What are you lookin' at?

Power Girl #9
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art and Cover: Amanda Conner
Colors: Paul Mounts
DC Comics
February 17, 2010

How flat-out fun is this comic? Let’s put it this way: If the sight of gat-toting elephants and rhinos robbing a bank doesn’t do it for you, it’s time to find another hobby. Better still, the mutant wildlife gone, uh, wild are drawn by Amanda Conner, who has quickly become one of my favorite illustrators. Conner’s style — expressive and fun without being cartoony — is a great match for the witty spirit that writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti bring to Power Girl.

I didn’t immediately love this comic when it debuted last year, and frankly, PG has always been high on the Characters I Don’t Care About list. But with the last couple of issues, the writing/art team has hit its stride to make Power Girl a comic that’s as entertaining as it is gorgeous to look at. (Spoilers ahead!)

Barely recovered from a dinner date with Vartox that involved a “pregno-ray,” Power Girl takes on the lawless animal invaders by doing what she does best — beating the bejesus out of them. Then, major hater Satanna shows up wielding a sonic boom hammer, unflattering body armor from the “Transformers” collection and a grudge.

It’s a good thing Satanna’s got that hammer, because taunting a Kryptonian with lines like, “OK, bitch; come get some!” is otherwise inadvisable. But it’s also funny, and Power Girl is full of genuinely funny moments. One involves Power Girl ending up naked on her apartment steps, with her famous assets covered only by a strategically illustrated bunch of carrots. It’s just one of several panels that shows off Conner’s gift for facial expressions. PG has a sense of humor! Who knew?

As a superhero comics fan suffering from event fatigue, I’m glad I gave Power Girl another chance. It’s a breath of fresh air.