The Power Fantasy was my most-anticipated new ongoing of 2024. So much so that, in the run-up to the series’s first issue, I excitedly made two decisions. The first was that I would buy The Power Fantasy as physical single issues (a big deal given my buying habits of late). The second was that I would find some way to talk about each issue in-depth here.

I’ve never done a real-time monthly review series before, and I knew I’d need some help to a) maintain my excitement and b) provide another perspective on The Power Fantasy. Thankfully, guest writer and Waiting on the Trade host Callum Smith was just as jazzed about The Power Fantasy as I was, and he graciously jumped at the chance to discuss the book with me each month. What follows is a transcript of our chat discussion of Part One: Heroes and Villains. In it, Cal and I discuss our expectations, Casper Wijngaard’s amazing character designs and colors, Kieron Gillen’s many teases of things to come, our hopes for the series moving forward, and much more.

Matt: I’ll get us started with a question that was on my mind tonight: What were your expectations going into The Power Fantasy‘s first issue? And were those expectations met, exceeded, and/or subverted?

Cal: Hello, Matt! Lovely to be starting out on this with you!

And those are good questions! I think it’s fair to say my expectations were pretty sky high, largely because Kieron Gillen has been successfully riding the crest of a wave of improbably good corporate comics for the last few years. So the prospect of him returning to creator-owned work that has fewer creative constraints was enormously appealing.

That coupled with Gillen reuniting with Caspar Wijngaard for the first time since Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt is enough to have made this one of my most anticipated new series launches in quite some time.

And I’m pleased to say the first issue really met those expectations! It seems to be a thoughtful and considered opener that promises a lot more to come in terms of a large cast of characters and complex morality.

And hot dog! Caspar Wijngaard! This feels like a real step up from their already lovely work in Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. I was really taken by how intriguing and effective the character designs are and how well the colour palette sells the idea of a slight beautiful otherness to this story’s world.

How about you? And what are your hopes for the series?

Matt: As far as my expectations being met/exceeded/subverted, I’d say my expectations were met. Which sounds like damning with faint praise, until you realize my expectations for this book were pretty dang high.

It’s been fun to watch Gillen pretty expertly walk the high-wire of X-Men and event comics for a bit over at Marvel. And I know Gillen always picks up new tricks during his work-for-hire projects. He then brings those tricks over to his creator-owned stuff and proceeds to poke at, expand, and rework them in ways corporate comics don’t allow. Given how good the majority of Gillen’s recent Marvel stuff has been, I also had high hopes going into this, given we’re getting Krakoa Gillen+ (if that absurd phrasing makes sense).

I actually have not read Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, but am familiar with Wijngaard from Home Sick Pilots. There, color also expertly sets scene moods, like it does here. You can stand across the room from this comic and know what emotions each page is trying to make you feel, just by looking at the panel structure and colors. Above all, I think the paneling and colors are my favorite elements of this issue.

I don’t know that I have any concrete hopes for the series as a whole at this point. I’m very much trying to enjoy the ride, to the point of avoiding articles and interviews about the series prior to reading the first issue. (I still get Gillen’s newsletter, and he was on both comics podcasts I listen to regularly, so I still know far more than your average reader.) Mostly, I’m excited for a “superhero” series with lasting in-world consequences that doesn’t operate from the assumption “superheroes would all be evil, you know.”

As the book lays out, there are real-world states and actors that have the equivalent power of a Superman or a Thor or whoever, and many of us manage to go about our day, only fearing for our lives a little most of the time. (Your mileage may vary.) As Etienne says, there are people with superpowers on the planet. None of us are ever actually safe. But we have to live like we are, and trust that these superpowers will manage themselves. What does that look like when some of those superpowers are singular people? Well, we’re starting to find out as of this issue.

I’ve gone on at length, so I want to throw it back to you. Did any particular character or scene grab you in this issue? What’s the page or line of dialogue you can’t get out of your mind?

Cal: Fortunately for us, and the size of this recap, there are only three major scenes and they’re all great, so I’d suggest we go through each of them!

The opener, with a young Etienne Lux speaking with Santa Valentina on a warm summer night in 1966 feels like it really hits the ground running, and shows off what Gillen and Wijngaard are bringing to the book.

Etienne casually and calmly discussing the ethics of using their status as superpowers to take over the world is an immediately provocative and interesting start to the book. I really enjoyed the contrast between the relaxed pizza eating and deciding the fate of the world, a fun incongruity that I expect we will get to see plenty more of!

