Review: Worlds' Finest #16

Worlds' Finest #16 came out last week starting a new story arc and moving away from the Desaad/Earth 2 theme which had been the focus of the book for a while. In some ways I am sad to see this story line go away. Battling Desaad and getting home is the central theme of the book and I was hoping we were getting some traction there.

And yet, in some ways, I am happy to see the book move beyond this. It is clear that Huntress and Power Girl are going to be on Earth One for some time. So churning through arc after arc where they don't get home might become repetitious.

So to see the two heroes out there, fighting crime, and barely talking about leaving Earth One, and accepting things was actually refreshing. And the new criminal with a variety of odd powers is intriguing.

RB Silva takes over on art in the book and his art seems uneven. After Perez and Maguire, and given the characters, I think a clean slick style would best serve the book. Someone like Francis Portela would shine here. Silva's murkier look seems just a tad off, mostly in the quiet scenes.

Emanuela Lupacchino continues to shine on covers. But I thought this might be a gatefold! What are the yelling at?

The book opens during fashion week in NYC. And the Huntress investigates a fire at one of the shows.

As usual, I like Helena's attitude as she dives right into the conflagration hoping to save people and help the fire fighters as much as possible.She really is fearless.

But I also like how Levitz always has her harkening back to the training she got from her parents. Here she smells the scent of accelerants. This was no accident.

As I said before, the Earth 2/Desaad storyline is sort of swept under the rug this issue. And that means some of the ancillary parts of that plot is also going away ... almost too quickly. You might recall that Desaad in the guise of Michael Holt had destroyed Starr Industries factories, tech sites, and had even started to buy the company out. Power Girl was on the run and Karen Starr was too.

Just like that, the 'bankrupt' storyline is erased. When Desaad disappeared, 'Holt' did as well. Without someone to coordinate a takeover, Starr Industries immediately shifts back to Karen. We even see magazine covers touting her comeback.

One thing I don't like here is Karen sort of flaunting her powers. I don't think these co-workers know she has powers. But hoisting this guy up one-handed is a bit over the top. I do like the art here, outside the panel, looking down at Karen, as if from the lawyer's viewpoint, is nice.

Meanwhile, Huntress follows her arsonist into a subway station.

She finds this odd-looking girl, who clearly has telekinetic powers but also has some sort of black inky aura which she can use as a shield or use as a range weapon. She forms mental shuriken from this aura and fires them back. In the skirmish, she escapes leaving Huntress to have to regroup.

Silva's current style works very well with this villain and her mental powers.

Now on to the big news of the book.

Last issue ended with Power Girl questioning her powers. Here we get a little more explanation.

Power Girl's powers aren't consistent, turning on and off at random.

You know what this reminds me of? And I wouldn't be surprised if Levitz, a known Supergirl fan, is riffing on this ...

Remember way back in the early 1970's, in the Mike Sekowsky Adventure Comics run when Supergirl's powers also were sporadic? Could Levitz be doing an homage?

Regardless, I am never a fan of these stories (James Robinson did it with Mon-El a while back.) It never is written convincingly. The hero never loses their powers in a predicament that would mean certain death (flying high above the city, holding up something incredibly heavy). Instead it seems to happen when it would be dramatic.

The two heroes catching up doesn't last long as another explosion/fire at another fashion show spurs them into action. We see Power Girl carrying Huntress high above the city, flying to the scene. Would she do that knowing at any point her powers could go kaput sending her and her friend hurtling to the street below?

I do like how Levitz has her use her powers when she has them in this issue. She has been a basher in prior issues. Here she uses her powers to create a water funnel to put out the fire.

Two fashion sites attacked at the same time. Now models tied up, presumably to die in the fire. There is a pattern.

But is it a pattern that makes sense? Wouldn't a villain who can fling aura shuriken just kill the models rather than tie them up and hope they are burned to death?

