by Alan Rapp on June 18, 2013
in Comics
The latest issue of Worlds’ Finest picks up with Power Girl and the Huntress looking for answers as to how long Desaad has been masquerading as as Michael Holt and how his illegal takeover of Starr Industries was allowed to continue. Oh, and they fight a really, really big dog.
While working to create a new evil minion (a gruesome subplot I could have done without), Desaad sends a giant hell beast after the heroines. Fighting it off once, the pair are later attacked a second time in Helena’s favorite safe house when the dog tracks them down.
For a series that has been schizophrenic with its art, we finally get an issue with a single artist. I don’t love Robson Rocha’s art but it’s passable and he certainly has a flair for drawing Power Girl in action. The idea of the pair fighting a giant hell dog sounds more fun that the actual adventure, and I could do with less Apokolips-centric storylines (which at this point doesn’t seem likely). Hit-and-Miss.
[DC, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on June 12, 2013
in Comics
Influenced by the Star Sapphire bequeathed to her by a dying alien on the moon, astronaut Carol Ferris returns to Earth and picks a very public fight with Power Girl over the heart of Jimmy Olsen. Unprepared for the situation, Power Girl is saved by Earth’s new Green Lantern, Jade (the young blind Chinese woman who was introduced in last month’s issue).
The second-half of the issue deals with the introduction of a new villain to the Ame-Comi Girls Universe. This means we get Sinestra, a female version of Sinestro who was banished to the Anti-Matter Universe after nearly destroying her own, as well as the introduction of the yellow power ring and the Black Lantern Corps (which the character led before her exile).
Personally, I’d have preferred the comic to stay away from the various rainbow corps other than Sinestra (especially the Black Lanterns), but the introduction of the backstory of the character is certainly no more ridiculous than Geoff Johns‘ original concept. Worth a look.
[DC, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on May 20, 2013
in Comics
After finally allowing the pair to meet in the last issue, Supergirl #20 introduces Power Girl to Supergirl‘s little piece of Krypton on Earth – her hidden underwater Kryptonian Fortress of Solitude known as Sanctuary. There isn’t much time for small talk however when the sentience of Sanctuary throws a shit-fit at seeing two versions of Kara and tries its best to kill the one it believes is a clone.
For an issue about an out of control computer intelligence trying to kill two young women, Supergirl #20 is a hell of a lot of fun. We get a fun moment with Supergirl calling Power Girl on her choice of a new costume as well as the growing frustration of each woman when one and then the other is targeted for extinction.
Writer Michael Allen Johnson does a great job in showcasing both similarities and differences between the Karas of different Earths while providing a thrilling and amusing issue full of stark humor and life and death stakes that costs Supergirl something precious but introduces someone even more valuable into her life. Worth a look.
[DC, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on May 7, 2013
in Comics
After discovering the creature masquerading as Michael Holt is actually Darkseid‘s right-hand man Desaad, Power Girl finds herself under attack from all sides as warriors from Apokolips destroy various Starr facilities around the globe, Boom Tube-ing in and out without a trace, and Karen Starr herself is attacked in the press as her carefully created celebrity persona begins cracking around the edges.
Once again we get three artists whose styles only sort of work well together giving the art of issue #12 the kind of inconsistent look readers have come to expect from the series one-year run. It appears we’re going to get much more Apokolips and Desaad for the foreseeable future. I’ll admit this doesn’t excite me, but the Kara/Helena relationship at the heart of the comic continues to be its real focus.
An interesting note, Power Girl here appears in her classic costume (as well as the crappy New 52 version in flashbacks) that was reintroduced in the latest issue of Supergirl. I’m happy to see her back in her classic costume, but I did expect some explanation or acknowledgement of the change.
[click to continue…]
by Alan Rapp on May 6, 2013
in Comics
Ame-Comi Girls #3, which centers around the alternate reality female-centric version of the DCU, introduces a new hero and a pair of villains with the latest issue. Jade, a blind Chinese woman without fear becomes the Earth’s first Green Lantern just in time to save herself, her father, and her brother from an attack by the villainous Flying Guillotine. Chinese officials are delighted to have such a powerful warrior of its own, although they are less than pleased the ring chose “a mere girl” and hope to reappropriate it as a military asset.
In the comics other story Carol Ferris, the first woman to step on the moon, comes across a crashed alien spaceship and (in a version of Hal Jordan‘s origin) discovers a dying alien who makes her the Earth’s first Star Sapphire. The issue also includes Wonder Woman and Power Girl announcing to the United Nations their plans to create a Justice League which will operate under the jurisdiction of Themyscira. The stories begin to converge at the end of the issue when Carol looses herself to her new found power and starts a fight with Power Girl over the affections of Jimmy Olsen.
