In this review of The Power Fantasy #1, Kieron Gillen pulls readers into a world populated by superpowered people known as Atomics.
The Power Fantasy #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist and Main Cover: Caspar Wijngaard
Variant Covers: Stephanie Hans, Rian Hughes, Tula Lotay, Caspar Wijngaard
Release Date: August 7, 2024
In The Power Fantasy #1, Kieron Gillen pulls readers into a world populated by superpowered people known as Atomics. With clear inspiration taken from the Cold War and the mutually assured demise promised by nations with access to weapons of mass destruction, Power Fantasy asks the question, “What if those weapons had free will?”
Our story starts in 1966 on a street corner in New York City. Between bites of pizza, Etienne and Valentina discuss the ethical ramifications of taking over the world. As the conversation becomes more heated, it becomes clear that they are anything but normal individuals. When Valentina threatens to kill Etienne over his suggestion, the reader gets a clearer glimpse at their true nature. As Etienne states, they are nuclear arsenals.
Flash forward to 1999. Etienne is older, sitting in a cafe and chatting with a journalist over cups of coffee. He recounts incidents from his past, things he regrets. Meanwhile, a futuristic-looking building sitting on an floating island known as Haven is heading straight for New York City. Reaching out telepathically, Etienne speaks to the central figure aboard Haven pleading with him to not go through with whatever he has planned. Brother Ray responds with feigned innocence, as though he is simply going out for a stroll.
Suddenly, a space laser cuts Ray in half. Almost immediately, he regenerates. Etienne shifts his attention away from his interview and toward the events ensuing around him. Telepathically communicating with several other super-powered individuals, Etienne gets their permission to negotiate with Brother Ray, asking him what needs to “not throw Texas into orbit.” Ray tells him that he wants the president of the United States dead along with any other government employee that was involved in the preemptive attack. Etienne obliges but draws the line at killing any of their family members.
The Power Fantasy #1 follows Etienne, a man guided solely by what he considers to be the most ethical course of action in any given scenario. For the most part, Gillen firmly establish setting and main premise of the story, with some questions purposefully left unanswered to pique readers’ curiosity. The pacing of the story is decent, with a slow build up to quick action. However, it is clear from the start that The Power Fantasy #1 is a character-driven story and Gillen reinforces this throughout the issue by having the climax result from his characters’ personalities as well as the implications of their existence rather than external forces beyond their control.
Etienne is introduced as a morally neutral but highly ethical individual from his first line of dialogue and so it comes as no surprise when he willingly assassinates the president in order to save the lives of countless individuals. The dialogue is well-crafted in order to deliver these characterizations. In his conversation with Tonya, Etienne reveals he tries to save “as many people as possible” and finds “lying unnecessarily to be unethical” but we are left with a clear impression that, for him, the ends justify the means.
Casper Wijngaard masterfully illustrates Gillen’s vision. Though at times characters’ body language comes across as being stiff, their facial expressions capture their emotions well. Vivid colors paint an idyllic scene that lulls readers into a sense of false security before throwing them off the deep end. Additionally, Power Fantasy does not suffer from overly complicated panel layouts, making story easy to follow.
If you have enjoyed Gillen’s previous work, you’ll love The Power Fantasy #1.
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