Project Superpowers #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot, art direction), Jim Krueger (writer), Carlos Paul (art), Debora Carita (colors)

Project Superpowers #0 was one of those books that came out of left field and surprised me. It was full of old Golden Age characters, a fantastic plot, and excellent art. Plus, is was only $1.00. If you haven’t picked up issue #0, I highly suggest hitting up your local comic store immediately. It’s such a treat.

With the foundation for the series laid down, issue #1 wastes no time getting the reader involved in the Fighting Yank’s quest. With his age catching up to him, Yank searches out the Green Lama in hopes of getting assistance with the Urn of Pandora’s retrieval. When he finds him, he’s surprised to see that he’s not aged in the 50 years they’ve been apart. Green Lama gives a sound explanation for this youthfulness and the two head to New York.

In New York, Dynamic Man sits atop a high skyscraper, admiring his handiwork. Clearly deluded, he claims credit for the progressions of society. When Fighting Yank and Green Lama come to visit, they pompously ridicules them, secretly knowing why they’ve arrived. He gives them them exactly what they seek, plus a little more than they bargained for. The only thing that bothered me is how the Black Terror, freed from his prison, seems a little more cheesy than seriously upset.

Krueger is careful not to introduce too many characters at once this issue. Because of this, we really get a grasp on what drives Dynamic Man and Green Lama. We’re also given a small dossier at the end of the issue giving us a little character history. Carlos Paul, working off of Alex Ross’ breakdowns produces some excellent. While this issue’s story is no where near as “epic” as last issue, it’s entertaining, nonetheless. I’m not *dying* to read the next issue, but I am satisfied with what I got out of this one. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Project Superpowers #0 – Review

By: Jim Krueger (Writer), Alex Ross (Art Direction, Cover), Stephen Sadowski (Art)

This week’s new releases have been nothing but great read after read. I thought something had to give. Usually when I pay $1.00 for a comic book (these days), I expect to get maybe five pages of story, some dossier files and some character sketches. Not this time!

Project Superpowers caught me completely off guard. I expected some Golden Age silliness and mayhem, but what I got was a well crafted story and a character in the form of the Fighting Yank who is probably more fleshed out than his original character of yesteryear. It’s an explosive tale that centers around World War II where it’s believed that Hitler and his obsession with the occult has uncovered Pandora’s Box. Now, I’m not going to go on about the rest of the story, but it’s a really good read and the ghost that haunts the modern Fighting Yank (now in his old age), makes you wonder if he was delusional or if he was doing the right thing.

Like Marvel’s new series, The Twelve, Project Superpowers shines a new light on old characters, giving them a more dark and interesting modern spin. Shame on me for underestimating Alex Ross and Jim Krueger. Don’t be fooled by the price tag on this book, you get a full 20+ pages of fantastic story and beautiful art. Easily the most bang you’ll get for your buck this week. (Grade: A)