Bullet Review: Power Girl Special #1

Last week, the Power Girl Special #1 came out and it took me a couple of days to wrap my head around it. Thus, the review is up today on Monday instead of last Friday. 

I was pretty unimpressed with the Power Girl story which unfolded in the recent Action Comics. In that story, writer Leah Williams changed Karen to Paige, changed her from a physical, confident, brash hero to a psychologically damage, isolate, psionic. It just didn't read like the Power Girl I have known for the last 40 years. Whether it was the original in All-Star or the JLE hero or JSA All-Stars leader or the Palmiotti/Conner version, they all felt recognizable. This version by Williams just didn't. Marguerite Sauvage was on art and I think her style is a 'love it or hate it' one but I love it. And her pastel pastiche does work well with psychic landscapes.

That story ended with Johnny Sorrow arriving. 

Anyways, all that meant I went into this special with almost no expectations. Like zero. 

So when I read this special the first time, I actually thought to myself 'hey, that wasn't that bad'. A lot of that was built on a couple of Supergirl moments where Kara is portrayed very well. And hey, Streaky is back. Sauvage's art is very good if you like it. I even tweeted that I thought it was better than I anticipated.

But then, when going back into the book to try and get this review ready, I realized it isn't really a good Power Girl book. Because, once again, this isn't the PG, the Karen, that I know. For a second, I thought much of the new stuff here would be swept under the rug. Throw in some other moments that don't make sense and I think in the end, this isn't a very good story. The art is wonderful.

Now if you have no sense of PG history, you might love this. And I honestly wonder what long time PG fans think. 

On to some moments.

The book opens with Johnny Sorrow having trapped PG and Omen in a mental dreamscape. The two are 'fans' of Sorrow but debate the merits of bubble gum flavored ice cream. (These walking and eating moments seem de riguer for comics these days and always make me cringe.)

Sorrow has released his 'Four Horseman', demons from subtle realms who will psychically ensnare the cities they are unleashed in, spreading to the entire country, and then the world. All because Sorrow wants to be with PG.

Here is another sort of cringe moment. Power Girl is sad because she says everything is her fault. She is responsible for the evil unleashed. She needs Omen to tell her not to 'victim blame' herself. That last panel of Omen pushing in PG's cheeks like a toddler is also cringey.

But the big thing here is that Power Girl would never and should never even pause to think this. This isn't the way she has been portrayed ever.

Sorrow's powers are so profound that even super-heroes, like the entire super family, are asleep in his clutches. 

Karen ... I'm sorry ... Paige goes to seek them out. We have already seen how PG feels isolated from the supers. She thinks they want nothing to do with her. And she also thinks she is somehow inferior to Supergirl. I'll say that this also doesn't sound at all like Power Girl.

Flying to Supergirl's apartment, she finds Kara asleep.

She then reads Kara's diary. Is that okay these days? Or is that some violation of privacy.

Regardless, it is nice to see these words where Kara is very positive about PG and wants to be close. We could have very easily have seen this go to a bratty Kara a la Jeph Loeb and Joe Kelly. So I was grateful for this. I think Phillip Kennedy Johnson's portrayal of Supergirl has helped. 

And then we learn Sorrow's weird motivation. He wants to take PG to Earth-2 where they can live forever. And he'll stop this attack on Earth-0 if she agrees.

But here is why. Some quotes from Sorrow about PG.

"I could hear your pain and loneliness. It was so potent that it reverberated even so far as the subtle realms."

"You think you don't belong anywhere."

"I have never experienced my own anguish mirrored in a manner so agonizingly pristine ...'

All that is missing is a Tom King Supergirl line about how PG has lived her life in constant pain. 

Power Girl feeling pain and loneliness and anguish? I think I have kept up pretty well with PG and this seems wrong. 

What is it with everyone wanting to twist Supergirl and Power Girl into damaged beings?

Retreating to her apartment, Paige is visited by a dream version of Kal-L. 

Here we learn that Power Girl is overwhelmed with survivor's guilt saying she'll never feel worthy of that love.

I know I sound like a broken record. But this also doesn't sound like the PG I know.

I don't mind character growth but this is like 180 degrees away from where I think PG has been.

I'll remind you that every super-hero has succumbed to the powers of Sorrow and his horseman.

So it seems weird that Catwoman is not only unaffected but able to take down an avatar of conflict. 

No sense.

In the end, PG is able to get her act together and simply punches Sorrow back to where he came from. This catastrophic, world threat is removed in literally 3 pages with Catwoman, Omen, and PG dissipating the horsemen and Sorrow.

Nothing left but the wrap-up now that everyone is awake.

There is this very nice moment between Supergirl and Power Girl. I wouldn't mind seeing these two team up soon.

Sauvage makes all these emotional moments powerful through expression and body language. 

Superman arrives and says outright that he would love to spend more time with PG.

But look at that top panel. PG talks about how she will be making mistakes and she isn't perfect and she isn't 'used to' this world. 

That is not the confident, 'I have been a member and led the JSA', Power Girl I know. It just feels so wrong.

Streaky decides he wants to live with Power Girl as well. I like that we have a male, lightning bold adorned, super-cat back in continuity. And with Kara and Krypto being so chummy, I am glad Streaky has someone new to love. 

PG has a history with cats anyways so that fits.

Streaky!

Earlier in the story, PG says she drained herself of all the "lazarus energy' when she punched Sorrow.

For me, that seemed like the perfect out to take away these psychic powers and go back to the PG we knew. But I guess it was a feint. She still has 'astral punches'.

So is it a decent Supergirl story? Yes. In a couple of brief moments we have an empathetic and caring Kara. (I don't always get to say that so it is worth highlighting.)

Is it a beautiful book. Without a doubt. The art and colors here will raise the book in grade.

But does this read like a Power Girl book? Not one I recognize. Maybe Williams was asked to take things in a bold new direction. But You wouldn't make Batman a coward. You wouldn't make Superman a creep. I don't think you should make Power Girl lack confidence and feel sorry for herself.

Overall grade: C