MOTW 9/2/2015

Golden Yak

Got Empowered Vol.9 in the mail this week, and it almost immediately cemented itself as my MOTW book.

Empowered is an excellent series and I highly recommend it. It keeps getting better with every book. This volume resolves both events from the previous book and a plot thread that's been left dangling since book 4, and Emp herself gets a couple of absolutely amazing moments, especially towards the end.

One small bit I really liked (minor spoilers from earlier volume 6 as well):

One of the many, many supravillains that crosses paths with Emp this volume is Deathmonger, the creepy undead necrotech super-scientist who was the big bad of volume 6, revealing that he was not destroyed as the end of that book suggested - "I am rather notoriously difficult to kill... in part, of course, because I am already dead." However, he makes no attempt to capture or kill Empowered, out of what Deathmonger calls "A token - if temporary - measure of suprahuman solidarity between two misunderstood ladycapes" revealing that he is, in fact, a she, and that everyone simply assumed she was male.

A minor point in the face of all the other events of the book, but it made me giggle gleefully for a good 3 minutes. I like that Empowered now has something like a female arch-nemesis, and she's one of the most feared and lethal characters in the series.

As with every volume, there was a big dose of world-building and tons of wacky new characters. And yes, more than a couple shots of Emp being tied up, super-suit shredded, barely concealed caboose on display. There's a mid-book intermission story where she has a few things to say about that sort of thing, and those who might find themselves a little too focused on it.

Honestly, the story is so good that I really don't notice any of the explicit sexy stuff anymore... all that much. Really!

vagrant_winds

A new volume of Empowered finally came out!?
/rushes off to Amazon!

Dizzy D

I read it last weekend, so

I'm really happy to see Empowered finally getting respect (I mean, she must be getting some respect now? She was already getting more and more support from various superheroes, but now everybody has seen her on screen defeating a horde of bad guys and she finally stood up for herself to the rest of the heroes, demanding to become a full member.

And alas, poor Manny.

Kane Red Robe

Having no knowledge of Empowered I will just say that I looked at that cover and "Eel Duce" made me giggle for like a minute.

Golden Yak

Kayne Red Robe wrote: »

Having no knowledge of Empowered I will just say that I looked at that cover and "Eel Duce" made me giggle for like a minute.

Yeah, that level of amusement is pretty much the 'default state' when reading an Empowered story.

Tairu

My MOTW was getting the physical release of One-Punch Man in the mail

vagrant_winds

Empowered is a comic you pick up in the first place because you like Adam Warren's previous work and his manga style, the concept of a D-Lister Superhero story and the humor that comes with it sounds interesting and fun, and/or you have a slight bondage fetish. Then as you start reading it, not only do you know the art is fantastic (and all done in pencil, not inked) with fantastically drawn fight scenes, but it's well written too and filled with very human and flawed characters. Not to mention the humor that is prevalent through the comic.

After a few volumes in, once the major players have been introduced and have grown on you, and you realize you actually enjoy these characters (and holy shit, a healthy romance in a comic book)... the comic pulls a Negima! and switches from a fun lighthearted comedy into serious ongoing story and character arcs where shit goes down, feels get critically hit, and I dare you not to cry at some points.

Owenashi

I think I left off on reading Empowered prior to the volume focusing on Ninjette's clan-plot. Has there been any resolution with that jackass Major Havoc trying to ruin Emp?

Kipling217

Happens in this volume.

Emp get called in to the big superhuman ruling council to answer for all the shenanigans that have cropped up around her.

Major Havoc however is not part of the council and will probably have a hateboner for Emp.

Golden Yak

Tairu wrote: »

My MOTW was getting the physical release of One-Punch Man in the mail

That is a silly name for a thing. So I went and looked up info about it.

I'm happy now.

vagrant_winds

One-Punch Man is pretty great, yeah.

Bobby Derie

I should do a retrospective for something of Adam Warren's. He's a really good artist, his layouts are very dynamic and I like his style. His writing chops have come a long way, too.

vagrant_winds

I love Warren's combat scenes. He draws motion and impact so well compared to so many artists.

I also love his insane character ideas in his works.

Tairu

Adam Warren makes cheesecake with character, and I appreciate that