Empowered, vol. 4

Writer(s): Adam Warren
Artist(s): Adam Warren
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN: 978-1593079949
Price: $14.95
Page count: 208
Year Released: 2008
Status: in print
Original Source: n/a
Other Collected Edition(s): n/a
Genres: erotica; humor; romance/relationships; satire; short stories; superheroes
Recommended for Fans Of:
Possibly Objectionable Material: graphic violence; coarse language; cheesecake, softcore sexual innuendo, and suggestive language
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Also in This Series: preceded by Empowered, vol. 3; followed by Empowered, vol. 5

Plot Summary
After Ninjette's run-in with the bounty hunters in volume 3, Emp takes her to the hospital (actually, the suprahuman treatment wing--despite Ninjette not being a suprahuman). While there, Emp is hastily recruited by some of the hospital's personnel to help them with a big (and I mean literally big) emergency liver transplant. Later, Emp asks the severely weakened Ninjette to move in with her and Thug Boy until, as Emp puts it, the "whole ninja bounty dealie" is over with once and for all. Meanwhile, Thug Boy's nemesis, Willy Pete, teams up with other supervillains--and the result is . . . unexpected.

On the lighter side of things, Emp is nominated for a Caped Justice Award (or Capey), the suprahuman community's version of the Oscars. But Sistah Spooky warns her that she was probably nominated as a joke, considering her reputation among other heroes. But Emp learns he has her fair share of fans, and is even requested by one terminally ill kid to fulfill his Grant-a-Wish experience--with awkward results. Then, at the Capeys ceremony, something goes horribly wrong and an unsuspected villain returns. As does an unsuspected hero.

My Own 2 Cents
At this point, if you've been reading the series, you don't need me to convince you that there's a story lurking behind all the bondage and bare flesh. But with this volume Adam Warren has finally, I think, moved beyond the initial impetus for the series (drawing lots of cheesecake) and brought the story to the forefront. The cheesecake will never disappear (this is the guy who brought us the American version of Dirty Pair, after all) but it seems to have taken a permanent back seat to the characters and the plot. Which makes me feel better about really liking this series.

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