Empowered Volume 12

by Adam Warren

From comics kingpin Adam Warren comes Empowered, the sexy superhero comedy—except when it isn’t—that pushes envelopes, crosses boundaries, and breaks a few buildings for good measure!

Costumed crimefighter Empowered is trapped in a surreal nightmare scenario as her universe begins spontaneously rebooting again and again, with each variation more twisted and bizarre than the last! Can our befuddled superheroine somehow undo this inexplicable Neverending Reboot—while simultaneously steering her love life in a boldly polyamorous new direction with Thugboy and Ninjette!—or is this The End for Emp and her chaotically convulsing cosmos?

Genres: Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Adam Warren (born 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist who is most famous for his original graphic novel Empowered, for adapting the characters known as Dirty Pair into an American comic book, and for being one of the first American commercial illustrators to be influenced by the general manga style.

Reviews

[Garrett Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this an appropriate end for Emp? Maybe. Maybe we should have seen it coming when TB's name was revealed in the last volume.

But I'm not happy. There should be a way for good stories to find their readers, and reward their authors, before the authors have to stop writing.

[Storm Bookwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empowered is definitely a series you have to be willing to dig into and stick with a little bit. I'm not saying that it isn't good, it's simply possible that one might perhaps be put off a little by the central theme of a half-naked superhero constantly being tied and gagged in various, erotic poses (Unless of course you're into that kind of thing). But stick with it you SHOULD, because the series and the character both transcend its cheese-cakey premise, and actually unveil an intriguing and creative superhero world.

Now, in volume number 12, it reaches a KIND of conclusion. Adam Warren epilogues it by saying he very much doesn't plan for this to be the end, but that things will be different in the future in both format and, perhaps, style (he plans, it seems, to switch to the digital medium and start using a tablet!). Yet, if this were to be the end I wouldn't complain. Does it leave a lot of threads unresolved and unanswered? Yes. There are baddies who are still out there, big, meta-plots of the world to be figured out, and even a few big, important interpersonal things to deal with between two particular characters who have become friends over the course of the series, impossible as it would have seemed at the start. But what this volume does resolve, in its strange way, is a very uplifting and important bit of character arch-ing involving the main three; namely, in Empowered, her boyfriend, and their ninja all coming together as a little romantic trio.

It's a lovely and delightful ending especially considering that, in comics or stories of just a decade or so ago, the 'love triangle' would have resulted in no end of tedious drama, with lovers and friends becoming enemies and their quarrel swallowing up every other plot. Yet, this brand-spanking-new comic answers the question of "Why don't they all just f--k?" with a resounding "yes!"

I'll certainly be looking forward to more, but like I said, if this does become the finale of Empowered, then I'll be perfectly satisfied.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Warren closes the book on his damsel in distress series with the twelfth and final volume of Empowered. Pinballing across rebooting realities, Emp is trapped in a series of ever-shifting continuities. Beginning with her pregnant and married to Major Havoc, Elissa caroms into high fantasy, kidnap role play, and darkly lethal versions of her own story. Her occasional bouts with reality hint at a greater mystery at play, with various factors attempting to keep Emp alive no matter how strange the timeline. Coming to terms with the throuple status of her relationships and the universal tendency to be a kidnapped heroine enable Elissa to finally break the loop. Adam Warren’s crazy creation outgrew her original purpose of manga eye candy to become a deeply entertaining expose of social tropes and modern comic lore. His books have always contained a great mix of monochromatic action art and verbose dialogue events. Sadly, Warren has decided this volume will be the last in the current Empowered series; the character and her universe will return in a new format should scheduling permit. Empowered: Volume 12 delivers a multiversal coda that sends off its titular character in style.

[Elijah Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

I waited a long time and it was 100% worth the wait. Of course I wish there was more cuz not only does this series answer all my questions but leave me with endless new ones. I hope our generous storyteller finds a way to make it work in the future because I am excited for it!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine finish to this series (at least for now)

[Carlos Rioja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book hoping to read more of Emp's main arc. It turned out to be something else, but it is nice enough and it works fine as an ending to the series. I'll be there if it returns in another format, but anyway thanks mr. Warren for the ride! There aren't many books as funny and touching like this.