The first issue of Who Are The Power Pals? delivered a hilarious spin on the world of superhero-themed media, mainly because it was written by someone who’s been in the industry and its protagonists are out of work actors. Who Are The Power Pals? #2 continues that train of thought to hilarious extent, as Alex and Derek learn that trying to be heroes in real life is far, far harder than it looks.
For starters, there’s the fallout from their first “patrol”. When they try to help a group of women walking alone, those women end up beating the crap out of them. When they go to their old martial arts instructor Sensei Steve, they end up getting the crap beaten out of them. And when they try to do standard hero acts, including getting a cat out of a tree…well, it doesn’t work well for them.
What keeps this series on the side of comedy, rather than abject misery, is how Duane Murray clearly illustrates the fundamental differences between Alex and Derek. Derek is more concerned with recapturing their fifteen minutes of fame, while Alex genuinely wants to help others. It’s fully underlined in a scene with Sensei Steve, who tells him he can’t teach them a certain move because it requires immense trust in your partner; it’s clear that trust is in short supply between the pair, which won’t bode well in future issues. Some of it was covered in the first issue, but I appreciate Murray taking a deeper look into the duo’s hangups.
Dark Horse
Once again, Ahmed Raafat deserves credit for his funny, extremely inventive art style. In the opening pages, he depicts Alex and Derek’s beatdown as a “Step by Step Krav Maga” instructions, which each step featuring a embarrassing detail – not to mention some distinct lettering from Rob Jones. But later in the issue, there’s a series of pages designed to look like Sunday morning comic strips, detailing the misadventures of the Power Pals and the henchmen sent by the corporation who owns their rights. Suffice it to say, these might be some of the worst henchmen ever hired; they spend their time going to strip clubs and posing for pictures rather than doing their jobs.
Who Are The Power Pals? #2 features a variety of eye-catching colors, courtesy of Raafat. Scenes set at night play with shadows, adding an ominous feel to the setting. A warehouse is lit in dim yellow light, literally reflecting upon the past glories of the Power Pals. And the most menacing moments come from their “archnemesis”, a man shrouded in shadow save from the glowing red burn of his cigars and the cold blue of his piranha-filled fish tank.
Who Are The Power Pals? #2 continues to balance comedy and drama, thanks to a creative team that’s well in sync. Alex and Derek might not be on the same page, but Murray and Raafat definitely are, which makes for a funny and energetic read.
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