Bullet Review: Starfire #1

Starfire #1 came out last week and was definitely a fun read, so fun I felt I needed to do a quick review here.

I was one of the many readers who was put off by the portrayal of Kory as a brainless sex kitten, there simply for my ogling, as written by Scott Lobdell in the Red Hood and the Outlaws book. So I was thrilled when I heard that Starfire was getting her own book in the DCYou, especially when I heard the creative team was Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, and Hi-Fi.

Conner and Palmiotti have brought a sense of lunacy and fun to Harley Quinn. That book is a guilty pleasure, a book which seems to thumb its nose at sensibility, bringing a pedal-to-the-metal pace of wackiness and bawdiness to the comic world. Harley is a sort of PG-13, 'wishes it could be R', ribald comedy. I love it.

That said, I wasn't sure that I wanted a xerox copy of that tone with Kory. Once the Amanda Conner's cover and initial solicits were put out though, I could tell that it would be a little different. Looking at the cover, you have this totally gorgeous Starfire, beautiful enough to be turning the heads of everyone she has passed by. But the wide smile and breezy feel to the picture felt like it was going to skew a bit more innocent than Harley.

It also doesn't hurt that the internal art is by Emanuela Lupacchino, recent artist of Supergirl. Her work absolutely shined there and I can tell you that it does here as well. Eye-popping wonderful art here by Lupacchino and McCarthy.

And Hi-Fi just shines on colors, giving us layers of reds and oranges in Kory's hair and bringing us a bright, vibrant Florida as a backdrop.

The story is pretty straightforward.

Kory arrives in Key West as a 'stranger in a strange land'. She heads to the police station and asks for help in setting up a life there. While we are nearly 4 years into the New 52, this Kory really has a sense of naivete and wonder to life on Earth. She doesn't seem to have a grasp about day to day life here. Luckily, Sheriff Gomez is a kind woman and decides to help Kory, sheparding Starfire.

I had to include the splash page where Sheriff Gomez comments on Starfire's strength, stamina, and flight calling her a 'big orange Supergirl'!

I guess that is the closest we'll get to more Lupacchino Supergirl.

'My' Starfire is the warrior princess from The New Teen Titans. She was fierce and fiery. She was emotional and sensual. But she fought for what was right. And she never forgot the injustices done to her and her people.

But my 'other' Starfire is the one from the Teen Titans Go! cartoons, a sort of innocent, bubbly alien still learning what everything means on Earth.

The Conner/Palmiotti Starfire seems like the perfect blend of both. One of the running gags in the book is seeing Kory's thought balloons where she translates idioms a bit too literally. So 'three large ones' doesn't mean three thousand dollars to her; it means three elephants.

She isn't played off as stupid. She's learning. And it is fun.

But there is that sort of free-spirit sexuality to this Kory as well. She has no problem showering in an outdoor stall with the doors open. And she kisses this young man deeeeeply moments after meeting him. She uses the old Wolfman 'I learn languages by kissing' excuse. But when she is called on it by Gomez (who knows that Kory already knows English), Starfire's response is perfect. She wants to learn more English. I laughed out loud at that.

As a first issue, Conner and Palmiotti move things forward pretty quickly setting the stage. Kory is settled in Key West. She has a sort of guardian and guide in Sheriff Gomez. We meet her neighbors and get a blurb of backstory. And we get a fun scene in a bar where we get a sense of Kory's love of food, fun, and fighting.

If Harley Quinn is a PG-13, wishes it was R ribald comedy, I think Starfire is going to be a randy television show, pushing the envelope of what is allowed but probably staying close enough to PG to be accessible. More to the point, while I don't know if I would let my 13 year old read Harley, I would probably let her read Starfire if the book maintains this tone and pace.

Sign me up!

Who's Who: Buzz & Linda

 

Last week I reviewed Supergirl #9 (1996), a pivotal issue in Peter David's Supergirl run, beginning a story of redemption.

One of the things that rereading that issue reminded me was that Linda was pretty dark, a tainted vessel for Supergirl to merge with. It makes her appearance in Supergirl #9, that bruised soul telling Supergirl the path of light is the better way, that much more powerful.

