Empowered Volume 2 Review

Empowered Vol. 2

Dark Horse Comics
Graphic Novel
204 pages
$14.95 (2007)
ISBN 9781593078164

Contributors: Adam Warren

Synopsis: Empowered is a self-conscious superhero with a fragile hypermembrane super-suit giving her enhanced abilities, but it's flimsy and completely revealing.  She's the lowest-ranking member of the Super Homeys and a laughing-stock in both the criminal and hero community for getting captured/tied up regularly. 

Her self-image has improved a micron after befriending hard-drinking girl-ninja, Ninjette and dating reformed henchman, "Thugboy". 

In this volume we learn all sorts of keen information about the super-suit: it forms around Emp's hair follicles and if she doesn't shave her 'naughty bits' she'll wind up looking like a Brillo-pad down there, the suit enhances erotic pleasure, and it gives her x-ray vision.  We also learn Thugboy is on the run from a villain he betrayed and Ninjette kinda sorta has a thing for him.  All this and Thugboy explains why Emp's booty is righteous. 

This reminds me of a story about another sexy librarian :)

Pros: Warren's art is still action-packed (full o' speed lines) and Emp is one curvalicious babe with low self-esteem (just the way I likes 'em), chapter breaks are fewer and less lame, sexy librarian chapter rules!

Cons: Digest-sized (like all those Tokyo Pop manga volumes the nerdy high school kids were reading at Borders - before they closed Borders), black and white, less pages for same price as first volume (which was 248 pages), story doesn't progress too far in this volume, for the amount of beer Ninjette chugs she should be way less skinny, The Caged Demonwolf's talking in all caps and exclamation points gets old

Mike Tells It Straight: Warren delivers a solid second effort for his titular heroine.  We learn a bunch of stuff about Emp's suit and a few tidbits of her past.  I felt like this volume mainly set up storylines to be resolved in the next volume related to Emp's supporting cast.  The stories were still entertaining and good light-hearted comedy, but a little less interesting than the first volume (reviewed here Empowered Vol. 1).  I'm hoping the third volume makes up for it.

TO BUY and Recommendations: