Rating: 
Summary: Good little read...
Review: Let me first say that I have read many of the other reviews which are for the most part very good. I would probably have given this 3.5 stars if it was available but alas it was not. If you want a description of the comic's plot check those out. As for me I found the book to be somewhat inconsistent. Don't get me wrong, the writing (story) was very good, and the characters were fun and likeable. The killers reason for committing murder was new, believable, and interesting; in short I liked the twist. The only real criticism I can give to the book is that some of the dialogue is a bit fake. Detective Walker is often written as though he should be talking through the mouth of some 19 year old dispatch (or inarticulate rock star for that matter), and some of Pilgrim's lines seem a bit to ridiculous to not be contrived, i.e. "Why are you so far up my uterus, man?" Perhaps Oeming was trying to emmulate Kevin Smith dialogue here (who he has also worked with) but I for one, consider borrowing from a hack, unwise. (If this is untrue or slanted my deepest appologies to Mr. Oeming, but Kevin Smith really does [stink].) That aside there was also too much cut and paste art work in this for my taste, and the art work was not really what I am partial to; but that is personal preference and shouldn't effect wether or not you buy this (assuming you haven't); for all-in-all it is a good little read and worth the 15 bucks, or whatever you spend on it. Take it home, plop down on the couch and try to enjoy yourselves - it wont be very hard.
Rating: 
Summary: Bendis's best work in my opinion!
Review: Powers is yet another attempt at making those with "powers" more realistic and is a compilation of a series from Image (collecting the first 6 issues) that has been turned into this great graphic novel, continuing the marketing trend towards targeting the twenty and thirty-somethings who grew up reading comicbooks and who are thus more open-minded than the average reader. Powers reminded me of Alan Moore's Top Ten in many ways, but this isn't a bad thing! The Powers story arc presented revolves around the murder of Retro Girl (cool name by the way), an all-American girl who is pretty, spunky, and superpowered and thus beloved by the people. Lucky for her she wasn't a hunchback pygmie I guess. The main character is a stoic detective named Christian Walker, who is actually a nice guy (think Clark Kent as a cop) and this was very refreshing as I think we've all seen the mean uncompromising tough cop routine wayyyy too many times already. He is partnered with a diminutive female detective who's personality varies from being a nosy you know what to an effective yet idealistic cop. There's also a hilarious little girl that Det. Walker has to take care of who keeps asking him what a clitoris is. Bendis writes some of the best natural dialogue I've encountered. People stutter, make jokes that are sometimes lame, and the characters don't all sound the same. This is what has been lacking in other similar works in American pop culture. The story centers around the death of Retro Girl, but there are sub-plots that mainly help the reader learn more about the world that Det. Walker and company inhabit. There is, for example, an interesting Ironman/Tony Stark-like character who has a past connection to Retro Girl and is considered a suspect. There's the strange yet eclectic criminal element that adds spice to this rich world. There are only a few credible leads for the detectives to follow up, but the story never gets boring. We also get the now common use of tv commentary and news segments that Frank Miller started back in his original Dark Knight series in 1980s. Bendis keeps things moving and interesting you'll find yourself done in a matter of hours. Aside from the 6 issue story, this graphic novel contains an interesting script of the 1st issue and this could prove useful to those people looking to become writers of graphic novels and are looking for a superlative example of the medium. There is a short promotional strip that appeared and a gallery of characters and the evolution of how the characters were given their current appearances. Kind of superfluous if you ask me, but fans will appreciate I imagine. This graphic novel comes with a hefty price tag though (I got lucky and got it used less than half the price), but this one's kind of worth it, especially considering its immense entertainment value. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Concept
Review: Powers scores major points for providing a fesh look to the super-hero genre. Brian Michael Bendis' sharp dialogue, coupled with a healthy dose of hip-cleverness, gives readers insight into what it would like to walk the beat in a town filled with super-heroes. The only thing that keeps this book from being rated higher is that one story thread - the one involving the young girl - doesn't quite reach the dramatic pay-off it was intended to reach. Nevertheless, Powers is a book worth looking at if you got the time. Not a classic but a notable contribution to the genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Superhero detective story
Review: The Powers concept is to write a detective story, with normal human protagonists, but with a twist: superheroes exist in the world. The target audience is the adult (or at least older teen) market; the stories are gritty, and action sequences are sparse. This story, reprinting Powers numbers 1 through 6, details the investigation into the murder of Retro Girl, the world's pre-eminent super-heroine. The strength of the story is the characters; the leads (the detectives) are great. The mystery itself (with requisite big revelation at the end) is only so-so.
