Comic Info
Comic Name: Power Pack: Day One
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Gurihuri/Colleen Coover
# of Issues: 4
Release Date: 2008
Power Pack: Day One #2
Reprints Power Pack: Day One #1-4 (March 2008-August 2008). The Powers are charged with babysitting Franklin Richards of the Fantastic Four and Mr. and Mrs. Powers still remain unaware of their children’s extracurricular activities as the super-power team Power Pack. With no crime going on the Powers decide to tell Franklin their origin and reveal to Franklin how they gained their powers from Whitey and fought back the evil Snarks with the fate of their parents and the world hanging in the balance.
Written by Fred Van Lente and illustrated by Gurihiru (with back-up stories by Colleen Coover), Power Pack: Day One is essentially a retelling of Power Pack #1-4 (August 1984-November 1984) to fit in with the All-Ages Power Pack line. The eight series in the line followed Iron Man/Power Pack: Armored and Dangerous and makes reference to Fantastic Four/Power Pack: Favorite Son.
I honestly like Power Pack. It might be a bit goofy and childish, but it is appropriate for the series. I enjoyed a lot of the series (until I feel Marvel gave up on it), but the relaunch of the series in this format leaves me a bit empty.
Power Pack: Day One #3
Part of what made the original series good was Power Pack really felt like kids active in the Marvel Universe…who were too young for what their powers and the responsibilities coming with them. Power Pack: Day One makes the series too kid-friendly, and the point of the original series feels a bit lost.
It also is a bit weird that a kid based series which essentially is a relaunch waited eight mini-series in to give an origin issue. If it had been the original series, it would have made sense as a way to introduce new readers to the characters. I understand having the Power Pack characters teamed with big guns like Iron Man and the Fantastic Four, but younger readers probably don’t know the characters.
The story’s art is fine, but I actually found the back-up art for Colleen Coover’s power explanations better. The series is kid based, and it seems like the Power Pack should be more kid based art like these back-up stories.
Power Pack: Day One is a nice introduction to Power Pack, but I still recommend either hunting down the original issues of the old comic or picking up Power Pack—Classic Volume 1. You’ll probably be satisfied either way, but I still find the original better. The series was followed by Power Pack/Wolverine: The Wild Pack.
