It’s no surprise that Power Fantasy won the Best Series Eyesner nomination in AIPT. This week, the series continues to explore the morality of owning divine powers and using them in ways that are considered greater benefits. But who says what you believe is right? Meanwhile, things get even more complicated when the supermarket son might drive everything off the cliff.
Power Fantasy #9 will serve as “The Second Summer of Love (Aftermath)” which will open in Tokyo in 1989. She sees herself shooting herself with something and thankfully the monsters don’t come.
This opening is a strong framing story in this issue, and I often booked it by the end. Isabel and Morishita are discussing the moment when the monster was ready to arrive, but at the time, Isabel was on the sidelines and was sure she would die. As the opening page shows, Etienne used the drug to control Mori-Shinde, as if trying to control all situations, but it could prove unnecessary.
Opening page.
Credits: Image
From there, the story goes back and forth between Isabel and Mori-Nitta, with Etienne having a conversation with Valentina, with Jackie Magus heading to his Pyramid Safehouse, thinking about what to do with his hidden super son. Each subplot goes well, with some surprises and twists that definitely add to the competition that comes to mind.
Kieran Gillen does an amazing job of seeding one story along with another, assuming his son is safe and Etienne will probably do the worst to take control of him. Or at least, Heavy wants to fight for a world worth living in, while Eitienne wants to fight to keep things in control. Finally, it is clear that the sides are drawn. This makes us feel like we are approaching a major conflict.
Just as Valentina is reluctant to help Etienne, she continues to invest in small wrinkles. It’s still not possible to see what’s going on with her and whether she will continue to work with him. Jackie Magus also has a big publicity worth reading to the end.
A major reason why this problem works so well is the visual width, with good pacing and good layout drawn. You are drawn in close-ups, and things can open things to show impressive views. In one epic layout, Caspar Wijngaard creates 12-panel pages, while Valentina flies to space and satellites.
Power Fantasy #9 has earned an AIZN-nominated reputation and a closely-crafted, emotionally resonant installment that juggles multiple characters and timelines without losing sight of the bigger philosophical questions at its core. It sets the stage for what it promises to be visually surprising, narratively ambitious chapters and climactic calculations.
“Power Fantasy” #9 is a story-wise ambitious success
Power Fantasy #9
Power Fantasy #9 has earned an AIZN-nominated reputation and a closely-crafted, emotionally resonant installment that juggles multiple characters and timelines without losing sight of the bigger philosophical questions at its core. It sets the stage for what it promises to be visually surprising, narratively ambitious chapters and climactic calculations.
Powerful and thematically rich storytelling exploring power, morality and outcomes
Escalating tension and smartly woven subplots
Dynamic visuals and original layouts by Caspar Wijngaard
A dense story may overwhelm new readers
