It’s no surprise to us at AIPT that The Power Fantasy scored an Eisner nomination for best series, which The Power Fantasy #9 only solidifies. Out this week, the series continues to explore the morality of possessing godlike powers and using them in a manner deemed for the greater good. But who is to say what you believe is right? All the while, things get even more complicated when the son of a super may drive everything off a cliff.
The Power Fantasy #9 serves as the “Second Summer of Love (Aftermath)” opening in Tokyo, 1989. If you’ve been following along, you know we’re moments before Morishita Masumi will accidentally send a kaiju onto Japan again. We see she shoots herself up with something, and thankfully, the monster doesn’t come.
This opening is a strong framing story for the issue, bookending well by the end. Isabelle and Morishita are discussing the moments before the monster was ready to arrive, although at the time, Isabelle was a bystander, certain she would die. As the opening page shows, Etienne has used drugs to control Morishita, much like he tries to control all situations, but maybe that can be proven unnecessary.
The opening page.
Credit: Image
From there, the story bounces back and forth between Isabelle and Morishita, Etienne conversing with Valentina, Jacky Magus heading to his pyramid safehouse, and Heavy figuring out what to do with his hidden super son. Each subplot progresses nicely, with a few surprises and twists that amp up the conflicts that are sure to come to a head.
Kieran Gillen is doing a great job seeding one story with another, like Heavy assuming his son will be safe, while we know Etienne will probably do his worst to control him. Or at the very least, Heavy wants to fight for a world worth living in, while Eitienne wants to fight to keep things in control. It’s clear by the end that the sides are being drawn, which feels like we’re drawing closer to a major confrontation.
Little wrinkles also keep you invested, such as how Valentina seems reluctant to help Etienne. What’s going on with her and whether she’ll stay aligned with him remains to be seen. Jacky Magus also has a major reveal worth reading till the end, and even the recluse Eliza plays a part.
A big reason this issue works so well is the visual breadth, with good pacing and well-drawn layouts. You’re drawn in with close-ups, then things can open up to show impressive vistas. In one spectacular layout, Caspar Wijngaard creates a twelve-panel page where Valentina flies into space and onto a satellite.
The Power Fantasy #9 earns its Eisner-nominated reputation with a tightly crafted, emotionally resonant installment that juggles multiple characters and timelines without losing sight of the larger philosophical questions at its core. It’s a visually stunning, narratively ambitious chapter that sets the stage for what promises to be a climactic reckoning.
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