But it also was reminded that this story is as much about Buzz's redemption as Linda's. He is a demon working for the Lords of Chaos. His job is to bring about evil. He lured Linda down her dark path. And yet, in that issue, he is shaken from his devotion to malevolence. He helps Supergirl come to her senses and reject evil. In the end, he becomes something of a good guy!

With the characters so fresh in my mind, I thought I would post their Who's Who page from Team Superman Secret Files and Origins #1. The text, written by then-Supergirl scribe Peter David, is more about Buzz than it is about Linda but touches on their troubled relationship. It talks of him falling in love with Supergirl. Later in the series we learn his origins and how he sold his soul.

Perhaps most interesting about this art team.

It is penciled by Amanda Conner and inked by Jimmy Palmiotti! I love the expressions here, the leering, devilish Buzz accompanied by the cynical, hard Linda. I love Conner's work.

The cover date for Team Superman is May 1998, meaning it was released about 2 years into the PAD run. We didn't know too too much about Linda's angelic powers at this point. The issue itself is worth hunting down for fans of this Supergirl as it has lots of Who's Who pages for many of the characters in the book including the Danvers, Comet, and Supergirl herself.

I suppose over the course of time I will post all of them and review that interesting 'Lost Diary of Linda Danvers'.

Review: Ame Comi Girls #6

It was recently announced that Ame-Comi Girls was being cancelled and I have to say I felt a bit down when I heard that news. I picked up the first issue because of the Amanda Conner art. I stuck around because I knew Supergirl was going to be featured. But around the Power Girl solo issue I was hooked. One thing that I always say is that comics are supposed to be the fun part of my life. And part of that means that I occasionally want to have a book in my folder which is pure fun, something without the albatross of 'continuity', something funny and filled with action and written and drawn with zest. Ame Comi Girls has been a book like that.

Ame-Comi Girls #6 came out this week, ending the first long arc that book has gone through. And this would have been a wonderful last issue, a way to end the series with a massive opening for a sequel. I suppose I should be happy there is a little more to come after this.

Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray write a fun wrap-up, bringing in elements of the DCU from Crisis on Infinite Earths to New Gods, but always with the popcorn fun feeling that has been synonymous with this book. Art is handled by 2 teams, Eduardo Francisco pencils and inks the bulk of the book and brings an elan to the proceedings. Hector Domingues and Ruben Gonzalez finish the book and bring a very polished look to the book.

Given this is a Supergirl blog, I might lean towards covering the story through her actions. But I felt I needed to showcase her efforts given that she was either evil or comatose for most of this book.

With Brainiac defeated, the book opens with the Girls relaxing a bit.

I liked the interaction between Supergirl and Power Girl on the opening page as Karen talks about saving the environment of Eaeth naturally. But before they can get too settled, they are zipped away.

Another thing I liked about this book was the personality that Palmiotti and Gray have given each character. This could have been a superficial book done solely for cheesecake. But instead we get a bit of depth for each of the characters. Sometimes that can be accomplished with just a couple of lines.

Hearing that Batgirl is attracted to Tim Drake lets us know something about her. Hearing that Robin is attracted to Kirk Langstrom and thinks he is a 'badass hottie' tells be volumes about her.

The characters who have had some time devoted to them - Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Hawkgirl, Supergirl, these two, Jade, even Duela - they felt three-dimensional. That is pretty impressive.

But all the characters are whisked away like Power Girl and Supergirl were. They are 'needed' and find themselves on Rann where Alana Strange and Hawkgirl tell the heroes about the upcoming universal threat of Sinestra.

I am a sucker for these 'united against a common threat' storylines. But this scene, while a bit smaller in volume, reminded me of another famous comic scene.

With the title of 'Earth in Crisis' and heroes teleported to discuss a threat to everything. It reminded me of this famous scene from Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 when the Earth's heroes are brought to the Monitor's satellite to discuss the Anti-Monitor's plans.

Anything that reminds me of Perez Crisis art is a good thing.

