Power Girl: Power Trip

This collection of superheroine Power Girl’s adventures mixes snappy writing, splendid art, sex appeal, and high adventure. Sexy “cheesecake” artwork of curvy women is almost ubiquitous in superhero comic books, but fan-favorite scripters Johns, Gray, and Palmiotti give Power Girl an intelligence and resourcefulness more important than her bust size. Power Girl, whose secret identity is Karen Starr, CEO of tech company Starrware, searches for clues about her mysterious origin (a story satisfactorily wrapped up in the first third of the book). She battles against an intelligent gorilla, mentors a young teenage heroine, parries the advances of an alien lothario, and keeps her company afloat, all with charm and style and a nodding wink to the reader. Conner’s artwork is sexy, expressive, and lively: each character is distinct, with well-portrayed facial emotions and body language, whether he or she is throwing punches or watching a movie. Conner’s aptitude for portraying glamorous, strong women—without reducing them to impossible proportions—is a major plus. With clever scripts and her talented pen, this confident, sassy, and smart woman gives the book an effervescent energy that makes it a bright gem among recent superhero comics. [em](Feb.) [/em]