Huntress has the best lines in the book. Her she says that the fire-villain has broken two laws of physics (as well as other laws) and so she won't let the arsonist escape. Huntress, while outgunned, is completely dogged in her pursuit.

But why attack fashion shows? Is this villain a failed model (groan)? I hope it is something more profound.

I will point out this 'circle' panel motif Silva uses which made me feel like I was watching live, from afar, with a telescope. It sort of brought me into the story.

Whoever this villain is, she is pretty powerful, mobilizing her aura into a huge dragon which squares off with Karen. She is almost like the Raven from the Titans cartoon! Really nice panel here of Power Girl battling.

But the description that her aura is like an oil slick grabbed me. Maybe the accelerant is her aura, adding fuel to the fire. 

I wish I could explain why I have a warm feeling for this book which certainly hasn't rocked me with its stories. Perhaps it is my lifelong fondness for Huntress in all her incarnations. Perhaps it is that this Power Girl was Supergirl and has some qualities I like in Supergirl. But I never am truly let down by the issues which are consumed and enjoyed as simple fare on the comics market.

I hope that we seem more straightforward adventures in the book, moving away from the 'search home' angle.

Overall grade: B

Review: Earth 2 #15.1 Desaad

Earth 2 15.1 Desaad came out last week. This is another one of those books that should have been labeled Worlds' Finest #15.1 as this book only tangetially deals with the happenings on that Earth. Desaad has been the main villain in Worlds' Finest and this is his story. Couldn't this have been a nice little push for that title, helping bump sales? Instead, it's labeled Earth 2.

It is an interesting book by writer Paul Levitz. Sure, we get some back story about Desaad's arrival in Earth 1 and what his motivations are. But I have to think, much like I did with the last Legion issue, that there is some meta-textual message being stated here. We have Desaad interacting with Jack Kirby! There is breaking the fourth wall. Then there is looking at the fourth wall and commenting on the flaws. With all the nonsense swirling around DC right now, even if he didn't mean to, Levitz seems to be lauding artistic integrity.

Yildiray Cinar provides the art and gives it a certain griminess which fits the tone of the book. And thankfully, I was able to look at Desaad and not think of He-Man's doofus sorceror Orko. That alone deserves high praise!

I have the same complaint about the 3D that I have had for others. The background characters of Power Girl and Huntress are completely blurry.

We start out back 5 years ago when the assault on Earth 2 sent Power Girl, Huntress, and Desaad to Earth 1. Landing on Earth, Desaad quickly starts to build up his strength, dealing out pain and absorbing strength from the victims. And like our heroes, Desaad is stranded there.

Now I really wish we would have more of an explanation about why/how Desaad ended up here. Huntress and Power Girl were speeding into a collapsing Boom Tube, chasing Steppenwolf, which took them here. I don't even know if we saw Desaad on Earth 2 in those early issues/stories. So why is he here?

And maybe I am stuck on the 'old Desaad' but I am not used to him having powers, waving his hand to inflict pain or even influencing people with his mind. I always thought of him more as a scientist and inventor, creating torture devices.

And looking for the nearest source of pain to feed him, he walks to a local hospital to feast on the emotions and pain there. With a whisper, he makes a security guard give into his basest emotions go on a shooting spree. That seems just a little bit too powerful. I will always like the sniveling Desaad, the coward.

I also would think that maybe the positive emotions from a hospital, the healing and easing of pain, might make this the last place Desaad would go to.

Jump ahead a bit and we have Desaad having set up an evil headquarters where he nurtures pain and suffering while trying to figure out a way to get home. And, like most villains, he has his minions doing the mundane tasks of a criminal overlord.

I did like how any suffering seems to fuel Desaad, so weapons that kill slowly will feed him more than some quick stroke. He has even sent bombs to war-torn nations which create more shrapnel. It shows just how comprehensive his plots are, right down to the battle field.

And these scrying globes are fascinating. Are the people hung upside down holding them up? Fueling them? Decoration? Desaad is pretty creepy.

