C.O.W.L., Volume 1: Principles of Power is the story of the Chicago Organized Workers League, a union of superheroes formed in Chicago after the Second World War. It is 1962. Their job is to control super-powered crime, but what happens when the last of the super-powered criminals, the Chicago 6, is captured? And right when C.O.W.L. is negotiating a new contract with the city? To make matters worse, it looks like someone has funneled C.O.W.L. designs to the enemy. Is C.O.W.L. creating super-powered crime just so it can fight it and make money?
I'm no artist, and I'm no art critic, but I did make a commitment to finding the best of all aspects of comics when I started this blog. Rod Reis is the type of artist I look for. I love how the contract negotiations are in bluescale, with exaggerated lines on the characters. It feels a bit off but still so realistic. It's extraordinary technique. The splashes of paint remind me of both Georges Seurat and Bob Ross. I also like the letters by Troy Peteri, who uses pauses at the beginning and end of each letter to make tiny serifs.
Kyle Higgins famously moved Nightwing to Chicago; Nightwing is one of the few DC titles I've kept up with. Higgins also wrote some of the Batman Beyond titles, which I've dipped into. I don't read too much superhero stuff, but Higgins is one of the modern writers in that genre that I've gravitated toward, and Alec Siegel has worked with him quite a bit. Overall, I'm happy I finally dove into this series. The writing, the art, and the lettering are all top-notch. Recommended.
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