The Power Fantasy #14 by Kieron Gillen with art from Caspar Wijngaard picks up almost immediately after the previous issue. Issue #13 saw telepath Etienne Lux coming clean about his wide array of machinations and manipulations, most impactful of which being his repeated killing and lobotomizing of superpowered individuals known as Atomics. As a result of this news, gravity-manipulating revolutionary “Heavy” threw him into space, killing him instantly.
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The Fallout of Etienne Lux’s Death and Tonya’s Human Perspective
The issue doesn’t pull any punches in the fallout of the reveal and following death. Heavy, in particular, has his worldview under intense scrutiny as Tonya, a journalist he’s been dating, pushes back against the very idea of giving regular people the powers of gods. Even when presented with the knowledge that she herself was going to have powers before Etienne removed them, she remains steadfast in her belief. In contrast, it seems like eccentric artist Masumi (whose mental state is closely tied to a kaiju at the bottom of the ocean) matures from the revelations in the previous issue.
Kieron Gillen’s Masterclass in Character Causality and Theme
The Power Fantasy #14 really shows why Kieron Gillen is one of the best writers working today. Each issue adapts the status quo in a way that dovetails into the next. It’s a series not of returning to form, but of causality. To explain how we got to Etienne’s death in the first place would require a more in-depth explanation of the first twelve issues. Yet in this tapestry of character relationships, beliefs, and geopolitical conflicts, he never loses sight of his core themes and the intense exploration of what it means to be powerful. This issue in particular feels almost like a thesis statement for the series, as Tonya writes an article celebrating the fact that she’s not an Atomic because she’s still human. Atomics aren’t emotionless gods, even if Etienne came close; they are subject to bad days, but their bad days can level a continent.
Masumi, Eliza, and the Burden of Atomic Power
Masumi is the living embodiment of this idea. Her mental state is directly tied to a creature that can wipe out a country, and yet she has depression. Instead of being treated in the same way any other person would, people walk on eggshells; her own girlfriend essentially asks for a lobotomy to keep seeing her. All to placate someone who doesn’t want to have to be placated. Masumi’s growth in this issue is particularly encouraging as her maturity and acceptance of the circumstances of her life help her seem like, suddenly, the most well-adjusted member of our core cast. In complete contrast, we see the demon Eliza nearing a breaking point, with the entire issue ending in a vague threat of the rage she has yet to unleash.
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Caspar Wijngaard’s Career-Defining Art and Colors
Though I could spend ten more paragraphs on the brilliant writing and characters by Gillen, not giving due space to Caspar Wijngaard would be an injustice. Doing both art and colors, Wijngaard is doing career-defining work on The Power Fantasy. Characters are expressive, and their designs are unique. Environments are vibrant and beautiful — even when getting a peek into hell, but most of all his use of color entirely justifies why he himself has to handle the task, as no one else could possibly match the brilliance on display. The way the end of the issue, in particular, creates chaos and pain in Eliza, being engulfed entirely by a blinding red, is as eerie as it is terrifying. Lettering from Clayton Cowles, too, deserves a shout-out, particularly in the way he expertly matches Wijngaard’s panels in styling and coloring to create an end product that feels seamless.
Verdict: Why The Power Fantasy is the Best “Superhero” Book on the Stands
If you aren’t reading The Power Fantasy, you’re missing out. The writing presents a new take on an X-Men-like superhero family and amps up the personal drama and human side to 10. The art feels like it can only exist in comics, and not only justifies the series but also comics as a whole. It is a series that has no big dramatic fights, no punches being thrown, and yet feels more tense and thrilling than any other book on the stands. Issue 14 delivers on all of these fronts and holds the promise of more to come as a reckoning hangs on the horizon for the powers that remain.
‘The Power Fantasy’ #14 Asks Who Should Have Power
If you aren’t reading The Power Fantasy, you’re missing out. The writing presents a new take on an X-Men-like superhero family and amps up the personal drama and human side to 10.
