Empowered GN (2007-2024 Dark Horse) comic books
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Issue #1-REP
Published Mar 2007 by Dark Horse.$15.50
$7.00
Volume 1 - 2nd and later printings.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
Not only is costumed crimefighter 'Empowered' saddled with a less-than-ideal superhero name, but she wears a skintight and cruelly revealing 'supersuit' that only magnifies her body-image insecurities. Worse yet, the suit's unreliable powers are prone to failure, repeatedly leaving her in appallingly distressing situations...and giving her a shameful reputation as the lamest 'cape' in the masks-and-tights business. Nonetheless, she pluckily braves the ordeals of her bottom-rung superheroic life with the help of her 'thugalicious' boyfriend (and former Witless Minion) and her hard-drinking ninja girlfriend, not to mention the supervillainous advice from the caged alien demonlord watching DVDs from atop her coffee table.
From Adam Warren-writer/artist of The Dirty Pair comics (the original 'Original English-Language Manga' before OEL was cool), and writer of Livewires, Gen13, and Iron Man: Hypervelocity-comes Empowered, a butt-kicking, bootylicious superhero lampoon that raises the bar for long-john lust and low-brow laughs. Remove all previous notions of superhero entertainment from your puny mind...and prepare to be Empowered!
Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 248 pages, B&W. Mature Readers
Cover price $14.95. -
Issue #2-REP
Published Dec 2011 by Dark Horse.$9.49
$9.49
Volume 2 - 2nd and later printings.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
Empowered returns for further misadventures, as a distress-prone girl wonder struggles with life on the superheroic C-list! Clad-or unclad, as fate would too often have it-in her embarrassingly revealing and maddeningly unreliable supersuit, she fights a neverending battle against overly sensitive supervillains, irrationally envious superheroines, and her own body-image issues! Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Thugboy, plays with fire when he foolhardily attempts to compliment his profoundly insecure sweetheart on the awe-inspiring power of her . . . well, booty. And her often-inebriated gal-pal, Ninjette, pursues a drunken and ultimately disastrous mission to acquire Empowered some respect-by force if necessary!
All this, plus crossword-obsessed goons, speech-impaired superbeasts, 'Ninjas Gone Wild,' and even a few self-help hints from nigh-omnipotent cosmic overlords! You know, the usual.
Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, B&W. Mature Readers
Cover price $15.95. -
Issue #3-1ST
Published Mar 2008 by Dark Horse.$14.00
$14.00
Volume 3 - 1st printing.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
As if life as an often-struggling superheroine weren't already hard enough, now costumed crimefighter "Empowered" discovers that another female superhero is ripping off her distress-prone persona-and cashing in, big-time! Even worse, her relationship with live-in boyfriend (and semi-reformed Witless Minion) Thugboy has run afoul of an extremely literal set of "power issues" ! Worse yet, a singularly bloodthirsty and ruthless ninja clan is gunning-no, make that shurikening-for Emp's best friend and karaoke partner, Ninjette! Can our unlucky but still plucky heroine prevail over all these obstacles as well as the further threats posed by foreign fanfiction outrages, her own supersuit's attempts to manipulate her self-esteem, and the revelation of (gasp!) her real name? Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, B&W. Mature Readers NOTE: "Empowered just may be the best graphic novel I've read all year." - Devon Sanders, Rack Raids Cover price $14.95. -
Issue #3-REP
Published Sep 2012 by Dark Horse.$5.00
Volume 3 - 1st printing.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
As if life as an often-struggling superheroine weren't already hard enough, now costumed crimefighter "Empowered" discovers that another female superhero is ripping off her distress-prone persona-and cashing in, big-time! Even worse, her relationship with live-in boyfriend (and semi-reformed Witless Minion) Thugboy has run afoul of an extremely literal set of "power issues" ! Worse yet, a singularly bloodthirsty and ruthless ninja clan is gunning-no, make that shurikening-for Emp's best friend and karaoke partner, Ninjette! Can our unlucky but still plucky heroine prevail over all these obstacles as well as the further threats posed by foreign fanfiction outrages, her own supersuit's attempts to manipulate her self-esteem, and the revelation of (gasp!) her real name? Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, B&W. Mature Readers NOTE: "Empowered just may be the best graphic novel I've read all year." - Devon Sanders, Rack Raids Cover price $15.95. -
Issue #4-1ST
Published Oct 2008 by Dark Horse.$4.50
$4.50
Volume 4 - 1st printing.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
Costumed crimefighter Empowered is briefly overjoyed to find herself in the running for one of the superhero community's annual Caped Justice Awards (or "Capeys")-only to discover that her nomination was merely a cruel joke by her obnoxious superpeers. But when the masked masses face a cataclysmic reckoning for previous heartless hoaxes, can our perpetually struggling heroine overcome her resentment and save the day? And can she cope with the further problems posed by cross-dressing vigilantes, dying wishes from preteen wannabe supervillains, telepathic "booty calls," a deeply depressed ninja, bedroom "cosplay" conflicts with her boyfriend, and even . . . Hummer fu?