The other thing that really struck me about this section is the sheer density of information in each panel, much of which plays out subtly. I’d missed that, from the second page of the issue, we are casually seeing Etienne reflexively use his powers to divert attention from the conversation he’s having with Valentina. Something that is likely necessary, not just because of what they’re talking about, but because of her seeming celebrity status, as suggested by the mural on the third page. Etienne’s casual use of his powers to intrude into the minds of others feels like it’s another enjoyably understated creepy element that is absolutely paid off by the end of the issue.

The rest of the issue is full of this kind of confident storytelling, providing plenty of information without needing to hold the reader’s hand for all of it, trusting that attentive readers will pick it up on their first go, or less attentive ones like me will on their second go.

The other thing that is immediately clear from this opener is how strong the character design is in this book. Young Etienne immediately gives off the air of a precocious and academic youth who is ready to spring forth with political and philosophical theory into any conversation. He also looks slightly less cool than Valentina. The character designs are a strength shown across the whole issue (I’m excited for us to get to older Etienne and Heavy in this discussion), and it feels like they will be something we can look forward to across the rest of the series.

Was there anything that stood out for you in the opening scene?

Matt: You hit a lot of what I wanted to discuss and what I think are the real strengths of that first scene. The first page, even, very deftly sets the tone for this scene and probably the rest of the book. Bright colors, people going about their lives, our Superpowers just hanging out eating pizza on the street corner. This is our world, and it’s got energy, and it’s lived in. And then, almost as an afterthought, Etienne casually mentions how he and Valentina should take over the world. So matter-of-factly! That’s the kind of stakes we’re playing with here, right from the get-go.

Also, this concept of a benevolent duopoly does feel like a loaded gun placed upon the mantel, yes?

I did notice Etienne using his powers to deflect attention; it’s another of Wijngaard’s great uses of color. There are bits of this issue that could definitely feel too talky, if not executed well via the art and pacing. But I think Wijngaard and Gillen do a good job of pushing us through a very deep conversation here, in a way that’s exciting and provocative. Etienne is of course throwing Chidi from The Good Place vibes throughout the issue, and he does so here as well. What if Chidi had the powers of Charles Xavier and was less of a hot mess, is my take on Etienne so far.

Etienne seems to not just want Valentina on his side, but really respect her. And he seems to respect the rest of the Superpowers and lesser-powered individuals as well. That’s a very positive character trait of his that offsets a lot of his general creepiness. You know that person who is always right about everything but they’re right in a way you hate? That’s Etienne. He’s right, but you still don’t want to do what he says.

Thus, the “standoff” at the end of scene one, where Valentina and Etienne decide to play the balancing act game instead of come to blows or inflict themselves fully upon the world. Before we jump from this scene, what do you think happened when Valentina saw inside Etienne’s mind? I don’t think we’re supposed to know fully, but I was wondering if you have any speculation. I think that’s the one element of this issue that I’m most puzzled by still.

Cal: The Chidi comparison is a fun one, particularly when coupled with the power to end the world and apparently almost all self-doubt removed.

And I think the sheer confidence Etienne shows off in this scene, and others later, is a fun and likely terrifying trait. He seems utterly sure of the conclusions he’s reached and their rightness which, when coupled with a big degree of moral flexibility in the name of humanity’s survival, makes it feel like he has the capacity for some truly terrible stuff. (Sidenote: I have read to the end of this issue, so this is not a hugely shocking insight on my part).

And I’m excited to find out what was going on in Etienne’s head! It’s the first of a few tantalizing crumbs in this issue. I’m hesitant to applaud too wildly for cryptic hints of things we can’t know about yet, but I like the tenor of the mysteries set up in this issue. What did Etienne show Valentina? What was the Signal? The Second Summer of Love? Tokyo? I’m looking forward to these reveals, and I like the way that hint at a much wider world.

And this feels like a lovely segue into the next scene!

1999! Just before the millennium! And it’s doing a fun Watchmen-esque thing of having its own distinct vision of a bit of the recent past. The fashion and technology here is distinct to our 1999, but in a way that seems to be a result of a world of Atomics.

I really love Etienne’s wardrobe here, a much more worldly and commanding figure, albeit with the same disarming casualness, even as he again reflexively interferes with the minds of others and suggests an utter willingness to shape the world according to his own ethical outlook.

And the introduction of Heavy! What did you make of their entrance?

Matt: Very quickly – so very many little teases in this issue, of things that have and likely will happen. I’m very interested to find out if Valentina also killed a President during the Cuban Missile Crisis in this world. But the alternate history is very much already in effect, and playing out in the world in ways you noted.

