Wednesday, February 24, 2016

C.O.W.L. Vol. 1



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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