Like Huntress and Power Girl, Desaad's main goal is getting back home. While stronger, he still doesn't have the power or the device to get back home.

Always looking to increase his power, Desaad seems to focus on some ordinary folks to corrupt and become his high level lieutenants. One of them is this artist who looks suspiciously like Jack Kirby.

Others have felt Desaad's caress and succumbed. These three have certainly caused pain of their own, perfect cronies for Desaad. And yet, he uses pain to bend them to his will. Giving pain, receiving pain, he bends them to his will.

I liked how he has a broad definition for those who make people suffer. A soldier, a sadistic nurse, a businessman who moves himself forward - all hurt people in their own way.

And somehow, this artist won't give in.

The others all seem to wither before Desaad, giving in to the basest of emotions. But Kirby doesn't give in.

Divine? Stubborn? Or both.

At least Levitz circles back and makes this issue link to the Worlds' Finest comic. The first villain the heroes fought was Hakkou, a radioactive giant. Here we learn that he was once human before he was twisted and enslaved by Desaad.

He sends Hakkou to go destroy Holt's quantum tunneler simply so Power Girl can't have it. Glad to have this be relevant to the main title in some concrete way.

Amazingly, Desaad is so impressed/angry that this artist won't succumb to pain and despair that Desaad decides to deal with him personally. But Kirby continues on, not even noticing the boom tube, Desaad's presence or his powers. He is oblivious.

I keep transferring my own thoughts about this. So many artists and creators are leaving DC these days because they won't give in to editorial demands. Rather than notice the pain and despair that DC is giving them, by having them change their craft, those artists walk. And isn't that what Kirby did? Never compromising his story ideas. Maybe I am thinking about this too much.

Anyways, this was a fine issue. Nothing spectacular. The Kirby wrinkle is certainly innovative but I wonder if you didn't know that was The King if you would be confused by the focus on this unnamed artist.

Not as good as Bizarro. Not as head-shaking as Cyborg Superman. Better than Deadshot and Poison Ivy.

Overall grade: B

Review: Worlds' Finest #15

I feel as if recently I have been a bit more critical about comics than I should be. That for some reason I am dwelling on the negative parts of stories rather than the positives. And I find that some titles seem to be getting the brunt of my criticism. At times like this I need to remind myself that comics are supposed to be the fun part of my life.

The preamble is a way to say that I have been a bit rough on Worlds' Finest these last few months. I have called the book 'up and down' so you might think I call it elevator in my mind. The truth is some of my problem with the book is a problem with the current market, decompressed and slow story-telling dragging down any progress the book has made.

Worlds' Finest #15 came out this week and was an entertaining issue, showcasing the personalities of the main characters, adding a couple of interesting wrinkles to their histories, and ending on a very good cliffhanger. After a couple of issues of Huntress and Power Girl being on the run in repetitive scenarios, we get good movement of the plot.

But comics are a mix of words and art. Art is as crucial to the success of a book as the story. And I can't help but think that part of my increased satisfaction on this issue is the art of Emanuela Lupacchino. I know that RB Silva has been named to upcoming regular artist but Lupacchino really sparkles here. Yes, there is a big slab of cheesecake in this issue, with some obvious butt shots and a fascination with Power Girl's chest, the art is still stunning. And when the art and the story work together, they elevate each other and the experience.

Last issue ended with Huntress being kidnapped by Desaad's goons, dragging her through a boom tube to parts unknown. And Power Girl didn't overthink things, jumping into the tube herself to follow along and save her friend. It is, of course, a no brainer that she do this, but I still think it says a lot about Karen that without thought of her safety, where this tube ends, or what is on the other side she jumps in.

One thing I like about this opening scene where we see Karen following is the description of the inside of a Boom Tube. I never thought it was a, instantaneous teleportation system because the word tube connotes needing to travel a distance. So I liked seeing Power Girl flying here, but talking about how warped reality is inside. I can't recall ever having read what the inside of Boom Tube is like. So nice touch.