Alana has a plan. With Sinestra speeding to Earth, Alana is zeta-beaming all life from Earth to 'Eden', a world she created to temporarily house all of Earth's life while the planet is defended.

And she has a back-up plan. Metra, a new god, a powerful 'sentient big bang' lies in waiting.

Hey, this is Ame Comi ... I can roll with the fact that Strange could create such a thing. That's the freedom of living outside the DCU, a place I monitor more closely.

And in an homage to Blackest Night, Metra's power (even while she stays in a sort of hibernation) spills forward converting the heroes into White Lanterns, powered up to fight the yellow and black lantern troops of Sinestra.

I also get a kick out of these sort of scenes, showcasing each character as they power up. The difference in pose and proximity is a nice touch. I like Hawkgirl's the best. Perfect for her character. I see this page playing out on a big screen in a movie style showing each character.

Sinestra arrives on Earth only to find it empty of all life except the heroes. The zeta beam rescue effort worked.

The Ame Comi Girls split into two factions, half taking the fight to Sinestra's fleet into space. The other half stay on the ground to fight landing troops.

It was great to see Supergirl in action here, focusing her efforts on disabling the troop ships. It is hard to get Hawkgirl's respect so I liked that she recognized Kara's efforts.

But this is a losing battle. The girls are massively outnumbered. And if a Yellow Lantern falls, it simply rises as a Black Lantern. Slowly, one by one, the heroes all fall, becoming zombie minions of Sinestra.

I did like this moment near the end of the battle when Supergirl is glad that she isn't going to die alone, that the fight was worth fighting. This is so different from recent interpretations of Supergirl where she has wanted to isolate herself.

All this self-sacrifice finally spurs Metra to action.

In a classic yin-yang, 'there can be no life without death', 'there can be no light without shadow', Metra fights Paralactic (the fear/death demon inside Sinestra), embracing her and realizing that both are necessary components of the universe, but equals. Paralactic cannot dominate as she has. The scales need to be reset.

I really like the Kirby-esque design of Metra. And given the nature of this book, this design is almost dowdy.

Sometimes small things in comic art make huge difference in the story telling. This is the only panel where one of the characters breaks the borders of the panels. Even that slight breakthrough, just the tip of Metra's hair, lends her power, makes her feel bigger and more powerful. That wouldn't carry that much clout if it was happening throughout the book.

With Metra and Paralactic now merged or realigned, the universe is recreated! There is Earth, a planet of good. And there is another planet, one of darkness. While not named New Genesis and Apokolips, it has that sort of feeling.  It also feels like Crisis on Infinite Earth 11, where a new Earth is formed from the
many.

I wonder if the 'new universe' is an excuse for Palmiotti and Gray to put the characters into any variant Ame Comi costumes they have been dressed in for the merchandise line?

So fast, fun, and surprisingly strong on character development, Ame Comi Girls has been way way way better than I anticipated. Kudos to all the creators.

Overall grade: B+/B

Bullet Review: Ame-Comi Girls #4

Ame Comi Girls #4 came out last week and continued the high-octane high-fun look at a different sort of DC Universe, one where only women have super-powers, be they heroes or villains.

Writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray seem to be having a lot of fun with this book. There seems to be a lightness to the book since it isn't laden down with either significant continuity or angst/seriousness. This is a popcorn movie, not Ingmar Bergman film. And in this world of overly dark comics, this is a welcome treat. I just get the sense that these creators just don't take this book too seriously and that makes it a blast to write.

Now I do have some issues with the book, in particular the treatment of Supergirl in this universe. In her own issue, she was immediately brainwashed by the villain and fought the heroes. In subsequent issues, she has been put into stasis. Here, we see she still is in Dark Supergirl mode. I can only hope that sometime soon in this book Palmiotti and Gray let Supergirl shine. As of now, it is clear that Power Girl is the lead character. In fact, I almost feel like the book should be called 'Power Girl and the Ame Comi Girls'.

The art in the issue is split by Eduardo Francisco and Derec Donovan. Both carry the right style for this book. 

