Review: Power Pack #1 (of 5)
The Powers of this particular Pack first crossed my path thanks to the weekly Star Wars comic. As I have mentioned before, the weekly Star Wars book, still called Return of the Jedi even after the comic adaptation was completed, would run back up stories, oft with a sci-fi theme. Step up the Powers, a family of siblings granted powers by a dying alien allowing the Pack to plough on and save the day.
This time around there has been a passage of time, kind of. All the kids have sort of matured though the main rules that differentiate them are still in place, even if Jack is far less grumpy and sullen than he used to be. Anyway, the gang are back together; there is a handy origin piece for those new to the group that is wonderfully creative in execution and utterly charming in practice, From there, the re-introductions continues with the Boogey Man coming to town, however with the new Kamala law in effect, there are bigger problems for the Pack to contend with.
This time around the Pack are written by Ryan North, of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl fame. Therefore you can imagine the tone that is set in this book. Normally, I am a little skeptical of all ages fun, but North writes with such a charm that it is really hard not to love this book. The interaction between the brothers and sisters is well observed, with clever witty banter. Some could argue that the book fits into the Marvel “funny first’ scripts that we see a lot of. Whilst the fun vibe is certainly over used a lot, here it fits well. North also uses that widely used trope of the adults in the book, at least Mr & Mrs Powers, being seemingly unknowing to the strange world their kids play a part in.
The art is supplied by Nico Leon, whose work you may have seen on Agents of Atlas or last years Ms. Marvel. Leon’s style is very caricature driven which suits the vibe of the book perfectly. I have no real complaints about the art at all. I even enjoyed the origin pages, which had a great eye for detail, right down to the mis-spellings and corrections. The only minor issue was the fight scene which came across a little too video gamey or Japanese manga style for my western tastes. The colors are provided by Rachelle Rosenberg who gives everything a day-glo, almost Rainbow Brite sheen. It is definitely a bold scheme, for sure. Finally VC’s Travis Lanham gets in on the fun and games with a font that is reminiscent of the X-font currently being used before adding his own embellishments.
This book is a blast of fresh air in the face of all the darker event type nonsense that the Big Two seem happy to produce. Power Pack is the sort of book that makes you remember why you got into comics in the first place. Take some time to look at the Marvel Universe through the eyes of the Power kids; you might just be amazed all over again.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating]
Written by; Ryan North
Art by; Nico Leon
Colors by; Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters by; VC’s Travis Lanham
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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