The end of the first arc and a huge turning point for the series! John Pierce and Geoffrey Warner square off over C.O.W.L.'s big secret, Radia faces public outcry, and Arclight resorts to lethal force...against one of his own.
By far the most intriguing revelation from the finale of C.O.W.L.'s first arc is that this has all been a prelude. We've just witnessed the buildup to that fateful moment when everything changes. Only at the end of the arc do we start to realize what this story is really about. This is a story about a man willing to do anything to protect his kingdom. This is a story about the slow corruption that seeps into our world and our institutions. This is a story about the fact that everything changes, and everything ends. The puzzle pieces have fallen into place and the larger picture has begun to emerge, and writ large are the words: to have heroes, you need villains. Read Full Review
C.O.W.L.‘s first arc, Principles of Power comes to a gripping conclusion, with it acting as a bitter sweet round-up to recent events, whilst setting up future ones perfectly. Highly recommended. Read Full Review
Do yourself a favor and read this series. We need more books on the stands that are as nuanced and well-written as this one. If you're behind like I was, “pay your dues” and buy the trade when it releases on October 29th. Read Full Review
The C.O.W.L. TP drops next month and will be 9.99. Truly a steal for the first five issues. Read Full Review
While the scripting from Higgins and Siegel is excellent, artist Reis brings the gritty world of C.O.W.L. to the page with impeccable line work and smart design decisions. Moody color palettes and soft, gestural painting add subtle variance and emotional weight to these sequences, which are distinctively color-coded as the story progresses. The blues and indigos of the post-riot street scene give way to the clean grays and lighting effects of Warrens following meeting. These scenes, as well as the consistently gloomier ones that follow, are broken up by the bright yellow hues and halftone textures of Pierces conversation with Hadyn. This makes for a diverse but overall cohesive reading experience, memorable from the first page to the last. Read Full Review
From the first page, there is but one structure that unites all of this intrigue, and that it is avitalscaffold that threatens to buckle under all of this narrative weight: unions, that controversial entity (that, given my metro-Detroit roots, make my blood redder) that never fails to deliver drama and conflict. Higgins and Siegel throw on the bricks of city politics, secret agendas, Cold War tactics, the fade of WWII, the dilemmas of power, and the common good, and what we're left with as an edifice of comic book story telling that rivals anything else Image, or any other publisher, is putting out. If the second arc isn't a wrecking ball that demolishes all this carefully-laid work (and I doubt it will be), we're in for a story that just might scrape the sky. Read Full Review
This book is an excellent finale to the first story arc. It has the right mix of political machinations, action sequences, and character emotions, but also adds in one hell of an emotional shock to the reader. Reis' artwork is top-notch once again, creating the gritty dark vibe of 1960s Chicago. Read Full Review
Despite some blemishes, the series remains strong, with more nuanced dialogue and jaw-dropping art. C.O.W.L. #5 is another solid entry in what is quickly becoming a definitive comic for Image and Capes in general. It's not quite perfect, but you'll want more by the time you put it down. Read Full Review
With Reis excellent eye for juxtaposition capably framing the characters and ideas behind C.O.W.L., there's a lot to be excited about moving forward. Although it may still lack some of the depth and realism of The Wire, it is beginning to capably address the same complex themes as that episodic masterpiece. It will certainly not be an easy task, but Higgins, Siegel, and Reis seem up to it. Read Full Review
With a new arc soon to come and a trade on the way, it's high time to enlist in C.O.W.L. Read Full Review
C.O.W.L. #5 is another remarkable entry into one of Images darkest yet most compelling series. Co-writers Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel have crafted characters that have real skin in the game and some of them are easy to love while others are easy to love-to-hate. Rod Reis art is a defining characteristic for the book. It simultaneously sets the book apart from everything else on stands while also providing exactly what the doctor ordered for this series. Everything about C.O.W.L. #5 is mysterious, grim and foreboding. Read Full Review
The art really ramps it up when Arclight confronts the treacherous Pierce in an alley. Pierce chases a pair of robbers, breaking the C.O.W.L. strike, and engages in the only fight scene in the issue. This is when the images get their most surreal, and the motion of the robbers creates a wave that affects the entire panel. When one of their guns goes off, the images ripples like a bomb went off, lending real gravitas to the scene. When Arclight delves out some street justice, the art goes into some McKean-esque "Arkham Asylum" territory. This really works as this is the most viscerally violent scene in the issue, and Arclight's actions are representative of the damage that C.O.W.L. has suffered. Reis furthers this tone by making the art look damaged and distressed as well. Read Full Review
It's a shame, This series debuted with very high expectations and has failed to meet them. I hope the direction can turn in the next story arc. Read Full Review
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