Worlds' Finest: The Lost Daughters of Earth 2 TPB

More than any other New 52 title, I really wanted to like this book. Two of my favorite artists, George Perez and Kevin Maguire were teaming up on the art. When they couldn’t quite finish, I knew Jerry Ordway (another favorite) was coming in to lend a hand. Paul Levitz is a legend in the industry. That’s not even mentioning that this series starts my favorite DC heroine, Power Girl, and I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of Huntress stories over the years too.

Surely this creative team could overcome the disappointment that has crushed so many of the new 52 relaunches.

Nope.

Instead, I found this to be a pointless series. There is no greater through-plot running through the book. Random villains show up, get vanquished, and move on. George Perez handles the art in this “present” portion of the story, while Kevin Maguire handles the flashbacks to the ladies’ arrival on the New 52 Earth.

This could actually work if I could make myself care about any of the villains. But the opening villain, the radiation based Hakkou, is not very interesting. I don’t understand his goals or motivations. He doesn’t seem to have any plan or plot in motion. He’s destroying Power Girl’s equipment because the plot requires it. This trade has 6 issues in it, and the only super-powered foe the ladies face is the generic Hakkou. This is a greater problem in the New 52 in general; the villains are all so generic.

Maybe the flashbacks save the story? Nope. Kevin Maguire gets to draw exquisite facial expressions and top-notch comic “acting” as the heroines go shopping, eat in parks, and chat. What a waste! Huntress must make comments about embezzling from Bruce Wayne at LEAST once an issue. There is no hint that this might come back to bite them. Power Girl flirts with everyone around her, usually wearing cutesy shirts like “Free Hugs.”

The art is great, as we knew it would be. The costumes stink, of course, especially the “present” version of Power Girl. I sort of like the Robin and Supergirl costumes that Maguire designed for Earth 2, but there aren’t enough flashbacks in that setting. Hakkou looks like an off-model parademon. Every artist in the book takes every opportunity to show Power Girl’s clothes getting ripped, burned, or torn off. PG finishes half her fights in a bra. Since it is mentioned in the dialogue, I assume that was scripted? Just… why?

I hoped this could be a super-gal team-up book I could read with my daughters. Instead, this joins the stack of EVIL comics that I won’t rush to follow up on. I mean, when Maguire and Perez both leave the book shortly after this, why keep reading?