Powers, Vol. 8: Legends

Powers (2000) #8

by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming

Homicide detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim investigate murders specific to super-hero cases. And with all super-heroes declared illegal, a Powers crime wave has hit the city, and hit it hard

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comic Book

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2005

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a new day. Post the devastating catastrophe towards the end of Powers' first season (Powers, Vol. 6: The Sellouts) all displays of powers were banned worldwide, leading to the obvious situation in which all the super powered heroes retire and the super powered villains have a free-for-all against unpowered undermanned police forces. Into this fray, the reunited partnership of Walker and Pilgrim are back working for the Fourth Precinct under Cross, but there's a new hard case Commissioner on their backs; Pilgrim has PTSD and Walker has gone all respect-the-law in the powers are illegal reality!

More thought provoking stuff as Bendis and Oeming show us a world without heroes, and how Walker and Pilgrim navigate around it. Superb portrayal of a PTSD suffered fighting her demons; and even better portrayal of the nuances of the Walker/Pilgrim friendship as it looks to move to a more honest place - it's the depiction of some of the core relationships in this series that also make it a gem. As for the heroes... maybe they just need a little inspiration to become legends again? 9 out of 12.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legends was pretty good storywise, and it looks as though Powers now has a somewhat coherent plotline! <--instead of just random crime stories about supers



Ok, the decent people with powers have been shipped off to live life in the 'burbs, which has created a sort of awesome vacuum for all the criminal element who don't care that the government has 'outlawed' them from using their enhancements.



And while that's playing out, something bad happens to Detective Pilgrim.
Again.
Which leads this reader to wonder how much more this woman can take?



Also, Retro Girl comes back...ish? <--THAT. That is what I'm interested in!
What does this mean for Christian and his Diamond persona?

Anyway. Bendis manages to keep the talking heads to a minimum, there are no extras - like magazine or newspaper articles, and most of the story is told with little to no wordy clutter.
Thank god.
Personally, I think this story is slowly getting better, but we'll have to see how this all plays out before I make up my mind about the title as a whole.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bendis seems to have a larger plot involved instead of just random murders to investigate. All Powers have been outlawed and now only the police are around to stop super-villains, since superheroes are obeying the new law. It's not going well at all, with several police officers killed in the line of duty. Enter the return of Retro Girl to help save the day. I like where the series is headed and that there seems to be a direction at all.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Powers: Legends" takes up where "Powers: Sellouts" left off, with the banning of the use of all powers. The result is not pretty and Pilgrim and Walker have their hands full as the city is plunged into chaos as rival powered gangs compete for territory. Adding to the chaos, an old hero, or perhaps a new one, emerges just in time to capture the hopes of the city's residents.

Expect, general villainy and mayhem, a detective losing their head, another take on Retro Girl, Walker being fatherly - sorta, a new direction for Deena and lots of heroes getting a wake up call.

[Melania &#x1f352; · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,1/5

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Icon v2 of Powers opens with Powers turned illegal, and Bendis does a great job of twisting this in ways you don't expect. It's not just about the heroic Powers, who are in exile, but also the villainous Powers, who had taken over in this (ahem) Power vacuum. Mind you, I'm not convinced that this cool premise is going to be long-lasting; it wouldn't be the first time that Bendis has taken a major turning point, then immediately walked it back. But, we shall see.

The main plot of the volume focuses on those ascendant bad guys, and it's fair enough (and a nice change from the dead-body-of-the-month), but the strong heart of this book is really with its characters.

First, we finally get Callista back. She's not quite as great as her adolescent self was, but her relationship with Walker creates a strong new dynamic for the series. And we finally get a follow-up to her foreshadowing dreams from way back in Powers, Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl?.

Second, we get an intriguing plotline for Deena, just coming back on the force after the traumatic events of Powers, Vol. 6: The Sellouts. It's great to see how she reacts to her near(?)death experience, and also to see the trajectory she's put on here, which will last through Powers v2.

Overall, one of the better Powers volumes, but it's because of the character work, not the procedural plot.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Deena is a lot more tortured than Walker. Lots of f-bombs and some nudity. The violence actually wasn't that bad. Interesting storyline setting up for some big changes to come. I have a feeling that Deena's headed for an implosion. There are some very crazy characters. The fact that they have superhuman powers to go along with the craziness and the amorality makes it even more scary. The inking and graphic design is understated, but it fits the noirish tone. Colors are used sparingly, but to good effect.

