Writer & Illustrator: Aaron Lopresti

What if you had a device that could transform every day appliances into whatever you wished? Would you wish for money, gadgets, weapons? As wondrous as that invention might be, in the wrong hands it could be used as a weapon of world domination. This is the theme behind Aaron Lopresti’s upcoming limited series for Dark Horse Comics, Power Cubed.

 Kenny is an average kid on his 18^th birthday. He loves art, has a loving girlfriend and he butts heads with his widowed father because they are too much alike. His life changes when his father gives him his birthday gift: a matter re-interpreter. With it, Kenny can change any inanimate object into what he wishes. The only caveat being that the changed object is the same size as it’s original. Just as Kenny begins to explore the potential of this miracle of science, henchmen for Doctor Cruel invade their home. This piece of tech comes from suspect means and Doctor Cruel wants to procure the cube to aide in his dreams of world domination. Kenny’s father creates a diversion, allowing him to escape but not only are forces of evil on his trail, shadowy government agents are gunning for him as well. Can the power of the cube help Kenny evade his pursuers and will be solve the mystery of its origins?

Aaron Lopresti has created an amusing romp in Power Cubed. The book is filled with imagination, action and some serious comic relief from our bumbling villains. The storyline accomplishes everything that you could want from a pilot issue, giving you a great sense of the character’s personalities without lingering too much to leave the tale stagnant. Lopresti is an excellent artist with such titles as The Avengers, Batman, The Hulk and many other high profile comics to his credit. In Power Cubed his style is flawless; bringing the player to life with stunning detail and his renderings of Kenny’s imaginary creations lends a window into his own.

The only negative for me is that Power Cubed is a limited 4 part series because issue #1 left this reviewer thirsty for more.

5 toasters out of 5