Pick of the Week
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art and cover by SAMI BASRI
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
The thing about Power Girl #22 is that it didn’t fully sink how much I enjoyed the issue until hours after I had read it.
I had a lot of books this week and after reading them all, none of them jumped out and smacked me in the face and said “I’m the Pick of the Week!” I had a lot of fun with a lot of really good reads this week and when all was said and done I had identified a couple of books that could have been made the Pick. So I walked away for a few hours. Then I was talking to a friend of mine about how I was stuck between two choices and as I was describing what I liked about both books it started to become very apparent to me that Power Girl #22 was the Pick of the Week.
There is something immensely satisfying about a perfectly constructed super hero comic book. It’s a feeling that is hard to pin down but it’s satisfying in a way that is very nearly contentment. Power Girl as a series has been almost perfectly constructed from the beginning, but this issue in particular left me saying, “Yes. That’s how you do a superhero comic book.”
The last issue of Power Girl tied-in to writer Judd Winick’s other book (the most excellent Justice League: Generation Lost) and so what we have here is a fresh start. The first issue of a new story arc. A perfect jumping on point, if you will. The cover shows Power Girl and guest-star Superman facing off with a giant dinosaur.
Right away, if that doesn’t excite or even intrigue you then this book probably isn’t for you.
One of the hallmarks of this series, with both sets of creative teams, has been that it has done a great job of balancing the various aspects of the superhero life. We’ve got multiple thing going on here. First, after almost losing her scientific research and development company to an embezzlement scheme and an asset sale, Kara has got Starrware back up and running. Second, empowered with the her newly revitalized company, Kara has decided to take her life back and step one is a big press conference to tout the return of her company. Third, Superman shows up and has a heart-to-heart with her about the wisdom of making her secret identity into a public figure. And fourth, dinosaurs. Giant magical dinosaurs invading Metropolis.
That’s a lot of angles to cover and Winick does a great job of handing them.
The big fight between Superman, Power Girl, and the giant magical dinosaurs is the anchor for the issue, and utilizing a series of time shifts, Winick takes us through the subplots. I really liked how the dramatic tension in the fight itself would reach critical mass and then we’d flashback to Kara at her company, or Superman and Power Girl talking about the problems with secret identities. It was a wonderful job of pacing and structure.
I like the throwback vibe of this book that has often featured giant monsters and aliens for Power Girl to smash real good. This issue is no different as a horde of giant dinosaurs invade Metropolis at the behest of a shadowy, magic wielding figure. It’s always fun when Superman faces off against magical beasts, he can actually get hurt and bleed and, even though you know that he (and Power Girl) will ultimately prevail, you know it’s not going to be easy.
There’s also a wonderful surprise reveal cliff-hanger that I don’t want to spoil but it made me really excited to read the next issue and was the cherry on the top of a fantastically fun issue.
Not enough praise can be heaped on artist Sami Basri. There is a light quality to the art that feels like nothing else out there. And Basri handles giant action pieces just as well as subtle character acting. The faces that Superman and Power Girl make when it dawns on them that the dinosaurs are magical and that they are both bleeding are spot on and elevate the tension in the scene. Take away the dialogue and you know exactly what these characters are thinking and feeling, and when that happens you know that the artist has done their job.
Twenty-two issues into Power Girl (has it really only been that long?) and I love that I feel like I know Kara better than most super heroes out there. Credit has to be given to everyone who has worked on this book for carving out such a well-rounded character in such a short amount of time, especially one that has been around for so long. Power Girl is a book that I look forward to every month and it continues to not disappoint and it is issues like this one that drive home just how much fun this series has been and continues to be. Look, for the most part I like my super hero stories to be serious and to have an emotional weight to them, but sometimes I just want to see some giant magical dinosaurs get wailed on. And the great thing about Power Girl is that, a lot of the time, you get to have your cake and eat it too.
I know that I’ve been ringing the Power Girl bell loudly and often for nearly two years now but there’s a reason for that. It’s a really fucking good comic book.
Conor Kilpatrick
Not with THAT figure.
conor@ifanboy.com
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@Conor is this the first time that Power Girl has been the Pick of the Week?
@ShaunR For this creative team? Yes. Overall? No.
This series once again proves that the people who say that Judd Winick is a bad writer are the wrongest of all the wrong creatures in the world.
I fell away from the book early on in the new creative team’s run for no good reason. Jumped back on today and really enjoyed it. More on that in a bit…
@comicBOOKchris This series AND JL:Generation Lost. Both are great!
@Conor I meant for the series Power Girl overall.
this was a great read, hopefully it’s not on the DC chopping block
Whoever says Judd Winick is an horrible writer can Suck It . Power Girl and Justice League:GL have both been superb. Judd is currently on an amazing roll and I look forward to his books every week.
I didn’t get the last issue, because I thought I would be lost with J.L.G.L. tie in (which I missed first time out and will be getting in trade) but since this is a new arc, I’ll definitely be picking this up.
@xiseerht I’m looking forward to his run on B&R
Overheard at the LCS-
“So PG fights giant magical dinosaurs huh? I am so sick of magical dinosaurs and murderous roboto space cowboys.”
I think this sentiment sums up perfectly how I am feeling.
Long time fan boys love the break from their “serious” comics with these throwback excursions
but realitvely new readers pick this stuff up at comic shops and put it down as hokey.
Glad to see this getting some much deserved love!
YAY!!!
They’re done with the Generation Lost tie-in? YAY!!!!!
“a perfectly constructed super hero comic book” – spot on! This was a really enjoyable comic. Story was fine… but Sami Basri’s artwork is stunning. Power Girl isn’t a character I’m that interested in and stopped reading after Palmiotti and Gray finished. But Basri’s art is enough to encourage me to start picking it up again.
Though got to also add that Thunderbolts is another perfect comic this week.
Powergirl teaming up with Superman is good , but Powergirl teaming up with Supergirl is potentially more intersting. I don’t know of any other time in fiction where two versions of the same person co exit in the same reality perminately
It 19s a really fucking good comic book….Put that on the trade.
This has been a fun series. Thanks for turning me on to this Conor.
Everytime I think i’m out of collecting, iFanboy pulls me back in! Blast!
Not collecting. Reading!
@PaulMontgomery Maybe he’s one of those people who does not sell the books he buys, as such it becomes collecting.
On a completely off but related topic, I got a strong feeling that FF #1 is going to get the PotW next, even though it’s a big week next week! Can’t wait. I’m not even an Fantastic four fan but that one has gotten me excited!
yep i agree.I thought this issue did deserve pick of the week.Great story and great art.Can’t wait till next issue.Relationship or interaction with Superman and Power Girl was great.Gray and now Winick are turning Power Girl into a well rounded character,I enjoyed the art too.BTW a question to ask:Is Atlee coming back anytime sooon? she is what helped the series even better. PG is a great read so far over all.