Powers v13: #6

Godkiller: Part 1 by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist) - This issue-and-a-half has nothing to do with the Z storyline. It picks up on some of the things that began in the previous issue and is the beginning of a new arc. It is unclear why this issue was included in this collection.

The new storyline deals with ancient beings, deities, in two particular scenes. In the first scene Walker and Callista travel to the Andes where they do battle with some unnamed and presumably ancient creature(s). There is a very Kirby-esque double page spread before the battle begins. The second scene is a murder investigation that Walker and Sunrise are conducting. The victim is Damocles, a power and member of the Golden Ones; a powers team that claimed to be reincarnated gods.

Powers is a creator-owned series published through the Icon imprint of Marvel Comics

Powers v13: #5

Z: Part 5 by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist) - The big picture is still murky but the little ones are crystal clear, and beautiful. It hurts to look at them, dwell on them, but they are worth the pain.

Boiled down, this segment is all about Walker's relationship with his girlfriend, Heather. There's more to than that, but that's the centerpiece, the bone to which the muscle is attached. Christian and Heather aren't together, instead they each get the spotlight for a time. He is despondent over not being near her, or maybe it is something more than that. She also hurts and in doing so reveals more than just her pain.

Oeming does a masterful job with the visual part of the story. Did there really need to be that many splash pages? Maybe not, but they all work.

There's a brief flashback to the 1950s which follows up on the flashback in the previous installment of this arc. In addition to providing background it also provides Oeming with an opportunity to imitate a famous 20th century painting.

The story continues to come together but some of it is still out of focus. With just one more installment to go in this arc it seems as if Bendis and Oeming may be doing more than just putting on the finishing touches. It seems as if they are sowing seeds whose fruit will be harvested in future arcs.

Powers is a creator-owned series published through the Icon imprint of Marvel Comics

Powers v13: #4

Z: Part 4 by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist) - This segment of the story had much less action but was much more interesting than the previous one. The story developed, stuff was revealed, important stuff. The picture is closer to complete than it was before. Stuff didn't just happen, important stuff happened.

The war hero, Z, is disparaged a little more, first by the teen who claims to have killed him and then by one his old war buddies. Z wasn't the man, the hero he claimed to be. he was a boozing thug who lived off a reputation he didn't fully earn.

Lines start to get blurred. Walker has trouble remembering the past, which isn't a new phenomenon.

Powers is a creator-owned series published through the Icon imprint of Marvel Comics

Powers v13: #3

Z: Part 3 by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist) - the best way to describe this installment is action. It's one big long chase scene, with a helping of World War 2 flashback thrown in for good measure. There isn't much in the way of character moments.

Oeming is in the driver's seat. It is mostly visual with a few lines, presumably penned by Bendis, thrown in here and there to help clarify and further expand the knowledge base. Possibly this isn't the first time that Powers has been this visual but so far this arc doesn't feel like most of the ones that preceeded it because of how it is being told.

Powers is a creator-owned series published through the Icon imprint of Marvel Comics

Thanos #1-6

Hunger by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom

Thanos is one of those rare comics from the big 2 that has a villain, in this case former villain, as the lead character. He has turned over a new leaf, he isn't as self-centered as he once was but that's about as far as he is wlling to take it. In Dungeons & Dragons terms Thanos is lawful neutral. If he fights with the good guys it is because it suits his purposes, not because he is altruistic.

The first couple issues are a little exposition-heavy. They set the scene and fill in Thanos' history. The last four issues flow much faster and, for the most part, are not bogged down with lots of dialogue or explanations. One of the nicest aspects of the story was how the Rigellian recorder was used both as a means to state the obvious and as the butt of jokes because it frequently did little other than state the obvious.

All in all this was a fun read. Starlin and Milgrom, using several cosmic level characters (Thanos, Adam Warlock, Galactus, Pip the Troll) told a story in which the continued existence of reality was threatened by a being from another plane of existence. This sort of story has been told before in the Marvel Universe. Some might not appreciate it for that reason, but there are some twists in this tale that make it unique or unique-seeming enough to make it a worthwhile read. The only shortcoming is possibly in how quickly and simply the story is resolved.