Comic Book Review: Power Girl #21

Written By: Judd Winick

Artist: Sami Basri

Colorist: Jessica Kholinne

Cover Artist: Basri & Sunny Gho

Letterer: John J. Hill

Editor: Joey Cavalieri

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

I think the Brightest Day plotline has been much more interesting in its crossover titles.  Generation Lost, from what I’ve been hearing, has been phenomenal as well as the other titles connected with this major DC event.  Power Girl, ever since Judd Winick came on board, has been fantastic as he’s been able to incorporate both the typical Power Girl brilliance and the Brightest Day storyline without feeling too weighted down.

Issue #21 of Power Girl begins the resolution of the Maxwell Lord Mystery and why he’s wiping the memories of every hero except for the J.L.I.  Power Girl flies off after a brutal fight with her former teammates to jog the memories of her friends in hopes of bringing the fight Maxwell Lord.  But if Power Girl can’t even convince the greatest detective of all time, Batman, what chance does she have with anyone else?

One of the most appealingly funny attributes of Power Girl is how much bigger she is than most males in the DCU.  She still has than fantastic sex appeal that every artist that’s ever sketched Power Girl out hopes for, but she’s definitely given a stature that towers over most men. (Face up to it guys, we all fantasize about girl’s who are tougher, taller and stronger than we are.)  I understand the reason for it as Superman himself is above average when it comes to size, but that didn’t keep me from laughing hysterically as Power Girl looks down at Batman during their conversation.

Judd Winick really is doing a great job with Brightest Day within Power Girl, but I was a little jolted with two Batmen standing side by side…and there’s more to come!  Just like with Superman #708 and the Superman Squad of the future, I have a sneaking suspicion the same thing is going to happen with Batman; we’ll never know when we’re looking at Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, or whoever else ends up wearing the cape and cowl.  I’ll say it again…Damn you Grant Morrison!

The story itself is actually quite good despite the reminder of the Batman atrocity.  Being someone who enjoys nostalgic storylines, getting to see Ted Kord wear the blue suit again was icing on the cake.  The emotional impact of the book is effectively portrayed through Power Girl’s constant scolding of herself for not staying with Blue Beetle the day he was killed.  As often as Ted keeps returning in flashbacks since Blackest Night began, I’ve been wondering to this day if they plan on bringing him back from the dead.  What a nice change it would be for DC to divert from their typical storytelling technique and leave Kord dead.  Here’s to hoping!

I know Basri has been getting a lot of criticism for his artistic style, but I think his combination of anime and contemporary American comic book art has worked quite well for this title.  Jessica Kholinne’s mastery of appropriate colors has been a major contributor to Basri’s excellence as well. 

It seems that any woman that has the honor of being apart of Power Girl's title seemed to be required to expose a certain amount of cleavage.  That's OK, it's part of the running gag in this book...cleavage, cleavage, and more cleavage.  But of all the women in the DCU, I never thought Ice would made also be forcibly inducted into the Super-heroine boobage circus.  Oh well, she'll still remain the sweetheart of DC Comics.

One thing I wasn’t completely clear on however was how abruptly Booster asked Power Girl to leave.  I understand that she nearly mopped the floor with the J.L.I., but these five aren’t the type to simply ask someone to get out of their face, especially when they understood that Karen was under the influence of Maxwell Lord’s mind control.  The explanation was given that she needed to leave in order to see if anyone ELSE can remember, but the departure felt like baggage was still remaining between the J.L.I. and her. 

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

All in all, this issue is very good and incredibly intense while never wavering from the comedic impact that Power Girl is supposed to have.  And hopefully, after Generation Lost #22, Power Girl will be bringing us some new adventures to love and cherish.

8 out of 10 stars.

