Scan barcode
A review by wyrmdog
Power Girl: Power Trip by Jimmy Palmiotti
4.0
Power Girl has - in my mind - always gotten a bit of the short shrift when it comes to the luminary paragons of DC. With power, abilities and ethics approaching that of her pseudo-cousin Superman, it's never made a lot of sense that she seems so frequently stuck with villains from the rogue's galleries of others. But such seems to be the case for most female heroes, especially those that are crafted from the mythos of an extant male one (Superman, in this case).
The biggest failing of the book is that it reveals very little about her past or where this volume sits in the greater continuity, or if it's part of the New 52 or whatever. As I am still new to the mainstream DC continuity (Marvel and Image are far more familiar properties), this was a bit of a disappointment for me. We are told in snippets and asides that she is from another universe and if you are paying attention, it's obvious that she is Supergirl from that universe (just a little older, a little...bigger). Most people know this but many won't and it constitutes a weak spot in an otherwise strong book. In other words: in typical comic book fashion, you're left to sink or swim with regard to the backstory. That can be a selling point or a detriment dependent on who you are.
Partway in, I realized it wasn't New 52, but rather a part of an ongoing story that seems to branch out of (or at least intersect with) Supergirl's return in Superman/Batman: Supergirl and then in the Supergirl series immediately following (collected in Supergirl: Power and Supergirl: Candor). There are, in fact, several panels that this volume and those share.
But on to the actual book and it's story:
This book is pure fun. Unlike all the self-congratulatory and cynical deconstruction that's all the rage in some quarters, Power Trip revels in being a superhero book in a way few others do. Power Girl (Karen Starr, or more accurately, Kara Zor El) struggles to be 'normal' despite having no idea what that means. Her villains are silver-age crazy and even though it doesn't shy away from a few sharp edges, it's full of hope and optimism and makes you want to cheer. There are man-apes, a 70s vintage conqueror, vengeful sidekicks, super tech and mad scientists and team-ups and...well, you get the picture.
It doesn't spend a lot of time with agendas, but does touch on gender and feminism and exploitation a bit. It isn't heavy-handed about it even as it doesn't shy away from it, acknowledging it even as it indulges in it. In the end, it enhanced rather than detracted from the experience.
But the art. Good grief the art. It's beautiful, kinetic, sexy, silly, expressive, honest. Sure sometimes the expressions Conner draws look a bit like someone that's been punched in the face (when no such punches have been thrown), but most of the time, they're remarkably true to life. Often I found myself lingering on a panel just for the expression Kara is wearing. I didn't know I was an Amanda Conner fan until I read this book.
Though you won't like it if you are more into deconstruction and 'realism,' this is a great superhero book in nearly every way. Pure unadulterated fun in spandex. I loved it.
The biggest failing of the book is that it reveals very little about her past or where this volume sits in the greater continuity, or if it's part of the New 52 or whatever. As I am still new to the mainstream DC continuity (Marvel and Image are far more familiar properties), this was a bit of a disappointment for me. We are told in snippets and asides that she is from another universe and if you are paying attention, it's obvious that she is Supergirl from that universe (just a little older, a little...bigger). Most people know this but many won't and it constitutes a weak spot in an otherwise strong book. In other words: in typical comic book fashion, you're left to sink or swim with regard to the backstory. That can be a selling point or a detriment dependent on who you are.
Partway in, I realized it wasn't New 52, but rather a part of an ongoing story that seems to branch out of (or at least intersect with) Supergirl's return in Superman/Batman: Supergirl and then in the Supergirl series immediately following (collected in Supergirl: Power and Supergirl: Candor). There are, in fact, several panels that this volume and those share.
But on to the actual book and it's story:
This book is pure fun. Unlike all the self-congratulatory and cynical deconstruction that's all the rage in some quarters, Power Trip revels in being a superhero book in a way few others do. Power Girl (Karen Starr, or more accurately, Kara Zor El) struggles to be 'normal' despite having no idea what that means. Her villains are silver-age crazy and even though it doesn't shy away from a few sharp edges, it's full of hope and optimism and makes you want to cheer. There are man-apes, a 70s vintage conqueror, vengeful sidekicks, super tech and mad scientists and team-ups and...well, you get the picture.
It doesn't spend a lot of time with agendas, but does touch on gender and feminism and exploitation a bit. It isn't heavy-handed about it even as it doesn't shy away from it, acknowledging it even as it indulges in it. In the end, it enhanced rather than detracted from the experience.
But the art. Good grief the art. It's beautiful, kinetic, sexy, silly, expressive, honest. Sure sometimes the expressions Conner draws look a bit like someone that's been punched in the face (when no such punches have been thrown), but most of the time, they're remarkably true to life. Often I found myself lingering on a panel just for the expression Kara is wearing. I didn't know I was an Amanda Conner fan until I read this book.
Though you won't like it if you are more into deconstruction and 'realism,' this is a great superhero book in nearly every way. Pure unadulterated fun in spandex. I loved it.