic books, and very distinctive. I would rank Powers alongside the Preacher series as a good example of slightly left-field but still highly readable comic book writing. Read it alongside the latest Superman while watching those 5-0 re-runs and you'll soon get the point.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powers, Vol.1, October 31, 2003

By	nico_laos "nico" (Earth) - See all my reviews

With all the superheroes flying around, one has to wonder if the police department has a specialized unit that deals with specific crimes committed by any individual with superpowes. Enter Powers, a crime comic written by master scribe, Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spiderman, Daredevil) that details just that. Detective Christian Walker and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim, are investigating the murder of well known and loved super heroine, Retro-Girl. But this case is unlike any other that Walker has been on. There's something personal about this. There's an apparent connection between Detective Walker and Retro-Girl that is unkown to his new partner (and it's not what you're probably thinking). This book is a magnificent noir detective story that doesn't pull any punches.

The artwork by Oeming is very cartoony and reminds me a lot of the character designs for the DC realted animated series (such as Batman and Justice League) but with some of the best lighting effects and shadowing I've ever seen in a comic book.

All in all, Powers is simply one of my favorite titles out there. A rich and detailed noir atmosphere that doesn't disappoint on any level.

As a side note: check out TORSO, my favorite of Bendis' adventures into crime-drama.