Last issue ended with Star Sapphire trying to brainwash/seduce Jimmy Olsen and taking him away from Power Girl. It is a brawl which ends with Star Sapphire tossing Power Girl to her apparent death in deep space. Luckily the new Green Lantern, Jade, is able to come along and save Power Girl.

I really like this Jade. Remember, she is blind so I like that all of her sensory descriptions have to do with hearing. She 'heard' Star Sapphire's 'music' and investigated. It reminds me just a little of Rot Lop Fan, the blind Lantern/Bell created by Alan Moore.

I also liked the description that the Sapphires can corrupt some beings, making them emotionally unstable. At least we know Carol here doesn't have all her faculties and therefore is this lustful jealous Star Sapphire.

The fight ends without much drama. Green Lantern simply grabs the sapphire, removing it from Carol. Carol then reverts to her human form. Interesting that she already is asking for it back. That must be a heady feeling to be flush with that much power and emotion. I don't think we have seen the last of her.

This part of the book ends with the warning that Parallax is coming to Earth. I love Jimmy's response. On these Earths, it must get pretty tiresome to be invaded over and over.

The middle part of the book deals with Power Girl's efforts to cure Supergirl. Her solution is a classic ... injecting the Atom to swim through Kara's blood stream to cure her from the inside. How Silver Age!

The root of Supergirl's evil is a chunk of Black Kryptonite wedged at the base of her brain and guarded by Brainiac antibodies. I love how the Atom denies being a hero and has to use the 'just in case' guns Power Girl gave her. That whole banter was great.

The efforts to cure Supergirl awakens her from her coma/slumber.

And, of course, she is still Brainiac's thrall and immediately attacks Power Girl.

Seriously, can't Supergirl catch a break in this book?

Luckily, the Atom is able to disable the Black Kryptonite chunk with a focal EMP.

So Supergirl can stop beating up super-heroes. At least for now.

Maybe I am sensitized but even back in control of herself and dressed in the right colors, she still looks and sounds vapid.

I suppose I should be happy that she isn't dressed in black and praising Brainiac.

Still, I would love it if Supergirl actually is shown in a positive light in this book ... and soon.

The remainder of the book delves into the origins of Sinestra. And in this universe she sounds unbelievably powerful and terrifying. She wields both a yellow and a black ring!

Loud, fast, and fun, this book continues to be entertaining. I am loving the Jade character. And Power Girl is written with the same strength and wit that Palmiotti/Gray brought to her solo title.

If only Supergirl could be a hero!

Overall grade: B+

Review: Ame Comi Girls #3

With Superman Unchained and the digital Adventures of Superman print copies looming in the near future, my review schedule might become a bit bloated soon.

So the big question is ... should I continue to review Ame Comi Girls here?

Ame Comi Girls #3 came out in print last week and, as always, it was a very entertaining read. I guess the promotion to a monthly book has given writer Jimmy Palmiotti the opportunity to expand this series, opening it up to the entire DC universe (albeit the Ame Comi) one. So it is interesting to see new heroes and villains crop up. So to meet Jade and Star Sapphire is fun, especially Jade's origin. If only the costumes weren't so ridiculous. I mean it, I feel semi-embarrassed taking this book of the shelf sometimes.

Also, since this is a world without male supers, it is a fun read to see the interactions of 'normal guys' with these powerful women. So seeing Jimmy Olsen act as the human love interest of Power Girl is a great read, probably my favorite moment in this issue.

Santi Casas provides the art here and he seems to be a natural for the book. His anime influenced style is perfect here.

This being the Ame Comi world, the Green Lantern equivalent is nicely shunted into Jade. She is Jade Yifei, a blind rock climber. If not having fear is a necessity to be a Green Lantern, Jade Yifei has it. I like the fact that she is blind, showing that everyone can be a hero. And this isn't innate green powers like the classic Jade; we see her given the ring and is sworn to protect sector 2814.

Jade's father is prosecutor who has taken down organized crime in China. As a result, the family is attacked by 'The Flying Guillotine' a flying super-villain with a great costume design.

And I even like Jade's costume, especially the lantern-like head band. Despite just getting the ring, Jade utilizes it well, fending off the guillotine.