3.5/5.0 stars.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall story arc deserves 4-stars but the execution was a little heavy handed with the violence and shock value... and I have incredibly mixed feelings about Deena's PTSD response (I can't call it a recovery).
On the one hand, Deena recovers her agency, on the other hand, she had to be further and deeply abused and maybe turn into a Power herself to do so. ... not terribly empowering to the rest of us women. Or non-Powers. This couldn't be the Walker storyline? Of course not, he's a big strong man even if he doesn't have his powers anymore. Grrrr

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the time the super gorey action is kept pretty much offstage. Here, though, Bendis cuts loose. Some parts of this collection had a lot more in common with the film "Seven" than with an episode of "CSI." Not a bad thing, mind, but just a heads up. As always, Bendis' ability with dialogue is his strength--people talk a lot like real people, here. I like that after 2 world-altering storylines in a row, the book pulls back some and gives us a bit less in a bit more detail.

[Tgill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I do not understand all the reviews that complain about violence and cursing. You are EIGHT volumes in, if you don't like it STOP READING IT. And so many comments about not being for kids. Duh. Where is this marketed to kids you weirdos? Also, the gore and cursing in this series really isn't that bad.

[Welson Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started skipping through a lot of the dialogue for the simple fact that it was pure curse words. Didn't move the story along very well. Got this from the library so I was pretty surprised to see it in the kids section. Especially with all the cursing and nudity found in the book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, Bendis shows us the "unfriendly" version of a world with superheros. How can you ban someone who cannot be stopped? Good stuff.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints Powers (2) #1-6 (July 2004-November 2004). Powers are illegal and keeps criminals off the street has gotten harder for the officers. With the number of police killed in the line of duty increasing, the arrival of a new Retro Girl could bring hope and restore the glory of the Powers. Deena Pilgrim finds herself back at work, but attempts to bring in a Power could be deadly…but it could also reveal a secret that she doesn’t even know.

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Powers Volume 8: Legends is a Marvel Comics superhero book released under the Icon imprint. Follower Powers 7: Forever, the series features art by Michael Avon Oeming. Issues in this collection were also reprinted as part of Powers—Book 4 and Powers: The Definitive Collection—Volume 4.

Powers 7: Forever felt a little like an ending to Powers. With this volume, Powers is getting a soft reboot as it jumps officially from Image to Marvel (Marvel did some of the reprinting of the previous run). While the book and the creative team is the same, this volume feels a bit small…and that is a bit sad.

Overall, the series is still one of the better reads, but it also is starting to feel like Bendis has done this before. The plots and plotlines volume to volume start to blur and it is getting a little harder to have shock value after some of the things that have happened in Powers. Cutter’s head might get ripped off in this collection, but Powers has shown so many horrible things so many times.

The story itself has a couple threads. You have Walker investigating the new Retro Girl (which is a fun throwback to the first volume of the series), and you have Deena Pilgrim tracking down a killer but falling victim herself. This is added on top of Powers being outlawed and some of the Powers deciding to reform and buck the law. All three stories have bigger outcomes for future storylines so Bendis continues to do a good job world-building…but it just feels a little like a repeat.

Michael Avon Oeming still really gets the project. The art is stellar and despite the blocky, throwback style of Oeming, it has a real modern look with heart. Like many of Bendis’s titles (so I can’t entirely blame Oeming), it sometimes is difficult to determine if it is meant to be read across both pages or as two vertical pages…the spread style is important to the style of storytelling, but I wish that the flow was better demonstrated.

Powers 8: Legends is a new start to a series that quickly became a classic. Unfortunately, Bendis has upped the ante so many times with the series that matching each energy and emotional impact is nearly impossible at this point. I hope that he can keep the shock and awe going, but it doesn’t seem like it is sustainable. Powers 8: Legends is followed by Powers 9: Psychotic.

