Comic Book Pull of the Week: ‘Power Girl Special #1’

DC Comics has been on a tear in 2023 with their new Dawn of DC initiative. The publishing powerhouse has been releasing hit books weekly, with notable standouts like Tom Taylor’s Nightwing and G. Willow Wilson’s Poison Ivy.

Coming back into the mix is Kara from Earth-2, who now goes by Paige—Power Girl. Power Girl Special #1, by Leah Williams and Marguerite Sauvage, offers readers a look into what she has been up to since the latest Lazarus Planet event.

In this event, Power Girl obtains psychic powers. In the days following, she learns to deal with them with fellow psychic Lilith Clay—Omen. Power Girl is adapting to life on Earth Prime, but still hasn’t overcome the loss of the life she left behind. Power Girl Special #1 is an exploration of grief in a multitude of layers.

The issue starts out with Paige and Lilith trapped in Johnny Sorrow‘s psychic trance. After the two break free, they learn Sorrow has spread his four horseman all over the United States, each possessing a power that manipulates the surrounding humans.

To defeat these beings, Paige uncovers an aspect of herself by dealing with her own guilts and griefs throughout the issue. In a last ditch attempt, Power Girl enters Kara’s house seeking help—who is unconscious due to Sorrow’s psychic abilities. Paige and Kara don’t have the best relationship, even though they are essentially “multiversal” versions of each other.

In the house, Paige finds Kara’s diary and learns that she wishes her and Paige were closer. The journal reads, “I am not her adversary, nor her competition. We are something beyond family, and we should be close.”

Paige is later sent to a realm of her own subconscious—the Wall of Awful as Lilith calls it. Within, she sees a vision of the Superman of her world—Kal-L. They talk about Paige’s loss, guilt, and grief. This is where Leah Williams shines with her poetic writing.

“Love is when your cup runneth over. But grief is hollow, a chasm. There is no negotiating with grief. It does what it wants to you, when it wants. You will never outgrow or outrun it. But… you can find ways to grow around it.”

—Leah Williams, Power Girl Special #1

Power Girl breaks through and escapes, eventually taking down many of the horseman and Sorrow herself. By the end, she reconvenes with the Super family and shares a moment with the Superman of Earth Prime. She explains that she wants to stay on Earth Prime, but she’s going to make mistakes; she’s going to mess up. Clark smiles, says that the family loves her, and he would love to spend more time with her.

Power Girl is a bit tricky, as new readers would have to come in knowing about DC’s multiverse. Paige is from Earth-2 and the main DC Universe is on Earth Prime. If a new reader can absorb that, and comprehend that Paige has new psychic abilities from a recent arc, then Power Girl #1 is a good spot to understand Power Girl’s entire mindset.

We see a little bit of Power Girl’s new surrounding cast through her relationship with Omen. Paige shows off her new powers by the end, mimicking that of Marvel’s America Chavez by punching portals to the astral plane. For readers who want a head start on Power Girl’s new solo title dropping in September, this is a must grab.

Leah Williams absolutely crushes the dialogue in this one shot. Paige and Lilith’s friendship seems completely natural and reads incredibly easily. The humor is spot on, as I get a good chuckle in reading Paige say “I’th kick your bud” when her faced is squished by Omen.

The art from Marguerite Sauvage is also top class. Everyone and everything looks absolutely beautiful. Panels are laid out splendidly, the four horseman have incredibly cool and sleek designs, and the details in Paige and Lilith’s faces is remarkable when needed. All of this is brought to life by Marguerite’s and Marissa Louise’s colors. The mix of light pastels contrasting Power Girl’s the bold red jacket makes each page pop.

In this issue, we are gifted with a backup of Fire and Ice by Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos. This is perfect for newer readers who do not know these characters, and the backup gives a good look into each of their lives and personalities—a perfect gateway for the new Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville series launching in September.

Overall, Power Girl #1 is a beautiful surprise on my weekly comic pulls. It is my favorite issue of the week—which says a lot, considering Jed MacKay’s Doctor Strange #3 is excellent as well. This is a great read for those wanting to get into Power Girl and deeper into the DC Universe.

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Power Girl Special #1

Writer: Leah Williams

Artist: Marguerite Sauvage

Colorists: Marguerite Sauvage & Marissa Louise

Letterer: Becca Carey

Fire & Ice: In Hot Water

Writer: Joanne Starer

Artist: Natacha Bustos