Fire Power #1 & #2: They Are Not Prepared

The explosive new series Fire Power continues to make waves with a unique release schedule allowing a chance for the story to truly find its footing and kick off an exciting action-packed adventure. There’s no doubts about it, Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee with Mike Wilson and Rus Wooton have seemingly found their way into another hit.

The prelude graphic novel that already released set the stage for Fire Power to really hit the ground running with a thrilling story and plenty of dynamic world building. Now, releasing Fire Power #1 as well as #2 on the very same day, we see the creative team taking yet another risk in the delivery of the comic, ensuring there is more than enough for fans to sink their teeth into. This had every possibility of working against the series as well, with so much content already released before we really have a chance to see if the book is a success. However, it’s easy to see by the end of issue #2 that this will be a series well worth your time and money.

Where the prelude succeeded most was in it’s use of lore and powerful world building, but as we dive into issues #1 and #2, it’s easy to see that Samnee and company absolutely steal the spotlight. The action scenes where Owen is taking on the ninjas is arguably one of the best fight sequences I’ve ever seen in comics. It captures the action-packed kung fu film feeling with even a slight sense of humor, keeping you on edge through the entire fight. It’s just such a wonderful use of layouts and structure to show what this medium is really capable of. Combined with awesome letters and subtle but clear lettering, the execution of this book is simply top notch.

It’s great to have Kirkman back on a book that takes a familiar approach and pushes it into an interesting and consistently great direction. Though there are still plenty of cliches in the story, the creative team has found a way to use them in a fresh new way to keep me hooked and wanting more. Owen is a character who is generally easy to root for, and the presence of his family certainly helps him to be more relatable. I would’ve liked to see a more strict approach to the colors used in his depiction to help solidify his ethnicity as he can sometimes get lost in just appearing like a white guy, but it isn’t enough to make me put the book down. It does enough right to keep the story on track for an exciting continuation.

It’s rather difficult to separate the stories presented in issues #1 and #2 as they were so obviously meant to be read back to back. I have my worries about the potential of someone picking up Fire Power #1 and thinking it could be an effective entry into the series because the prelude is almost required reading before jumping into them. Why this issue wasn’t just an oversized #1 I’m not too sure, but considering how Kirkman has been quite particular in the release schedule to help out comic shops in the pandemic times, there might be a different motive behind how this series is releasing. If you pick up Fire Power #1 and not issue #2, it’s safe to say you will be sorry you didn’t go ahead and grab them both.

Owen taking on a bunch of ninjas gives me hope that Fire Power can continue taking the series in a solidly entertaining direction, and being able to read the first two issues after a full graphic novel prelude is nothing short of exciting. Seeing Owen battle his history that we are actually aware of frames the issues remarkably well, and the mystery behind Wei Lun sets the stage for an intriguing future. Go pick up Fire Power #1 and #2 today and if you haven’t already, the prelude graphic novel as well.