Since this is a new universe and the heroes have just formed a team, Power Girl and Wonder Woman announce to the UN and the world their intention to form a League of sorts, to help fight immense threats.

It is a good scene with the world reacting mostly in panic, wondering what rules the League will follow and who will they feel free to attack. I like how Power Girl, usually a bit edgy and fiery in the DCU, comes across as the 'Superman' here, trying to calm the leaders that the team will only be there to help.

I do worry that the 'warrior' aspect of Wonder Woman is a bit too prevalent in Ame Comi. Diana instantly turns on the crowd saying that the League could end all war if it wanted to. She also talks about the evils of man's world. I sometimes miss the Ambassador of Peace and Love parts of Diana's character. Recently it seems she is much more eager to wield the sword rather than say that they should be converted to plowshares.

And with China now boasting it's own hero in Jade, the country states it doesn't need the League's help.

In fact, the Chinese government wants Jade to turn over the ring so they can study it, maybe even mass produce it. Jade's father even seems on board with the plan.

So I loved this scene were Jade shows some internal strength and stands up for herself. She not only tells them she isn't going to give them the ring, she flies off.

How great is that? I like how this new hero has already found a moral compass to guide herself.

As I said above, Palmiotti and Gray are starting to expand this universe and so this issue seems to concentrate a bit on the Green Lantern Universe. First we meet Jade. Then we get some cryptic snippets about a fear based villain, someone we know from a future solicit is Sinestra.

And then we meet Star Sapphire!

I mean it. I wish the ridiculousness of the costumes was even just a smidge less. This costume takes the Ame Comi score to 11. I feel icky.

What I do like about this is that this Carol Ferris is a sort of Hal Jordan herself, a pilot and astronaut. We get to see her meet the Abin Sur equivalent Star Sapphire on a moon mission. Now Violet Lanterns tend to sway more towards the lust/passion side of love and it is hinted at that maybe it is our human nature that can't control the sapphire energy. Maybe the other Sapphires here are less obsessed.

As I said before, it is fun to see DC relationships under the switcheroo aspects of this universe.

So to hear Jimmy Olsen talk about his feelings of inadequacy in trying to be interesting enough and good enough for Power Girl, an 'angel who fell from the skies', was great. It is clear these two love each other as even his feelings are stated in a playful almost flirty way. But I can imagine that it must feel strange to be 'normal' and try to romance a super-hero.

This whole conversation (this being a snippet of it) was the favorite part of the issue for me.

As feared by the alien Star Sapphire, it seems that Carol can't handle her power and her ideas of love seems to veer towards obsession and possession. It seems that Jimmy is a 'Mr. Action' and has dated Carol in the past before a rough breakup.

Carol shows up at some sort of function and uses her powers to enslave Jimmy. And that doesn't sit well with Kara.

It leads to a nice brawl between Power Girl and Star Sapphire, punctuated by this choke slam by Kara. Nice! As noted in prior reviews, it is clear that Palmiotti and Gray have a soft spot for Power Girl. She really carries this book and is given the best moments.

In fact, Supergirl isn't even in this issue and is only mentioned once by Kara (at least she acknowledges she needs to save her cousin). Kind of a bummer.

I have to say Ame Comi Girls is a guilty pleasure for me. It is fun ... something that seems to be rare in super-hero comics these days. And it is always entertaining. I really hope that somehow Supergirl gets pumped up a bit in the book and treated the right way.

And I would not be against Santi Casas always being on art on this book. Perfect style for this story.

Overall grade: B/B+

Bullet Review: Ame Comi Girls #2

Ame-Comi Girls #2 came out last week and concluded the first overlying story arc of 'Rise of the Brainiac'. It also marked the second issue of the 'monthly' title meaning that digital sales must be brisk enough for DC to make this an ongoing series rather than a string of interconnected character specials.

The series has been fun and entertaining so far as writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray immerse us deeper and deeper into this world where only women are super whether that be hero or villain. While I have had to come to grips with the more inane and 'barely there' costumes, I have enjoyed seeing the roles these heroes have on this planet. In fact, the most satisfying part of this issue is the aftermath of the battle where we get to see the true formation of a super-team, the difficulties of being a teenage hero, and some familial love between the super-cousins. It is that fleshing out of personalities and world-building that I find as satisfying in comics as big brawls.

