GN 13. Empowered Vol. 1 by Adam Warren. 246 p. Published March 2007.
The first volume of Empowered introduces “Empowered”, a superhero crippled by the fact that her power-granting super-suit is not only extremely revealing, but very damage prone. When whole, Emp’s suit gives her the strength of ten men. Tear it a little, and she’s rendered harmless. This happens far more often than anyone is happy about. But Emp keeps going, fighting crime and the occasional eccentric villain (and typically ending up as their hostage).
but just when Emp is getting sick of being ridiculed as the super-failure of the city, she makes a few friends to help her get by; a former henchman and a ninja assassin. With witty comments by the demon lord caged in her living room to add flavor, Emp’s social life begins to fuel her professional drive.
By the end of Empowered, Warren’s unique satire of the superhero genre becomes a witty and insightful account of heroism. From the conception as a scantily clad throw-away character, Empowered catalogs the creation and evolution of an amazing character. Coupled with Warren’s manga-inspired artwork (many consider this OEL Manga and it is found in the manga section), this first volume provides a stunningly raw vision to entrance the reader.
Oh, but a warning: every volume of this series is rated for Mature Content. With out-of-frame sex acts and conversations that frequently stray into similar realms, this one isn’t for your children.
Rating: 3 out of 5
