Product Description: Powers features one of the most awarded and acclaimed teams of the last several years and winners of the 2001 Eisner award for best new series. Detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim work out of the special homicide office in charge of cases that involve Powers, those that have talents and abilities far beyond those of normal men. This graphic novel details one of the most disturbing cases of their careers. A group of college kids who role play their favorite super-heroes are being murdered one-by-one, and unless Walker and Pilgrim can stop the killer, more kids will die.
Graphic SF Reader A group of youths indulge in a role playing game that involves running around in costumes, which is illegal under the law. This adds to the spice in this costumed version of 'Killer'. When they unfortunately run into a real power on their escapades things go terribly, terribly wrong. A much more low level case for the detectives.
Powers-less In the second story arc of Brian Michael Bendis' wonderful Powers, we find out a little more about the world of Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim when they are brought in on a powers-related murder case where the victims were all power posers. Roleplay is about the murder of a few college students who enjoy roleplaying as superheroes such as the recently-deceased Retro Girl and Diamond, the former alter ego of Walker. However, we quickly learn that it is illegal for someone without powers to wear costumes or impersonate existing heroes. Although the reasons for this law are never explicitly stated, it is a fair bet that (1) doing so puts "normal" humans at risk due to high levels of supervillains, and (2) we begin to get clues that powers-humans relations aren't that good (a sign in the lobby of an apartment complex states that the landlord doesn't rent to powers). As Walker and Pilgrim try to find the supervillain responsible for the kids' deaths, the pair have to deal with ex-villain collaborators and the city's underworld, which only complicates things in our modern age of litigation. Overall, Roleplay wasn't as strong a story as Who Killed Retro Girl, but it was still interesting and whoed us a more "everyday" case that Walker and Pilgrim deal with. Not every case is going to be high profile or very personal, and it was fun to see the pair dealing with something a little more mundane. The writing and art are showing subtle improvements, and I imagine that things will continue to get better for Powers.
Developing nicely. Brian Michael Bendis, Powers: Roleplay (Image, 2001)
Bendis continues his series with this second collection. The story: our intrepid detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, are sent to investigate the almost-simultaneous deaths of a number of college students. The catch: the college students, who don't have powers, are roleplaying superheroes. (In this world, wearing a superhero costume, if you're not a power, is illegal.)
Like Who Killed Retro Girl?, Roleplay stands as its own book, though you'll get more of what's going on between Christian and Deena if you've read the first book. Either way, though, Powers is a series worth checking out. The writing is good-- the best I've ever seen from Bendis-- and the artwork is right up the alley of traditional superhero comics, but with enough modern differences to keep things interesting.
Get to know Powers; you won't regret it. ***
Hero Worship at a deadly level. Bendis and Oeming's series has always been more than a cop drama in the world of superheroes. In this story arc, they possibly bite the hand that feeds them - they discuss "fanboys" who dress and act like the heroes they idolize, who are being killed off. In the original Image comics, Bendis shows open contempt for "regular" comic book fans; his letter columns (not reprinted in this volume) contain nasty and scatological replies to gushing fans who idolize his work. Here, he openly gives his William Shatner response to fans - "Get a life!" - within the story. He and Oeming are seeking to make "Powers" something more than a standard comic - and while going beyond standard comic book fandom is a necessary step towards that goal, this particular story may seem like unnecessary roughness to many.
POWERS: A++++++++ Powers is a very special comic that has occomplished the impossible. It's original, humourous, entertaining, and every other word that has a hint of positive meaning. BUY THIS ITEM!!! (hey, it's written by Bendis so there isn't much or a risk :)
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