Josiah Power and Jefferson Pierce lead the newest iteration of the Power Company with a new purpose of rebuilding humanity’s faith in heroes and fighting back against the rising anti-metahuman movement. For their first mission the Company dispatches Jace Fox Batman, The Signal, and Vixen investigate a serial killer that’s been hunting metas in the streets of Atlanta Georgia. The Power Company Recharged brings together an interesting group of heroes for what teases the start of something more.
I know very little of the Power Company. It’s not a team or history that immediately jumps out to me. But, beyond Josiah Power, the rest of this new team I know but thankfully readers can go in fresh and still enjoy this one-shot that sets something up for the future.
Written by Bryan Edward Hill, The Power Company Recharged spins out of Black Lightning as well as DC Power: Rise of the Power Company and brings together a group of heroes to investigate the murder of a young metahuman and his family as well as the rise of anti-metahuman hate. Hill crafts a story that new readers can ease into with little knowledge of the characters and still enjoy the tale. And the overall story is good, with some interesting interactions of the characters and also setting up what will be clearly more team-ups in the future.
But, The Power Company Recharged is just good. It doesn’t dive too deep in its themes and concepts, instead giving us a surface level story that’s a bit more about the characters’ interactions and the wrap-up than the underlying details. Signal, Vixen, and Jace Fox’s Batman are a good trio with enough friction that you can believe their a team but also not quite sure how to work together. Other than an intro and outro, Power and Black Lightning are non-existent in the story and if you’re reading this for either of them, then you’ll be disappointed. But, where the issue falls flat is its villain(s). Hate groups have risen against metahumans and this story focuses on a lone wolf. We’re given little motivation and background, creating a story with lack of punch. There’s little emotional depth it feels like and what should be a very charged story instead comes off as a bit sanitized. We’re living in a world consumed by hate, xenophobia, racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and more vile beliefs, but the issue doesn’t give us too much for motivation or beliefs beyond “metahuman = bad.”
The comic is packed with an art team consisting of Khary Randolph, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rapmund, Ray Anthony Height, and Studio Skye Tiger is good. With this many individuals on art, there’s not much noticeable changes in the art beyond a few panels. The color by Emilio Lopez and Alex Guimares is interesting with choices of dark and light coloring that really sets the mood and the moment. The colors in the final battle really pop with yellows, oranges, and greens creating an interesting highlight to the violence being committed.
The Power Company Recharged feels like it could be something far more delivering a real emotional punch that examines today’s real world hate. But, it’s goal is to introduce this team and get its members together for whatever is to come in the future. It’s a start but what’s to come will hopefully really explore the themes and concepts this issue dances around.
Story: Bryan Edward Hill
Art: Khary Randolph, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rapmund, Ray Anthony Height, Studio Skye Tiger
Color: Emilio Lopez, Alex Guimares Letterer: Andworld Design
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
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