You can listen to the episode by clicking: Episode 94
The Pack is Back! No more minor guest stars! No more lame walk on rolls! No more multi book reviews! We are back with a Pack story, a couple of beers, and a beating stick for anyone who stands in our way!!!
Awwwww man, that was my favorite beating stick. Okay, well, I guess that we will just do what we can do….Let’s start with the kids and their costumes. I mean…They have masks…MASKS MAN!!! That is a start, right!?
While there are some things that have changed, like new costumes, a change of location, skipped grades, and parents knowing about powers, there are things that are the same. Things like: there are four kids, two parents, and one blown up smartship.
Speaking of Katie, she has been surfing the Matrix and has become one with science. Or her love of Friday has really pushed her to new heights. This is all something….interesting.
Like usual though, when we are talking about Power Pack, we have to be talking about the Snarks, right? You remember the Snarks? Big, green, teethy, bureaucratic…. we all love them.
New creators new art…..and yet, a lot of the same stories. A new series has a new chance for success, if the ship is sailing the right way with the right height. What does this mean? Heck if I know, I was just trying riff on the picture.
Well, we are here to review these books. Whether good, or bad, we are here to do the dew…….or something. We will always be there, especially when Katie releases a plethora of power balls.
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon, https://www.patreon.com/JeffandRickPresent. We have started to release monthly episodes for our Energizer and greater tiers. We are covering the alternate versions mini-series that started in 2005.
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Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Ice Giants by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5745-the-ice-giants License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Jeff and Rick Present 
Thanks! I’m a big fan.
I’m working on my own comic now.
Joe
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Cool! Looking forward to seeing the end results of your comic if you are willing to share it. -Jeff
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Hey there friends!
In a rather serendipitous move, I received the miniseries you are covering in the mail a mere 48 hours before the episode uploaded. I had picked up the 1st issue back when it first came out 20+ years ago, and I remember being disappointed in it. I know from a character level then the kids only seemed like facsimiles of the ones Louise and Jon tended to so lovingly. I went into reading the 1st issue this time with that foggy recollection.
It wasn’t nearly as bad as I remembered it as when it was first out. The Jim Shooter edict feels locked in with the new setting, time hop and resetting of the basics regarding motivation and characterization. Colleen Doran’s work feels more suited for this miniseries, but I too call into question the strange inks in this issue. Some figures look like the inks were pretty light, and then you have the hollowed out eyes of Katie Power: Girl Genius… hmm. It almost feels like there’s some uncredited work on the page.
I have a theory regarding the Katie Power bit in the paragraph above: Back in the late 90’s there was a sitcom called Smart Guy about a boy genius going to high school. I can’t help thinking that must have been in the initial pitch to Marvel. “Uh yeah, the little one.. sure she’s precocious, but it’s because she’s really a genius!” I like that in theory, as readers have seen Alex and Julie being pretty great with school work and studies while Jack being the stereotypical rebellious middle child who underachieves! It would make for a mildly amusing arc of the Power siblings being resident geniuses and then Jim leaves them in a Gypsy cab to live in this opulent brownstone and…. wait! that’s The Royal Tenenbaums. Seriously, it would be fun to watch a tale of sibling heroics that Jack pulls together because he somehow Gumps his way into a solution to the problem. (Okay, enough moldy pop culture references)
That’s great news about Rick being able to get to Maui! What a great pair of parents he has! I hope he and his wife are able to make it truly memorable. I feel for you Jeff regarding your eye! I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago. I can’t remember what caused it, but it was pretty scary looking to people and I kind of felt like the villain from the Last Action Hero that had the false eye. (Rats! another ancient reference!)
All that being said, I really enjoyed the episode and agree about the paring down of reading per episode being a good thing. I imagine an average script between you two is a good size for one issue.
Looking at 8 issues? We might have a google doc the size of the book IT. Thanks to the show though, I now have the first volume of The New Warriors omnibus. After reading the first few issues, I completely understand why it makes sense down the run Alex would join.
Well, once again I got a little winded. I hope you both and your lovely families well!
Talk to you later,
Jeremy
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Hey, buddy!! How you doing?
I don’t know if sorries are in order or not for you having gotten these comics to look over just in time for us to cover them. I had no idea that they existed until Rick told me about them and I have been holding on to the set that I got so that I could see them with new eyes for the review. While they are not bad, I can’t say that they are good. They honestly rehash a lot of what has come before. I was excited to get a new fresh take on the kids, instead I am getting a clip show of what has come before for the most part. I feel bad to say that, as I am massively impressed with anyone that goes out there and actually makes a thing. And this is in fact a thing that was made. I agree with your assessment that the kids only seem like facsimiles of them selves. They are Pack like…pack adjacent if you will. They are recognizable, but not the kids that I know. (Man, this would be a good place to mention the Skrulls VS Power Pack issues that we are doing for our Patreon right now, but that feels cheap)
I have no problems at all of Katie skipping grades and becoming a Little Wonder…I mean computer genius. It is established in her back story that she taught herself how to read at age…uh, not going to check my notes…three? So her skipping a couple of grades makes sense to me. I did like the fact that she was worried about going to school because of what she thought other kids would treat her like. I thought that this was a spot on story beat. Aaaaand I just realized that I am now talking about issue #2, so moving on.
The eye thing wasn’t to big a deal, as I have had it happen before and knew that it wasn’t a big deal. Still, weird to look in a mirror and se something that wasn’t there an hour ago and wonder what you did to cause it.
The average script length is about 24 pages, and the NW ones ran about the same length, but trying to make the funnies while accurately (short according to me and long according to rick) summarize each one was a lot of work.
I should probably read the New Warriors form the start at some point…don’t know if I will though. Since I came in on the back end I don’t have the same love for it that people that have read it from the beginning (and since the beginning). Maybe I will sometime though…I am very wishy washy and my time is barely my own anymore.
Our families are great, and we hope that you and yours are doing amazing.
Talk to you later, Jeremy.
-Jeff
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