What manner of threat could break the bond between Buzzard and Swallow? Fame, they say, puts you where it feels all hollow. Your Major Spoilers review of Who Are The Powerpals? #3 from Dark Horse Comics awaits!

WHO ARE THE POWERPALS? #3

Writer: Duane Murray
Artist: Ahmed Raafat
Colorist: Ahmed Raafat
Letterer: Rob Jones
Editor: Brett Israel
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 28, 2025

Previously in Who Are The Powerpals?: Feathers fly between the Pals as Alex and Derek’s priorities begin to clash. Derek’s focus on fame betrays both Alex’s trust and his quest for doing good, causing a rift in the friendship. But when the boys run afoul of Mr. Fish, Derek must decide between saving himself or his best friend.

FRIENDSHIP IS RARE

Back in the ’90s, Derek and Alex were young actors who starred in their own superhero TV program, the Power Pals. Now, they’re out of work and focusing on fighting crime, which is apparently more complicated than it seems. Fortunately, there seems to be no shortage of crime to punch, even if they aren’t particularly good at it, which is actually how we find out that Derek has been stacking the deck. By paying bad guys and recording their fights, he even manages to get Buzzard and Swallow a TV interview, but foolishly announces his real name on the air in his quest for glory. Bad things immediately follow, as the actors they hired want credit for their work, the actual criminal element comes knocking, and worst of all, Alex turns on Derek for his callousness.

What good is a Swallow without a Buzzard?

ARCH AND CYNICAL

There are a myriad of problems with any “superheroes in the real world” storyline, and this one demonstrates one of the biggest: It’s hard to fathom why anybody would ever go to the trouble of putting on a costume. Derek’s attempts to get famous on the back of his obscure, cancelled series are questionable, but when you put it up against Alex’s seemingly pure motives, it’s even more difficult to accept. It’s too cynical to be sincere, and too sincere to support the cynical, and the archness of the humor makes the “heroes” the butt of the joke. I enjoy Raafat’s art style, especially when our heroes are wearing their latex suits at the beginning of this issue, but the sketchiness of his designs makes it necessary for everyone to “overact,” and the extreme facial expressions make the tonal problems even more noticeable.

BOTTOM LINE: DOESN’T QUITE HOLD TOGETHER

Adding in a plot point about nuclear launch keys that I don’t even get, Who Are The Powerpals? #3 is a mixed bag, with an interesting premise getting underserved by the focus on comedy, an impossible mix of tones, and very stylized art combining for 2.5 out of 5 stars overall. I found myself wanting to like this much more than I did, which is a credit to the creators, so I would be interested in seeing how the final chapter plays out.

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