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08/08/2002


By John Steib

Power Company: Not just a fan, also a client


I’ll be honest; I was a fan of the Power Company comic book before the series even started.  Even before the Powersurge one-shots came out.  Or JLA #61.

I was a fan when I first discovered that a new team was joining the DC Universe.  I was a fan when I learned the series would be written by one of my favorite writers (Kurt Busiek of Astro City, Avengers, and Marvels fame) and drawn by another personal favorite (Tom Grummett who brought Superman back from the grave and gave us a new Superboy.)

I was a fan when I heard of the concept of the series: super-heroes for hire.  A professional team that was staffed like a law firm with partners and associates and a support staff.

I was a fan when I saw the first online image of the group and I realized (and here’s the important part, folks) they were NEW characters.  Okay, Manhunter and Bork weren’t “brand” new, but I’ll come back to them later.

New characters in the DC Universe.  Thank Grodd.  We need more creators CREATING rather than just re-visiting.  Now, I must digress even further to say that I am a major DC fan.  I know my infinite earths.  I know my various shades of Kryptonite.  I know which countries most of the Global Guardians come from.  I have two sets of Who’s Who because I really do check it that often.  I LOVE it when an old favorite comes back either revamped or “updated.”  They don’t always catch on, but I appreciate the effort.  (We can still thank James Robinson for Starman or Geoff Johns for what he’s doing with the JSA.)

But, my point is: this is NEW.  We need “new.”  The DCU needs “new.”  Maybe Striker Z or Witchfire will never supplant Superman and Batman, but it never hurts to try, right?

So, I read JLA #61.

I read the one-shots.

And when the series began, I embraced it.   I still do, in fact.  It’s been one of my favorites for the last seven months.  This book is solid in both story and art.  I’m not going to tell you too much about it because my trusty computer pal is putting a link right here to DC Comics Online’s Power Company mini-website.  This will tell more than enough about it (with less digressions from yours truly) and it can do it with examples of each character and some stunning artwork.

So, if this comic is good and it is consistent and it comes out on a regular basis, why am I bothering you about it?  Well, here’s another link for you; [link removed from net] explaining how the book needs your help to continue and how he plans to “fix” the parts he feels are not working.

This totally floored me.  In modern comics, when a series is slipping in sales (or not gaining a steady audience), it is always SOMEONE ELSE’S fault.  I’ve seen creators blame the Internet or video games or editors or apathetic retailers or Jupiter’s alignment with Pluto. But, very seldom do we see somebody turn the spotlight on themselves and say, “I goofed.  Let me try again.”  Kurt Busiek does.  And, I respect him even more now.  He says he made some poor judgment calls about the book, but he CARES ENOUGH to want to try and fix them.  That is amazingly refreshing.

So, there you are.  Power Company is a well-written, well-drawn super-hero comic.  My favorite characters are easily Bork and Josiah Power (uh oh).  I’m curious about Manhunter (and was a fan of the classic Archie Goodwin / Walter Simonson character).  Skyrocket is really starting to grow on me.  I especially like that this “patriotic” leader is not your usual comic book standard in this role.  I’ve enjoyed the conflict we’ve had with guest stars like Green Arrow, but more importantly, some villains like the Cadre (I thought only I remembered Fastball, Kurt) and Javelin that haven’t been seen in a long time.

In addition to FREE STUFF you might win, Kurt explains that he’s starting fresh with a “major turning point” and a few good “jumping on” issues. Please do him a favor and jump on for the first time.  Or, try it again.  Or buy it for a friend who used to watch “L.A. Law” religiously.  I don’t really care.  I just don’t want to see this book go away.  The potential is there and the people are talented enough to deliver.  Please check it out.

John Steib
Collector's Edge WEST Store Manager

 
All comments (c)2002 John Steib and may not be reproduced in whole or in part, without written permission of the author.




 

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