After spending the last two weeks burning my way through She-Hulk, I've ended up collecting a healthy (or not healthy depending on your point of view) backlog of my pull list comics.
So, this week I decided to dedicate my reading towards that pull list.
Until I discovered that DC had released a couple of anthology collections during February so far.
DC Power 2024 is the first of those, focusing on the a selection of African-American (or, in Nubia's case, African-Themyscarian) super heroes, to give us a glimpse into their lives and show us why they do what they do.
• Enduring Farewells - A sort of Coda to the Far Sector series. For me, it's great art, but a not so great story. It felt like I was catching the end of a movie on tv that i had you've never seen before. However, what little I was able to follow did seem interesting and the gorgeous art makes me think I need to buy the series.
• The Spice of Life - Focusing on a day in the life of the Pierce sisters a.k.a. Thunder and Lightning. This was a fun story with some cool art. I enjoyed it as it gave me insight into Black Lightning's kids and sure would like to read a mini on them if one exists.
• Pit Stop - A story about a superhero travelling between (Dante's) circles of Hell, I've got to admit that this was the weakest entry in my opinion. No shade on the creators but I still have no idea who the protagonist is which didn't help as I struggled to understand the story and the art wasn't to my taste.
• Pure Blackness - The reason I bought this comic, followed Val-Zod as he recounted his life and the reasons for why he does what he does. I love Val-Zod and have dont since his debut. But in the here and now, I absolutely loved the art which depicted him. Now, i thought the story was a little heavy but didn't stop it being a wonderful and inspiring read.
• Lost at Sea - A story of Black Manta working with a father/son Pirate team. This was another enjoyable story which provide a compelling Insight into Black Manta. I thought the art was good, if nothing to really write home about, which fit the story and setting well enough.
• The Session - A horror/mystery story primarily starring the Spectre. It was an good to see Crispus Allen again and the story was intriguing, with the art having a Francavilla vibe to match. However, the stumbling block for me was how the character of Crispus just didn't feel how I remembered him (from Final Crisis: Revelations), which made it a tough read to get fully invested in.
• The Natural Order - A story of Queen Nubia of Themiscyia as she captures a trespassing Mxylptlk. This was a story with vibrant art but, beyond that, struggled to hook me. The pages felt crowded and the story itself seemed like it was a tiny (middle) piece to a much larger story. Since her debut/return (I still don't know which), I've struggled to connect with Nubia and this entry didn't help.
• Jump Shots & Loose Watts - Following the younger Wally West as he helps someone perfect their jump shot, this story felt bright and optimistic, with an incredibly positive and inspiring nature. I also feel that the story gave me some insight into Wally Jr, something I've bever really gotten before. This waa a good read and certainly wouldn't make me opposed to seeing more of his story (I might even check out Speed Force).
• Fair Play - An action packed story which sees Mr Terrific protect an idealistic politician from hitmen. The art seemed a bit rough for Mr Terrific, as I expected would have expected something more more stylised and 'hi-tech'. Overall, however, this was a good read which really showed off all of 'Mr. T's' skills. On fact, this story does make me wonder; Is Ray Thomas related to Duke? Speaking of which ...
• The Light that Shines - Focusing on Duke Thomas' alter ego, the Signal, this is another fun story, although it took two reads to see its worth. That said, I found it an inspiring tale about not giving up. Thought the art was a little rough but then realised that it's actually a fitting choice for the story told. By the end, it made me realise that Duke would make an awesome visual Batman.
By the time I reached the end I felt the stories told in this anthology were attempting to share a combined message, one about seeing beyond the surface of a person and realising that there is more to them, and their actions.
Of course, that in depth assumption doesn't change the fact that DC Power was an eclectic selection of stories that, overall, presented me with an enjoyable read for the week.
Now, I just have to hope that, next week, How to Lose a Guy Gardner in 10 days can match it.
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