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #18

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Judd Winick

Penciller: Sami Basri

Inker: Sami Basri

Colorist: Sunny Gho & Jessica Kholinne

Letterer: John J. Hill

Cover Art: Basri & Gho

Editor: Mike Carlin

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

What?  A relative of Superman is cloned?  I’m completely and utterly shocked!  Never in a million lifetimes would I have guessed Power Girl would be cloned!  Very nice Winick, very…very…nice…

Ok, seriously, I actually don’t mind the whole “cloning” driven plot, but when will DC get it through their heads?  Cloning is WAY overdone in the superhero world.  And thanks to Superman dying all those years ago, it has only gotten worse.  But it extends further than cloning doesn’t it?  What with the Crime Syndicate and other alter-egos of superheroes from alternate dimensions.  Clones, alternate versions of heroes, doppelgangers, whatever!  It’s time to move past this and invent something new.

Excuse me, let me exit from this negative and ill-favored room and enter into a much more prestigious and uplifting room where I’m allowed to discuss what I loved about Power Girl #18. 

This story ties two very significant plotlines together; the story of Donna’s mysterious disappearance and the whole Maxwell Lord fiasco, both of which were exceptionally interesting.  It shouldn’t take anyone too long to read (unless you’re like me and read while gazing at the artwork as well.) as the bulk of it focuses on the brawl that Power girl has with her evil, black haired twin.  To be honest, I never would have thought Basri had this level of intensity within his artwork in him.  I’m sure most of you would agree that Basri’s characters always seem rather stiff and wooden, which isn’t a negative criticism, but it does leave little room for an expansive visual appeal.  This issue never faltered and delivered some fantastic action sequences that I haven’t seen from Power Girl since this series began a year and a half ago.

I’m having a little difficulty figuring out Nico’s purpose.  Sure, he’s a genius, but he always seems to point out the obvious to Power Girl; always a smidge too late and getting the information PG needs after she’s taken one too many hits to the face.  Nico will either become a very funny running gag, or a ridiculous addition to an awesome series. 

Power Girl is a total badass in this issue!  (Not that she wasn’t already.) It’s a shame that the outcome being that of a Power Girl clone brought the impact down a bit.  Sure, it’s cool as first, but with the whole “compare and contrast” motif that’s been so overplayed, I had trouble getting into the story as much as I would have liked.  Even Basri, who soared above what he normally does, copped out with the obvious visual statement of White is good, therefore black must mean bad. (Do you get it?  Power Girl’s suit is white, evil Power Girl’s suit is black.)

Maxwell Lord is building up quite nicely I must say.  I’m not following the JLA: Generation Lost series so I’m lost (no pun intended) as too what’s going on with Maxy for the most part, but it’s interesting to see how easy it was for Power Girl to get her memory of Mr. Lord back.  Funny how we haven’t seen anything dealing with ol’ Maxy in Brightest Day huh?

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Despite what I say, the issue is still fun and enjoyable to read.  Even I, the person who scolds stories with overly predictable plots, still enjoyed it.  It’s Power Girl, you can’t go wrong with Power Girl.

Rating: 7.33 out of 10

Writing: 7

Art: 9

Themes: 6

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #17

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Judd Winick

Penciller: Sami Basri

Colorist: Sunny Gho & Jessica Kholinne

Letterer: John J. Hill

Cover Art: Basri & Gho

Editor: Mike Carlin

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

#17 sees Power taking part in a new superhero relationship with the Caped Crusader in hopes of solving a murder and discover where a bit of high-tech equipment was shipped off too.  Power Girl leaves for the arctic to locate the armaments only to discover something I don’t think anyone saw coming.  It’s a tights-a-wearin’, boob flashin’, in-your-face Kryptonian knock ‘em sock ‘em fist fight, just the way we like our Power Girl book to be!

The internet is a-buzz with this new team-up of Power Girl and Batman, hoping to see it flesh out even more.  I won’t disagree, it was a nice little touch on Winick’s part, but not necessarily something I need to see more of.  Power girl is no push over, we all no that, but neither was Bruce Wayne, which made him almost unlikeable.  Dick Grayson truly is his own Batman in no way like Bruce was.  Power Girl LIKES Grayson and is able to have a decent conversation with him, even having little flirtatious moments that borderline on the verge of being cute.  How very refreshing it is to see a Batman that the other superheroes can like and trust.

