Power Pack (1984-1991) #2 by Louise Simonson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This issue picks up right where #1 left off, as the Power kids set off to destroy their father’s machine, which, if tested, will destroy the world. But first, they need costumes…mainly because Jack’s clothes fall off every time he uses his powers (I’m not sure you could put that in a comic about pre-teen kids these days). So, let’s talk about those costumes…they’re amazing! these are simply iconic costume designs by June Brigman that have stood the test of time. Instantly recognisable, and with icons on their chests that correspond to each kid’s powers that look incredibly modern. You could imagine these symbols as iPhone app icons today.
As for the writing, we continue to get to know the kids and their world. They feel like real kids, rather than adults writing kids the way they think kids are. That’s how the felt to me when was eight and that’s how they still feel to me now. The Snarks are genuinely scary while being just incompetent enough to not scare children too much. Of course, the real villain here is corporate America, in the form of the kids’ dad’s boss, who wants to weaponize their father’s research.
This is a simply superb comic, and I’m really loving reading (or, I suppose, re-reading) this series.
