written by Brian Michael Bendis
illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming

When Z, a WWII-era superhero who killed Hitler, is found murdered, Detectives Christian Walker and his new partner, Enki Sunrise, hit the streets to search for a killer. Interwoven between the investigation are details of the immortal Walker’s past. A superhero once upon a time, Walker used to have powers and fought alongside Z in the war; afterward, he and the rest of his team rode on Z’s coattails as the infamous Nazi killer became a mob enforcer. As the case unravels, Walker and Sunrise find themselves embroiled in a sex scandal involving a mafia don’s wife and the dead hero.

Although it builds off the events of previous volumes, this latest collection of Powers marks the beginning of a new story arc in Brian Michael Bendis’s ongoing series, making it an easy jumping-on point for new readers. While it helps to have an understanding of past events within the world of Powers, Bendis is able to craft a fairly self-contained story here that works as a starting point for a fresh audience.
 
While he has worked on many notable Marvel comics, namely Ultimate Spider-Man and The Avengers, Powers is quintessential Bendis. A creator-owned comic, it has absolutely no ties to his other works within the Marvel universe and is published under the distinct Icon label (Marvel’s creator-owned line of titles, similar to DC’s Vertigo brand).
 
Powers is, first and foremost, a police procedural book. It’s an adult look at the world of superpowered heroes and villains and the police who have to react to the fallout from the existence of such beings. There’s murder, drugs, and sex. It’s a dark, brutal world that is easy enough to recognize as a reflection of our own, where powered folks have achieved celebrity status, gracing the covers of gossip rags and entertainment program. The large-scale potential for havoc and the seedy underworld of their nonpublic lives has created the need for a powers-specific Homicide division within the police department.
 
Penning colorful and realistic-sounding dialogue has long been the greatest talent of Bendis, and it shines here. Unfettered by censors, his characters say what they feel, and their exchanges are so natural it almost feels like eavesdropping. The technical terms tossed around in the cop-shop ring with authenticity, and the interrogation scenes, a longtime staple of the series, read like something from Law & Order.
 
The artwork from Michael Avon Oeming is heavily stylistic rather than realistic, and it’s just really fun to look at. With Walker, he has created a strong, imposing, square-jawed cop in the vein of Dick Tracy. Although the book deals with powered heroes and their enemies, the book is a crime saga first and the art reflects that accordingly. This is not a bright, multicolored depiction of godlike men and women, like the Superman books. It is a much starker examination, peopled with flawed, three-dimensional characters. The city streets and its inhabitants are darkly shadowed in the noir tradition, the colors deeply subdued and heavily lined. Oeming’s work is a unique, art deco-inspired cinematic style that recalls imagery from a bygone era of film noir.
 
The long-running and ongoing Powers represents Brian Michael Bendis at his best. The storytelling is dramatic, filled with characters that are relatable and human, even if set apart from others because of their supernatural abilities. His lead character, Christian Walker, is the traditional stoic policeman but shaded with a supremely long and sordid past. He grows ever more finely detailed with each outing. This thirteenth volume pushes the series and its overall story arc in a new direction, making it a good starting point for those new to the series, while offering some great surprises and rewards for longtime fans.

-- Michael Hicks

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