by Randy Lander

RISING STARS: POWER VOL. 2 TP Recommended (8/10) Image Comics/Top Cow Productions Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Pencils: Christian Zanier, Stuart Immonen & Brent Anderson Inks: Marlo Alquiza, Danny Miki & Livesay Colors: Brett Evans, Matt Milla, Justin Ponsor, Dan Kemp & John Starr Letters: Dreamer Designs Editor: Renae Geerlings Price: $19.95 US Well, it's been quite some time since I last looked in on Rising Stars. I've read most of these issues before, but Rising Stars is definitely a book that reads better in trades, and this one has been a long time coming. It features the second part of the story, the one where all the setup turns into a giant conflict and a shift in focus, not unlike the change that began in Straczynski's Babylon 5 in about the third season. There are a few big surprises, some epic-level super-heroics, a fair amount of ham-fisted or simplistic plot developments and some uneven artwork, but overall the second volume of Rising Stars is better than the first, and it stands out as an interesting super-hero epic. Though the first volume of Rising Stars focused on the birth of the "Specials" (what this world calls its superhumans) and a murder investigation that involved all of them, volume two takes on a much larger scope. The trade begins with the magazine-style look at what has happened since the Specials "powered up" in the wake of the murders, and then leads into a fairly impressive conflict that pits a band of outcast heroes against a deranged and power-mad super-villain who controls an entire city. The latter part, which encompasses much of this trade, is not unlike a standard super-hero plot, although the close relationships that the Specials share with one another makes this slightly different than the Avengers teaming up to take on Dr. Doom again. Finally, the volume closes out, with much improved art, with a look at how the Specials are beginning to change the world, featuring some awfully simplistic solutions to complex problems but addressing the intriguing question of what would happen if super-heroes really tried to buck the status quo. Rising Stars is a good super-hero story, but for the most part it does fall into the trap of traditionalism. The notions here are not new, having been done before in such varied works as Watchmen, Squadron Supreme and in some cases, too many super-hero comics to count. However, Straczynski's work does fall into the upper tier of super-hero work, with a look at heroes from a more realistic perspective and with more fully-realized characters than we usually get inside the spandex. In addition, though the solutions to political problems are often a little simplified (anyone who believes the Middle East can be made peaceful by giving them more farmable land hasn't been paying attention), one must give Straczynski credit for addressing them, and trying to see what super-heroes could really do if they applied their immense and not always physically based powers to helping the world on a grander scale. Complaints about the artwork have dogged these series since the beginning. Christian Zanier's work gave all the characters a bit too much similarity, which is death for a title where costumes are a rarity, and distinctive faces are important. This volume reveals a familial connection between two easily confused male characters, but while this explains their resemblance, it doesn't make it any easier to tell them apart. The pyrotechnics are often impressive, but the rest is somewhat weak. Fortunately, toward the end of the story, Zanier is replaced with a pair of artists, Stuart Immonen and Brent Anderson, who more ably capture the larger scale and smaller scale action. Anderson's work, while not as impressive as his Astro City work (I suspect due to a period of adjustment to talented inker Marlo Alquiza), is certainly powerful, particularly when he's depicting the work of a flame-covered Special burning down cocaine fields or the super-powerful Jason physically enacting a nuclear disarmament policy. One thing that Rising Stars has going for it is that it's a complete story. One more trade will finish off the tale, and all of the characters that Straczynski has introduced will get their own endings. Volume two of the series represents a period of change for the title, when it went from looking a little too traditional and often unimpressive from an art standpoint and into a period of more revolutionary plotting and much stronger artwork. Though I enjoyed volume two, and to a lesser extent volume one, of Rising Stars, I suspect that volume three will be the strongest part of the tale. On balance, however, I think that any comics fan should look into having the complete three volume set on their bookshelf. This comic book was not part of this week's new releases. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.