That doesn't mean I don't have a couple of quibbles with the issue. 

For one, this is yet another issue where Supergirl spends the entire time trussed up in Wonder Woman's lasso and basically off-panel. I understand that with a cast this size someone has to melt into the background. I also understand that her lack of participation is part of the story, her being turned evil by Brainiac. But it feels like poor Kara just can't catch a break.

I mean, when the opening page sports Steel and Duela Dent and not Supergirl as a part of the roll call, something is amiss.

I also worry ... just a bit ... that this series will somehow morph into Power Girl and Ame-Comi girls. It is clear (and appreciated) that Palmiotti and Gray have a soft spot for Karen. And I love how they write her, even here. I was a huge fan of their Power Girl series.

But in this issue, she is clearly the star, disconnecting Brainiac from her mainframe, convincing Brainiac's drones to reverse the 'anti-intelligence' attack, and saving the day. She even has a dramatic splash page all to herself. Yes, the other characters are in the mix but even they all need to be saved from suffocation by Karen.

I love Power Girl but in this ensemble book I hope everyone gets some face time.

Power Girl does come to the defense of Supergirl, demanding that Wonder Woman release her from the lasso and taking her to the Fortress.

So Supergirl just really has suffered a bit in this book so far. In her own issue she is easily brainwashed and attacks the heroes. She is thrashed in combat by Wonder Woman, hog-tied, and left on the battlefield while everyone else, including the villains, go to save the day. And then we learn she is poisoned, dying, and needs to be held in suspended animation.

I know I am looking at this from a Supergirl-centric viewpoint. But really, no other character in this book has been treated this shabbily. Heck, even Cheetah was treated better.

I hope Supergirl gets a chance to shine here eventually.

As I said before, the real sweet spot for this book is the aftermath of the battle. The women decide that the world needs them to be a team in desperate times. But that isn't as easy a decision to make as it seems. The U.N. needs to get involved. They are Americans and the country disapproves of vigilantes. Where will there base be ... the Fortress, a Kryptonian embassy? Themyscira? Wonder Woman thinks she should lead. Robin and Batgirl are minors. And when Power Girl informs their parents of their other identities they are basically grounded.

There is a lot of details to work out before they can hand out communicators and set up a mountain HQ in Happy Harbor. It is these small details which feel real which elevate this book away from being just 'scantily clad manga girls fighting'.

As I said, this is a fun book, always well drawn, and has a nice mix of action and story. And it is an interesting world I am looking forward to learn more about.

But throw me a bone and have Supergirl actually be a hero for a little bit!

Overall grade: B

Bullet Review: Ame Comi Girls #1

After a series of character driven one-shots that collected the digital first episodes, all of which were connected into one big story, DC (it seems) decided to make Ame Comi girls an ongoing team book. And so last week we had Ame Comi Girls #1, the beginning of the Rise of the Brainiac story.

As I have said before, I had no plans to read this book mostly because the costumes are so ridiculous I felt they would detract from any story that was being produced. Enough people whose opinions I respect recommended the book as a fun and wild ride, showcasing heroic women (even if they are barely dressed). And, somewhat surprisingly, I have agreed with their assessment. This is a crazy book which is very entertaining.

Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray continue a breakneck pace bringing all the heroic women and villainous women of this Ame Comi Earth together to save the world. The art this issue is by Eduardo Francisco and he takes advantage of the Ame Comi dress to show lots of half-butts right smack dab in front of me. I know I shouldn't be surprised ... this is Ame Comi. Outside of that, his art is very good. He is called upon to draw wild big action shots with many characters as well as some quieter moments and does both with a nice anime flair.

The big loser in this issue? (sigh) Supergirl. She spends the issue brainwashed by Brainiac, tossed around by Wonder Woman, and eventually hog-tied. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Here is a brief review.

The Dark Supergirl arrived last issue and sort of wiped out the lower tier heroes. That explains Steel, Flash, Catwoman, and Robin all unconscious or trapped on the background.

