Worlds’ Finest #14 Review : Losses

Desaad is at it again. In this issue we learn more about his motivations. We also witness more of The Worlds’ Finest love of ice cream. Follow the jump for explanations of both!

 

This issue predominately deals with Power Girl and The Huntress fighting off an attack of parademons on one of Power Girl’s labs. For the first time, we also get some insight into what Desaad is up to, namely trying to find a way back to Apokolips. He is trapped here as well. He knows Karen Starr is researching dimensional transportation, so he is stealing it all in the hopes that he can make one work. The question is, will this all lead to another invasion from Darkseid himself? The issue ends on a cliffhanger involving a Boom Tube.

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Positives

The story kept me interested from front to back, something it has failed to do in the past. This book is finally involving them working as a team, instead of as two separate characters that share a title. Last issue, we saw The Huntress remember some training that her dad (Earth 2 Batman, the first one not the one that has just shown up in Earth 2) gave her. In this issue, we have a similar scene involving Power Girl remembering some advice her cousin (Earth 2 Superman) gave her. The difference is that Power Girl chose to do her own thing anyway, but with less than favorable results.

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Karen Starr has rapidly becoming a much more interesting character. I was so disappointed with her when she first showed up. I have always been a Power Girl fan, but I just couldn’t get into this one. But over time, Paul Levitz has made her a much more compelling character. I can’t think of too many other super-powered characters that are also insanely rich and intelligent. Usually the rich and smart ones are the ones without powers (Batman, Green Arrow, Mister Terrific) so this has been an interesting twist. Throw in the fact that her powers are slowly going away, and you have a much more dynamic character.

 

Robson Rocha did the art last issue as well, and for whatever reason it didn’t grab me. First and foremost, I am a story guy. I only really ever notice the art of it is so bad it takes me out of the story (see the first few issues of Nocenti’s Green Arrow for an example of this) or so stunning I can’t help but notice (J.H. Williams III an Mikel Janin come to mind). This issue is an example of the latter. Take a look at this picture:

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See what I mean? You can’t help but take notice. There are times when he draws the women in their street clothes that remind me of the late, great, Michael Turner. If I am reading a story, and I just stop and say “Whoa, that looks awesome!” then the art must be good.

 

Negatives

This has been two issues in a row where Power Girl and/or The Huntress are eating ice cream. I need to go back through the back issues. Has this happened in every issue, but I haven’t noticed. Is this a thing, like the Golden Girls eating cheesecake? The scene in this issue really didn’t even serve a purpose other than to point out that they were eating ice cream. The other thing that bugged me was several threads from last issue that were completely ignored this issue, Barbury, for example.

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Verdict      Rating4    (4/5)

Ice cream incident aside, this has been one of the better issues to date. The action and story was tighter than it has been. This has been one of the first issues of the series, that I am excited about the next issue. Are the Worlds’ Finest taking a trip to Apokolips? This could be a game changer for this series!

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