Set in the Valiant Universe and throughout ten issues, fans were first introduced to Psi-Lords in 1994. Now, in a new story set in the present day, New York bestselling writer Fred Van Lente (Generation Zero) is reintroducing us to the team of characters in an out of this world adventure. Joining him in this eight-issue copy is artist Renato Guedes (Secret Avengers), who brings the story to life with his striking imagery. Nerds and Beyond was fortunate enough to get a copy of Psi-Lords to review.
Van Lente takes it back to the origin story of when the four main characters wake up in space with no memories and powerful abilities and a voice telling them to find the Psi-Lords. As the story moves forward, readers find out about their powers and purpose, along with the characters themselves. Forming a team is Tank, who controls and manipulates force fields around himself; Artisan can create constructs out of light, having the power to control electromagnetic spectrum and has telepathy is Beacon; then there is Hazard, she can create or take away life forces. After seeking help from Scion, the group of cosmic beings starts a journey that takes them all over the galaxy.
I am a fan of the eye-catching retro, almost heavy metal style art of Guedes. He gives such detail and personality to each character and brings life to the page – plus tiny cat people! The way issue eight ends, I hope the author continues to do more issues with Guedes to keep the art the same style. The one-liners and banter were great, let alone the fact that Hazard’s reaction to pretty much everything is to kill it. Having read the comics when they came out in the late 90s, I was familiar with the story and enjoyed how Van Lente took the main parts from that to focus on and create a renewed beginning for the series. One thing for readers to remember or be aware of is since the characters themselves do not know anything about who they are, there is a gradual character build rather than the usual information-based right away. I would recommend this graphic novel if you are a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy or Lantern Corps.
Psi-Lords by Fred Van Lente is available to own now.