Powers 25 #12 Review

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Lettering: Joshua Reed
Colors: Nick Filardi
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 19, 2026

Previously in Powers 25, Powers Bureau detectives Kutter and Moon were given their first case together, a bizarre murder where most of a man’s head was disintegrated. Things got more complicated when the victim was discovered to be the Powers National Security Director, the man in charge of all superhuman matters for the U.S. government. And the main suspect?

Only Dr. Archie Gates, head of the Legacy Star super-science group, a self-styled billionaire genius who believes himself above the law.

And then, things got weird... er. Definitely weirder.

Powers 25 #12 opens in the headquarters of Powers Division, where we find Kutter and Moon and their boss, Captain Sunrise, finally having captured the murderer of Oliver Simms. His name? Oliver Simms. At the same time, Captain Deena Pilgrim arrives at Legacy Star Labs with a warrant ordering them to shut down their experiments in portal technology and turn over the body of the original victim. As Dr. Gates tries to argue jurisdiction (and Pilgrim offers to shoot him in his privates), the entire building starts to glow. As Kutter’s interrogation continues, the detectives finally get the missing pieces to their puzzle, including a heartbreaking glance into the what-might-have-been of Powers, ending with a confession and Moebius Moon trying to figure out how to log the paperwork and what specific boxes he needs to check in his report.

“Sometimes,” Deena Pilgrim tells him, “It’s all “Other.”

One of the joys of Powers has always been the skill with which Bendis and Oeming combine police procedural and crazy super-nonsense, and this issue is the perfect example of that. Faced with a possible world-ending apocalypse, Kutter and Moon’s main focus is on successfully closing their first case as partners. The portal technology ends up being sort of a red herring in the end, and by the final pages, we find Captains Pilgrim and Sunshine having a cup of coffee and talking about the new Powers Act that Congress has passed, and also giving us a sign of where the next arcs of the book will go when the creators get to it. (The previews of their latest new project at the back of the book make me think that it may be a couple of years.)

In an era where so many old shows and stories are coming back for a new “season,” Powers 25 did it in a very smart way. The characters know what happened, but in Bendis fashion, readers don’t always get a clear “As you know...” moment, forcing us to infer from the dialogue.

The use of Detective Kutter (the daughter of one of the book’s earliest supporting cast members) is also a nice touch, balanced against new guy Detective Moon, both of whom have fascinating designs and recognizable silhouettes, an Oeming specialty. Art-wise, the entire issue is remarkable, especially the brief views of an alternate reality where some of the most devastating deaths of the series seemingly never happened.

As someone who has been reading Powers from the beginning, I will tell you that Powers 25 #12 is not just a solid issue, with beautiful art and answers to a year’s worth of questions; it’s a fine follow-up to one of the more grounded massive superhero universes, earning a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars overall. Whether you’re a Powers rookie or a grizzled veteran like me, this issue (and this entire volume) is Bendis, Oeming, and company demonstrating what made the book popular back in the ‘90s.

I almost envy new readers in their ability to go and grab multiple trades of these characters and experience it all for the first time.