And already you can tell how fantastic Lupacchino's art is going to be.

We get an opening shot of Huntress strapped to a chair with Desaad holding crackling energy weapons and talking of feasting on Helena's fear. He still looks like Orko to me.

Meanwhile, exiting the tube in Desaad's headquarters, Power Girl tears through everything in front of her - parademons, human troops, even walls.

I love this 'come out and play' line. Karen is already an extrovert but there is a playfulness about her when she gets to cut loose physically. Yes, she is angry and worried about her friend, but that exuberance about using her powers still shines. Good stuff.

But that Power Girl characterization, while wonderful, has been par for the course in this book. For me the most interesting moments in the book belong to the Huntress.

First off, I love how Desaad says he isn't getting much fear from her, only pain. That is what the daughter of Batman should be like. This Huntress has always come off as strong and fearless since her 'introduction' in her mini-series. So I thought this was a very nice moment showcasing who she is.

And then a wrinkle that I have to wrap my head around. Desaad leaves Helena to deal with Karen who is ripping his base to shreds.

Alone with her thoughts, Huntress springs into action.

First though, she talks about how Desaad might call himself a new god but she isn't buying it. Her father didn't and he KILLED enough of them.

So the Batman of Earth-2 killed. Much like with Superman, I think Batman killing people is completely wrong for the character. That should be a line he never ever crosses. Or course, this isn't The Batman, but the Earth 2 version. Secondly, he was in a war against an interplanetary conqueror. If the world is in peril, does Batman cross over from hero to soldier? I just don't know. It is almost too big for me.

That said, it certainly explains a lot about Helena and her perforating people with arrows.

And then in another interesting wrinkle, she bares her mother's claws, using them to break free.

For a second I wondered if these were some sort of super-power. But only for a second. These better be equipment.

But I love this mix of Batman and Catwoman in Huntress. That volatile mix is what is so interesting about Helena. Which part of her make-up is going to surge to the surface.

Free, she bashes the monster who is watching over her. And defeated, he immediately pledges his allegiance to her. That is the insanity of Apokolips.

But I included this panel mostly to show one of the panels that flirted with cheesecake. There are a couple where the panel construction leads the readers' eyes to Huntress backside. At least this one is in an action pose as opposed to one which seems to exist only to showcase Helena's bottom.

Still, the art is so beautiful, I was able to look past the more blatant cheesecake and enjoy the book.

The Finest finally link up to battle Desaad. Again, the brashness of Power Girl is on display as she angrily tells Desaad to get his ass to Apokolips. The interplay between the more cerebral Huntress and the more physical Power Girl is the juice for this title with me. So I thought this issue showed that nicely even if the two are only together for a couple of pages at the end of the book.

Interestingly, it is Helena who needs to save Karen who is being blasted by Desaad even though it was Karen who was trying to rescue Helena.

Beautiful dynamic art here.

The ending of the confrontation is a bit understated. Realizing he can't milk fear out of the heroes, that their fear isn't ripe enough, Desaad boom tubes them away. It is sort of a non-ending.

But we get a cliffhanger. Somehow Desaad has messed with Karen's powers. We know she is powerless in the next issues.

So overall a very nice issue. Entertaining, beautiful, intriguing. The best issue in a bit here.

There was a rumor recently that a female artist was heading to a super book. Could Emanuela Lupacchino be moving to Supergirl? I wouldn't mind that as long as the cheesecake gets suppressed a bit with the 17yr old Kara.

And what do other people think about Helena saying that the Earth 2 Batman was a killer?

Overall grade: B+

Review: Worlds' Finest #14

Worlds' Finest #14 came out last week and seemed to be another pause in the forward progress of this title.