The new “side-kick” that PG is utilizing is a lot more fun than I had anticipated.  Nico is a witty and fun character who knows how to put Power girl in her place; off her “high and mighty” horse.  But with all Nico’s qualities and intelligence, he’s still as much of a nerd as the next techie; attempting to explain his findings in great detail on this mysterious new villain and forgetting that Power girl just wants to know how to defeat the wench.  Their constant bickering and friendly banter really gives off a positive vibe.  If I were a betting man, I’d bet everything I own that these two would make a very interesting and cute couple.

Sam Basri has a real talent for the painted anime look, and I do have misgivings about that.  I like it, don’t get me wrong, but there are times when I feel each character to be a bit too wooden.  The colors and shading are gorgeous, but the motions and action about 40% of the time seem very stiff and unmoving.  But this is no complaint by any means as I will always be a huge supporter of Basri’s art, but I am noticing the inconsistencies within the character structures.  But one thing I must applaud Basri for is how expressive he makes each character.  Just like Amanda Conner, Basri gives Power Girl an arsenal of different “pissed off” looks that not even the men of the “real world” can deny is fucking scary!

Let’s face it, Winick is always going to be compared to the perfect tea of Grey, Palmiotti and Conner who never delivered a bad issue in the twelve months spent on this title; Basri especially has a lot to live up to seeing as how Conner’s artistic approach was exceptionally popular among fans.  But no one should deny the fact that Winick is making Power Girl his own while keeping many of the traits that Gray and Palmiotti brought to the table.  Bringing Batman into the mix was exceptionally helpful in this issue as it shows how respected and admired she is among the rest of the DCU heroes.  But Winick also keeps PG as strong and pushy as she always has been, but making her even more likeable than his writing predecessors did.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Power Girl, just like the Secret Six, has been almost flawless since it began.  This title keeps my interests in comics alive and vibrant.  I like to talk a big talk about Superman and Wonder Woman, but Power Girl is one of the best comic book titles on the stands today.  You’d be a fool to think that she isn’t worth your time and money.  If I were to recommend a comic book title to a non comic book reader, I’d recommend Secret Six.  But that recommendation would be closely followed by Power Girl.

Rating: 9.66 out of 10

Writing: 10

Art: 9

Themes: 10

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #15

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Judd Winick

Artist: Sami Basri

Colorist: Sunny Gho

Letterer: John J. Hill

Cover Art: Sami Basri

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

You know what makes Power Girl so great?  It’s because it can be nothing more than an alien slug fest and still feel like there’s a story behind it.  The Russian Mobster, turned Parasite look-a-like on steroids, finds that he likes this new purpley state of being and begins to accept his programming as a destructive force on Earth.  Power Girl pulls out all the stops in putting an end to her new enemy’s chaos and mayhem and almost wins!  Until her unfamiliar friend, Maxwell Lord, comes through in his kryptonite boom tube saving his new friend at the last moment.

If it wasn’t for the hilarious conversation Power Girl and her assistant Nico have via earring phone, I’m not sure this Power Girl installment would have been worth it $2.99 price tag.  Threatening Nico, however, with jail time for not helping her was a bit out of character for PeeGeein my opinion.  But I guess Nico has some dirt on his boss now which I’m sure will work out for the better in the end, but right now Winick gives off the illusion that power Girl is in a serious pickle.

I was very annoyed that Winick chose to go the Spider-Man route.  You know, Peter Parker being the best bud of the web crawler, now Karen Starr’s best girlfriend is the alien cousin of Superman.  It’s very disappointing to say the least.

Maxies goof up was another interesting move on Winick’s part.  What was the point of making everyone forget about him if he’s to be careless enough to come through the green boom tube for all the world to see?  I guess one of the smartest men on Earth isn’t as bright as we all thought.

