The Ultra Humanite arc draws to a close as Power Girl proves she’s more than just good looks. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
What They Say:
Power Girl battles Ultra-Humanite! And things get ugly as the two powerful beings come to blows!
The Review:
Like most new mainstream series, Power Girl opens up with a three issue arc to establish things. Ultra Humanite’s plan to become something even more powerful was pretty well thought out in general as he went for the overpowered hot superhero so he can use her body and put his mind in there. Granted, you’d think he’d want to go after a male body (there are a few duller than rock male heroes out there that would qualify) since if you’re going to be the most powerful villain in the world, you wouldn’t want to cope with female issues. Providing Kryptonian women have to deal with that of course. The mistake that Humanite made though is that he saw her only as most guys do in that she’s got little on, blonde and is essentially a super powered brawler. Someone like that, in his eyes, wouldn’t have a whole lot going on inside her head.
Karen’s personality shines through rather well in this issue since she knows some of her powers aren’t exactly all that high brow and are the kinds that generally aren’t used in modern day creations, like her super cold breath. Which helps her get out of the jam here at the start. Her brawler ways gets her into more trouble when she takes Humanite down with just a few slugs and in turn causes his place to become a time bomb to destruction since he can’t control it anymore. Being the twisted creative genius he is, he made the control room a cross between 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Phantom of the Opera with its organs. But because of what she did to him, burning his fur off essentially, his fingers are stubs that can’t play. Humanite is actually more fun in this form since he’s all pissy about how she did this to him and likes that she’s going to pay the price for it.
Admittedly, there isn’t a whole lot of tension here because this isn’t an event book and Manhattan isn’t going to be toasted because she can’t figure out how to save the city. What makes it interesting is in seeing how they get her to solve the problem, especially after having her make it plain she’s got brains to go with the… beauty. The actual way she does it makes sense, but I disliked how she went to get help from everyone else first, if only because none of them were able to. The JSA are all dealing with the fallout below, but wouldn’t it make sense to sacrifice a couple of hundred on the ground for Alan Scott or Jay Garrick to get up high to save the millions that are on the large chunk of land that will come crashing down? It’s not an unexpected plot point, but showing what the others were doing just painted them as not seeing the bigger picture rather than forcing Karen to step up and deal with it herself.
One thing that is new to me here is the Terra character, which I had not met in previous DC books I had read sporadically in trades the last few years. She has a very useful role in trying to save things here and just a little reading about her on Wikipedia has me intrigued to see what this new incarnation of an old favorite is like. Considering the past that the previous Terra has had, taking on the name here doesn’t exactly give her a promising future. Though the interaction with Power Girl is minimal overall, it’s definitely appealing to see her having someone that’s definitely unlike her in terms of power and personality to work with. While Power Girl is most definitely the star, Terra offers a lot of potential based on the few panels here with how she views the world and her own place in it.
Digital Notes:
This Comixology edition of Power Girl leads with the Amanda Conner cover but also includes the Adam Hughes cover, a practice that I definitely approve of as a very fan friendly thing and gives the digital editions just that little bit more value for appreciating the artwork.
In Summary:
The opening arc to Power Girl has me lamenting the days when a new book would launch with a ten or twelve issue plan of where to go. The conclusion to the Ultra Humanite arc is decent enough as it shows off her powers well, that she’s more than just a beauty and we get a clear sense of the way she wants to rebuild and restart her life but will be confounded by old foes and problems. If you were reading the character for the first time, this arc definitely helped explain some of her past and why she’s a bit light natured about it, instead focusing on the future and what can be accomplished. Her personality shines through very well here and Amanda Conner really nails her facial expressions in a number of scenes that shows her frustration and other emotions. While overall a standard story, it works well. But the setup pages don’t exactly a lot of confidence for the next storyline. Here’s hoping for more of her company material and more of her growing relationship with Terra.
Grade: B-
