Another comic based article that is going to have no pictures for right now. That’s because again it’s not really safe to google image search it at work. However, it is, in my opinion, another very good comic.

Powers is a Brian Michael Bendis comic which I might have talked about him before, but he’s one of my favorite writers. His comics tend to be wordier than most, but not too wordy. In fact, I’d probably say that Powers is my favorite comic, though it isn’t one that is too lighthearted.

Powers follows around a pair of detectives, one who used to have super powers and another who never did, as they work in the super power crime division. They struggle through cases that show how the world of super powers and the regular world often butt heads. It also looks at what comes along to those who are considered heroes and paints them in a human perspective as well. The cases are tough, and the two detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim grow and change throughout the series in very interesting ways.

For me, the world and the characters are what really drive it. The art by Michael Avon Oeming is good and fits the story well, but isn’t the standard art work that you see in comics these days. But the simpler art style works well, and the interspersing of news paper pages throughout the comic really helps you fill out the feel of the world.

Just to talk some more about the world, I’ve touched on it, but with Christian Walker having previously been someone with Powers you start to see into the world in interesting ways. His story is very interesting as now he’s almost a bad guy to some people with super powers, obviously the police are bad guys to the villains, but to the super heroes, he sometimes is the bad guy who enforces the laws, versus letting them deal out justice like they would hope. Deena is also an interesting character as she’s new to the world of super power crimes, but as a bright up and comer with a chip on her shoulder, it’s a balancing act for her between the world she wants the police force to be and the world as Walker sees it.

Now, let me quickly, before I put in my disclaimer, talk a bit about why I like it beyond what I’ve already said that pertains more directly to the comic. What makes it work for me is that you take a super power society and really change the focus from those with powers to those without and see how they interact within the world. In Marvel and DC comics you basically always see the heroes saving the day, you don’t get to see the more mundane grunt work that the police would be doing around super powered people as well. It also does a good job of showing the divide and the life that you would guess would be happening for super heroes, because they are heroes, that you only kind of get to see with Tony Stark (Ironman) and the problems that he has. This takes it to a grittier spot, but does so well.

Now the disclaimers, I mentioned that I won’t be posting pictures until probably a later time because you have to be careful with what you find for Powers. Powers, like Saga, has that blend of violence, sex, and language, so like Saga, I would recommend it for a more mature audience. Clearly for me that doesn’t take away from the comic books themselves, but it is going to be an issue for some, so be aware going into that. There are panels that sometimes seem like a bit much, but for the most part, it really does tie directly into the story, so it isn’t just language, sex, or violence for their own sake.

So just to end this on a nicer point, I do think it’s well written. It creates a really good story and a very involved world. Bendis really does a good job with his comics and I highly recommend this work of his, but also basically anything he’s done for Marvel and now for DC. Even if Powers isn’t your cup of tea, definitely check him out.

Let me know if you’ve read the series and if you’re enjoying it? Who are some of your favorite characters? Let us know in the comments.

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