Shadowland: Power Man #1

A young kid is running around Hell's Kitchen claiming to be the new Power Man. This attracts the attention of both Luke Cage and Iron Fist who investigate. 

This is another tie-in to the Marvel event Shadowland which features a plethora of Marvels street level heroes. This four issue mini-series focuses on a new character who has taken the name Power Man. It also serves as his origin story as we find out how he came to have the powers and abilities he possesses. While this was't my favorite Shadowland tie-in, it's still a lot of fun to read. It has its faults but it turned out better than I thought it would be. 

This new character is just an ordinary kid who has recently gained powers and begins using them to try and make money. There's room for potential and growth if in the hands of a skillful writer. I have no idea if Marvel plans to pursue any further stories with him at all. He wasn't my favorite character of the story. He's a hard-headed kid who pretty much thinks he's untouchable. He comes off a little whiny and annoying at times. I enjoyed the story mostly due to Iron Fist's involvement in it. Writer Fred Van Lente did a solid job writing his character. The story hits a few bumps towards the end when Power Man rescues his cousin Sofia. The dialogue was just horrible an unrealistic. If two people were in that scenario, I highly doubt that girl would have said what she said. Aside from that there's nothing else that will turn you off from the story. 

The art is by a Turkish artist named Mahmud Asrar. This is the first timeI've ever heard of him or seen any of his work. I liked his style a lot and wouldn't mind seeing more of his work. He did a pretty fantastic job drawing out this story by creating some pretty cool panels. 

This tie-in isn't essential to understand the events of Shadowland. You could skip over this if money is an issue and you only want to read the best of the event. It is a fun read but it doesn't have any lasting effects. You'll most likely forget about it by next week. If you enjoy street level characters than this may appeal to you.