Broken Frontier

Pandora’s Box has been shattered but where are the heroes? One small group will find out…if it kills them.

Krueger and Ross continue the return of the Golden Age heroes as slowly, the story falls into place piece-by-piece. What surprises, though, are still in store for fans?

The Black Terror manages to put aside his rage at Bruce Carter at least long enough to fight the robotic army of the Dynamic Family while the Green Lama shows just how powerful he has become. Even though these three heroes make good their escape, trouble still looms; the other imprisoned heroes have been freed but scattered across the globe. Can this broken team pull itself together in time to save a world that crumbles around them?

Mysteries deepen this issue as readers learn a little bit more about their enemy as well as just how far the Dynamic Family’s reach has spread. More freed heroes are also introduced as we learn that, for some (as yet) unknown reason these heroes have been scattered across the globe – and all of them seem to bear some scars from their time in the urn. This latter is a nice touch as it allows Krueger to develop more nuanced personalities in characters who were pretty straightforward in their original incarnations. The multiple layers of mystery also serve to help add a bit more interest to the story. No matter what else may be said, Project Superpowers is packed with plot and dialogue and the result is a fairly satisfying and lengthy read.

Of course, all of the dialogue is bolstered by Carlos Paul’s art. If there is one thing Paul knows it is dynamism and he really gets to cut loose in this issue with several action pieces. His facial expressions, however, sometimes seem a little off – not quite getting across the emotions that the script appears to convey. His faces also seem to have one, standard grimace and everyone uses it… quite a bit in this issue.

Taken as an overall package, Project Superpowers shows signs of maturing as it ages – a nice quality to have. There are growing complexities in both characters and plot that bode well for the future and for readers following this series. In a world where evil is lurking in the shadows, this series seeks to shine a Golden light.