Power Girls Gone Wild
What is it about space girls dressed in skimpy attire that drives Earth men crazy? If it is the latest issue of Power Girl, written by Palmiotti and Gray, with art by Amanda Conner, the answer should be self explanatory.
A crashed space craft reveals a trio of sexy beauties, and a man-droid that is designed to serve any pleasure. Power Girl investigates and gets just enough information about what is going on before the ship explodes. Fortunately, the female aliens warned the public to keep clear, and since no real damage is done, it seems that they come in peace. It sounds like the men and women of Manhattan are in for a great time, if only it wasn’t for the pesky implication that the aliens may be escaped convicts.
This issue reads really weird. While past issues have zoomed along jumping from point to point, issue five stalls in spots while civilians try to figure out what to do with an unconscious Power Girl, all while making subtle references about her giant breasts. For all we know, Power Girl fared just fine in the explosion, yet her recovery and subsequent chit-chat with the civilian population seems to drag, even though it comprises a mere three pages. There’s no follow up, except for a bit of exposition from a news report, and certainly no internal monologue that discusses the incident.
That’s not to say the issue isn’t a fun read. I like sex jokes and innuendos as much as the next guy (or gal) and this issue is full of them, as three sexy space aliens descend upon Manhattan looking to have a good time – and considering the almost hypnotic or pheromone effect they have on the men, these space girls are just looking for a good time. But if there is one thing I’ve learned from watching those sexy space alien movies that appear on Cinemax After Dark, it’s that they are usually trouble, and the appearance of a space male intent on tracking them down leads to a big fight, with Power Girl caught in the middle.
I continue to enjoy how Palmiotti and Gray explore Kara’s attempts to balance her superhero life with a down to Earth one, and it continues to play out really well. And if the changing costume sequence is any indication, the two are going to intersect very soon. There’s certainly nothing wrong seeing Kara in her superhero duds, busting the bad guy and saving the day, but Karen Starr’s life – at this point – is so much more interesting. This is where we are seeing core character development, and the writers are building a great cast of characters surrounding the title character. What Palmiotti and Gray are doing here, almost feels like what Blue Beetle did over its entire run. By the time Power Girl hits issue 50, I expect readers will be deeply involved in all aspects of the characters Power Girl has drawn around her. The issue is only $2.99, but I’d be more than happy to pay that if DC sent this series into a bi-weekly release, or a double sized issue ever six issues or so. Power Girl is just that compelling of a series that it rises to the top of my stack when it arrives each month.
Even without the clever wordsmithing (it’s a word now) the duo deliver each issue, I would buy Power Girl just to look at page after page of Amanda Conner art work. It continues to be jaw dropping in her ability to bring the smart and sexy together on the same page without it being demeaning or ridiculous. Conner delivers panels and pages that convey everything one needs to know about the story without needing to read a single word. Yes, there may be a tid-bit or two that gets lost, but try it for yourself and you’ll see how her powerful compositions telegraph the key information about the story.
There have been very few new series launched in the last decade that have survived for any length of time. Power Girl is a series I want to see continue to be published with this trio of creators well into the end of the next decade. From what we’ve seen previous, it is pretty obvious Power Girl has the potential to make it after all. Power Girl #5 isn’t without its faults, but it is still worthy enough to earn 4 out of 5 Stars.
6 Comments
And don’t forget about the great moments with the cat. I’ve heard that they did those pages to fix the error from the first three issues where it was gray and not orange, but re-reading the fourth one I realized they already mentioned it when they showed the graphite powder bag with the catprints and the steam rising out of it.
Is this the same cat from her Justice League Europe days?
Maybe, but people have been complaining that the cat SHOULD be yellow with one eye. And yet, I wonder if people complained about this when they saw it in the JSA Classified book.
The color change, I dunno, but the new eye could just as easily be PG’s attempt to get it medical attention. I mean, look at all the super powered doctors in comics. You never know.
Best book DC is currently putting out, in my opinion. I really to like the way the supporting cast is coming together, and you can see little sub-plots being foreshadowed with each issue.
And the art! In a just and righteous world, Amanda Conner’s works would be in the Louvre for all mankind to enjoy.
It just proves DC’s secondary characters, have the right to become their own with the right direction.
The 4th panel of the cat-bath sequence (the one with the cat all O_o) made me shoot milk out of my nose. No lie. It was vanilla milk, so at least it was a tasty experience. :) I <3 this book a LOT. Also enjoyed the "All the weight must be in her gigantic .. RAFFERTY! EYES FRONT!!" exchange. This book is making Power Girl, theoretically the "distaff Superman", into a living breathing human being. Karen Starr is finally getting some of the treatment that Clark Kent has always been privy to.