Writer: Donal Thoms-Cappello
Art: Cindy Leung
65 Dollar Productions, April 2026
Written and created by Donal Thoms-Cappello, with art by Cindy Leong and published by 65 Dollar Funeral Productions, Powerscape throws readers into a far-future Earth where climate change has made the planet largely unlivable. By the 28th century, the remaining cities are governed by sports franchises, with superpowered athletes competing for the extraterrestrial energy needed to maintain their cities’ artificial atmospheres. Into this strange and dangerous system comes Gela Gale, a climate refugee who becomes New Caledonia’s surprise breakout player. She quickly finds herself caught up in the political machinations surrounding the sport of Power Ball.
With that premise, the first issue is inevitably exposition-heavy. There is a lot of world-building that needs to be established, from the state of the planet and the political structure of the surviving cities, to the history and significance of Power Ball itself. And Powerscape #1 does take its time getting started. The opening chapters are slow, even inaccessible, as the story introduces its large cast and establishes the stakes surrounding the game.
Around the halfway point of the issue, we get to see Power Ball in action, and it becomes immediately clear why this sport is so important to the world of Powerscape. The game is brutal, chaotic and unforgiving, with the superpowered players treating the playing field less like a sports arena and more like a battlefield. The shift from political exposition to outright mayhem gives the issue a jolt, and provides a glimpse of what the series could become once all of its pieces are in place.
One of the biggest strengths of the issue is the character work. Despite the sheer number of characters introduced in this first chapter, Mr Thoms-Capello conjures up quite distinct personalities, rather than allowing them to blur together beneath all the world-building and the melee atmosphere. More importantly, there are hints that several of these characters have considerably more going on beneath the surface.
Gela Gale is an obvious standout. As a newcomer who has just been recruited into the Stargazers’ franchise team, she provides a natural entry point into this bizarre world and its even stranger sport. There is also Golden Boy, a respected veteran admired by the younger players. He initially comes across as the sort of established star who has earned his reputation through years of experience, but the issue hints at a darker history involving another veteran player, Titan. There is something being set up between the two, and it evokes curiosity about where the overall story is heading.
If there is one significant weakness in this first issue, it is that Powerscape arguably does not spend enough time explaining the actual mechanics of Power Ball. Considering how central the sport is to both the plot and the political structure of this world, it is difficult for the reader to understand exactly how the game works. We get a very good sense of how violent it can be, but less of an understanding of its rules, objectives and mechanics. Perhaps that is the point. While it would be paradoxically clever to have a story to do with a sport for which we can never understand the rules, it is hard to become invested in the outcome of the match because the reader is still trying to figure out what actually constitutes a successful play.
Cindy Leong’s artwork fits the material particularly well. The visual style goes all-in on a bold, heavy-handed energy that gives the entire story a larger-than-life feel. Characters are rendered with thick, aggressive lines, exaggerated muscles and sharp features, making practically everyone look powerful and intensely dramatic. It is not an art style based in subtlety or realism. It our view, this artistic thuggery works in the comic’s favor.
The use of punchy neon blues and deep shadows gives the pages a striking visual identity, while the gritty lighting makes even the quieter scenes feel atmospheric. Whether it is characters trading banter in the locker room or the more chaotic monster-fighting sequences, Ms Leong’s fast-paced layouts and energetic artwork help keep the book visually engaging. There is a raw personality to the art that suits the strange mixture of sports, science fiction, politics and superhero violence that Powerscape is going for.
Powerscape #1 is therefore a somewhat unusual first issue. It takes a while to find its footing, and the amount of unfamiliar terminology, characters and political background can make the opening pages difficult to digest. Once the story gets to the Power Ball match, however, the comic becomes considerably more exciting, and the character work provides enough intrigue to make the reader want to see what happens next.
IIssue 1 is available here: https://globalcomix.com/c/powerscape-
Issue 2 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/65dollarfuneral/powerscape-issue-2