POWER KNIGHTS: BLADES OF LIBERTY #1. KID Comics. 2022. (Writer/Creator) Keithan Jones, (W) Noble Ward (Color) Salif Thompson. 28pp. $8 USD (Includes 11×17 Poster).
Imagine a precocious 10-year-old who pulls a Jack Kirby move and creates his own world of superheroes. And then life happens, time passes, and that kid is now an adult who has held onto that dream. That’s what this comic book is all about. In fact, Keithan Jones decided to carve out a little space for himself in the comics world and launch KID Comics, a place for comics packed with youthful energy and harkening back to the golden age spirit of comics meant for kids to enjoy.
Getting to Know the Earthlings.
What Keithan Jones has tapped into is right at the heart of some of the best stuff that comic books can do: a roller coaster ride of fun adventure. Jones credits the Marv Wolfman and George Perez run on DC Comics of The New Teen Titans as his key inspiration. Jones took things further and added some very much needed diversity to the mix. Growing up, he hungered for Black superheroes and vowed to make some changes for the better. And that brings us to the Power Knights, a diverse group of god-like beings with the power to heal, and to destroy, at colossal levels. We are introduced to them one by one, starting with Princess Ozana Raxi, a beautiful but despondent woman trying to cope with a dark past.
The gang’s all here.
Each of these former warriors (Dragon Blaze, Princess Ozana Raxi, Metalstar, Bluzara, Camouflage and Warseed) used to serve a king who presided over an intergalactic empire. Then, one day, they realized their king had enslaved them and they deserted him. For a good long time, they just hid out on Earth unsure of what to do next. But that uncertainty all changes when Warseed makes a move to take over Earth. Sounds like the beginning of quite a compelling Jack Kirby saga, doesn’t it? Yup, that’s the whole idea. But there’s plenty more. This is a very smooth, grounded story that naturally builds under the power of the writing team of Jones and Ward.
The towering skyway of New Angeles.
As for the art, ladies and gentlemen, I once again give you Keithan Jones. The art is perfectly on point. Jones is a great student of comics art with a style he can proudly call his own. I love his mastery of facial expressions just as much as his deft compositions and his engaging architecture. I can tell you that this first issue packs a punch with page after page of portfolio quality work. Jones gave himself the time to truly evolve. The results are a delight. Color by Salif Thompson ties it all together with a wonderful mix of just the right subtlety for some scenes and just the right boost for others. This is ready for prime time stuff.
Rating: 10 out of 10.
By far, Comics Grinder is a go-to place for me—one of the most useful and fun websites on comics and pop culture and more! I want to see more and more posts! Thank you for what you do!!