I have struggled overall with this title. I have a fondness for both Power Girl and the Huntress (in all her incarnations although Helena Bertinelli is my favorite). I have enjoyed Paul Levitz's writing since I was a kid. The original artists on the book were two of my favorites - George Perez and Kevin Maguire. The underlying plot of heroes trapped on another world and trying to stop Darkseid seems like a win. And, to add a little bit of awesome sauce, this Power Girl had a career as Supergirl!

But the initial issues seemed to be something of a jumble. There were adventures or missions that didn't seem to matter much or add anything to the overall story. The two characters seemed to be separate more than they were together. Even though the art was great, the book seemed to be treading water.

Then, Paul Levitz seemed to realize that things needed to move forward. And so for the past several issues, we have seen Power Girl and Huntress under attack by Desaad and his Apokolips troops. I have been pretty happy with this book. But ...

Worlds' Finest #14, outside of its cliffhanger, is basically a repeat of last issue. And suddenly I felt that we were back to treading water. I think that artist Robson Rocha has been improving in his art here but he isn't Perez or Maguire yet. So I was pretty let down by this issue.

All of that said, I love Ryan Sook and his covers are great, including this one.

The book opens up with another of Helena's safe houses, a cabin in the woods she is hiding out in, attacked and razed to the ground. Now we saw the 'safe house' posh estate in Virginia destroyed last issue. So to see a 'safe house' cabin in Catskills destroyed felt very familiar. Four pages of Helena escaping a burning house seemed a bit much.

Karen and Helena end up walking through a street fair in Woodstock New York, taking stock in their current situation. Now these character moments have been one of the stronger parts of this book. Levitz has always had a nice way of showcasing characters' personalities and making them three dimensional.

The heroes are on the run and so I thought this brief moment where a psychic at the fair tells them evil is approaching was nice. Is this a throwaway scene? Or is this woman some Apokoliptian agent in disguise? Some Female Fury watching them up close.

Now things are pretty rough for 'Robin' and 'Supergirl' now. Karen's company is being bought out from under her, her labs are being destroyed and ravaged, and they have no apparent safe place to hang their hats. Maybe it's time to 'go public' in the hero community and ask for help.

I was thrilled that Levitz added a little continuity to the book, having Karen mention her recent interaction with Supergirl.

My problem here is I don't quite understand just why Helena is so against meeting the Justice League or other heroes and embracing this world. They have been here for years. I feel like Levitz hasn't told me enough yet about why Helena wants to stay in the shadows. Is she so afraid of meeting Batman? Or is there something else? I find this a very interesting part of her character but I have no idea why she feels this strongly.

At least we get some revelation about why Desaad has focused her attention on Power Girl and Helena so much. It seems like there is some personal pride here. He has to destroy them because if anyone is going to breach the dimensional walls back to Earth 2 it should be him. It is a puzzle he 'must solve first'. So to think that Desaad isn't just interested in getting home but is also feeling threatened by Karen's scientific know-how is fascinating. I wouldn't put such base pettiness on to a New God.

But also ... I can't take Desaad seriously right now because ...

He is Orko right now.

This is all I have in my head when I read any scene with Desaad.

Desaad continues his attack on the heroes by sending human infantry and parademons to a Starrware building in England, trying to grab another piece of dimension-warping technology. His plan works, drawing out the Power Girl and Huntress.

Again, it is the personal little flourishes of character that are the shining moments in this book. I love how Power Girl mentions her training with the Earth 2 Superman here, figuring out how to best defeat the demons.

Robson shines in this scene. I like the kinetic feel of Karen's hair in this scene helping to add a dynamic flourish to a standard fight scene.

And that praise of Superman's training takes a bit of a turn here when she then calls him 'old stodgy'! I like that Power Girl has a much different, much more familial, much more classic relationship with Superman on Earth 2. There has definitely been some 'hero worship' feel to what we have seen in flashbacks, a sort of Silver Age Supergirl trying to please Kal. I have liked that a lot figuring some 'kid sister' worship makes a little sense.

