The Power Fantasy #5 // Review
Brixton 1978. The cult leader says he’s a cult leader. Talks about the importance of keeping it real. If he ever abuses his power, it’s going to be up to the higher level people below him to take him down. Very enlightened stuff, but then...you would expect that from a cult leader, wouldn’t you? He gets a bit of a close-up on The Power Fantasy #5. Writer Kieron Gillen continues a very captivating look at the nature of power in a super-powered world. Artist Caspar Wijngaard brings the drama to page an panel with compelling depth and impact.
The guy’s name is Jackie Magus. He considers himself to be the “Total Arsehole” on the top of a pyramid that’s also populated with “F***ing Arseholes,” “Arseholes,” “Higher Initiates,” “Initiates,” “Lower Initiates,” and the rest. Push. forward a few years and there’s a guy who’s talking about President Reagan’s plans. He’s talking to the wrong people, so it’s not going to go well. Honestly, it might not go all that well for the rest of the world either, but there are a very small group of people who have fundamental control over some very powerful forces. They’re going to be the ones in control.
Gillen plays around with the history of the 20th century, in a very compelling way that feels at once very plausible and very fantastic. It's a lot of fun to see him work his magic with intense superpowers that can overwhelm the superpowers of history. What would have happened if God had truly walked the Earth during the end of the 20th century? It's an interesting amplification of the type of reality that was echoing through history. It's a lot of fun to explore. It continues to be remarkably deep in its fifth outing.
Wijngaard has quite a deft control over some of the more intense and ridiculously over-the-top aspects of drama. There’s a character in the series who wears a mask the covers everything. No expression can be seen on his face and yet...just the way he carries himself exudes overwhelming emotion and intricacy. Wijngaard makes it look kind of overwhelming on every level,. Cleverly-framed action and sudden jolts of impact hit the page with impressive force throughout the issue. The color continues to amplify the mood and motion of history throughout the issue in a way that feels swift and stylish throughout.
Gillen himself says that his biggest criticism of his own work is its pacing. He’s just trying to cran way too much into every issue and so it can feel rushed. It’s a valid criticism. What he’s doing might not have the same sense of urgency if it had a better sense of pacing, though. The crazy rush of events that collide on the page feel totally out of control...which is exactly the kind of chaotic energy at the heart of the story. Gillen’s pacing is a natural outgrowth of the central theme of instability which rests at the heart of the story.
