For those unfamiliar with the Empowered 'American Manga' series from Dark Horse Comics, the book follows the adventures and very often misadventures of an aspiring young superheroine for whom the series is titled.
Empowered's superhuman abilities come from a 'hypermembrane' super suit that is tighter than skintight. We're talking 'painted on' in appearance. Unfortunately while the suit provides super strength, the ability to project energy blasts and a number of other minor abilities, it's ablative, with each hit that it takes protecting its wearer at the cost of it deteriorating. As it shreds, its power providing capacity diminishes. The end result is our spunky but highly self-conscious heroine bound and gagged by the villains or their minions and left for the rest of her team to find.
Despite the setbacks of her crappy super suit and it's unreliable abilities, major self-esteem issues and a lack of support from her teammates (who are largely a bunch of jerks), 'Emp' has triumphed on a number of occasions against major league villains. Also, her supporting cast, from her a-hole fellow 'Capes' to her female ninja best friend (Ninjette) and her former witless minion boyfriend (Thugboy), is absolutely awesome.
The key components of the series are it's humor, it's focus on realistic human emotions, failings and relationships and, IMHO, the world in which the Empowered stories take place.
Oddly, I would almost describe the Caped Community of the Empverse as being akin to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Sure, the Capes interact with the mundanes a bit more but they seem to have this whole other world that they run. Suprahumans are not answerable to anyone except other Suprahumans. In the past, this has caused some serious situations to unfold.
At the same time there is a Suprahuman cable news network with Suprahuman reporters, a Suprahuman Treatment Wing at the Purple Paladin Memorial Hospital with Super-Doctors and Uber-Nurses and a whole host of secrets only the other superheroes seem to know.
I highly recommend reading the series as both the art and the writing is superb. I love Empowered! Its currently my favorite superhero comic on the market today.
Over the next few days I will discuss my campaign concept, how it relates to the series and hopefully have a recap of the first adventure sometime Sunday evening.
Later,
AD
Barking Alien
