Power Girl #1 soars with a new series for the Dawn of DC. Kara Zor-L has an interesting past from her introduction in All Star Comics #58 (1976). Power Girl joined the Justice Society of America. She was sent from Krypton to save her super cousin similar to Supergirl, but this was Earth-Two. At one time she had an Atlantean origin! Power Girl’s trademark was her short, blond hair and risque cutout outfit. Kara after the Lazarus Planet event found she had psychic powers. She teamed up with fellow heroine, Omen, to form a superhero counseling business. Her new identity is as Dr. Paige Stetler. The first issue has a Gary Frank cover with Power Girl waking from a yacht on fire.
“Gangs All Here” is written by Leah Williams and has Eduardo Pansica. Suicide Squad #7 (2021) featured the art of Pansica. Williams also wrote the Power Girl back-up story, “Head Like a Whole” starting with Action Comics #1051 (2023). We begin at Metropolis Harbor with a closeup of protestors including a man with a bullhorn shouting, “Humans First! Aliens Never!” At the dock, there is a handful of protestors as we see a yacht. Then, a medium shot of the well dressed party goers. Interesting that the yacht is floating next to the dock with the protestors and also that a simple call would get police to watch them. They all laugh unconcerned about the angry protestors.
We move into the yacht interior and see the banner showing the Black Tie Benefit presented by Steelworks, the newly formed security company of John Henry Irons, and the Daily Planet. Among the party goers, we hear the conversation of one guest who is uncomfortable in her gown. Her partner, Lilith Clay aka Omen, pours a drink with a wry smile. She first appeared in Teen Titans #25 (1970), a former member of that group. There is a splash page of Paige in her red, ballroom gown leaning against the bar talking with Lillith. I do like that she has a different secret identity name rather than just having an "L" different than Supergirl's Kryptonian name.
There is an announcement, but Lillith, in her bartender uniform, leans in to say that she doesn’t know about drinks, but can read the minds of customers. Paige takes a drink while the speech goes on behind them, a nice detail, but Lillith tries to warn her that it is lemon juice! We get Lillith’s nickname for Power Girl, Princess Peej, P.G. for Power Girl. She is called up by the m.c. and Kara’s thinks about how she is fitting in with the Super Family. Also, how Jon Kent gave her the name Paige from Lillith’s nicknames! She elegantly walks up to the microphone as Paige thinks that Superman helped set up the event to establish her new secret identity. Love the connection to the other Super titles, but not forcing readers to pick up more comics to understand the story.
Paige mentions that currrent devices have costs. She points out the auction items, technological devices in tubes, “donated”, Lillith using telepathic speech, by space smugglers! She says this as a mysterious, devilishly red man, an alien?, in a tux is behind her. Paige also brings up the artwork brought by Atlanteans. We see a closeup of the stranger with dreadloks as others clap at Paige’s speech. Lilith brings up the smuggler in question, Noa, whom Paige had to use to come up with the auction items. Paige finds one item not in a tube, an orange, crystal/organic shape. There was a strange plant, Black Mercy, that was also unusual in Superman Annual #11 (1985).
It reacts to her, but she is interrupted by a young man, Axel Guff, who says he works for an organization that wants her to work for them. She wonders about his employers, but one of the alien leader's guards takes out a weapon from his jacket and shape-shifts into a greenish alien with spikes. Axel is another mystery who may be connected to the larger story. The leader bursts from his tux and says that they all might survive as more aliens begin the attack! Party goers leap overboard as there is an explosion. Axel suddenly notices that Dr. Stetler is no longer there. We get in a series of closeups, Paige taking out her hair clip and putting away her glasses.
In her full Power Girl uniform with red jacket, blue gloves and boots, she burns her gown with her heat vision! A great costume change plus we have Omen also in her green and black uniform. The alien leader, his name is Amalak, says that he is there to take back the auction items. Power Girl flies towards him and Amalak blast he arm with some thunderous black liquid. She freezes the liquid with her super-breath and shatters it! Amalak sees the S insignia on her jacket and says she’s Kryptonian! He unleashes an electrical blast from a rifle that makes her scream. I really like a danger even though Power Girl has all of the super abilities! Omen holds off the other aliens using some form of jetpack above the yacht. There is some great action by Pansica.
An Atlantean on a boat tries to recover some of the party goers in the water. Power Girl, in a closeup of her face and then fist, wonders how he can have a weapon to affect Kryptonians. Omen and the Atlantean are busy evacuating the civilians. Power Girl flies the villain away from the yacht and then returns Amalak when it is clear. He uses a sonic blast from his wrist gauntlet. He says Kryptonians thought his people were inferior and his world died. She says she is from another Krypton, but this doesn’t deter Amalak! In the middle of the battle, Omen wonders if Paige fed Streaky the Super Cat! The battle with Amalak is not over, Streaky still needs to be fed, and there is another disaster that might be tied to the strange crystal/organic object! Power Girl is a clever comic with two heroines that might be out of their league with this new villain, but still having fun!
Five Eyeglasses out of Five!
#PowerGirl, #GangsAllHere, #LeahWilliams, #EduardoPansica, #LillithClay, #Omen, #Noa, #AxelGruff, #Amalak
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