Harley Quinn & Power Girl #1 - A Review

The original Power Girl series by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti is an old favorite of mine. And yet I could never get into their take on Harley Quinn. I read their first issue and it wasn't bad - it just didn't click with me for reasons I can't define.

And yet here I am reading Harley Quinn and Power Girl #1. And I have to admit it's purely because the solicitations promised the return of what I came to find the funniest aspect of the original Power Girl series - Vartox!  A.K.A. The Scottish Superman modeled on Sean Connery during his Zardoz phase, though with a slightly more conservative costume. Slightly.


Alas, there's precious little of Vartox in this issue.  What we do get is a butt-load of comedy as Power Girl and Harley Quinn - teamed up through circumstances that are quickly and easily explained for those who haven't been following the monthly Harley Quinn title - find themselves trapped on an alien world. Hilarity and head-shots ensue, as the girls deal with giant monsters, little perverts and the hyper-puritan servants of a warlord determined to destroy all hedonism.


Is this silly? You bet your sweet bippy it is! And thanks to the artwork by Stephanie Roux and Paul Mounts, the whole thing looks as gorgeously over the top as Power Girl's cleavage window.  This is a good, fun comic, plain and simple.

Red Sonja #1 - A Review

That Red Sonja #1 should be as excellent as it is should surprise no one. How could it be anything but with the talent behind it? Gail Simone - the most fearsome and dangerous redhead in the real world of comics - weaves a tale worthy of The Nemedian Chronicles and Walter Geovani - no stranger to depicting the adventures of the She-Devil With A Sword - proves equally epic in his pencils and inks. 

Praise must also be paid to the tremendous team of artists, whose work graces the covers of this issue.  Thank goodness the digital edition gives you all of their work!  With a line-up including Nicola Scott, Amanda Conner, Colleen Doran, Jenny Frison, Fiona Staples and Stephanie Buscema, I'll be hard pressed to pick which cover to buy in the store.


After an unexpected opening which I dare not spoil, we open on familiar territory.  Bandits with more desperation than sense attempt to rob a heroically hungover Sonja - an act Sonja is willing to tolerate provided they don't do anything stupid and leave her to sleep it off.  After the inevitable conclusion is played out, Sonja answers the summons of the only king she holds any respect for and the tale begins in earnest.

Those familiar with Simone's previous work will find much to enjoy here.  The action scenes are well-paced  and Simone injects plenty of her wicked humor into the dialogue.  This may stun those fans of Red Sonja who are used to more serious tales but Simone knows - like Robert E. Howard said of Conan - that Sonja's life is one of gigantic melancholies AND gigantic mirth.  Yet there is drama as well and we see that Sonja is not the blood-thirsty man-hater so many characterize her as in her treatment of one of the bandits -a plague-stricken soldier forced into thievery to survive.   


I've praised Walter Geovani's depiction of Red Sonja in the past and I suspect I will continue to do so for many issues yet to come.  His Sonja is beautiful yet looks every inch the warrior rather than a Sports Illustrated cover girl who just happens to be carrying a sword.  More importantly, Geovani is an amazing visual storyteller and the action of the issue flows naturally from panel to panel without any confusion whatsoever.


If you've never read a Red Sonja comic before, now is the time to rectify that mistake.  With this issue, Simone and Geovani have crafted the perfect starting point.  A world of adventure is waiting. Will you heed its' call?

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Wonder Woman #600

GOOD THING: Oh, there is so much good here it is hard to narrow it down to just one... so I'm going to cheat and do two each. :)

The opening story by Gail Simone with George Perez artwork is just the sort of meeting-of-the-giants that makes a special issue like this truly special. And hey - we get to see Misfit again! I can't help but wonder where the rest of the Birds of Prey are, though.

The Amanda Conner story is a nice little coda to her Power Girl series, with Diana utilizing one of her less-often used powers to help Karen out with one of her supporting cast.

BAD THING: The preview of the upcoming series does not inspire confidence AT ALL. But probably the worst part is the unintentional irony of the essay at the end in which J. Michael Straczynski talks about how he is redefining Wonder Woman for the 21st century in order to stop her from being defined by what men expect Wonder Woman to be.

Also, is it just me, or does the drawing of Diana in the new costume on this page looks WAY too much like Megan Fox?! Yeech.



