Power Girl, Vol. 2: Aliens and Apes

Power Girl (2009) #2

by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Amanda Conner (Illustrator)

The fan-favorite writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (JONAH HEX, TERRA) team with popular aritst Amanda Conner (JSA CLASSIFIED, TERRA) for the rip-roaring solo adventures of Power Girl. She bursts from the pages of the JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA to star in her own series. In this volume, Power Girl, having defeated Ultra-Humanite, now must contend with Satanna and her animal menagerie, who have returned to avenge her fallen lover. If that wasn't enough, the alien Zartox has called upon Power Girl to help save his dying planet.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

James "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.

Photo by Luigi Novi.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the breast superhero DC have, the character who should probably be called Boob Window Girl after what everyone really remembers her for: Kara Zor-L aka Powah Girl!

Let’s just address the two big elephants in the room right now: her spectacular chesticles. Or really her entire look which screams porn star and/or female superhero parody: the EE cups and her killer bod combined with that revealing onesie that includes the iconic boob window and the barely-concealed crotch and bum. Yeah, she’s a walking talking wet dream. And so what? Let your SJW friend wring their hands as they log onto Tumblr to get righteously indignant over Power Girl’s look because it’s part of who she is; it doesn’t bother her, it doesn’t bother me, it probably doesn’t bother you, and this book, Aliens and Apes, is pretty damn good partly because of her outfit!

(For those oversensitive feminist types, this book actually does pass the Bechdel Test, that ridiculously arbitrary set of made up rules that are so important to the brainwashed left. AND there’s a male character trapped in a female body here too so there you go, there’s even a trans person in this one, how nice and trendy!)

Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti play into Kara’s look by having an alien spacehunk from a world where the ‘60s never ended try to woo her into repopulating his race with him. But how could he fall for her grace, intelligence and personality when they’ve only just met? Oh… And it’s that knowing sleazy tone that makes the story work especially as it gives the writers the chance to pull the rug out from under the reader at the moment where you think things could get really skeevy.

Later on Kara fights the Humanite (who I gather played a big role in the first volume too) who’s taken over her friend Terra’s body - superhero fighting ensues! Except with the added nuance of Kara trying to protect Terra’s body while figuring out how to get the Humanite out of her brain. That makes the fighting so much more interesting as it’s not just a slugfest, there’s a cerebral element (literally!) to it too.

Gray/Palmiotti also include some charming subplots in between the larger stories like Kara’s day to day routine (she’s trying her hand at a human secret identity, Karen Starr, who’s running a new startup), and a teen boy who blackmails her into making him seem cool to his friends by being his “date” to the comic shop on New Comic Book Day (Wednesday for the uninitiated).

The smaller scenes are really fun too like Kara spending a page watching her cat be a cat while figuring out a better name for him than “Stinky”, or figuring out how to eat a living alien appetiser. Little details like this that don’t need to be in the comic but show a lot of thought has gone into it that only added to the overall reading experience.

Yup, there are some campy Carry-On-type moments like when Kara rushes out of her flat in a tiny towel only for it to slip off and some strategically-placed grocery items being held by a neighbour carefully conceals her glory, and the “bathing suits” (or cellotape to you and me) she wears to the alien spa; but whatever - why not play to those readers too? She got the goods and her body’s rockin’, ain’t nothin’ wrong with a-window shoppin’! It’s offset by their infrequency and the sheer amount of work on Kara’s character anyway. Comics like this clearly shows that she’s far more than her looks.

Amanda Conner’s art is gorgeous, like it always is. She draws Kara beautifully especially as she’s an artist with a deep appreciation for the female form in its most exaggerated state and the facial and body expressions are among the most perfect you’ll see in any comic, superhero or otherwise. She likes to draw scantily-clad ladies and she does it well, more powah to you, girl!