Despite Basri’s anime style, his art is working quite well with this title.  The maturity and how well defined each character turns out to be is talent I hope to achieve some day.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

There isn’t much to this issue that needs critiquing.  It was used merely to boost forward into the situation of Nico and Maxwell Lord.  It’s fun none-the-less.

Rating: 9.33 out of 10

Writing: 9

Art: 10

Themes: 9

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #14

Book Information

Written by Judd Winick

Art and Cover Sami Basri

Colors by Sunny Gho

Letters by John J. Hill

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Power Girl is going through the worst time in her life; with giant purple-people eaters, her company being taking away from her, and Butt-Monkey’s, this is a day from Hell!  I don’t think any writer who is given the privilege to write for Power Girl will ever go easy on her.  Having the biggest boobs in comics isn’t enough, they have to throw everything but the kitchen sink at her.  (Although I do recall seeing a sink somewhere amongst the wreckage.)

Winick is in fine form by taking Power Girl and putting his own creative genius into the character while still remaining true to the humor and “bad-ass” attitude established by Gray and Palmiotti.  But Winick is adding his own touch by using a character we have never seen before, which means we care very little about him, and turning him into a giant, purple alien from outer space.  This has a similar feel to Men in Black, as the director created a character we hate and killed him off within the first five minutes so the real villain can have his brand new Edger suit.  However, in this case, our esteemed fourth most prosperous illegal arms dealer (oxymoron maybe?) has kept his own body, but with major discolorization issues and warped facial features.  Under the control of some alien computer program, the villain in the brand new Mikavic suit is ready to terrorize the city.  But Winick leaves room to be excited for next month since it’s still up in the air as to why this force from space is here on Earth.

One thing I’ve notice in the first two issues of Winick’s run is the lack of boob jokes.  (I think Palmiotti had a thing for breasts...probably still does based on his blog.)  But that isn’t stopping Basri from flopping Power Girl’s jugulars right our in front of us.  It’s nice to see that the running gag that haunts Power Girl is still here to stay, but it seems to be a tad more tame and realistic with Basri’s art.  For you people who think comics are just about testosterone, hitting things, explosions, and boobs…well…you might be right on the money with Power Girl, even if the writing is pretty darn fun and amazing.  But you have to realize when it comes to Power Girl, boobs are always going to be part of the focus.

Judd Winick is also tying in little bits and pieces from his Justice League: Generation Lost series with Booster Gold trying to remind PeeGee (and others) of their long lost enemy, Maxwell Lord.  I’m not currently following the Generation Lost series, (although I should because the JLI was what got me hooked into comics in the first place) but I do know of the effect that only Booster and company remembering Mr. Lord is having on the DC Universe.  It is an unnecessary addition to the story, but it is a way to keep readers who aren’t following his other title in the know since Maxwell Lord is an obvious vital aspect to Brightest Day.

Back to Basri…I had my doubts about Basri’s art last month; it felt like it came straight out of an Anime or Manga comic/cartoon show.  Except the difference here is that Basri’s art is mature, which is why I’ve decided that I like his artistic approach.  I think this mostly has to do with the depth of shadowing and detail in the characters facial features.  The difference between Kara’s angry and confused faces are world’s apart, which allows the eye to differentiate between the different modes of expression.  And just like Amanda Conner, Basri really knows how to make a punch from an alien visitor to the face of a hero look painful…

My Awesomely Climactic Conclusion

Overall this issue is a wonderful piece of literature to behold.  It’s got everything Gray, Palmiotti and Conner brought to it, but it is completely separate from what they established as well.  Winick’s work has always appealed to me, but this issue proved to me that he has the ability to stay true to the comic book cannon of Power Girl while making the title his own.