But I also want Supergirl to be her own person and maybe have some of the fire and impetuousness of a young hero as well. So this little scene where we see hear that Karen isn't completely in awe of her Superman makes her a bit more well-rounded (no jokes please).

And finally ... finally ... we get something really new for the book.

One of the parademons grabs Helena and boom tubes away and Power Girl, not willing to let her friend get kidnapped, flies into the boom tube as well.

Now that is a cliffhanger!

Unfortunately, that last page was the only thing that felt fresh in yet another issue of seeing Desaad wring his hands, the Worlds' Finest on the run, and fighting troops who are invading a Starr factory. That is basically last issue.

I desperately want to like this book for all the reasons I have said above. But I feel that the book is languishing a bit. I wouldn't mind there being some resolution to this whole 'searching for a way home' aspect to the book. Maybe it can always be percolating in the background but I feel that if the heroes just said 'we should accept being here' and moved on, we could get more adventures and more progression on the book. Could Levitz be taking baby steps because he doesn't know where to bring the book once that aspect is finished?

Anyways, maybe I am being too harsh here. There was nothing wrong with this book. It just felt like a retread.

Overall grade: C+

Review: Worlds' Finest #13

Worlds' Finest #13 came out last week and was a sort of let down. After reading the very good Superman Unchained #1, this issue seemed to be a bit of a pause on the momentum this book has recently had. Not much happens here that pushes the story forward. And the few things that do seem to do that aren't exactly mind-blowing or even exciting.

Writer Paul Levitz has been building up this story of Huntress and Power Girl fighting the forces of Apokolips while on the run. Given that the two have been operating under the radar for 5 years on Earth, I didn't expect that wrinkle to add much. There is some possibilities there. Power Girl as Karen Starr is a celebrity who was attacked at a convention and has gone missing. There has to be some fallout from that.

And, after being spoiled for a while with George Perez and Kevin Maguire on art, we get Robson Rocha on art today. The art here is fine but nothing spectacular and certainly not the wondeful stuff Perez and Maguire brought here. One thing I do like is Emanuella Lupacchino doing covers. Nice work here.

Comics as a medium relies on story and art to work together to bring me in and let me lose myself. Mediocre story and lackluster art together isn't ever going to entertain.

Desaad has taken over Starr Industries and attacked Helena and Karen at a recent trade expo. With no where to run without being out in the open, the two decide to go into hiding.

That doesn't mean that they are huddled in the dark. If there is one thing I like about these two heroes in this book is that they have been very pro-active, bringing the fight to the bad guys rather than reacting. This has been Huntress' modus operandi in the New 52 since her first mini-series (well worth reading if you haven't with drool-worthy art by Marcus To).

Anyways ... the two decide to investigate how Desaad (as Michael Holt) was able to take over Starr Industries. And that means a heart to heart conversation at arrow point with someone from the SEC.

So this is about as close to criminal activity as you can get, tying up a government official and threatening death. Again, there could be some interesting future beats for this title here. Two super-powered beings on the run and breaking into the SEC ... sounds like they are super-villains. Wouldn't it be interesting if Superman and Batman get brought in to bring them down.

Now as it turns out the woman from the SEC is actually a minion of Desaad and goes into a sort of mental shutdown when the Huntress' questioning probes too deep.

Meanwhile, Power Girl is also in the SEC thrashing some of the security guards as she looks for more concrete proof of the takeover.

Now this part made me chuckle a bit. Karen comes across a moldy sort of ledger in the SEC safe which holds information about Holt's taking over Starr Industries.

Really? A paper ledger? It felt antiquated, like Eliot Ness discovering Al Capone's accountant's receipt book.

It seems that Desaad has his claws in the SEC more than I would expect because a giant wolf creature plows into the office and attacks the two to a standstill, forcing them to repeat.

It is hard for me to believe that a giant wolf is able to be easily corralled in the SEC without everyday workers stumbling across it. So this also felt a bit silly.