The Final Verdict: A fitting capstone for the pyramid of the Wonder Woman legacy. Would that the preview of the future was as inspiring as the tributes of what came before.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Power Girl #12

GOOD THING: This is the perfect final issue of the series. We get to revisit all of the characters - heroes, villains and supporting cast - who made this book the best new series to come out in 2009-2010. And as if that weren't enough, it gives us more of Vartox!

BAD THING: It's the perfect last issue, but it is still the last issue. Truly, I will miss the book when it is gone.

The Final Verdict: It's a great last issue but sadly, it is the last issue. Still, better to have loved and lost and all that jazz. Be sure to pick up the Trade Paperbacks if you missed the early issues.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Power Girl #11

GOOD THING: A brilliant fight scene takes up most of the issue, with Power Girl having to face off against the mind of mad-scientist Ultra Humanite in the body of a teenage girl who is powerful enough to move the tectonic plates of the Earth itself.

BAD THING: The ending - in which Terra AND The Ultra Humanite are cloned new bodies thanks to the magical technology of the underground land Terra was born in - comes off was a bit too Deus Ex Machina, despite the good scene where PeeGee actually tries to talk the Ultra Humanite into starting over as a good guy.

The Final Verdict: While I question whether or not the villains would honestly preserve the brain of the girl whose body they stole and the ending is awfully convenient, I still liked this issue a lot. It's still one of the most fun, best illustrated books on the shelf.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Power Girl # 10

GOOD THING: This whole scenario in the comic book store and how Karen agrees to go with there with the teenage boy who is blackmailing her. The artwork is just perfect and filled with lots of cute little jokes to match the dialogue and Karen's own blatant lies regarding why she is there.

BAD THING: Not really a complaint about the comic itself but there are three pages of this comic that are taken up by a truly stupid ad cheering "75 Years Of The Hero Getting The Girl".

Ignoring the implication that "the girl" can't also be a hero and the general theme of women being prizes to be won by heroes rather than individuals... there has to have been two characters who were better suited to this treatment than Wonder Girl and Robin. Superman and Lois Lane? Barry Allen and Iris West? Ralph and Sue Dibny, maybe?



The Final Verdict: Still one of the most fun, best-drawn comics out there. I'm going to miss it in two months time.

Fast Thoughts On The Other Comics Released The Week of 02/17/2010

JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 - It's still unclear just whether or not this story is the fever dream of a diabetic going into shock or an epic fantasy where worlds collide! Of course, it could wind up being both, knowing Grant Morrison. But while the story is a bit unclear, the artwork is gorgeous and well worth the price of admission on its' own. Pick up the #1 and this issue while you can.


POWER GIRL #9 - If you only read one comic all year about a super-strong alien humanoid and her earth-manipulating sorta sidekick fighting genetically-engineered beastmen this year, make it this one!

That is all.

Fast Thoughts On The Comics Released The Week of 01/20/2010

The good news is that payday has come, my tab at the comic book shop is all paid up and I have all the books I wanted to get over the last month.

The bad news is that leaves me with 40-something books to cover.

Why is that bad news? Consider the effect that writing 40 something reviews in a timely manner would have on your friends' list to say nothing of my front page.

So rather than spam-bomb us all with individual reviews, I'm going to do this the old-fashioned way and just give you my Fast Thoughts on each issue, with comics scans as needed.




FABLES #92 - It's a sad sign when a story about Flycatcher can't get me excited.

Don't get me wrong - this is a pretty good story. But it's still the first part of a two-part story that is taking time away from the main plot (i.e. retaking Fabletown) and it revisits a lot of characters who - quite frankly - we didn't need to see again after The Good Prince.

Flycatcher got his happy ending and it was implied that he and Red Riding Hood would eventually fall in love. We don't need to see that spelled out as we do here.

And in case you can still bring yourself to care, there's STILL nothing about Rose Red and her mental breakdown in here.


JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 - There are some things that you don't expect to go together. Orange Juice And Toothpaste. Politicians and Honesty. Grant Morrison and Subtlety. And yet, in this book, Grant Morrison has begun a series that I suspect may come to be regarded on par with those of Alan Moore, in so far as she sheer amount of activity hidden in plain sight in each panel of this book. I needed to reread it several times to get a sense of what is going on.

A fever dream brought on by a diabetic nerd failing to take his meds? A young fanboy's dreams of escaping into a better world come true? It is too early to say just what is happening here as both interpretations are equally valid at this point. All I can say is that it costs you little (just $1) to give this book a shot and see if you are as enraptured and eager to see Issue #2 as I am.