[Peter Evett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to the highest quality. Really love this arc. Again, the combo of Bendis writing with Oeming visuals provides outstanding story telling. Three huge events here, all really well done. (spoiler time below)

New Retro Girl - looks amazing, story so very well done. World depth and baad assery combined.
Deena in trouble - gets close to too much, but her pyrrhic victory redeems, and gets us ready for more to come. I hated and loved this stuff. Christian going off trying to help is well done.
Return of Heroes - the character stuff on these guys was fairly good, they look cool, and good commentary on necessity of heroism (yes previously done to excess over at Marvel, but it fits in well here as part, not the focus, of the story.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is still quality work with some great moments -- the art, especially -- but it veered hard into degrading "woman in peril" stereotypes along the way, making this my least favorite installment so far. I hope the series corrects this in the next story arc.

[catechism · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars: I am mostly enjoying the story, which is about the fallout from a superhero going nuts and trying to destroy the world, so now the use of powers has been outlawed and it's not going great. I rounded down because I am suuuuper sick of the sexualized torture of Deena.

[Jacq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed anche la seconda serie di Powers parte molto bene. A parte alcuni eccessi di efferatezza (purtroppo quanto mai realistici), Bendis ti inchioda alla pagina come pochi e Oeming prosegue nella sua crescita artistica. Tutto molto bello. Voto: 9/10.

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buena la historia. Tras la prohibicion de los poderes se ve que los policias lo tienen mas complicado para hacer cumplir la ley a los villanos con poderes, y como tienen sus dudas cuando alguien usa los poderes para ayudarles. Mantiene un ritmo de gran nivel

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

How good was this? Not even people talking too much annoyed me. It was that good.

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it me or have women more objectified in later volumes of the series? Their design has a certain icky Rob Liefeldesqueness.

[Steven W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow but I finished it in no time so it couldn't have been that bad...lol

[Matej · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powers still manages to be interesting even after seven volumes of super hero cases.
Everything is the way I expected it to be, from art, writing, plot, continuity, twists and turns, just everything.
I am not sure if it will appeal to the new readers, but it is a great volume for the the rest of us.

[Phil Bova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd surprise myself were I to NOT give every volume of Powers a 5 star rating.
That being said, Powers Volume 8: Legends didn't disappoint...and again, not surprised.
Each issue sets up an even richer background to the culture surrounding the Powers society. Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming do a masterful job providing readers with a world where each of us can relate to at least one of the many characters in the books. You often get a sense of the world they inhabit, and often at time I found myself doing that very same thing...not being able to put down each volume I digest. I'm enamored by this series. The beautiful art and the fantastic writing are a combination of brilliant and brilliance.

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume primarily deals with the return of both Walker and Pilgrim as cops and partners, and their attempted adjustments to the events of previous volumes. Deena gets kidnapped, and undergoes a major transformation, the powers return, bucking the legality of the decree that all powers are illegal, and there's a suggestion that Retro Girl is part of the whole immortal superhero thing that was dealt with in the volume that dealt with Walker's history (the one beginning with the shagging monkeys issue...).

[Zach Danielson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great moments, but this volume was pretty grim. The profuse bad language is certainly immature, but it's the sex, violence, and (worst of all) combination of the two that I found disturbing. The characters and world of Powers are incredibly compelling, but I can't decide if Bendis is pushing the boundaries to tell a particular story, or just to push the boundaries.

[Mary Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite following its own arc, the eighth volume of Powers feels very much like table-setting for the future. Its own plot alternates between forgettable and distasteful. The meat of the story clearly is Deena's increasing volatility—she's out of control here—and if Legends continues to not really deal with the implications of that, at least it seems to position the series to do so going forward.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still dealing with the aftermath from Vol 6, the powers ban suppresses the good superheroes, while the badguys continue a massive crime spree in the city, with three feuding gangs.

Deena is kidnapped by a phase shifter, and Walker must find her all costs, with more shocking revelations and a new Retro Girl?

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had no business being as good as it was. Mind totally blown AGAIN. Wish I knew what else to say, but this went in some great, dark places and came out the other side in such a satisfying, gut-wrenching way...

[Joe Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deena's origin story, of sorts, and a grim one at that.

I loved the idea of a the town where all the "good" Powers went after using their abilities is banned. I look forward to Bendis introducing a retirement village for elderly Powers some time in the future.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be frustrating when characters that have not been on screen for a long time end returning. It is hard to tell where the overall storyline is going, but maybe that is due to the break between reading books.