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A preview of EMPOWERED vol.12's entire "fantasy RPG" sequence!
🕑 Added 2024-11-11 14:38:23 +0000 UTCBelatedly dawned on me that, with Empowered vol.12's llllonnnggg-delayed release looming in just over three weeks (Dec. 3 in bookstores, Dec. 4 in comics stores), I should start showing s'more Patreon previews from the book.
Behold our cover art, featuring colors by my bud Ryan Kinnaird:
And here's the volume's solicitation copy:
Costumed crimefighter Empowered is trapped in a surreal nightmare scenario as her universe begins spontaneously rebooting again and again, with each variation more twisted and bizarre than the last! Can our befuddled superheroine somehow undo this inexplicable Neverending Reboot--while simultaneously steering her love life in a boldly polyamorous new direction with Thugboy and Ninjette!--or is this The End for Emp and her chaotically convulsing cosmos?
(Hand-lettered that subtitle myself, albeit based on an existing font.)
Anyhoo, Emp finds herself not so much in a standard multiverse scenario but in the aforementioned Never-Ending Reboot, which will admittedly deliver a similar experience for the reader. But why is her universe rebooting endlessly, you ask? Find out in just over three weeks, folks!
Anyhoo, as follow-up fantasy project The Chaste and the Chained seems to be lurching e'er closer to actually happening, I thought I might as well preview one of Empowered vol. 12's thematically relevant "reboot" scenes:
Please enjoy the likely final appearance of my analog-pencil art style, dear readers!
(And yes, the "bleeding off-panel" word balloons are a deliberate effect, I should note.)
What's this?!!!!
Do these monsters seem a tad familiar? Mayhap so!
And here's the kinda-sorta-cliffhanging final page of the scene:
And lo, further bizarre "rebootiness" immediately ensues!
Note that I liked Goblin Ninja Kozue and Devilspawn Bard Hannah so much that I drew 'em for the book's back-cover illo, also colored by Ryan:
TBH, I enjoyed working on these FRPG versions of the Empowered cast characters enough that I'm actually considering pitching Dark Horse Comics on a new Guest-Artist-drawn spinoff project featuring 'em!
Anyhoo, this volume was the last gasp of not just my pencil-based art workflow, but (I hope) the last gasp of my infuriatingly perfectionistic, ultra-precise, detail-intensive approach to drawing that had been slowly choking off my productivity since well before COVID-19. Any future art style of mine is gonna need to be much looser, faster and worktime-efficient than the very pretty but grindingly slow output seen in the final few volumes of Empowered.
For the record, though, I finished drawing the final pages of Empowered vol.12 in March of 2022; many unfortunate mishaps befell the ill-starred book in the months and years since, alas. In fact, I'd largely forgotten about much of my work on the book whilst desperately flailing towards a new digital-art workflow that finally seems to be approaching viability; if anything, I'm more chagrined that I failed to get a new series published before the long-delayed Empowered vol. 12 belatedly appeared! (Oh, well.)
Anyhoo, back to work on another art-test story for upcoming romantic fantasy-action-comedy The Chaste and the Chained, folks. In the next few weeks, you can expect to see more Empowered vol.12 previews on this here Patreon along with plenty of other content, such as Distressed Damsels, Life Drawing, Failed-Project Friday, and much, much more!
Comments
Dobroslav Slavenskoj
Oh man. I've not been waiting forever, no sirre.
Adam Warren
Ehh, Ryan has always colored him with a darker skin tone than most colorists, dating all the way back to the very first cover illo (EMPOWERED vol.1). TBH, I probably should've asked him to lighten up the skin tone a fair bit, but during all the nightmare slog of EMP12's post-production I never got around to doing so.
Ersatzanime
Preordered! Gonna get the physical edition this time around, I own all the others in virtual form but a nice paperback is The Way
Joshua Wolfe
OMG Goblin Kozue is too cute!
TF Commando
Were Goblin Kozue's big (and presumably strength-enhancing) gloves a nod to Gully from Battle Chasers?
Verixa Okblek
Been curious why Thugboy looks different on the cover art of this one compared to previous color pics of him
Thos. Merchant
I'm sure Emp doesn't have a lot of good memories of "Vorpal Swords".
Jeff Grey
Pre-ordered my copy a little while ago, looking forward to the thing finally coming out.
Adam Warren
There are no serious SPOILERS as such in this excerpt, but it does hint at the volume's overall narrative; but if you REALLY wanna go into EMP12 knowing nothing at all beforehand, you might consider skipping it for now.
Joe Crawford
I am very very very very much looking forward to the new book. Tremendous excerpt!
Mari
Oh the one hand, I am *extremely* excited for volume 12 (had that puppy on pre-order for ages). On the other hand, I'm sad that it will be the last Empowered. Who knows, one-shots in a faster style may await us in the future! ❤️ I agree with everybody else-- goblin 'Jette & "tiefling-like" Hannah bard are awesome. I'd be down to Kickstart a side story of them (assuming IP & legal & whatnot would allow you to publish your own)
Mari
Well, a *verbal*, out-loud voice that others can hear, haha!
Thomas Pool
Hm. Hannah finally gets a voice... and Theresa just wishes she'd shut up.
Alexandra Cenni
I'm almost done my reread of EMP (will be done before vol 12, much like our dearly awaited volume beset with perils I've had some setbacks) and already told my friends I will not be available for any kind of discussion as soon as vol 12 is in my hands, until I'm done (I'll be on a vacation for a different book release, but that's besides the point). Also I love Devil-spawn Bard Hannah and her inability to keep bedroom secrets to herself. XD
Otaku Twenty-Four Seven
Briefly skimmed so I could appreciate the art, I assume this is safe enough to read more closely if you still want to remain spoiler-free? I've waited this long for it to fall into my lap I can wait a couple more weeks to finally binge this.
Joe
Cant wait for this to come out!