From Adam Warren-writer/artist of the English-language Dirty Pair comics (the original "Original English-Language Manga")-comes Empowered, a gut-busting gag-fest of life in the superhero slow lane. Dump your boxes of prefab power-fantasy pamphlets and load up on Empowered! This volume includes a color Empowered story, available previously only on MySpace!
Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Mature Readers
Cover price $14.95. -
Issue #4-REP
Published Oct 2008 by Dark Horse.$4.00
$4.00
Volume 4 - 2nd and later printings.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
Costumed crimefighter Empowered is briefly overjoyed to find herself in the running for one of the superhero community's annual Caped Justice Awards (or "Capeys")-only to discover that her nomination was merely a cruel joke by her obnoxious superpeers. But when the masked masses face a cataclysmic reckoning for previous heartless hoaxes, can our perpetually struggling heroine overcome her resentment and save the day? And can she cope with the further problems posed by cross-dressing vigilantes, dying wishes from preteen wannabe supervillains, telepathic "booty calls," a deeply depressed ninja, bedroom "cosplay" conflicts with her boyfriend, and even . . . Hummer fu?
From Adam Warren-writer/artist of the English-language Dirty Pair comics (the original "Original English-Language Manga")-comes Empowered, a gut-busting gag-fest of life in the superhero slow lane. Dump your boxes of prefab power-fantasy pamphlets and load up on Empowered! This volume includes a color Empowered story, available previously only on MySpace!
Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Mature Readers
Cover price $14.95. -
Issue #6-1ST
Published Sep 2010 by Dark Horse.$14.00
Volume 6 - 1st printing.
Story and art by Adam Warren.
After a fiery disaster claims the lives of several teammates, costumed crimefighter Empowered stumbles upon an ugly little secret of the masks-and-tights business: a growing number of ill-fated superheroes have found out the hard way that, while their bodies are still mortal, their superpowers are not . . .
Now, only our downtrodden but doggedly determined heroine can save the (semi)living superdead from a very genuine "fate worse than death," while simultaneously grappling with the challenges of vengefully vacationing ninja clans, car-trunk carpet burn, superhero-fantasy-league drafts, excessive bedroom chatter, and deals with the devil both figurative and literal! All this, plus Emp's not-so-secret origin is revealed at last! Adam Warren's work on The Dirty Pair is well known to U.S. comics readers.
Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Mature Readers
NOTE: "A sort of R-rated sitcom exploring geek culture from the inside out, Empowered has its cake and eats it too-it's full of exploitative, titillating imagery, but it also features the healthiest and the most realistic romantic relationship in any comic book featuring capes and masks." - J. Caleb Mozzocco, Las Vegas Weekly
Cover price $15.99. -
Published Dec 2024 by Dark Horse.$13.95
$13.95
Volume 12 - 1st printing. Story and art by Adam Warren. Costumed crimefighter Empowered is trapped in a surreal nightmare scenario as her universe begins spontaneously rebooting again and again, with each variation more twisted and bizarre than the last! Can our befuddled superheroine somehow undo this inexplicable Never-ending Reboot-while simultaneously steering her love life in a boldly polyamorous new direction with Thugboy and Ninjette!-or is this the End for Emp and her chaotically convulsing cosmos? Softcover, 6 1/2-in. x 9-in., 216 pages, PC/PB&W. Mature Readers Cover price $19.99.