With the undercard out of the way, the main event starts: Wonder Woman versus Supergirl. This is pure warrior Diana as she vows to bury her sword in Supergirl's chest.

Meanwhile, Batgirl sneaks onto Brainiac's ship in hopes of shutting things down. Since the computer has organic components, Batgirl realizes she can shut this thing down the same way she would shut down a human's nervous system. A jolt from a taser does the job, temporarily short circuiting Brainiac and her drones.

It is a nice moment and pretty smart and brave of Babs.

As I said, Supergirl gets treated pretty shabbily here. Screaming her death threats, she gets tossed around by Wonder Woman for several pages. I was hoping Supergirl would be the hero here somewhere.

With the pause in the fight, the others regroup. In a nice moment, Catwoman confesses she is probably down to 7 lives after this.

And, as I said above, after getting tossed around by Wonder Woman, Supergirl is tied up and remains helpless for the rest of the issue. Should I be surprised with this treatment by Jimmy Palmiotti?

And there are Diana's cheeks! I don't know if I needed to see them.

And I shouldn't be surprised that Power Girl is the main hero in the story either. Palmiotti loves Power Girl. Heck, I love his Power Girl.

At the center of the Earth, she meets Brainiac's central core drones. Their mission is to start the destruction of the Earth. The Brainiac towers (as seen in the above panel) will suck all the knowledge from humanity, giving Brainiac the information she craves while reducing mankind to neanderthals.

Of course, Karen can reason with the machines, convincing them maybe they should stop this needless act of mayhem.

And there are Karen's cheeks!

One part I did like was the core drones downloading Karen's memories. We see some important moments from her life including a classic Superman-esque shot of her lifting a tractor.

What caught my attention was this kiss. Who is this guy on Ame Comi Earth? Have we met him?

And I shouldn't be surprised that seeing her life convinces these things to break their programming and agree not to destroy the people of Earth.

It is a heroic act and shows how a life helping people can inspire.

Despite the revolt of the her drones, Brainiac isn't done fighting. She thinks she can still win. And she ends up capturing Power Girl with the transfer of information ongoing. Hmmm ... maybe Power Girl doesn't get to do all the heavy lifting in this story.

And we get an even closer look at Karen's cheeks!

I am of two minds with this book.

This issue continued a very fast pace with lots of action and fun moments. I finished the book and was entertained. Power Girl is treated very well. And Wonder Woman also has some nice moments showing her strength and her unwillingness to admit defeat. So that is the good.

Those nice moments contrast sharply with Supergirl's treatment. She is a villain in this book. Maybe I could look that other way a bit more easily if this wasn't happening as the H'El on Earth debacle happened. And, unfortunately, comics are a visual medium and reading this book with these skimpy outfits and gratuitous shots makes me feel just a bit icky. The fun aspect of the story so far has outweighed these downsides. And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by either of these things.

I think Franscisco's style perfectly fits this book.

Overall grade: B

Review: Ame Comi Girls #5: Supergirl

Ame Comi Girls #5, featuring Supergirl, came out in print form last week and the cover isn't kidding when it says the women of the DCU are reimagined here. This is about as Elseworlds-y a book as you can get.

Outside of the heroes only being women, and ridiulously dressed to boot, writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray threw a major curve ball into the plot this week with revelations about this universe's Krypton and its destruction.

Unfortunately, despite featuring Supergirl and initially casting her as the hero of the issue, Palmiotti and Gray take a step backwards and have her end up working for the villain. I am sure that there are a number of reasons why Dark Supergirl is so alluring, not the least of which is promoting the Dark Supergirl Ame Comi statue. But in a week when Supergirl is the main villain in H'El on Earth, a book where she threatens to kill Superboy, I was pretty disappointed in this turn of events.

One of the reasons why I like this book is that it is simple fun and entertainment. There is a feeling of irreverence here, a world not bound by continuity or even sanity. I suppose I should just ride the wave and not be so caught up in a Dark Supergirl sighting here.

