CSBG Archive
A Year of Cool Comics – Day 235
Here is the latest in our year-long look at one cool comic (whether it be a self-contained work, an ongoing comic or a run on a long-running title that featured multiple creative teams on it over the years) a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here‘s the archive of the comics posted so far!
Today we look at an early issue of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming’s Powers, issue #7, featuring a guest appearance by Warren Ellis!
Enjoy!
This inspired issue worked off of the conceit that Warren Ellis is doing a new graphic novel about cops, so due to him pulling some strings, Ellis manages to finagle his way to going on a ride along with the star of Powers, Christian Walker.
Bendis gives Ellis an amusing diatribe about comic books…
but then, of course, something goes wrong and here, boy, Bendis and Oeming put on a storytelling clinic…
Oeming in that last page – my goodness, it’s so impressive. And Oeming on the next couple of pages is quite possibly even MORE impressive as he details Ellis’ slow realization that something has gone horribly wrong and either he goes to help or Walker is a dead man.
Of course, the situation gets even worse once Ellis gets involved, but I’ll leave that for you to find out when/if you read the comic. What’s amusing is that the end of the issue there is a joke ABOUT not spoiling the ending of the comic.
Big kudos to Warren Ellis for being such a good sport about being a “guest star” like this and really, after the initial storyline on Powers, this was such an amazing one-off follow-up by Bendis and Oeming, showing that they were prepared to give outstanding stories in every issue of Powers, something they still fulfill to this day. One of the really best things about Powers is that if you pick up an issue of Powers NOW, it might not be as good as this one, but it will be pretty damn close, and to be able to say that more than a decade in, well, that’s quite an accomplishment by Bendis and Oeming (and quite lucky for us readers).
15 Comments
The Watcher
August 24, 2010 at 3:44 am
That kind of art makes me want to run away screaming.
I’ve tried to read “Powers” a few different times, but just can’t stomach those cartoony drawings.
Diggity
August 24, 2010 at 4:35 am
I’ve got nothing much to add (that last page IS incredible), just wanted to chime in my love for Powers. Having read some of Oeming’s earlier work on Foot Soldiers and Bulletproof Monk, it’s obvious that Powers was where he really found his style. His work here is so much more confident and effective than what had come before. Great stuff.
Adam P. Knave
August 24, 2010 at 6:51 am
Ellis’ rant and most of his dialogue were all taken, and sometimes slightly adapted from, his column at CBR that ran at the time. It wasn’t Bendis giving him a fun rant, it was just using it – with permission.
Excronimuss
August 24, 2010 at 7:05 am
Perfect sclupture, I think I want some of that!
Bill Reed
August 24, 2010 at 8:27 am
You know, I like the show “Castle” and all, but it would be truly transcendent with Warren Ellis in place of Nathan Fillion.
Bill Reed
August 24, 2010 at 8:28 am
It must be an unfortunate life, only reading photocomics for fear of nausea.
Warren Ellis
August 24, 2010 at 8:41 am
Our LARRY SANDERS SHOW moment.
Looking at this, all I can do is mourn my hair, really…
Daryll B.
August 24, 2010 at 9:53 am
@ Bill…. Ellis in place of Fillion…w/o any restrictions on his “commentary”? And on network TV? I think American audiences would s*** bricks….lol
Brian Cronin
August 24, 2010 at 10:03 am
Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that Bendis WROTE the rant, just that he made the space for Ellis’ rant in the context of the comic.
Sam Kess
August 24, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Ecxronimuss, I’m glad you noticed “sclupture” as well. I was starting to think my eyes were going bad.
Another Dan
August 24, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Someone commented in Kelly’s article yesterday that the art there was a turn-off too. Anyone know, is that a common reason that people don’t try out non-big two comics? Are people looking for more photo-realistic art?
More on topic: this reminds me that I need to pick this up. I like Bendis much better when he’s doing creator-owned work rather than shared universe stuff. But we all know what pays the bills…
Brad Kerrang
August 24, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I just read this for the first time in Powers vol. 3. That also has the activity book and prose story, so a lot of novelty there.
Dave Anderson
August 25, 2010 at 4:19 pm
What a great story to highlight. Brian, thanks for picking. I’d like to add my praise for Powers, Bendis, Oeming, Ellis, and a wonderful example of how to use a story to hold a mirror up to comics and their creators and provoke some thought and discussion. I loved this story when I read it and now I’m eager to read it again.
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August 26, 2010 at 5:06 pm
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Great Post, I’ll try to check back often if you keep writing like this, please keep it up….
Tony
January 1, 2011 at 5:57 pm
This is the only issue of the series I just outright hated because of the massive cop out at the end. And this is one of my favorite series, and definitely my favorite Bendis series.