Before moving into Heavy, I want to ask: What do you make of Tonya? Recurring character or no? She gives me slight vibes of Laura in The Wicked + The Divine, in that she’s on the outside looking in of this world that she knows about and interacts with, but may not actually be a part of. But! Given we are coming off an X-Men run where mutant circuits and combinations of “lesser” powers were so important to doing something grand, I wouldn’t pass the inclusion of a “lesser” Atomic off as a throwaway choice. I feel like there may be something there going forward.

I want to let you answer that question but have a thought re: “shape the world according to his own ethical outlook” that we need to return to! Don’t let me forget!

Cal: I will bet my biscuit on Tonya being a recurring character! Slightly embarrassingly, I’ve still not read beyond the first trade of The Wicked + The Divine so can’t comment on Laura too much. But a lot of Gillen’s other recent work, from Eternals to Warhammer 40,000, has made good use of ground-level perspective characters, so it’d certainly be in keeping with that.

And I like her fingernails! More of those please!

Matt: Cal, you have to finish The Wicked + The Divine! It is probably my second-favorite Gillen series.

Back to Heavy, his fashion sense is also impeccable as long as you’re into flip flops. (I’m not, personally.) Big stoner bro vibes, with some jaded hippie thrown in. I was trying to figure out what my read on his powers is, and it seems like something to do with gravity, given what we see and the name Heavy. But I don’t get how that lets him pull himself back together after the “incident.” Unless we’re getting into gravity manipulation allowing you to distort time, which would be a heck of a thing.

Cal: WicDiv catchup is on my to-do list after I finally catch up on One Piece, the current millstone round my neck

And such good character design for Heavy! Aged hippy crossed with a bareknuckle boxer is a delight, and I was so happy to spot that he’s using his powers to constantly keep a spliff floating in front of him

Matt: But how is he actually smoking it then, Cal??? (Doesn’t matter, it’s a neat bit.)

Cal: I am possibly the last person you should ask about how people consume drugs. My partner still makes fun of me each time I refer to marijuana cigarettes, even though that’s what they are!

Matt: Then together we are the two last people anyone should ask about consuming drugs, lol.

Cal: We can only hope that the rest of the series will prove instructive in this regard.

Matt: Yes, you asked what my expectations for the series are, and they now include “learn how to smoke a marijuana cigarette (while it is floating in front of me).”

Haven of course has a Utopia/Krakoa feeling to it, in that it’s the Atomic Family’s separate territory. The colors used throughout this sequence are also fantastic and purposefully psychedlic I’d imagine. I love some good neon pinks in my comics, and we have that here.

Any additional thoughts on Heavy and Haven?

Cal: banging on the table increasingly loudly Asteroid M, Asteroid M, ASTEROID M!

In general I’m trying to refrain from reading this book in relation to X-Men comics, but this becomes more challenging at this point, given the easy analogues of locations and powerful idealistic telepaths with strained relationships with charismatic masters of attractive forces.

But I loved this homestretch of the book! Heavy’s aesthetic is so compelling and fun to me that I’m worryingly tempted to overlook his request for the murder of presumably innocent family members of those involved in trying to kill him.

Such a compelling introduction! No idea how Heavy pieces himself together or how he got scars if he can easily recover from being bisected by space lasers, but I can’t wait to find out more about his relationship with his commune.

It felt significant that he backed down in confrontation with Etienne as soon as the people of Haven were threatened. And Heavy is surely the prime candidate for being the focus of the Second Summer of Love, referred to earlier in the issue.

What did you make of his confrontation with Etienne? And how many recaps can we go without naming X-Men characters?

Matt: I think the X-Men stuff is probably prevalent by design here. We’re very much setting this story up in relation to other superhero/mutant/etc. stuff at this point. Here are some touchstones you know, to draw you in. And now we’re going to spiral off in other directions and kill Presidents and do stuff you will not be familiar with. So I think the comparisons will start to fall away at some point. One of my thoughts about the issue was “this feels like the penultimate issue of an X-Men arc,” but it’s only issue one!

Also, you have no idea how much I laughed out loud at your ASTEROID M bit. A great start to the morning over here.

Heavy and Etienne both seem to regard the other as extremely dangerous and seemingly understand each other’s personalities and desires. So clearly a lot of history there, as hinted at by the Second Summer of Love statement and other bits of this scene. Etienne knows threatening the Family at all will get Heavy to back down. Heavy knows that Etienne absolutely would kill them if he thought it was ethical (and who knows what Etienne might bring himself to believe is ethical).