Ratings

Writing: 10

Themes: 10

Art: 10

Overall: 10 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #13

Book Information
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basari
Colored by Sunny Gho
Lettered by John J. Hill
Cover by Sami Basari

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
So far, so good. Judd Winick is a highly competent writer who’s very good at telling a story. However, I wonder how many times a superhero’s origin story can be regurgitated until it becomes meaningless? Granted, Power Girl hasn’t truly been taken advantage of (storywise) until recently; we can thank Palmiotti, Gray and Conner for that. I do like this start Winick has given PeeGee, but it doesn’t have the same ring that the first twelve issues had.

Winick is attempting to remind readers of who Power Girl is and what she stands for; all of the flashbacks that occur with Max Lord, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the OMAC project show that Our lovely Kara will be going through an awakening. I feel Winick is attempting not so much of a recreating, but a recalibration of Power Girl, and it starts with a pair of earrings. It does give her some purpose and reasoning for wearing jewelry on the job now doesn’t it? (Just a side note: There’s no way Nicco wasn’t ready splurge right then and there once PeeGee put those rubies on her earlobes. I wonder how big his bulge was after he left that office.)

Now, as much as I appreciate what Winick is doing, I would much rather see this new approach to Power Girl to be a little less nostalgic. Flashbacks occur way too often within the DCU and unnecessarily so most of the time. As most of you know, I like that, but you can only take it so far, especially if it’s the umpteenth you’ve heard that story! I can hardly count on both hands how many times we’ve seen Wonder Woman twist Maxi’s head a full 180. However, it was nice to see what was going on with Maxwell Lord from a different perspective when he fell into that vat of ice. The question is, what does he want everyone to forget, his evil period or his life in general? And why does this seem to initiate some type of memory switch to flip on in Power Girl’s head?

What I do appreciate the most with Winick’s literary style is keeping the humor around. PeeGee is at her best when letting out her inner child. When she realizes Nicco has a gift for her, she becomes completely giddy and full of life. That’s the Power Girl we love and I hope Winick keeps it around. In addition, I’m glad to see that ever Power Girl knows that Booster Gold is a knuckle headed nincompoop who acts out of the glorification of being him rather than genuinely wanting to help people. I’m sure I’m stretching the truth about Booster, but I like that Power Girl gets truly ticked off at him because, well, that’s how I feel about him.

Sami Basri is very good, I won’t deny that, but his art is definitely something I’ll need to get used too, and I think I will too! The colors and definitive lines are gorgeous, but the inking is where I’m left a little disappointed. Within the confines of the bodies, the outlining is truly remarkable. But when having to trace on the outer structure of the characters, the outlining becomes a little overdone; it’s almost as if I was reading a Japanese Manga book, something that has never really appealed to me. But that cover is a sight for sore eyes. Despite Power Girl’s miniaturized cape flapping in the wind, everything about that cover screams perfection.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion
A nice start to a new period in the life of PeeGee. I would have tweaked a few things if it were me working on the book, but I’m sure every fanboy says that, right?

Ratings
Writing: 9
Themes: 9
Art: 9
Overall: 9 out of 10

Comic News: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti Leave Power Girl

As I'm sure everyone knows, the fantastic team of Amanda Conner, Justin gray and Jimmy Palmiotti will be leaving Power Girl forever come issue #12.  The reasons for this seemed to stem towards demanding work loads on the artistic side of things.  However, a new writer has been determined upon, Judd Winnick.

The question I have however is, will Winnick keep the campy, humorous feel going with this title, or will he steer it in a more serious undertone?  I like Judd Winnick for the most part, but this seems to be a little out of his league.  I'm familiar with his work on Batman and a few works here and there, but I've never seen him do something a little more light-heated and fun.  I'm not trying to imply he can't do it, but it will be interesting to see what kind of twist he puts on this popular title.

I would not recommend to anyone to miss out on PG13 (hmm, same abbreviation as a movie rating.) as it will be one of the determining factors if fans continue to pick up this title.  Power Girl is too good of a character to just toss out because a new writer and artist is on board.  Just give yourselves time to adjust to Winnick taking over and all will be well.