Review: The X Men meets "Kick-Ass"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2012
Playing like an R-rated version of the X Men (the jet Aurora sounds a lot like the that series' Blackbird) or a TV-MA version of the TV show Nikita with a lot of genetic tampering, Enhanced is a breakneck (often literally) thrill ride as Zac and his allies deal with super powered maniacs.This would make a really good comic book mini-series from an independent publisher or 12-13 episode anime. It has kick-ass, down & dirty action scenes that rival most Hollywood blockbusters, a diverse (both figuratively and literally) cast of characters brimming with depth & personality no matter how small their role save for one unfortunate exception (more on that later), a fairly grounded take on super-science you can actually understand for a change (usually), and things get more and more interesting as it goes along.But it's not perfect. Its biggest flaw is its villain. Dominic is often depicted the kind of autocratic megalomaniac that's been used many times before, with henchmen & even pawns that are more interesting than him. Attempts to humanize him, be it through exposition or telling the story from his point of view, do little to change this (some POV scenes actually make it worse). There are also problem with some issues with pacing, but the story often moves along at a good rate, so it's not too bad a problem.That said, it's still an exciting, engrossing read that hits the ground running and seldom lets up. If you want a super hero story that takes risks that Hollywood just won't take these days, look no further!