I’m finding it rather challenging to comment on this sequence without spoiling its “reveal”—less-than-earthshaking as it might be—for new Empowered readers. (Hint: The purple-prosed narration might just give the scene’s secret away.) 

Am not sure that the “Spookyscourge” referenced in panel 1 is quite as infamous as the narration claims, given that it’s never seen or even mentioned again in the next 2000 or so pages of the series. Still, the idea of Spooky conjuring forth what superficially looks like a “magic lightsaber” is a mildly intriguing one—though if this “enchanted blade” concept were to reappear in Empowered, she’d probably use it for more practical purposes than spanking a superheroine. (Or not.)

Lo and behold, as I will discuss in numbing detail in our next installment, the ol’ Mysteriously Intermittent Post-Millennial Torso Glitch afflicts poor Emp in panel 1. Sucks to be drawn by me circa 2006-2010, alas. 

Note, in panels 3-5, that Spooky’s mask behaves just like Emp’s own eerily expressive mask, in that her frowning eyebrow line is rendered magically visible. (Well, she is a sorceress, after all.) Obviously, in a more—ahem—“realistic” art style, both their masks would obscure their facial expressions. Luckily for everyone involved—including the reader, I hope—I have no interest whatsoever in a realistic art style.

-Adam Warren