Adam Warren (1) (1967–)

:cracks knuckles: ok let's do this kids.

Briefly, if you don't know EMPOWERED, it's a comic about a highly insecure semi-competent Suprachicka and her attempts to juggle life, love and respect as a hostage prone damsel. Thugboy is her ex-minion boyfriend, Ninjette is her best friend and you can ignore the cosmic belt (or try to, he's verbose as f*ck).

Due to recent events it finally seems like Emp will receive the respect she deserves and that's great! Too bad the douchecapes and show more douchevillains still see her as just bondage bait.

This volume, which ends on a f*cking cliffhanger that BROKE MY HEART, is kind of a reckoning of sorts for Emp. She gets her hard earned recognition but it puts distance between her and her loved ones. 'Jette feels like a third wheel to Emp's popularity and Thugboy feels useless and a tad bit unappreciated for who he is.

This series, despite the fan service people LOVE to point out to me (f*ck y'all, if T&A bothers you fine but don't assume it'll bother me when the actual content is this deserving and worthwhile), Emp is a relatable heroine crafted from a different cloth. She's not size 4, she's not perfect, she doesn't always do the right thing or say the right thing, but her heart is always there.

This was definitely a build up volume - a couple minor villains, some orientation with her promotion and a whole lot of discussion about the right reasons to be with someone. All of which lead into an ending that had me super anxious. I had to (digitally, since I read this digitally) flip and reread/stare at about four pages of panels before it sunknin what the frak was happening.

Volume 11 is due out later this year - which as the ending panels note it's been a long time since more than one volume came out in a year - and I sort of need some authorial reassurances about that ending? Because I'm a little scared what it means considering Thugboy & Emp's relationship is one of the best in comics and Thugboy in general is love? show less

I rarely write a review, but I had to for this issue. I've read every Empowered volume, and for me, this is by far the most intense and rewarding story in the series. Empowered (Emp) is put through a "trial by fire" and must fight to survive. Rarely do we get to see Emp kick SO MUCH butt in one volume, but this was a non stop barrage of all her skills. So much has lead to this issue and it was such a satisfying tale. (That being said, make sure you read the other 10 before this one!). Adam show more Warren put his all into every frame, I couldn't get over the detail. I love his style and readers of the series will appreciate the evolution of Emp's character that gives her a place among the pantheon of the greatest superheroes. show less

Raise a hand if you thought you could make money off videos detailing how to avoid being Bondage Bait for badguys. Anyone? Well you can be apparently--quite lucratively too. Emp's former kidnapper turned fangirl turned impersonator turned Capitalistic Moneyhound figured out a way and she wants to cut Emp in on the dough! As long as she's okay with being tied up and spanked that is.

Sista Spooky gets a taste of her own badgering when she's the helpless victim in Bondage and very unsettling show more things come out about Thugboy that make me question how okay I am with him being with Emp and the karmic bitchslap Willy Pete (who I still revile and cringe away from) dealt him and his friends. Also did you know Ninjette is a NEW JERSEY NINJA? Yep. Color me not surprised we are pretty violent.

And if that's not enough the Superhomey guys learn just how many of their fans think that things are occurring behind closed doors when they come across yaoi doujinshi (sadly I can attest that what is depicted is tamer then some yaoi I've readseen before).

Warren's ability to build an overarching storyline beyond Emp's self-image issues, Ninjette's drinking problems, Thugboy's anti-cape history and the Superhomey's lack of heroic-ness began slowly, but has really built steam. Many of the plot lines don't converge until later, and they're usually still full of the standard bag of gags the books are littered with, but the slow reveal about Emp's suit or the bits and pieces we hear/see about Thugboy's past are there and make completely sense in hindsight.

And truthfully by this point I was enamored of this series and kept on reading without stopping. show less

Oh. My. Goodness.

So the end of volume 10 gave us one of the sweetest scenes ever...that became a brutal awful nightmare. This volume opens up with Elissa explaining to Kozue and Thugboy why she can't say the word "that rhymes with shove".

I don't know if I've noticed this, but this volume really drove home that fuck that hetero-normative relationship, Ninjette/Emp/Thugboy should be the end game. They are clearly better together.

Back to this volume - we get a lot of pieces that make better show more sense if you look backwards at the comic. Rivet admits to a lot of wrong doing on his part in letting the others belittle, bully and harass Emp so much, then we see how Elissa and Rivet originally met (and why she believes in him so much) which THEN gets further explanation from Mindf*ck 's asshole evil brother Jacob aka Neurospear.

Seeing Mindf*ck again was painful (I love her) but seeing that ending fight? Wherein we learn just how far thinking she was? THANK YOU.

While I didn't cry as much in this volume as 10, there was a lot of moving bits worth lingering over. There is a bit of humor int he flashbacks, but largely this is definitely a wall to wall brawl like it promises. Emp really steps up and maybe she will be who saves us all. show less