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Rating: 
Summary: More of the same, and that is good
Review: "Powers Vol. 2: Roleplay" collects the second major story arc of the comic series Powers. Like the first volume, "Who Killed Retrogirl," "Roleplay" is entirely self contained and has a complete story from beginning to end.The strength of Powers lies in its almost flawless craftsmanship. The series balances heavy drama and sharp wit, larger-than-life heroes and fully realized characters. The razor-sharp writing is complimented by the stylized, cartoonish art and drab colors. These are creators in full control of their art form. Storywise, "Roleplay" brings the concept of heroes down to the level of impressionable college students. Those without powers long to have them. Lacking an incident of cosmic chance, the best they can do is play dress-up. These innocent games draw the wrong sort of attention. Its a Powers comic, so people die. Homicide detectives Walker and Pilgrim are on the job.
Rating:
Summary: More of the same, and that is good
Review: "Powers Vol. 2: Roleplay" collects the second major story arc of the comic series Powers. Like the first volume, "Who Killed Retrogirl," "Roleplay" is entirely self contained and has a complete story from beginning to end. The strength of Powers lies in its almost flawless craftsmanship. The series balances heavy drama and sharp wit, larger-than-life heroes and fully realized characters. The razor-sharp writing is complimented by the stylized, cartoonish art and drab colors. These are creators in full control of their art form. Storywise, "Roleplay" brings the concept of heroes down to the level of impressionable college students. Those without powers long to have them. Lacking an incident of cosmic chance, the best they can do is play dress-up. These innocent games draw the wrong sort of attention. Its a Powers comic, so people die. Homicide detectives Walker and Pilgrim are on the job.
Rating: 
Summary: Hero Worship at a deadly level.
Review: Bendis and Oeming's series has always been more than a cop drama in the world of superheroes. In this story arc, they possibly bite the hand that feeds them - they discuss "fanboys" who dress and act like the heroes they idolize, who are being killed off. In the original Image comics, Bendis shows open contempt for "regular" comic book fans; his letter columns (not reprinted in this volume) contain nasty and scatological replies to gushing fans who idolize his work. Here, he openly gives his William Shatner response to fans - "Get a life!" - within the story. He and Oeming are seeking to make "Powers" something more than a standard comic - and while going beyond standard comic book fandom is a necessary step towards that goal, this particular story may seem like unnecessary roughness to many.
Rating:
Summary: Hero Worship at a deadly level.
Review: Bendis and Oeming's series has always been more than a cop drama in the world of superheroes. In this story arc, they possibly bite the hand that feeds them - they discuss "fanboys" who dress and act like the heroes they idolize, who are being killed off. In the original Image comics, Bendis shows open contempt for "regular" comic book fans; his letter columns (not reprinted in this volume) contain nasty and scatological replies to gushing fans who idolize his work. Here, he openly gives his William Shatner response to fans - "Get a life!" - within the story. He and Oeming are seeking to make "Powers" something more than a standard comic - and while going beyond standard comic book fandom is a necessary step towards that goal, this particular story may seem like unnecessary roughness to many.
Rating:
Summary: A Superhero Story From A Homicide Cop's P.O.V.
Review: Detective Christian Walker and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim work "Powers" cases; That is, homicides dealing with Super-Powered victims and/or perpetrators. Their new case is the slaying of a group of College students. All were found wearing Super-Hero costumes. They were part of a campus Role-Playing game that involved roaming the city dressed as Super-Powered individuals (which is illegal in itself, as non-licensed costume wearers are subject to jail time..), and were all "On Patrol" when murdered. All clues point to a long-vanished Mob Enforcer called "The Pulp"....But why come back after all these years....and why kill defenseless kids? This is the mystery at the core of Role Play, and the answer is a shocker. Brian Michael Bendis' writing is, as usual, top-notch; I do wish someone would carefully proof-read his stuff, though...There are numerous spelling errors, and he can't seem to differentiate between "Yours" and Your's". Stuff like that makes a book look amateurish, no matter how good everything else might be. Artist Mike Avon Oeming has a deceptive style; It looks cartoony at first glance, but soon draws you in with an amazing depth of facial expressions and true talent for making "Talking Head" sequences come alive. Powers: Role Play is totally self-contained, and no prior knowledge of the series or characters is necessary. Fans of Superheroes and/or Crime fiction will have a blast.
Rating:
Summary: A Superhero Story From A Homicide Cop's P.O.V.
Review: Detective Christian Walker and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim work "Powers" cases; That is, homicides dealing with Super-Powered victims and/or perpetrators. Their new case is the slaying of a group of College students. All were found wearing Super-Hero costumes. They were part of a campus Role-Playing game that involved roaming the city dressed as Super-Powered individuals (which is illegal in itself, as non-licensed costume wearers are subject to jail time..), and were all "On Patrol" when murdered. All clues point to a long-vanished Mob Enforcer called "The Pulp"....But why come back after all these years....and why kill defenseless kids? This is the mystery at the core of Role Play, and the answer is a shocker. Brian Michael Bendis' writing is, as usual, top-notch; I do wish someone would carefully proof-read his stuff, though...There are numerous spelling errors, and he can't seem to differentiate between "Yours" and Your's". Stuff like that makes a book look amateurish, no matter how good everything else might be. Artist Mike Avon Oeming has a deceptive style; It looks cartoony at first glance, but soon draws you in with an amazing depth of facial expressions and true talent for making "Talking Head" sequences come alive. Powers: Role Play is totally self-contained, and no prior knowledge of the series or characters is necessary. Fans of Superheroes and/or Crime fiction will have a blast.
Rating:
Summary: The comic that got me back into comics.
Review: I stopped reading comics in the mid-nineties. I felt like I had read all of the plots, seen all the characters and heard all of the dialog before. I happened across this book in a bookstore earlier this year (2002), though, and was stunned. This comic had interesting characters, good dialog and a great setting. The plot isn't anything new (tracking down a serial killer) but it is executed well in this setting. The two main characters, Detectives Pilgrim and Walker, are normal humans who investigate crimes related to "Powers" (superhumans). The focus here is more on the crime and the characters than it is on powers and special effects. This is what makes the comic so good. Instead of 10 pages of laser beams and force fields, you get dialog, characterization and story. Sure, there are superhumans around, but they are more background than focus. So, if you stopped reading comics because everything seemed the same, give this one a shot. (The first one in the series is not as strong, although still worth a read.)
Rating:
Summary: The comic that got me back into comics.
Review: I stopped reading comics in the mid-nineties. I felt like I had read all of the plots, seen all the characters and heard all of the dialog before. I happened across this book in a bookstore earlier this year (2002), though, and was stunned. This comic had interesting characters, good dialog and a great setting. The plot isn't anything new (tracking down a serial killer) but it is executed well in this setting. The two main characters, Detectives Pilgrim and Walker, are normal humans who investigate crimes related to "Powers" (superhumans). The focus here is more on the crime and the characters than it is on powers and special effects. This is what makes the comic so good. Instead of 10 pages of laser beams and force fields, you get dialog, characterization and story. Sure, there are superhumans around, but they are more background than focus. So, if you stopped reading comics because everything seemed the same, give this one a shot. (The first one in the series is not as strong, although still worth a read.)
Rating:
Summary: POWERS: A++++++++
Review: Powers is a very special comic that has occomplished the impossible. It's original, humourous, entertaining, and every other word that has a hint of positive meaning. BUY THIS ITEM!!! (hey, it's written by Bendis so there isn't much or a risk :)
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