I think this lines me up for my question I didn’t want to forget from before: What are the odds that Heavy getting shot by a massive space laser was actually Etienne’s doing, for some reason we don’t currently understand at the moment? They feel at least even to me, 50:50.

Cal: Without wanting to be reductive, given Gillen’s recent runs with X-Men and DIE, which feature prominent characters who can interfere with the minds of others and who absolutely should not be trusted, I feel like those odds are entirely reasonable.

One of things I found particularly interesting in the sequence where we see Etienne rapidly coordinating his response to the USA’s attempted murder of Heavy is just how diverse the superpowers are.

Across the issue we see relatively standard superhero power sets in Etienne and Heavy, who are complimented by an angelic being, a demonesque being, a mage/technopath and, most strikingly of all, someone who is good at making creepy paintings.

Did any of the other superpowers stand out to you in terms of how interested you are in finding out what their deal is?

Matt: As far as finding out their deal, definitely Masumi. They seem quite interesting (and I know a little more from Gillen’s newsletter). Character design-wise though, Eliza has to win. How about you?

Cal: Yeah, Masumi for me too, if only because her deal seems so much less obvious than the others.

Also, what’s going on with Valentina? A far cry from eating pizza on a warm evening in New York!

Coming to the end of the issue, how does it leave you feeling about the upcoming issues? And do you have any particular hopes for what is to come?

Matt: I was just thinking about Valentina’s seeming change in circumstances the other evening! Exiled from Earth? Living in a weird almost halo of garbage at the very least. But still interested in protecting humanity from itself. What is going on there?

I think that’s what I’m most anticipating now, given some of the seeds we’ve noted lain down in this issue. I want to see how the 60s we’ve seen and the year 1999 fit together. Lots of random puzzle pieces thrown down in this issue, some of which fit together and some that don’t. The fact there seems to be a structure to the timeline, of some sort at least, leaves me feeling really keen to dig in and see some of these other moments from the past, as well as how they affect the “present.”

It seems very likely that we’ll be in the 70s for at least part of next issue, given that issue’s cover. Any specific hopes on your end? I find it interesting that the book ends with a Superpower killing so many higher-ups in the US government, including the President, and what I’m most keen on seeing is backstory and connections. So, the President is dead. Who cares! Why is Valentina living in space? What are Masumi’s powers? These are the things I want to know (which I think says a lot about the success of establishing the characters and conceit in this first issue).

Cal: Yeah, definitely encouraging that the character interactions are off to such a strong start that I’m more excited to see who gets to eat food together next, rather than the fallout to Etienne’s murder rampage through the upper echelons of the US government.

In terms of my hopes for the series, they’re threefold I think. I really have enjoyed quiet character moments in so much of Gillen’s recent work, and I hope this remains a character-driven story that treats its central figures as people and digs into what motivates them.

I also have a real personal sense of anxiety and disgust at the fact that nuclear weapons are continuing to not only be held by a number of countries, but still proliferating. I really hope the series gets to dig into some of the philosophical and political issues around the power to destroy the world being present across the globe and the horror this should produce in all of us. Having seen some of Gillen’s research reading for this series I’m optimistic that we’ll get to dig into this a bit.

And finally, I want more character designs from Wijngaard! One of the things that most excites me about the multiple time periods the series is covering is that we should get a whole host of looks for each character, and I can’t wait to see those soon!

Matt: Etienne’s comments near the beginning of the issue, about the morality of any person or nation having the power they have, surely tee us up for a big consideration of your third point. I’m also keen for us to delve into that going forward. And yes, more Wijngaard character designs! If we’ve established anything in this discussion, it’s that Wijngaard really brought it on this first issue.

Anything else you want to touch on before we call it a wrap on this first discussion? I will quickly say that I really appreciated the design of the book, with lots of clean black and white elements, a tiny carryover use of data pages, and the most fun back cover a series has had in quite a while.

Cal: Yeah lovely design all over, well done Rian Hughes. I really enjoyed it too, so sleek and immediately distinctive, a great sign of the care that’s gone into this book!

And nothing else from me, other than to say it’s been lovely discussing this issue in-depth with you, and I can’t wait to do the same with issue two!

Matt: Yes, very excited to get to do this again in a few weeks! As expected, the series seems like it will merit these deep dive discussions, and I’m happy to have someone to have those discussions with!