Rating:
Summary: Superhero detective story
Review: The Powers concept is to write a detective story, with normal human protagonists, but with a twist: superheroes exist in the world. The target audience is the adult (or at least older teen) market; the stories are gritty, and action sequences are sparse. This story, reprinting Powers numbers 1 through 6, details the investigation into the murder of Retro Girl, the world's pre-eminent super-heroine. The strength of the story is the characters; the leads (the detectives) are great. The mystery itself (with requisite big revelation at the end) is only so-so.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but there's been better
Review: The premise is old and has been done better before - "Watchmen" comes immediately to mind. Compared to the thoughtfulness and attention to detail in that milestone work, the "Powers" universe feels very hastily thrown together. Cheap tricks, like a barely explained "light" that nullifies super powers, provide easy plot devices and eventually weakens the already predictable conclusion to the book's title question. The main characters are vaguely interesting, but are fairly one dimensional - We've all seen the hard-edged detective with a secret and his unwanted, but scrappy (female) sidekick as well as the stereotypical Mark David Chapman type "crazed fan" killer they hunt. On the plus side, the art is great and the book itself is printed on high quality paper with loads of extras - including the full script of the first issue.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book!
Review: This could be one of the top ten graphic novels of all-time. Bendis and Oeming work very well together. Bendis' dialogue is quick and clever, while Oeming's dialogue-free panels are just as integral to building the characters, and developing the storyline. Some may criticize the style of art used here, favoring the much more popular realistic style, but Oeming's dynamic use of shadow and pespective, contribute surprising impact to the simply drawn characters. Even the creative panel arrangements add to the movement of the story, at points relaying concurrent actions from the upper and lower sections of the page. Oeming and Bendis truly work together to ultimately create one of the freshest, most entertaining graphic novels around. This is probably not for everyone, but if you're looking for something a little different than your standard hero stuff, Powers is well worth the effort!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book!
Review: This could be one of the top ten graphic novels of all-time. Bendis and Oeming work very well together. Bendis' dialogue is quick and clever, while Oeming's dialogue-free panels are just as integral to building the characters, and developing the storyline. Some may criticize the style of art used here, favoring the much more popular realistic style, but Oeming's dynamic use of shadow and pespective, contribute surprising impact to the simply drawn characters. Even the creative panel arrangements add to the movement of the story, at points relaying concurrent actions from the upper and lower sections of the page. Oeming and Bendis truly work together to ultimately create one of the freshest, most entertaining graphic novels around. This is probably not for everyone, but if you're looking for something a little different than your standard hero stuff, Powers is well worth the effort!
Rating:
Summary: Powers, Vol.1
Review: With all the superheroes flying around, one has to wonder if the police department has a specialized unit that deals with specific crimes committed by any individual with superpowes. Enter Powers, a crime comic written by master scribe, Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spiderman, Daredevil) that details just that. Detective Christian Walker and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim, are investigating the murder of well known and loved super heroine, Retro-Girl. But this case is unlike any other that Walker has been on. There's something personal about this. There's an apparent connection between Detective Walker and Retro-Girl that is unkown to his new partner (and it's not what you're probably thinking). This book is a magnificent noir detective story that doesn't pull any punches.The artwork by Oeming is very cartoony and reminds me a lot of the character designs for the DC realted animated series (such as Batman and Justice League) but with some of the best lighting effects and shadowing I've ever seen in a comic book. All in all, Powers is simply one of my favorite titles out there. A rich and detailed noir atmosphere that doesn't disappoint on any level. As a side note: check out TORSO, my favorite of Bendis' adventures into crime-drama.
Rating:
Summary: Powers, Vol.1
Review: With all the superheroes flying around, one has to wonder if the police department has a specialized unit that deals with specific crimes committed by any individual with superpowes. Enter Powers, a crime comic written by master scribe, Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spiderman, Daredevil) that details just that. Detective Christian Walker and his new partner, Detective Deena Pilgrim, are investigating the murder of well known and loved super heroine, Retro-Girl. But this case is unlike any other that Walker has been on. There's something personal about this. There's an apparent connection between Detective Walker and Retro-Girl that is unkown to his new partner (and it's not what you're probably thinking). This book is a magnificent noir detective story that doesn't pull any punches. The artwork by Oeming is very cartoony and reminds me a lot of the character designs for the DC realted animated series (such as Batman and Justice League) but with some of the best lighting effects and shadowing I've ever seen in a comic book. All in all, Powers is simply one of my favorite titles out there. A rich and detailed noir atmosphere that doesn't disappoint on any level. As a side note: check out TORSO, my favorite of Bendis' adventures into crime-drama.
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