The main storylines are a bit shallow at times but the subplots and smaller scenes, as well as Conner’s sublime art, combine to create a wholly satisfying superhero book. I’ve never read a Power Girl comic before but I’m definitely encouraged to seek out more off the back of this. In playfully addressing and working Power Girl’s look into the story, the creative team has made a uniquely entertaining superhero comic that proudly embraces what it is rather than reactively seek to change/apologise for it to suit ultra-liberal outrage tourists. Bravo!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tell ya, these Power Girl stories just keep throwing me for a loop. Just when I think I'm in for a harmless little romp full of silliness and misunderstandings....BAM! Decapitation! Or when I’m so certain that PG is going to let the villain off with yet another stern warning that I preemptively start rolling my eyes....ZAP! Dismemberment! Not being able to pin down the tone and direction is part of the fun. And this volume is a lot of fun.

For those who are unwilling to read a Power Girl comic because they feel she represents sexist stereotypes, I'd encourage you to give this series a shot. There's a lot to like about these stories, and you might be surprised at how well-rounded the character is. Uh, bad word choice. You know what I mean.

While the entire Power Girl series spans four volumes, Aliens and Apes is actually the final book from the creative team of Gray, Palmiotti, and Conner. No wonder we saw all the sidekicks, villains and supporting characters make an appearance on the last issue. It was sort of a farewell to a brief but enjoyable run. 

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a helluva lot of fun. PG gets mixed up with a space-born lothario who needs to repopulate his planet, and found PG was his ideal candidate. The action is ridiculous, the dialogue is over the top and the interactions are so down-to-earth silly and low-tension - it's just the most playful ride I've had since discovering Atomic Robo. I grew to actually like the sleazy emperor of a remote planet who cop's with anyone he likes, and is just oblivious to reasons why a self-determined female wouldn't drop at his feet for the chance to experience his charms. *That's* how well this creative team sells the story - fun, witty and playful.

The battle story with old foes was pretty cool, self-aware and a little saccharine. Here we're seeing more of Palmiotti/Gray's "PG is a softie on the inside" writing for our hero, and I'm willing to go along with it as long as they don't make her out to be a total sap. Which they come damned close to, but I give them a pass for not exaggerating - just spending a little quality time with the inner, not-entirely-sure-who-she-is Kara.

Kara gets sucked in to a therapeutic session with her sidekick and ends up having some more emotional moments, and while I'm wary of being a little over-condescended-to by a couple of dudes trying to wax feminine, it's not a bad scene - just feels a little forced.

Overall though I had a ton of fun with this team on their PG run, and I'm going to seek out both the writers and the artists and pray they channelled these fun/comedic/witty talents in other books too. Please?

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

[John Wiswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This same review will appear for both Volumes 1 and 2. Both were written by the same duo and drawn by the same artist. They’re highly complimentary to each other, not telling many particularly deep long stories, but issues referenced each other and the approach to comics storytelling is solid across the entire run.

Power Girl is a delight. It’d have to be to get any non-pig to admit he loved reading a book about a bulletproof blonde with huge boobs. Even the cover art embarrasses you in front of family. But Amanda Connor’s art channels cheesecake and unflinchingly marries it to cartoonish cuteness, ridiculous fashion designs, humor, and an amazing array of expression. Between faces and bodies, Connor might be one of the most expressive artists in the U.S. It helps that her cast often isn’t bound by gravity, flying all over the place and slamming into spaceships or meteors, but even sitting in a movie theatre, her characters have real character.

Palmioti and Gray enable Connor on every page. This is a ridiculous premise: essentially a Superman character who is easier on the eyes, doubling as the CEO of a goody-goody company, with a sidekick from a secret underground city, defending a metropolis from evil gorillas and extraterrestrials. Palmioti and Gray’s first step was embracing that it’s preposterous. They either reintroduced or invented the right antagonists (like that evil gorilla, who is motivated to possess her body). They set up hilarious moments, like Power Girl changing into her costume in an alley and it earning a mistaken toast from a bum. By creating an atmosphere that’s not quite real but not quite superheroism either, they’re able to unload some brilliant twists, including a few solutions to classic SciFi doom scenarios that one imagines they’ve had in mind ever since they were kids. I struggle not to spoil those twists, and so will close saying that it’s just a damned charming read.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

You really understand why the author was let go from this book series after this edition. It was so tongue in cheek that it was quite painful to read.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just read Terra and then went back and read the first volume of Power Girl, Vol. 1: A New Beginning prior to this.

This continues the theme with great action scenes, wonderful character interaction between PG and Terra and the gorgeous art of Amanda Conner. I really can't emphasise enough how great her artwork is. She nails characters and particularly facial expressions injecting life into even the smallest scenes. There's always something going on and I think some of the most enjoyable sections (writing and art) are when PG is chilling in her civilian life, mooching round her flat and feeding her cat.

It's fun, it's great to look at, PG still rocks the cheesecake and it's all very charming. Such a shame that the creative team changed after this.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Utterly fantastic. This is one of the warmest, most upbeat, least cynical titles I've read in...well...since Owly, Vol. 1: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer! Even better, it involves an extended parody of "Zardoz", complete with a character who looks suspiciously like Sean Connery flying around in a giant head-ship.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully fun romp by the team of Connor, Grey and Palmiotti. I can not think of anyone anywhere who would have done such and enjoyable spoof of both Sean Connery and Zardoz (possibly one of the worst movies ever). In addition, they do something few other creative teams have and give Kara a personality. She remains the sex bomb who often rather hit first and ask questions later. Here though they give her some depth, as an example seeking psychiatric help for a villain instead of pounding him into the ground.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighthearted superhero fare with a sharp wit and tongue-in-cheek sense of itself.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend gave this to me a while back. While I have little interest in Power Girl, there's almost no reason not to read anything drawn by Amanda Conner. And the art's great here, no doubt.

Story's pretty solid too, actually. Quirky, fun, tongue-in-cheek - I really wish there were more superhero comics with this tone. The scripts weren't anything to write home about, but they entertained, and if I cared a whit about Power Girl, I'd buy more of this run.

[Clay Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own volumes 1-3 of this series and would own 4 and on if they weren't so rare and expensive.

Totally a fun light read, lots of humor and of course power girl is drawn beautifully. Because of these books I have a real interest in tracking her down in other dc stories... anyone recommend any good volumes or books she appears in a big way?

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As entertaining as the first volume, with good art to match. Amanda Conner’s art is a good match for the on point writing.

[Burton Olivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good. They really do everything so well, from the big superhero fights to the small human moments.

[Amani Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never was a fan of Power Girl until I read this. Lovely!

[Ray Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love how Power Girl crushes the Apes device over her head then use's it as weapon on him.

[Rick Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first volume of this series a few weeks ago and had been looking forward to getting back for some more of Power Girl's adventures. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti continue to write the series and have Power Girl and her sidekick Terra face off against Satanna and Ultra-Humanite in a continuation of the story from the first volume. They also bring Vartox, a character created in the 1970's to look like Sean Connery from the movie Zardoz, into the story as he tries to get Power Girl to mate with him after his whole planet in sterilized. The story continues to be really silly, especially the Vartox parts of the story. His part is over-the-top silly. While the story is not truly great, it is lots of fun. The writing gets 4 stars.

Amanda Conner also comes back as the artist for the series. Her art continues to fit the silly tone of the story. Conner is capable of turning out some good looking characters, but chooses to give them, especially Power Girl, silly facial expressions. She also isn't able to draw action that well. The characters are in awful poses in the fight scenes and make faces like they're constipated. When the action is over and people are just standing around having normal conversations is when Conner is at her best. Oh, and the scenes that involve Power Girl's cat. The cat steals the scene in the issues in which he appears. Art gets 3.5 stars.

4 stars for writing and 3.5 stars for art gives this book an overall 3.75 score. I rounded it up to 4 stars for this site. This series was never gonna win any awards with this creative staff, but they made a really fun and often hilarious story that had me laughing out loud at certain points. The writers and artist both change with the start of the next volume. I'm not sure who the new writer is, but Sami Basri takes over art duty and he excels in delivering gorgeous characters. I'll be picking the next volume up some time soon.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this tone of this series, it's just so fun.

Yes Power Girl has very unique features and it's the first thing people see when they see the character. But she's more than looks and under the wonderful guidance of this creative team she is a wonderfully fresh and fun character to read.

World: The art is absolutely wonderful, Palmiotti/Conner is quickly becoming one of my favorite teams. The expressions, the framing, the colors and backgrounds it all so beautiful and full of life and character that it makes this book stand out and the characters endearing to the nth degree. The world building here is great, there's not a lot but Karen's little slice of the DCU is all hers and it's so tonally different from everything else you can't help but fall in love. Just read it.

Story: I loved it! I read the New52 version of Harley first and coming back to this series I see all the characters that this creative team created that actually made their debut here. It's great. The story is fast and well writing, the pacing wonderful and the tone and humor is a delight. This is just a purely fun read, and Karen is just a lovely character to read. The story with her secret identity was fun and endearing the stuff with Satanna was quirky and over the top and Vartox is just another thing altogether. Oh and the last little bit with Wonder Woman, it's so beautiful and fun it's why I love this series so much.

Characters: Karen is just a fun character to read. Her personal voice is so strong and her dialog is so unique and fun. Atlee being her sounding board is also great, I want more Atlee! The arc that Karen goes through this arc is great and her interactions with other characters makes her character so much more and informs how deep and wonderful she is. Just read it.

This is just a wonderful book and this creative team is just amazing, I will read anything they write, it's so good.

Onward to the next book!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tucked away behind all the events based around 40 years of continuity that seem to run mainstream comics these days, there have been a few lonely titles out there that pretty much make their own way in the world and end up being really strong. The recent (and soon to return) Incredible Hercules, Booster Gold, and Blue Beetle are just a few. Power Girl definitely belongs on that list.

While it has a lot of the wacky whimsy that still make golden age books fun, it's fully up to date with character development and plots that feel like they mean something. The opening story of this collection, for example, features a lecherous, speedo-wearing, super-powered man who travels to Earth in search of a mate to help him repopulate his homeworld. He sets a nearly unstoppable interdimensional monster loose on the Earth, with the idea that his defeating it will impress Power Girl and lure her towards his ultimate goal. Needless to say, things go awry very quickly.

Gray and Palmiotti do a great job in making a character that really was a one-note joke in the 70's and 80's actually interesting and worthwhile. Yes, she strides around in spandex showing way too much cleavage to get into most restaraunts, but she can stand toe-to-toe with Superman and she runs her own tech company. As she says part-way in the book, "She's a person who happens to be a beautiful woman". If Wonder Woman were half as much fun as this title more people might care about her, too.

Sadly, I think this lacks a real teen hook. Although I think a number of teen might like it. Wish I read the first volume last year so I could have nominated it.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, this one was way over the top. A half naked man appears to "mate with" Power Girl. His planet needs to reproduce. He has picked Power Girl as the perfect "mate" to help re... hmm reproduce might not be the correct word. Something like that. He arrives in a giant spaceship in the shape of his own head. He fires guns with his scent to overpower his targets senses. He unleashes an invincible enemy creature that required many many superwarriors, maybe a whole galaxy worth, to contain it. To show his macho-ness. Then there's this pregno-ray.

That's just one story line. Then there's the one wherein monkey boy from previous issue's best friend forever decides to unleash her animal humanoid army on Power Girl in response to Power Girl's treatment of her BFF. Part of the over-top-ness is this supervillains willingness, reluctant willingness, to fuck another supervillain so she can get a weapon guaranteed to kill a Kryptionian.

There are so many story-lines. There's one where Power Girl's BFF Terra loses her brain. Then another wherein they go to Terra's city. Then, for no real reason, Terra and Power Girl strip down and put on, as Power Girl calls the outfit "thought balloons" - basically swimsuits which are even more revealing that Power Girl's normal outfit.

As I said, way over the top. It was also kind of fun, so there's that.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An actual comic that manages to balance 'good girl' art and really good writing.
I know what you are thinking: No way! That's as rare as an honest politician!', but this comic does it.

The writers scrape all the angst from Power Girl and just concentrate on fun, larger than life super heroes stories, with the occasional message, nice little character bits, actually funny humor that doesn't hurt the story and a real sense of fun.

I love Power girls sidekick, Terra and Vartox, the 70's sci-fi adventurer/ galactic ladies man are two of my new favorite characters, both deserving of their own comics.

Amanda Conner's art is perfect as the women are gorgeous, the monsters are scary, the 'real world' scenes look real and the funky sci-fi elements look suitably spacey and funky.

Yes, there are alot of cheese cake shots of Power Girl, but nearly all of them fit the story and they have a nice cheesecake feel to them, as opposed to 99% of the other 'good girl' art in comics which feels forced and inappropriate.

Great series, but a great creative team.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The humor of this series is what helps propel it, as the Power Girl history is filled with a menagerie of unknowns. Aside from the Ultra-Humanite - who received a much different treatment in the animated Justice League series - most of PG's cast and foes are unknown. While I admire Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmotti for not shying away from jokes based on her "assets," the threats and serious portions are still lacking. Luckily I have Wikiedia to help me with Satanna and the latest Terra, or else I would be totally lost!

[Gabriel Wallis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think "Power Girl: Aliens and Apes" (volume 2) was better than "Power Girl: A New Beginning" (volume 1). There just seemed to be a little more drama in the story than action. Volume 1 had a lot of epic action in it, and volume 2 seemed to be a little more dramatic. Power Girl was faced with the romancing of Vartox the Hyper-Man, and fought against Satanna, who was bent on revenge. That's pretty much all that happened. It just needed a little more earth-shattering action. But I'll still finish the Power Girl series, since I only have two more graphic novels to go.

[Andrew Uys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the 1st volume in this POWER GIRL series by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Conner, "Aliens and Apes" is at times hilarious, action-packed, and nicely moving. The (re)introduction of Terra takes up the majority of the graphic novel, and is a total blast. Best yet, it makes for an easy stand alone read too! Some if DC Comics best work before they decided to do the Flashpoint event & launch the NEW 52.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artist has an amazing ability to capture emotions in a character's face (Power Girl's expressions are priceless); I just wish she'd laid off the ironic boobage. I enjoyed the alien storyline more than the ape one, just beware the alien's formal attire. Not entirely sure when I finished this one, as it was a review for work.

[Keya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second volume of the Palmiotti/Gray/Conner run on PG is even better than the first one in my opinion. Which makes the drastic changes in the first arc of the Winick/Basri run all the more disappointing. Keep reading beyond this volume only if you're a die hard PG fan, otherwise let it end on a high note.

[Dirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many reasons for you to pick up this book it's difficult to name just one. But if had to pick just one ... the phrase "Bask in the seduction musk distilled from tears of the ghost poets of Dimension Seven!" would be in there somewhere.

[Allen Setzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another casualty of DC's All New 52. Power Girl's last series was tremendous. Well crafted stories with great humor, action, dialogue and art. It reminded me of the last couple of She-Hulk series in the last half of the 2000s. They both were incredibly fun to read and never disappointed.

[Michael Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly Palmiotti and Conner's run on Power Girl was only 12 issues. This is the second of the two trade paperbacks that are available. Some real funny stories and moments in here that made it worth reading.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The crazy adventures of Power Girl continue as she takes on Ultra-Humanite's girlfriend Satanna, and encounters the reappearance of several characters (some of whom she'd wished to never see again!). This book is hilarious and fun to read.