Powers #6 Review

By D. Goodman | May 12, 2016

Fans are treated to a new issue of Powers this month, and thankfully issue #6 doesn’t disappoint as it brings the current arc to a thrilling conclusion.

Powers #6
Written by Brain Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Avon Oeming
Colored by Nick Filardi
Published by Icon/Marvel Comics

Last time in Powers: The truth behind the dramatic increase in the number of Powers and its connection to Deena Pilgrim and her family comes into the light.

As any fan of Powers will tell you, new issues of the award-winning series created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming have become something of a rarity. Issue #5 hit stands almost six months ago so it has become a cause for celebration whenever readers find a new issue in their pull box.

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Well, this is the week to celebrate as Powers #6 has arrived. It brings with it the resolution to the mystery of where all the new Powers have been coming from and how they have been ending up dead. And it does not disappoint.

While Bendis is a very prolific writer and you can read his work in any of a number of other titles each month, for some reason his writing is Powers is always some of his best. The dialogue is crisp and fun, the plot is always paced perfectly and we usually get some kind of payoff as we reach the final page.

In Powers #6 we get more of a payoff than we may be used to as he brings the current storyline to a close and sends things off in a new direction. I won’t spoil the fun here, but even if you have to go back ad re-read the previous five issues to remember all the ins and outs of the plot, it is more than worth it.

There really isn’t anything I can say about the awe-inspiring art of Oeming that hasn’t been said before. While the writing of Bendis always makes Powers a good read, it’s the art that pushes any new issue into “can’t miss” territory.

At first glance it may seem like Oeming’s work is pretty simplistic in its style, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. His art is always filled with such energy and depth that you can get lost on a single panel of any book he works on. That is especially true on Powers, where he always takes things to another level.

The entire sequence where we learn the truth behind where all the new Powers have been coming from and who has been killing them is so perfectly done I was in awe. If you want to learn how to effectively draw comics, buy and study this issue.

The downside of reading a book as good as Powers #6? The long, long wait begins for the next issue.

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The Bottom Line: While the wait between issues get harder and harder to sit through, when the result is a comic as good as Powers #6, it all seems worth it. It brings the current arc to a satisfying conclusion while leaving enough doors open to leave readers wanting more.

Of course, how long they may have to wait for more is open for debate. Hopefully, it won’t be months before we see a new issue of Powers on the stands.