[click to continue…]
by Alan Rapp on May 4, 2013
in Comics
What happens when two Supergirls meet? That’s the question Supergirl #19 answers when Power Girl shows up to assist her twin from a parallel world after Supergirl is exposed to a nasty bit of Kryptonite poisoning. Just by touching, Power Girl is able to stabilize the other Kara’s condition allowing the pair of them to fight off Appex, a bargain flunkie Lex Luthor sends to test the limits of the pair’s powers.
There’s plenty of action here as they two Karas kick some ass, and the idea of the pair working together and sharing their memories and thoughts is an intriguing one that I hope the New 52 will play with in the future. The issue is also memorable for the DC finally admitting that one of their costume designs wasn’t getting the job done. By the end of the issue Power Girl will be returned to her classic costume (one done, about 100 more to go) to the appreciation of fans everywhere.
It appears Power Girl is sticking around for another month giving us double the Kara fun which means I’ll likely pick up next month’s issue as well to see where this new friendship is headed. Worth a look.
[DC, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on April 10, 2013
in Comics
The latest issue of Ame-Comi Girls concludes the Brainiac arc as Wonder Woman, Power Girl, the Flash, Steel, Catwoman, Batgirl, and Robin work with Duela, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman to stop Brainiac’s attempt to drain all the intelligence from the planet Earth.
There’s plenty of action in the first-half of the latest issue as the second-half of the comic deals with the fallout of the women defeating Braniac and the logistical problems of trying to form some kind of Justice League.
There are some interesting ideas in the later-half of the comic dealing with vigilantes working with the government (especially when two of them are minors), but (like the final few pages of the Braniac story involving Power Girl nearly coming to blows with Wonder Woman while trying to help a poisoned Supergirl) the writing seems rushed with panels, or even whole pages, missing. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that two-issues worth of story were crammed into this one book. Hit-and-Miss.
[DC, 3.99]
by Alan Rapp on April 9, 2013
in Comics
How are Apokolips weapons in the Congo, money stolen from Wayne Enterprises, and the attack on Starr Enterprises by soldiers working for Mr. Terrific all related? That’s what the Huntress sets out to find in this latest issue of Worlds’ Finest.
After artist Kevin Maguire returned last month to give the comic the first cohesive look in it’s almost full-year run, the artist is absent as three separate artists fill-in giving the comic the kind of haphazard look fans have come to expect.
The Huntress takes center stage here as the entire comic, aside from another somewhat unnecessary flashback to the early days of the pair being stuck on an alternate Earth, takes place from her point of view. It’s a good choice that showcases the character’s detective skills before she heads off to a party with Power Girl, looking for answers from Michael Holt.
I don’t know what’s happened to Mr. Terrific (or really care, for that matter) but the appearance of Desaad in the comic’s final panel means the Apokolips storyline is heating up again. For fans.
[DC, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on March 13, 2013
in Comics
After the attack on her island by members of Holt Industries last month, Power Girl decides to give her former boyfriend a little payback using her powers to create natural disasters around his most valuable facilities including even causing a small earthquake which accidentally gets a little out of hand.
As Power Girl cleans up the mess she started from spreading any further, the Huntress does some digging on her own and finds out that Michael Holt is Mr. Terrific. The celebration of the successful mission will have to be put on hold as the Huntress learns of Damian‘s death and barely gets away before Batman finds her crying at Robin’s grave.
After missing for several months Kevin Maguire is back, and for the first time in the series’ near year-long run he’s the only artist on display giving the comic a much more cohesive look than usual. I like the idea of Power Girl being far more hot-headed and mischievous in using her powers than either Superman or Supergirl while pointing out what the ramifications of that would look like. The scenes with Huntress grieving over Damian are also handled with care. Worth a look.
[DC, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on March 9, 2013
in Comics
The all-new Ame-Comi Girls series picks up with the last one left off with Earth’s heroes (or to be more specific the all female Ame-Comi versions of them) united to stop Braniac‘s attack on Earth. As Wonder Woman battles a Supergirl corrupted by the influence of the machine that destroyed her home world, Batgirl tries to foil Braniac’s schemes with nothing more than her wits and smart phone.
After realizing Braniac’s plans to destroy the planet the villainesses join the heroes in fighting off the robotic soldiers and trying (unsuccessfully) to destroy the machines which have risen from deep in the Earth from transferring all human knowledge off-world into Brainiac. Meahwile, at the center of the Earth the right fight takes place as Power Girl, after convincing the mechanical beings living in the Earth’s core to help, takes on Braniac one-on-one.
Although Brainiac’s master plan seems more than a little ridiculous (even by Silver Age standards) this first issue is full of action and some humorous moments (such as Duela‘s amusement of Wonder Woman’s attempt to stab every problem into submission). Worth a look.
[DC, $3.99]