Since the two are on the run, there really isn't a home for them to run to, they have to hole up in a safe house Huntress has set up in Virginia.

One thing that does work in this book is the way Levitz is able to play on 'The Odd Couple' sort of personalities between these two women. Karen is an outgoing and brash. Huntress is cool and calculating. But there is this other side of her, a sort of product of her Wayne Manor upbringing.

So this moment where they pause to catch their breath was entertaining. This 'safe house' is a tastefully furnished mansion. And Huntress pouring coffee seems so formal. Meanwhile Karen seems uncomfortable in this place. She seems too bright to be in a such a 'stuffy' place.

It is a brief repose because Desaad is hot on their trailer.

Earlier in the story we see him torturing one of his minions to death. Here he is fascinated by Power Girl being from another Earth. It sounds as if Desaad is trapped on Earth too ... and he wants out. So he needs to learn more about her.

And so he turns this new acolyte into a sort of ogre-like being to send out.

If anyone else reads this book, is it implied that the earlier dead acolyte was Hakkou?

This was my favorite part of the book and definitely elevated the final grade.

The giant dog-thing ends up sniffing out Huntress and Power Girl and the attack ends up spilling over into the city. 

I love the first two panels. Huntress questions just how a screaming squad car can help out against this beast. And then the next panel shows it flying backwards upside down while she sarcastically says 'right'. That worked very well.

Another thing that I like about this book when we get a sense of the heroic upbringing of these two. These two were raised by revered heroes on Earth-2. So I liked this aside when Huntress talks about how Batman would train her to weaponize her environment.

That is a great page.

The idea works when a couple of factory chimneys and a whole ton of electricity finally brings this monster down when straight-up haymakers by Power Girl couldn't.

Simmering in the background since the first storyline was the idea that Power Girl might be slowly growing weaker. Against Hakkou, she succumbed to the radiation. Here her punches seem ineffective. Why this would happen 5 years into her stay on Earth seems odd so hopefully that will be explored. I do like the idea that the people from different Earths might have different power levels in a different universes.

So what can I say, this felt like a pretty empty issue with a couple of good moments. As usual, it is the small character moments that shine here ... no surprise given Levitz is at the helm.

Overall grade: C

Review: Worlds' Finest #12

Things have been clicking a bit more in Worlds' Finest and Worlds' Finest #12 continued the trend. After what seemed to be slow beginning to the title, the underlying threat of Apokolips has finally reared it's ugly head and set the pace of this book.

Now the draw for me to this book earlier was the excellent character interaction between Power Girl and Huntress. Writer Paul Levitz has always been one to create complex and three dimensional characters and these two are pretty interesting and layered. Huntress has the passion of Catwoman and the determination of Batman. She wants to honor her father but seems as ferocious as her mother. Power Girl has some of the down to Earth innocence of the Silver Age Supergirl, the edge and physical nature of classic Power Girl, and a sort of free spirited attitude with a voracious sexual appetite. There is a lot to be sifted through there.

But earlier, the character exploration was often wrapped up in some less than thrilling action sequences and plots.

The threat of a Fourth World invasion has been looming though. These two witnessed there world shattered and they don't want to see that here. And, as I said, that Apokoliptian ugly head is finally out in full view ... and what an ugly head it is! The New 52 DeSaad decides to stop skulking and bring the fight to the Worlds' Finest and, as a reader, am happy.

The art on the book is an interesting melange. I am a huge Ryan Sook fan and this cover with Karen finally in her old Power Girl outfit just popped of the rack. Kevin Maguire, Geraldo Borges, and Robson Rocha all contribute, each bringing a slightly different sensibility to their pages but all very slick.

Last month's cliffhanger had DeSaad reveal that he was taking the form of Michael Holt. While the heroes see him in his true form, the other convention attendees and security guards still see him as Holt. As a result it looks like Karen and Helena are attacking the CEO of a tech company.

