Detective Walker is back on the beat, and Powers has regained a little more stability instead of the uncertainty that defined the last arc. To be honest, this is a good and bad thing, because while I'm happy to see Walker back, I liked the change of pace and the feeling that things had really been shaken up, and while I'm intrigued by the new story, it does have unfortunate similarities to the FG-3 case, which makes the whole thing feel more than a little familiar. Because Powers is and always has been so good, though, familiar isn't really a big complaint, and I don't believe Bendis can go more than a couple issues without laying out some surprises for his readers at any rate.
With all the interesting background stuff about an anti-Powers conspiracy that was set up in the previous arc and the tail end of the one before, I wasn't quite as intrigued by another super-hero sex scandal as I otherwise would have been. However, I am interested in the style that Bendis is using, having basically revealed the killer to the readers (although not the protagonists) while leaving the more interesting motives and goals unrevealed. It's clear from the glimpses we get of the Unity, and the background that Detective Mack gives Walker and Pilgrim, that the dysfunctional dynamic is the norm for the heroes of the Powers universe.
Bendis and Oeming have delivered some shocking visuals and ideas in these pages before, whether it's Deena accidentally tearing off a teleporting perp's arm, a surprisingly graphic dream sex/space explosion sequence or the violent deaths of super-heroes at the hands of the "Anarchy" organization. So it takes a lot to shock me these days, and the sex scandal of the Red Hawk doesn't quite do it. That doesn't mean I wasn't impressed by the audacity, however, and Bendis and Oeming continue to make it clear that the "super-heroes" in Powers are more like super-celebrities, with hidden depraved tastes and ideals behind their popular public personas.
Oeming never fails to impress, and this issue is no exception. The shadowy penthouse of Red Hawk, and the off-screen murderer, is really well done, and I loved the homage to the Hall of Justice that is the Unity headquarters. There's also a nice subtle redesign for Walker here; he looks humbled by his recent experiences, a little softer and more vulnerable than he did when we only knew him as the straight man to Deena's hard-edged sarcastic front.
The latest arc is not off to a gangbuster start for me, if only because it reminds me of the FG-3 story so far but with a less spectacular starting point. However, the dialogue, the art and the overall craftmanship is top-notch as always, and I expect that the story will be a good read, and maybe even a great one, as it continues to develop.
