Comic Book Review: Power Girl #7

Book Information
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Conner

Plot

A planet unknown to Earth called Valeron has undergone a drastic, catastrophic event…infertility!  A massive contraceptive bomb attack by the Kashkovan alien race renders all of females infertile and unable to conceive children.  Vartox, ruler of Valeron decides he must do the manly deed and seek out a wife who can help ensure the continuation of the Valeronian race.  Who do you think he’s going to pick?

My Thoughts

As always, the writing team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti brings a painfully delightful issue filled with the typical porn innuendos and 70’s retro shout-outs.  This issue in particular went above and beyond at making its readers hate and love this style of writing.  Be warned, this issue is not for those who want an angst driven story or a riveting and overly emotional plotline; rather this issue brings a lot of laughs and bosom heaving fun!

I opened up this book, and as soon as I read Vortexes promise to find a wife to keep his planet flourishing with hard-working men and submissive women, I thought of only one person…Maxima!  This story is almost a carbon copy of Maxima’s, how she goes out looking for her male equivalent to claim as a husband.  However, the difference is Maxima and Superman are beautiful people.  Power Girl is a bombshell as we all know, but Vartox…not so much.  This could have been Gray and Palmiotti’s purpose as we have become accustomed to reading a “beautiful people” comic book, where Power Girl’s hard-body is as perfect as every male and lesbian would want it to be.  Then enter Vartox, whose hairy body and unattractive porn star mustache leaves very little to be admired.  Gray and Palmiotti attempt to point fingers at our superficial and over-the-top expectations about what “beautiful people” need to look like by way of introducing a character with a hideously exposed, hairy physic and third person speech pattern.

Amanda Conner does her normal quality work by reaching into the inspirational film styles that are the 70’s retro movies and campy porno visuals with the nice pink throw pillows and multi-colored throne room.  But Conner also delivers her talent of drawing the most expressive faces in comics today.  Now, even though Conner’s style is more cartooney and fun than most other titles, she has established herself as one of the better artists in comics and I hope she sticks with Power Girl for a long time.

Overall

A great issue, worth it’s weight in gold.  There was nothing new about it, view it as a huge shout out to all the campy and over the top story telling that came before us in our late 20’s were born.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming January 20, 2010

Vartox has already taken out Dr. Mid-Nite to win Power Girl's hand in marriage, and now he's made Power Girl mad!  And that's the last thing you wanna do...