I have talked about Karen's edge and ferocity. Unfortunately, those attributes don't mesh very well with her position in StarrWare. At this well-attended convention she stomps on the floor with super-strength and fights security guards. Imagine if Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg did that. It would be everywhere.

And if that wasn't enough to blow your cover, Karen then literally flies out of the room, scooping Helena on the way out. Helena may be a 'no one' who can fade away. I doubt that Karen has the same anonymity.

Lastly, I will say that I am sad to see Kevin Maguire leave the book. I absolutely love his art. I suppose this image as a nice one to go out on.

One of the odd things about this book has been the flashbacks to earlier adventures. I understand that these two came to this Earth 5 years ago and have been living stealthily for most of that. And the flashbacks in the beginning of this title were almost necessary, catching us up on what Karen and Helena were up to these last few years. But I feel I have a pretty good feel for their history now. Maybe we just need to live in the now.

Even here, in this flashback, Helena is investigating Hakkou, the villain from the first issues. That means we have kind of caught up. This flashback actually happened somewhere around issue five.

Anyways, we again see some great characterization here. Helena is upset at herself for not having perfect battle form. And Power Girl is upset at having to leave a party to bail out Huntress. Her casual destruction of the criminals' lair speaks of that aggravation.

Ahh, but this is my favorite moment of the book showing the complexity of Power Girl.

She talks about the sheltered life she had as Superman's 'secret weapon'. That is pure early Supergirl and I am glad that Levitz is trying to incorporate some of the early Supergirl incarnation into Karen.

And when freed from the shadow of his cape, Karen is happy to be in the spotlight and famous. Look at that wide-eyed expression. She seems giddy with her new life as she tries to catch up on all the things she feels she missed out on. It is a wild concoction of exuberance and adrenaline and hormones and freedom all with a whiff of naivete.

Just wonderful.

Back in the present, it seems as if Karen attacking Holt and flying out of a hotel isn't newsworthy. What is news is that StarrWare is being attacked on an industrial level, losing out on contracts and having her best staff hired away. The assumption is that DeSaad is raiding her company.

Falling Starr? Maybe falling out of her dress??

I guess fan service is going to happen in this book. Is this any better than the 'ever shredded' costume. I mean, would Time ever run this cover? And Karen says she had a .... ahem ... nice relationship with the Time reporter.

The attacks go beyond industrial espionage. Somya, Power Girl's ever present assistant, tells them that the StarrWare facility in Cambridge is under attack.

With no delay the two are off to battle. Again, this shows something of the 'act now, think later' physicality of Power Girl. She doesn't wait for Helena to change, forcing her to switch into fighting gear mid-air.

I have to say, it is comforting to see Power Girl back in her original uniform. It would have been nice to have one line about it since not everyone may have read Supergirl #19.

The Cambridge attack is a feint. With Power Girl and Huntress off ground, DeSaad boom tubes in some tanks and lays waste to the home front.

I have said all along there was a feeling of deeper feelings in Somya. I assumed obsession (comparing her to Mrs. Danvers, the obsessed maid in Hitchcock's Rebecca). Turns out Levitz went with love, a delicious thing for DeSaad to snuff out. Somya becomes a casualty in this private war.

So a couple of things here. Prior to this, I always had the feeling that Somya was more middle-aged. Maybe that is why that obsession idea seemed so reasonable. In this issue she comes off as much younger.

Also, it felt weird that DeSaad would bring in plain old tanks to do his dirty work. Tanks?

Returning to the chaos, Helena and Karen decide it is time to be proactive. They decide to go underground and strike rather than allow others close to them to be attacked.

Now is part of that 'going underground' due to Karen's use of powers at the convention? I don't know. I do like these two acting here rather than reacting.

So no complaints here. I thought this was a good issue. As I said before, it is the complexity of the characters that I enjoy the most. There are almost contradictory elements in both Huntress' and Power Girl's personalities here just bubbling under the surface.

And as I said, the art was very good throughout.

Overall grade: B+