POWER GIRL #8 - I admit it was a minor concern, seeing as how there are very few Superman purists who might be upset about a character like Vartox being presented as a male Maxima but it was nice to see that Vartox's intentions were not quite as skeevy as originally thought.

This isn't just a funny book - it's a fun book. Fun in a way that has been lost in most modern comics. If you aren't reading Power Girl, then you should.


SOLOMON KANE #1 - I suppose it was inevitable that sooner or later one of Dark Horse Comics' reimagining of the works of Robert E. Howard would prove completely disappointing.

Solomon Kane is a bit of a mess all-around. Ugly, darkly-colored artwork obscures the action of a script that gives us little insight in to the characters and little reason to continue reading. I'll be passing on this in the future and I suggest you all do the same.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Power Girl #7

GOOD THING: A nice twist on the age-old "villain or misguided hero tries to woo hero" plot, as we see Vartox - the most 70s of Supermen - go a-wooing after Power Girl, after all the people of his adopted homeworld are rendered sterile following a super-villain attack.

BAD THING: Funny as this is, anyone who remembers Vartox is unlikely to appreciate his being reduced to buffoon status as he was always presented as a truly heroic figure before. And the way this is portrayed is way too reminiscent of her fight with "Da' Bomb" in JSA #39.

The Final Verdict: Old school Superman fans may be up in arms over some debatable continuity conflicts. But overall this is a wonderful jump-on issue for those of you wanting to give Power Girl a shot.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Power Girl #6

GOOD THING: For the first time in I can't remember how long, a superhero actually tries to reason with not-so-villainous "villains", who are really guilty of nothing more than possible/accidental manslaughter and poor judgment. It's a refreshing change and it's played well here.

BAD THING: There was no spoiler warning on this preview of the next Seth Rogen movie. For shame!

In all seriousness, this is a fun little book and I recommend it to everyone.

Why Power Girl Is Awesome

Power Girl #3

I remember reading a lot of reviews of issue 2 of this series which were concerned about just how easily Power Girl was subdued by The Ultra Humanite. The usual concerns about bondage artwork, cheesecake and everything that seems to come up whenever anyone tries to discuss Power Girl was discussed.

Which makes this issue all the more satisfying, since we find out very early on - within the first three pages - that Karen was playing possum the whole time. :)

You can check out the rest of the preview DC Comics blog.

Simply put, this book is fun. The kind of fun comic books SHOULD be. And if looking at this and the preview above can't convince you that this isn't the best new series to be release this year and that you should be reading this book... well, I don't know what else to say.



The Final Verdict: Still one of the most fun books out there and a good one for anyone looking for a book centering on a strong female protagonist. The art is great too!

Power Girl #2

This book goes over the top. And in doing so, it lets us know just where The Top is so we know where to go from there. Because as much sheer crazy wackiness as there is - even in the face of Power Girl being on the verge of dissection for most of the issue - there are many other things that are admirable in this book.

I admire how among all of Karen's employees, it is Donna - the one woman we see - who is willing to brave the attacks outside for the sake of getting to her loved ones.

I admire how Karen never gives up, never stops believing in herself and never stops TRYING to escape through the issue. None of this "I'm doomed!" B.S. or "Alas, poor me!" crap. Not even so much as a "Who will take care of Streaky when I'm gone?" Her one thought as doom approaches? "I have to get out of this... There has to be a way!"

I admire how Amanada Conner is able to make Kara look powerful and sexy while still capturing the inherent humor and drama of the story, making things consistent even as she moves between comedic and tragic scenes.

Yes, the sheer insanity of a mad scientist whose brain is in a giant white gorilla, demanding a superheroine surrender her body or else he will destroy New York City is a bit silly. Then again, you're expecting a mad scientist who put his brain inside the body of a giant white gorilla to be rational and make sense all of the time? I admire that too, because it is an utterly goofy premise and the Ultra Humanite is a very goofy character. And this book embraces that and plays it to the hilt.

