This issue is something of a “breather” that allows the reader to get to know the two stars of this issue a little better. There is a framing sequence, set in the present and illustrated by George Perez, then two short flashbacks focusing on The Huntress and Power Girl on their own.

Power Girl’s story involves her visiting a scientific lab in The Alps to view a particle accelerator in action. This scene is rendered by the always dependable Jerry Ordway. Things go awry when a mechanical robotic tank thing arrives, seemingly via Boom Tube and starts blasting. Karen saves a handsome German scientist then battles the robot.

The Huntress’ sequence is drawn by Wes Craig and shows Helena attending a candlelight anti-rape rally, when she hears gunfire. She changes into The Huntress and investigates and… puts her parents’ training to good use.

Power Girl’s sequence is… okay. Ordway is always very good, but very straightforward. His style is that he doesn’t really have a style. His storytelling is among the best in the business, but his work doesn’t crackle. It’s solid! But the rather unremarkable plot (big robot?  Yawn!) doesn’t challenge him. It’s all… fine.

Wes Craig’s art is edgier and in a way cruder, yet it really pops! The Huntress story feels more real and interesting. The story is brief, so it’s not that deep, but it’s a lot deeper than Power Girl’s. I loved it! It’s so dramatically rendered and just dazzled me, no matter how short it was.

So we have what we commonly call a mixed bag. The framing sequence is just… there. The Power Girl segment is okay but unspectacular. Huntress really comes alive and her tale surpasses the others. This title in general has underwhelmed me, even tough I adore both the lead characters. Huntress’ segment seems to offer a glimpse at what I WANT this book to be, versus how I actually feel about it every month.

Maybe it just needs to find its proper path. The last storyline was a yawn. The zero issue was okay. This issue was a mixed bag, with a gleaming moment. That’s something, right?

Final Score:

 

WORLDS’ FINEST: HUNTRESS and POWER GIRL #5
Written by Paul Levitz
Art by George Perez & Scott Koblish (framing sequence), Jerry Ordway (Power Girl sequence), Wes Craig & Serge Lapointe (Huntress sequence)
Cover by Jerry Ordway & Hi-Fi