Santi Casas provides the art in this book and brings a very heavy anime feel to the book which works well given the material. Casas also does a good job with the crazy battle sequences here, changing perspective and panel size nicely to capture some of the kinetic energy of the fights.

On to the review.

The book starts in flashback, just before the destruction of Krypton, with the brothers El ... Jor and Zor ... defending themselves before a tribunal of some sort. They warn of an impending disaster on Krypton and, per usual, are ignored. I kind of like the idea of the two working this closely together.

And again, this looks amazingly like the Donner films Kryptonian justice system. Those films are 30 years old! But there influence is incredible.

It turns out the threat isn't some internal instability of Krypton or her sun. The threat is Brainiac.

Now I don't quite know how I feel about this next part. It turns out Brainiac created Krypton as well as Earth. When the tribunal rejected the Els, the two brothers decided the best answer was to detonate Krypton's sun in hopes of taking Brainiac out with it. They hoped to save the universe by sacrificing their world. Of course they save their daughters. And they fail in stopping Brainiac.

So, in essence, Jor and Zor are guilty of genocide. I suppose Brainiac would kill the Kryptonians anyways. But it seems a bit too off.

Kara was sent to Earth to stop Brainiac here. She has to face Brainiac herself. Sounds like she might be the hero in this story.

And Power Girl has her role to play as well. She needs to shut down the central Brainiac mainframe in the center of the Earth.

At least for now, and for once, the two Karas are acting together ... like a team.

One things I appreciated here is that this massive battle of Manhunters, Kryptonians, and Brainiac drones does not go unnoticed by the other heroes we have seen. Steel, Robin, Flash, and Catwoman all show up and dive in, buying Supergirl and Power Girl some time to get the heavy lifting done.

I have to say, these costumes are ridiculous. 

While the other women remain on the ground battling the drones, Supergirl streaks towards Brainiac's ship.

On board are the villains we have encountered before - Duela Dent and Poison Ivy - as well as a barely covered and rather buxom Brainaic. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Brainiac's look here.

And, an unfortunate leftover from the Loeb/Churchill Supergirl stories is Black Kryptonite.

And much like in those Loeb Supergirl stories, Black Kryptonite transforms Supergirl into Dark Supergirl. At least in those Loeb stories, Dark Supergirl sprang from Supergirl creating a good and bad version of Kara.

Here, unfortunately, Supergirl is basically overpowered by the Kryptonite, becoming a pawn of Brainiac.

Kind of a bummer that ... and this seems to be true everywhere right now ... Supergirl isn't even a hero in her own book.

Because once she is brainwashed, Kara heads down to Earth and starts to battle the heroes of the planet.

So Supergirl, who shows up as the only person who can save the Earth becomes a pawn of the villain just a few pages later. Logically, the other heroes are confused.

And outside of Power Girl, none of these heroes are in Kara's league.

Luckily, there is another hero, someone I have been waiting to show up again, Wonder Woman. Nice cliffhanger.

And ... in another odd coincidence ... Wonder Woman will battle a Supergirl who is a pawn for a world destroying villain ... just like in Supergirl's own book!

So I look at Ame Comi as a fun comic in my pull list, a book that is fun and entertaining but not tied down to any continuity. And the prior issues fell nicely into that sort of niche. There is a lot of action, some fun re-imaginings, and definitely more humor than is in your normal comic. I have enjoyed these way more than I thought I would.

That said, this was, for me, my least favorite issue. Between the questionable genocide maneuver by Jor and Zor and the corruption of Supergirl, this book just struck some beats that I don't want to revisit anymore. And I think it was made much worse that it just happened to come out in print form the same week of Superboy #17 which showed a similar patsy Supergirl. After Superboy #17, I was looking forward to Ame Comi as a sort of piece of candy to eat after vomiting, something to get the bad taste out of my mouth. Unfortunately, it just didn't work that way.

Still, this book is a sort of whirlwind ride through this version of the DCU. And, it remains a fun and wacky book. There barely is a moment to breathe in this book, the pace is so swift. Hopefully, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray will allow Supergirl to shine at some point.

And, again, the anime influenced art by Santi Casas works well here.

Overall grade: B