Yes, the revelation that Ultra Humanite had a sexual relationship with Satanna once he was IN his giant ape-form (soaked in blood, no-less) is disgusting. But it's no more outrageous than the similar relationship between Gorilla Grodd and a female scientist or Gorilla Grodd and Giganta that was depicted in the Justice League cartoon. It all happens off camera and is played totally for laughs. And amazingly, it was played in completely and totally clean, in the same way as those Justice League episodes - without the S-E-X word being used and the comedy coming from the "ewww... gross" reaction of everyone else. And I admire that little touch - even though this book isn't aiming to be Approved By The Comics Code Authority by any stretch of the imagination.

But mostly, I admire how in an ever-darkening market, where character death is becoming more and more commonplace and cheap story gimmicks more frequent that this book - much like PG herself - is what it is, with no apologies for what it is not.

It is a fun read. And it is not ashamed of that, nor should it be.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 05/13/09

This time: Another War of Light Battlefield Report, a double-size Knights of the Dinner Table, a review of Power Girl (finally!) and the funniest issue of Secret Six yet!



FABLES #84 - The great crossover continues, with Jack's bastard son finally catching up with dear old dad as Jack throws the Animal Farm into semi-chaos by masquerading (somewhat accidentally) as a resurrected Boy Blue and romancing a listless, depressed and suicidal Rose Red. Again, I shall say it; grab the trades and catch up on this book ASAP.


GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36 - Okay. Not a lot of expansion on the Green Lantern Mythos here, but a lot of good character moments and some information that will likely be vitally important later.

* Sinestro reveals exactly how he has a daughter who is now a Green Lantern. Long story short - Mom went into hiding and gave the daughter to her friends to raise after a political argument with Sinestro - something he agreed to wanting to keep his daughter safe and having some idea of the battle he would be fighting to "save" his world from chaos.

* Along with the prophecy about the threat to his planet he received from Empire of Tears member and Red Lantern leader Atrocitus, Sinestro also received this prophesy: Two Korugarians with One Mind and One Corps to right all that is wrong in this corrupted and darkening universe. He believes it refers to himsekf and Soranik and warns her that the Red Lanterns intend to kill his daughter but, for now, they have no idea who precisely she is.

* Things are becoming nine kinds of worse inside the sealed prison levels underneath Oa.

* Back on the Fear-Corps beseiged planet of Daxam, Green Lantern Sodam Yat makes an apparent suicide run on his planet's red sun in order for reasons that are too complicated to go into. Suffice it to say, I can't wait for the next issue.


KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #150 - Annoyingly, none of this issue's comics deal with the major cliff-hanger that came of the end at last issue. But for a ten-years-in-the-making sequel to the classic "Luck of the McCaw" pirate RPG story as well as Sara's revenge on the guys for killing her character on the weekend she was away from the game, I can deal with it. All this, and an honest-to-dawg "Dawg, The Roleplaying Game" based on cast character BA's infamous failed first attempt at publishing an RPG, all for $9.00 American.


POWER GIRL #1 - My shop was sold out of this last week, so make of that what you will regarding the quality of this book. Sure, Amanda Conner's artwork is heavy on the cheesecake. But like PeeGee herself, buxom and showing it doesn't equate to exploitative. And you have to give props to any comic that follows the First Rule of DC Comics; when in doubt, have the hero fight a gorilla. And when said gorilla is a psychic madman known as the The Ultra-Humanite, you just know it's got to be even better.


SECRET SIX #9 - A Battle For The Cowl tie-in that really isn't, this issue sees the Secret Six reduced down to a Recondite Trio as Bane and Catman work to stop a series of anarchist attacks on the children of noted captains of industry as Ragdoll tags along to play Boy/Girl/It Wonder... in his/her/its' own Robin costume.

Honestly, Ragdoll steels the show every issue but this one was a more difficult battle than usual with Catman - the most moral of the Secret Six - playing at being a hero because there's a part of him that honestly DOES want to be a hero and Bane playing at heroism because of his own issues with children being endangered. All the while, both of them deny their own heroic impulses AND that either one of them would wish to follow in Batman's footsteps. But even the touching scene Bane gets with a child he is horribly unprepared to comfort and Catman's own "awwwww" moment cannot compete with Ragdoll facing the revelation that ANYTHING sounds perverse when he says it... and proceeds to spend most of the rest of the issue testing that.

"Pea Pods! Velvety Throw Pillows! Tuna Salad! Hold the Mayonnaise! Ewwwwwwwwww!"

Greatness. Absolute greatness. And I'm not just saying that because Simone writes a heroic Bane the same way I wrote a heroic Bane, once upon a time during one of my few stabs at fanfic.