Panel 1: I’m not entirely fond of 2006-ish Me’s choice to spot the sound FX “KRAKK” to the left of the actual image of the billy club hitting Hapless Mook’s visor. Due to English-language left-to-right reading flow, that means the sound of the impact is theoretically preceding the impact itself—or its image, at least. A small and picayune detail, perhaps, but I do normally prefer to show a striking—ha ha!—image before the sound FX that’s accompanying it.

Panel 2: Emp-disguised Ninjette’s gun-flinging kick is okay in theory, but not the peculiar arc I used here to describe it. An arc parallel to the ground—not nearly perpendicular to it—would’ve been a better choice. Also, say goodbye to the clearly identified Ruger P89 semiautomatic pistol that periodically cameos in the series, as it will not reappear until Thugboy shoots up a ninja or three late in Empowered vol. 3. (Uh, SPOILER ALERT?)

Panels 3 and 4: Clearly, whoever kitted out these hapless mooks didn’t equip their helmet’s visors with proper safety glass or shatterproof plastic, judging by the shards driven into Bloodied Mook’s face. Seems clear, alas, that the Empverse’s supervillainous minions enjoy little or nothing in the way of OSHA-type workplace protections.

-Adam Warren