Powers vol. 14: Gods
It may have started out with a bit too much style and not enough substance, but “Skullkickers” continues to improve with this volume. Things start off with the dwarf and the big guy stowing away on a ship with an all-female crew only to find out that the elf assassin who has followed/worked with them in the past has decided to stow away too. Complicating matters even more is that the egg from a pan-dimensional cthulhu-esque entity known as Thool is also on board… and has already hatched. This leads us to the secret origin of the big guy, formerly known as Rex Maraud monster hunter of the Wild West, as well as his gun which never runs out of ammo.
Though the nature of such a threat and the seriousness of Rex’s backstory would seem to pose a threat to the decidedly humorous and silly tone of this series, writer Jim Zub adamantly refuses to let that happen. Having Thool speak in a decidedly casual manner is a nice twist on the affectation a universe-devouring terror would usually have, as are his attempts to carry on a conversation with his mind-controlled subordinate. There’s also a great payoff towards the end with the subplot about Rex’s ability to speak to animals which stands as one of the funniest things I’ve read all year. Zub also continues the title’s tradition of sound effects that are more descriptive than they have any right to be with great comedic effect.
Even though regular artist Edwin Huang is confined to drawing action on a ship for most of this volume, he still gets plenty of chances to cut loose with some great over-the-top scenes. Though the fighting between our protagonists and mind-controlled “thoolites” is suitably frenetic, it’s the scenes with the kraken that really give this book an epic heft. The flashback scenes to the Old West also add some nice visual diversity to the story and show that Huang is more than capable of drawing monster hunting no matter what reality it’s taking place in.
Things close out with another anthology of “Tavern Tales” that makes the cliffhanger ending of the main story a little bit easier to take. It’s a credit to Zub and Huang that I’m more invested in this story and the characters than I thought I’d be after the first two volumes, but there’s no indication when (or even, god forbid, “if”) we’ll see the next installment in this story. It may not be everyone’s cup of fantasy tea, but “Skullkickers” is doing an admirable job of showing that there’s more to it than a wanton irreverence towards the tropes and traditions of the genre. I will say that I’ll have my money ready once the next volume arrives.