A review by mizzelle
Bad Power by Deborah Biancotti

4.0

An Australian sf/fantasy publisher Twelfth Planet Press is releasing a series of collections by Australian writers. I picked up Tansy Rayner Roberts' "Love and Romanpunk" on a recommendation, loved it to itty pieces, and subscribed to the full set on a whim. Deborah Biancotti's "Bad Power" deals with super powers, so it was logical as the comics/superhero fan that I am, I'd be drawn to read that one next. But this is not the shiny four colored extravaganza you're used to with comics, this is more the gritty twisted approach that typified that first season of "Heroes". These are stories are not just about people with powers but what the power does to them and how people react to those that have powers. My favorite character throughout the series is Detective Palmer and how she approaches the "crazy" cases and yet remains mostly unflappable. I would have liked to have seen more of the mysterious Grey Institute -- I was reminded of Anne McCaffrey's Parapsychic Institute for her Talents only a bit more dysfunctional.