The Power Fantasy Vol. 3

The Power Fantasy #12-16

by Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard (Cover Art)

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

Kieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

And so The Power Fantasy concludes – unless it doesn't. This was always a comic all about how top-level superheroes coming to blows would, if treated remotely realistically, lead to the end of the world. So it was truly ingenious how the team took the basket case that is the modern comics marketplace and bolstered what was happening inside the series with the practicalities around it, such that, going into issue 16, I genuinely didn't know whether I was reading the grand finale. I have absolutely no intention of robbing anybody else of that same uncertainty, but I would advise reading it sooner rather than later if you want to find out for yourself. Still, throughout its run this has normally been the first comic I read after picking up my order, because I got spoilered once (Europe!) and had no intention of letting that happen again. Which sometimes comes with its own drawbacks; frequently I'm picking my comics up because I'm in town anyway, which often means I'm going out, which then means I'm reading TPF tipsy on public transport, hardly the best way to appreciate the sheer amount of craft and thought that's gone into every aspect of it, even the bloody indicia. But perhaps a suitably receptive state to be appropriately blown away by its sheer profligacy, the way it'll upend what we thought we knew and reveal a detail out of which many comics would juice a whole arc, if not a spin-off (Etienne's living arrangements!), and then toss it over its shoulder, on to the next thing, because for these creators ideas are easy but time is short, an enviable bind to be in. If I have a criticism it's that, like so many ostensibly terrifying SF and fantasy scenarios, it was a series secretly predicated on a weird optimism; the series' six Superpowers were all capable of terrible acts, but at base all of them were trying to act for the best, at least to start with. Whereas if you look at the six most powerful people in the real world, that's true of... none of them? Still, it would have been an unrewarding slog for the readers, let alone the people working on the book, to spend all that time with cyphers as flat and unpleasant (not to mention the sausage party of it all) as the rulers of our own doomed Earth. So with the proviso that for all the apocalyptic brinkmanship it's actually utopian, I'm calling it a masterpiece (at least as regards the run to date, which might be the whole thing, or might not).

[Cody Wilson]

This third volume of The Power Fantasy is the strongest yet. After laying the groundwork and building tension across the first two volumes, writer Kieron Gillen and artist Caspar Wijngaard deliver on that setup with a series of well-executed, impressive twists. While the old cliché about the journey and destination holds true, the creative team’s ability to pull off a satisfying conclusion (of sorts) makes the series up to this point worthwhile. The creative team clearly had a plan from the series’ start and executed it in style.

Taking a step back, Gillen ends up with an interesting commentary on the relationship between liberalism and realpolitik. Readers are left asking whether Valentina, the series’ embodiment of liberalism, was right to pursue a “hands off” approach to keeping the peace. Should she have done more to reign in Etienne, who she watched manipulate the other superpowered characters to maintain the status quo? Or should she have worked more closely with him? Judging by the cliffhanger, the creative team plans on exploring these questions in greater depth. But I appreciate that beyond the characters’ interpersonal conflicts, this series has a deeper political point that carries a fair amount of ambiguity.

Even as cerebral and at times expository as the scripts get, the art by Wijngaard visually grounds the narrative. The fact that Wijngaard delivered sixteen consistent issues of art (penciling and coloring on his own) for a nearly monthly indie book is a major achievement. He brings variety and creativity to every page, making the visuals as vibrant and unpredictable as the script. It’s difficult to even imagine what this series would look like under a different artist.

All of this is to say, the Power Fantasy is a terrific series, and I can’t recommend it enough.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

oof. just finished Issue 16 and it really stuck the landing which is something I was wondering how on earth would be possible as I read the last 3 issues. not only did it stick the landing, but it put everything from the first scene in Issue 1 onwards into a new context - enough that I needed to start rereading from the start. I thought Etienne was the heart of the series though it could be he just convinced me he's the best and the brightest... now, I don't know, maybe Valentina is the true center. Or maybe it will be the voice of the collective Magus. Everything has come full circle and while it's an interesting take on superheroes with world-ending capabilities... it's also about people trying to do the right thing for their circle; however inclusive that circle is, and the resulting consequences for the rest of humanity.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait for the physical copy so I found the individual issues and raced through it. Wild ending, but didn’t feel like a whiff. Really delivered on the flaws and the logical directions for several characters, though it left me thinking that both Eliza and Dev were pretty underdeveloped compared to some of the other characters. I love that this ultimately subverted conventions and the lays groundwork for a possibly future series that should itself be doing something distinct from the original run. I just keep thinking how this certainly won’t end up in the pantheon of comics next to Watchmen, but arguably it’s one of the strongest to be informed by Moore’s piece that I’ve read to date.

[Tanner Cipriano · Rating 5 out of 5]

comix b krazy !! (130)

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues.