Power Girl #18 // Review
Peej is punting velociraptors. It’s not exactly something PETA would approve of. It’s actually kind of cruel given the level of strength she has as a Kryptonian. It’s kind of cruel to do that to an endangered species. But then...isn’t it actually extinct? Semantics are the least of the young Kryptonian’s concerns in Power Girl #18. Writer Leah Williams continues a fun and witty adventure with DC’s most enjoyable Kryptnoian in an issue brought to page and panel by artist David Baldeon. Color comes to the page courtesy of Romulo Fajardo Jr. After a bit of an uneasy early run in the series, Williams and company seem to have found an exhilarating energy for the new series.
It’s not a great situation. Power Girl and her friends are trapped inside a seemingly impenetrable barrier in the middle of a large, metropolitan city...a section of the city which is clearly at least partially occupied by dinosaurs that are more or less extinct. (Someone should really tell them that.) Unbeknownst to then, there are a couple of friends outside of the enclosed area who are trying to get Power Girl and company out.
Williams juggles quite a lot around the edges of a rather large ensemble without pulling Power Girl out of the center of the book. It’s a weird balancing act, but Williams does a brilliant job of it that feels remarkably crisp and enjoyable throughout. The overall feel of the adventure is light and breezy with the occasional bit of heavy action for contrast. The adventure shoots across the page with a deeply enjoyable rhythm and quite a bit of actual mystery as it all washes over the page. There’s a lot going on here, but none of it seems to bog-down the page. It all feels so very clever.
Baldeon’s clean, expressive lines amplify the drama and the humor of the premise while establishing remarkably slick visuals that roll quite well through the action as it all moves forward. There’s some rather deftly-framed action that is given some sharp attitude and atmosphere thanks to Fajardo’s colors. Above all, Power Girl and company manage to look beautiful and powerful in another tumble with danger. Emotion feels amplified on the page with cleverly hidden reservation. There are a number of time in the course of the story where the art could have gotten a bit out of hand, but Baldeon pulls it all back just enough to keep it from feeling any more ridiculous than is absolutely necessary to deliver Williams’ plot.
After a few less than memorable steps here and there in the course of the first year or so, Williams’ Power Girl feels like she’s established a nice style that pays homage to where the character has been before while still forging ahead in an appealing new direction. The new ensemble seems to be working out with a great sense of style as Power Girl finds herself in peril that feels quite distinctly her own.
