A year after DC Comics re-launched their universe under the
New 52 initiative, the company introduced a second wave of books to replace
those that had been cancelled. Among the new titles was Worlds’ Finest, starring the fan-favourites Power Girl and Huntress.
Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated jointly by George Perez and Kevin
Maguire, Worlds’ Finest had
everything it needed to please fans. Unfortunately, many were
displeased with Power Girl’s costume and the return of Helena Wayne (and, therefore,
the death of Helena Bertinelli). Could this have been DC Comics’ biggest
misstep?
When an alternate Earth is on the brink of destruction, two
of its heroes – Supergirl and Robin – are transported to another world. Now
stranded on an Earth not unlike their own, the pair are determined to find
their way back home. In the meantime Supergirl transforms herself into the bodacious Power
Girl, while Robin becomes the stealthy vigilante known as the Huntress. Honestly, the premise has promise. The pacing is a little bit slower than
usual and spends time in both the past and present, so it gives the characters
ample opportunity to show off their personality. Power Girl is a single-minded
individual whose determination to get back home has become an obsession. She’s
blossomed into a business tycoon and has more sass than she knows what to do
with. Huntress, on the other hand, is very much a realist. She’s more or less
relegated herself to life on this new world. Also front and center is their indisputable friendship. These two women clearly care about one another and their
banter is truly quite funny at times. It’s refreshing to read a comic where the women
get along and aren’t spending every waking moment reflecting on their
relationships with men. In fact, it may even remind some of Gail Simone's early work on Birds of Prey.
While Paul Levitz may have come under fire for his writing,
the biggest point of contention should be on the art. The story itself is fun
and light, while the characters are equally as bubbly and tenacious.
Unfortunately, the decision to split the art between Perez and Maguire brings
the title down. Perez takes care of all panels relating to the present. His art
has aged poorly and is terribly clunky. The main females look disappointingly
dull and his decision to draw Power Girl with a flipped hairstyle is a crime.
For all the people complaining about the lack of a boob window, they really
should have been focused on the fact that she’s wearing a hairstyle from 2000.
She’s supposed to be a CEO for crying out loud! To go back to the boob window fiasco, what was the point of covering the character up if Perez was just going to draw her in tatters half the time anyway? Maguire’s art, however, is
bursting with character. The heroes are expressive and full of life. He should
have been given full art duties, rather than just the panels focused on the
past.
Given all of the criticism Worlds’ Finest has received, it’s safe to say that the book has
suffered from a severe case of nitpicking. When stripped down to its core
components, the title has everything it needs to succeed. It’s funny at times
and has tremendous heart at others. Power Girl is still as brash as she’s always been and
Levitz has taken great care to emphasize her skills as a businesswoman
(something that largely fell to the wayside previously). The contrast between the
two main characters is right on point and their chemistry is fantastic. Though
it may not be one of DC Comics’ best titles (not every title can be as stunning as Batwoman or as impressive as Wonder Woman), it is one of the few that truly
showcases the importance of friendship.
Rating: B
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