Powers #3

This is a comic I didn't fall across until about 20 issues into the original run (this issue is #3, Volume 3), and while the stories tend to be on the crude side (as in vulgar and violent), I enjoyed them enough to pick up the collections of the stories I'd missed.

The concept is clever - it's a detective/police story set in a world where superpowers exist. Detective Walker is a former "power" who now works to solve murders that involve super-powered beings. It's the gritty underbelly of the superhero world, and the concept has resulted in some terrific stories.

Writer Brian Bendis creates this comic with artist Mike Oeming, who brings a vibrant, gritty style to the comic. He manages to combine the power of Jack Kirby with the sensibilities of Will Eisner in a unique and arresting style.

The Powers series isn't perfect - there have been some missteps along the way (including the apparent loss of a key character and an odd cosmic turn for another). The current series seems to be an attempt to correct the course, as Walker finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation that has connections to a super-team with origins in World War II.

It would be difficult for a new reader to pick up the story with this issue, since it's devoted to a violent action sequence as Walker and his new partner try to protect a teenager from her vicious mother - who happens to have super-powers.

It's a hair-raising dance of violence and profanity that'll keep you on edge (although the ending falls a bit short).

And kudos to the creative team for making sure you get your money's worth - there are no ads, and the final page of the story is printed on the inside back cover!

(Now if they'd just hire a proofreader - this comic almost always has a cringe-worthy error, like this one: "Wow, Christian, you're interrogation skills need a little work." It's "your," people! But all the dirty words are spelled correctly.)

The best description I have for this comic is that it's what comics would be like if film director Quentin Tarantino made 'em. Depending on your tastes, that can be a great compliment or a heck of a slam.

Grade: B+