Power Girl #1

Power Girl is yet another in a long line of DC heroines who has a confusing back story (along with Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Supergirl, Batgirl, the original Wonder Girl and the new Wonder Girl).

She was originally created to be the Earth-2 version of Superman's cousin Kara (Supergirl), but under Wally Wood's skillful pen, she was rendered in a much more, uh, pneumatic style than Supergirl ever was (not that I'm complaining).

Then the Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, and Earth-2 was written off - but no one had the heart to get rid of Power Girl, so her origin changed, and she became related to the magician Arion of Atlantis and... well, it never made much sense.

Finally, in a recent mini-series by Geoff Johns, it was explained that she was really... Superman's cousin from the Krypton of Earth-2, and an anomaly on our world who somehow survived the Crisis. It was as good an explanation as any.

So now, finally, Power Girl has her own ongoing series, and it's been placed in the creative hands of writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. They turn in a solid effort here, as they sorta kinda recap her origin and set her up with a new life in New York.

That gets interrupted during an attack by a bunch of aliens that seem to have stepped right out of the (excellent) Bioshock game. It's a fast-paced issue that's rolling out on a big stage - it's all very encouraging!

But the real star of the issue is the artwork by Amanda Conner, who I've raved about before. Her style is fresh, fun and energetic, and she handles the big action sequences and the quiet personal moments with equal skill. She's one of the best artists working in the field today, and personally, I'll follow her on any book. And her style is perfect for this kind of superhero adventure, as she adds loads of personality to each page.

It's great to see this book being handled by a team that seems to have a clear vision of who Power Girl is, and where she's going. The character has needed that for decades.

Grade: A-