Not for the Kiddies

rasl1

RASL #1

Jeff Smith is a guy who’s best known for writing the very popular “Bone” series for over a decade. It was a very kid-friendly series, with lots of funny characters and jokes. It always looked like a cross between “Pogo,” Carl Barks’ Disney comics, and “Lil’ Abner.” He recently did “Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil” for DC, and it was still a pretty kid-friendly comic. His new series is called “RASL,” and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna be too kid-friendly at all.

The comic follows a so-far unnamed protagonist who is a dimension-hopping art thief. He breaks into a seventh-floor apartment from the outside, steals a painting, gets chased by the cops, drinks some liquor, and gets chased by a sinister camel-faced gunman. Who is he, how does he travel between dimensions, who’s pursuing him, and how can he survive? No answers yet.

Verdict: Thumbs up. It’s a weird, violent story, and so far, it’s more than interesting enough to make sure I come back for more.

powers28

Powers #28

Recap: Someone’s giving people a virus that gives them superpowers, and a serial killer — possibly the same person giving out the powers virus — is targeting blonde teenaged girls around the city. Former detective Deena Pilgrim is a suspect because she has the powers virus. Former techno superhero Triphammer has a daughter who’s been murdered by the killer. The cops and Detective Christian Walker — himself a secret superhero — are stymied. And Walker’s friend Calista, the new Retro Girl, has a plan to fix everything.

Calista’s plan is set herself out as bait for the killer — she’s a young blonde teen, and if she doesn’t let on that she has powers, she has a chance of taking the killer down before he knows he’s in trouble. Walker’s opposed to the idea, but Calista insists. Meanwhile, Deena’s been ambushed by a crime lord and his goons who think they’re gonna make out good by taking her down. She’s badly outnumbered, but she still manages to wipe everyone out. And how does the stakeout with Calista go? As you’d probably expect, not at all well.

Verdict: Thumbs up. This is the most convoluted and confusing and suspenseful mystery I’ve seen from the “Powers” comics in quite a while. A surprisingly small amount of really adult content, though I’m sure the gratuitous nudity and cussin’ will be back in force next issue.

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