Review: PowerGirl #5

Originally posted at Newsarama.com, September 2009

Power Girl #5
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Conner
Colors by Paul Mounts
Letters by John J. Hill
Published by DC Comics
Review by Amanda McDonald

Earlier this week, Troy Brownfield posted a great Change of Pace article on Power Girl. Irreverent? Fun? This most recent issue is proof positive.

This issue opens with Power Girl and a friend seeing something crash into a Brooklyn park, and running up to her roof of her home to change and go check it out. Stripping off her sweater, white leotard already in place underneath, she digs through her bag only to curse herself for leaving her boots and gloves at the office. Amusingly, she comments to herself on the hypocrisy of telling Terra to always be prepared, and maintain secrecy in the Terra series. Arriving at the park, she discovers an unfamiliar ship and is blasted by its guns, frying off most of her cape. Three exotic looking women exit the ship and face off (one of them with gun drawn) with the first responding police officer, informing him that he must clear the area, as the ship is about to self destruct. Meanwhile Power Girl, is ripping apart the ship to get inside. As a bolt flies off the ship, it surprises the gun wielding woman and her gun fires-- blowing the head off a bystander.

Within the ship, Power Girl meets Brody, handsome and willing to be of service. . . by answering her questions. Unfortunately, one of those answers includes the fact the ship is about to self destruct. PG does not make it out in time. Knocked out, but alive, she is at the bottom of a crater created as the ship destructs. But of course, being Power Girl-- she's up and around in no time and back at work as Karen Starr.

Here's where we see some of the fun and irreverence of this series. We go from a man losing his head and an alien ship exploding. . . to Karen and her assistant giving her cat a bath and chatting about the assistant's ex-husband, who interviewed at StarrWare recently. The three women from the ship are taking a cab around the city, and use a huge gem as payment. Then they enjoy some hot dogs. Is all this really necessary for the story? No. But is it amusing? I think so.

Flash to Coney Island, and we see another ship-- alluded to earlier in the issue as having been following the women's ship. Palmiotti and Gray throw in a little a little extra humor from a metal detector packing old curmudgeon, and the man of this ship is on his way to find the women using his tracking device. Where does the tracking device lead him? RIght outside Karen's office, of course! Cutting short an interview with a prospective new PR person, she finds her gloves and boots right where she left them, and and the issue as it began-- Power Girl rushing off to see how she can help.

I enjoy the way this series is going. Every issue leaves me wanting more, and anxiously awaiting the next issue. Gray and Palmiotti's subtle and not so subtle humor causes me to go back and re-read issues, or run over toward my roomates to make them read whatever it is that has me in giggle-fits on the sofa. Conner and Mounts art and colors mesh well, with this cover having a fresh new style from previous issues. I could go on and on about the continuity of Power Girl, and the way her character has been treated over time-- but our own Troy Brownfield covered that quite eloquently several days ago. If this is a series you've been scoffing at, read his article linked above, and then go buy an issue (or five!) of Power Girl. If you don't find yourself chuckling and enjoying it? Well, I'm sorry. You may want to trace your footsteps and see where you left your sense of humor.