Powers #3 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Michael Avon Oeming (art), Nick Filardi (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: It’s a high-speed, super-powered chase as Walker and Sunrise try to get their murder suspect back to the station in one piece.

What’s Good: This is just a gorgeous display of sequential art at its finest.  Not only is Oeming’s work beautiful to look at in and of itself, but as always, his sense of narrative flow and storytelling is also creative and really fun.  Oeming’s work remains explosive, yet comfortingly adorable.  He also creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere and tension throughout the issue.

As always, the actual action mirrors the panel structure (if you can call it that), giving the book a fast, organic feel.  For instance, a car drives from one panel to another, snaking its way through a double-page spread.  How can you not adore something like that?

His work on a tense scene in a sewer is also in wonderful contrast with the rest of the issue, which is a high-paced car chase.  Oeming’s style easily shifts to accommodate and create a real sense of claustrophobic tension.  It’s great stuff, as is that car chase, which explodes with a real sense of speed.  Colorist Nick Filardi also helps quite a bit and the usage of light in the sewer scene is amazing, telling a story in itself.

On Bendis’ end, the chase itself is perfectly paced.  There’s also a very well timed flashback towards the end of the issue that both feels natural and surprising; it feels like it came out of nowhere, yet also satisfies.  Bendis also hits you with one big, badass ending to this issue.