Powers vol 4: Supergroup - Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming

I'm going to say up front here that I think the Brit writers (Moore / Millar / Ellis / Ennis / Morrison) do superheroes way, way, way better than the Americans. I know I'm biased but I'm of a similar age with most of these guys, grew up reading the same sort of stuff and so share some of the aesthetic. For the most part I think American superhero comics are crap, regardless of who their written by but the ones these fellas do are generally (not always) worth searching out.

Obviously there are exceptions to my pocket theory and right at the top of that exceptions list is Brian Bendis. I first (deliberately) read his stuff - New Avengers: Breakout - having snuck it into the Starbucks upstairs in the Borders store here in Swansea and thoroughly enjoyed it. It had the feel of supe stuff I read as a kid but the story had a bit of presence. There was none of the glorious irreverence or the disdain you get from the Brits. It was pure supes but done with heart and with style. I later realised that this was the same guy who had written the Ultimate Spidey book that I'd been lent a couple of years before and been impressed with. Following on from this I picked up a couple of his Avengers trades and his Goldfish collection which I really dug.

I'd been planning to dip into Powers for a while. I'd tried reading it online but the reader frustrated me so I stopped. The other month I found someone selling the set on eBay pretty cheap and so I grabbed them. I was outbid on vols 4 & 10 but got the rest. I read the initial three and pretty much enjoyed them but it took a few months to finally track down a number 4. It was well worth the wait. Walker is a great character and it's great to see him finally come out from the background in this volume. The previous ones really did have Deena as the focus - which was cool, she's great fun - but it was good to see Walker finally step into the spotlight. The story is obviously both and ending and a beginning as it sends Walker off into the great unknown whilst also dropping a giant teaser right at the end.

I'm going to be working my way through the next five volumes over the next couple of days so expect a few entries along this theme.