Pandora’s Box brought the Project Superpowers heroes back to Earth. But now the entity called P:Andora wants his box back, and will stop at nothing to get it!

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS #3

Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Sergio Davila
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 10, 2018

Previously in Project Superpower: We met all the members of the team as they worked together to deal with a world-wide calamity causing planes to fall from the sky. The Death-Defying Devil strikes out at the Green Lama, and also the new American Spirit (young Imani Cooper, whom the Flag chose that day), injuring her severely. As if that weren’t enough, the Earth is under attack. And we briefly meet P:Andora.

A MAJOR THREAT, AN UNKNOWN FOE

We learn a little bit more about P:Andora at the start of Project Superpowers #3. He has conquered many worlds, and his modus operandi starts with disabling mechanical flight and disrupting electromagnetic fields, etc. Then the inhabitants can face him “as their gods intended.” No one has yet bested him. His companion, Hesiod, plays devil’s advocate to say this might kind of be cheating. To no avail – his Box was stolen; he found out it is on Earth; the whole planet is going to pay. We also learn that the Green Lama is dead.

Imani Cooper, draped in the Flag, is unconscious in a hospital bed. The Black Terror and the Scarab recognize the Flag, but have no idea who this young woman is. The Flag, though, has chosen her and is protecting her. We also learn that while most of the world’s communication systems are down, the Scarab’s technology seems unaffected. He decides to investigate, and the Black Terror stays with Imani.

Samson and Masquerade are on the hospital roof. Masquerade tried to possess the Devil, and has had a migraine ever since. Samson states that this is a war, and he can see a strange eye looking down on them. He is only blind toward unimportant things. There is really some clever and thoughtful writing for Samson. He is more than just the big, dumb strong guy of the team. The Scarab finds out that there is a large flying force headed toward the East Cost of the U.S., and relays this to Samson. Again, some great writing as we get a reference to his ancestor, the original Samson, slaying Philistines with jawbone of a donkey. The flying force comes to meet him, and he calls them idiots, who do not read enough books. As he smashes them, he admonishes them to read books, “It is important!” This humor is delightful.

In space, the Scarab finds an unusual satellite protected by a shield, and then he sees P:Andora’s ship, and prepares to engage. At the same time, Masquerade joins the Black Terror in Imani’s hospital room, and abruptly attacks him. She has been possessed by the Death-Defying Devil, and it is he who prepares to attack Imani.

STRONG AND VIBRANT

I just love the art in Project Superpowers #3. The lines are clean and crisp. We see things from a hugely cinematic variety of angles, and the action is clear. The use of panels – vertical, horizontal, varying sizes – keeps the book interesting to look at. There is great movement to the characters, and I really like their design.

There are some truly dramatic moments, such as when we pull back from P:Andora to see the outside of his ship, which looks like a horrifying butcherbird’s larder with various people impaled upon spikes, including the Green Lama. If we didn’t understand it from the script, we can see how little regard P:Andora has for his enemies. Samson’s battle just off Battery Park is also terrific, and at one point he literally rips the spine out of one of the attackers. And the sound effects are fantastic.

BOTTOM LINE: SOLID STORY, TERRIFIC ART

If you like an interesting and well-told classic superhero story, you should be reading Project Superpowers #3. I like it in part because I don’t know these characters well, but they are certainly engaging. And the art is really, really pretty to look at. I kept going back to just look at it some more.

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