Power Pack: The Kids are all Right [ハードカバー]

In an attempt to attract new readership for its comic books, Marvel established the Marvel Age imprint (later changed to Marvel Adventures). Stories set in this imprint are intended for all ages and so are very kid-accessible, with Spidey, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers being featured in their own Marvel Adventures titles. Having said that, there's plenty here to draw in the older reader. Every once in a while, it's cool to wander off from the more mature-oriented, more convoluted goings-on in the regular Marvel continuity (that would be the 616 universe), with all its baggage and dense backstory. Power Pack doesn't currently have its own regular series, but, under the Marvel Adventures banner, these youngest of superheroes have managed to star in an ongoing run of 4-issued mini-series.

What kid wouldn't identify with the Power children? Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie Power were normal kids, cared for by their scientist dad and their artist mom. But one extra-terrestrial encounter later, and the siblings suddenly boast super powers. Alex Power (Zero-G), the oldest and level-headed and sort of blah, now controls gravity. Julie (Lightspeed), the studious one, flies at hypervelocities. Jack (Mass Master), impulsive and blustery and frankly kind of annoying, is able to manipulate his density and can assume a gaseous form or shrink to a very compact size. And Katie (Energizer), the youngest one, may be the most powerful, able to absorb energies and expel them in explosive bursts. As Power Pack, the kids use their abilities to fight the good fight and hobnob with big time superheroes even as they try to keep their parents in the dark.

If you're read the old-school 1980s Power Pack series by Louise Simonson and June Brigman, just keep in mind that the stories collected here don't share the same continuity and don't delve into as many topical themes. What we get are more simplistic takes, although by no means does Power Pack lose anything in the way of fun or playfulness. POWER PACK: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT collects the first three Power Pack mini-series in the Marvel Adventures label: POWER PACK: PACK ATTACK #1-4, X-MEN & POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X #1-4, and AVENGERS & POWER PACK: ASSEMBLE! #1-4, all three mini-series having been originally published in 2005 and 2006 and were previously, separately collected in digest-sized trades (which is the size usually used when compiling these Marvel Adventures titles). This hardcover trade comes in regular comic-book dimensions (in fact, it may even be a bit larger). If you're a parent, if you're a babysitter, doting aunt or uncle, whatever... if you're looking for something to spark the young 'uns' interest and imagination, POWER PACK is just about as ideal as it gets.

Some plot SPOILERS now.

POWER PACK: PACK ATTACK consists of four stand-alone stories, although issues 1 & 4 do feature Skratt, the young Snark who wants to take on the Pack. The first issue has Katie's "What I Did Over the Summer" report threatening to out the Pack's secret identities. In issue #2 Alex ignores his babysitting duties to sneak out on a date with the girl of his dreams. But, as Alex finds out, it's never cool to leave unsupervised kids home alone with an interdimensional portal. Next, the Power family go on a camping trip. All's well until a bored outta his gourd Jack sneaks into a supervillain's vacation home. Good thing the Fantastic Four are around. In issue #4, a member, feeling underappreciated, quits the Pack, even as Skratt the Snark makes his move on Power Pack.

X-MEN & POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X finds the Pack teaming up with a different X-Man per issue, starting with Wolverine and Sabertooth gatecrashing a Halloween spook-tacular bash being attended by the Powers. Then the kids and their scientist dad go to a science convention and help out Dr. Henry P. McCoy (a.k.a. the Beast), who's just had his invention stolen (also, Julie's egghead tendencies surface). Issue #3 has the Pack and Nightcrawler superheroing in the sawdust as they rescue the circus's really captive audience. And we also learn of Katie's crippling fear of clowns. Lastly, the Pack tries to help out Cyclops and the X-Men in collaring the Marauders, but end up botching things. They get a chance to atone when Cyclops is captured by Mr. Sinister.

In AVENGERS & POWER PACK: ASSEMBLE! the Pack hangs out with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Captain America is first up, one of the oldest superheroes around side by side with Marvel's youngest superheroes. The funniest part of this issue may well be when the story's featured villain, Taskmaster, begins bagging on the Pack ("I honestly don't know whether to fight you or hug you!"). Next issue, when the terrorist organization A.I.M. gets a hold of Iron Man technology, can the invincible Shellhead be too far behind? But what happens when Jack manages to get into a prototype Iron Man suit? Finally, we get a two-parter. The Power family visits the Big Apple, the mecca of cowls and capes. Soon Power Pack and the New Avengers are joining forces to go fighty fight with the temporal supervillain, Kang the Conqueror. The stakes escalate when Kang sends the children ten years into a very bleak future, where Kang rules all and the only ones left to challenge him are the Power kids' future versions.

End SPOILERS.

These stories are terrific jumping-on points for young readers and for ye olde types who'd never before picked up a Power Pack issue. Writer Marc Sumerak keeps things lively and lighthearted and, okay, cute. He also packs in tons of fun sibling squabbling and ample superheroics and team-ups with more established heroes, with the kids very much holding their own. But you never really get the sense that the kids are ever in serious peril. The Gurihiru team provides the wonderfully simple yet expressive Manga-ish art. And if that's not enough to pique interest, lurking in these pages is a gigantic otherworldly squid which Katie names "Larry." C'mon, don't tell me your bump of curiousity didn't just go "Hruh?"

Marvel Comics attempted to expand its audience by publishing comics with a bent towards a younger audience. Power Pack: the Kids Are Alright is a resounding success. This is not the original Power Pack series from the 1980s, but I thought the creators did such a fantastic job that I readily accepted the new continuity. The art is manga-esque but with the benefits and none of the weaknesses. All of the action is clear and concise and generally well-paced. The writing is excellent, although don't expect something too deep. I felt the stories did a fantastic job balancing the drama of inter-sibiling squabbles with the super-heroics. All of the stories actually play off of the internal drama in some way so the whole story (and the mini in general) becomes in service to the characters. It's funny and moving and endearing all at the same time. In some ways, I feel it picks up the familial drama that made the early Fantastic Four so special.

If you're a parent looking for a comic to share with your kids say ages 6-14 then I think you'll be delightfully surprised by this book. It doesn't pander or seem pathetic. My kids found the humor and pathos genuinely moving. It was solid, good comics. Perhaps nothing proves it better than finding the book open beside my sleeping children on two separate nights. Great stuff.