Recently I mocked Power Girl's yellow and white costume, that she wore for a few years in Justice League Europe. Like it was the worst costume she ever wore: that's Kara up there with the red headband.
It's weird to think, to me anyway, that I've been reading about Power Girl for years. One of my first comics that I remember is an All-Star Comics issue with her and the (late, lamented) Star-Spangled Kid. Then she was in Warlord, and Justice League Europe...
Wait, you say, Warlord? Yeah, Warlord. Today's panel is from Warlord #121, "Clouds of War!" Written by Michael Fleisher, art by Art Thibert and Pablo Marcos. I've mentioned the book before, and while it's a series I have a lot of fondness for, it also had a long stretch of not-very-good issues. During that stretch, or maybe during Crisis on Infinite Earth, Travis Morgan got shuffled into the DC Universe proper. Previously, creator Mike Grell said the book took place in a world without super-heroes, but it probably seemed to editorial like a good idea, a way to bring in more readers.
And how could you not bring in readers, with guest stars like Scavenger! Or Power Girl, out of costume, and slogging through her half-assed post-Crisis Arion-Atlantis origin? Or the New Gods...minus Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda. Sweet Christmas, I probably lost readers just recapping that list. Still, Warlord ran for 133 issues, a pretty solid run.
The Warlord still showed up in the DCU, up until his new (terrible) series. He had appearances in Teen Titans (the one with the teenaged Atom, that's been cancelled), Aquaman (not the Sword of... one, the cancelled one before that), and Justice League Task Force (you guessed it, cancelled). I think he's a great character, but tough to work into a superhero universe, and tough to tell stories that are more tailored for him without being repetitive. (Credit to Dan Jurgens, who worked on the original book, and has done Warlord guest-spots more than once.)
I don't know if the new series is a reboot or Hypertime or Superboy punching reality (ugh), but the continuity is quite different. Still, Travis' daughter Jennifer, Sorceress Supreme, had a cameo in Day of Vengeance. Where she was pretty much punk'd. Maybe Jennifer's a continuity orphan like Kara now. They were better friends than Kara and the new Supergirl, but that's not saying much.
Also in Warlord #121: A Darkseid cameo! Like four sub-plots! And Power Girl and Jennifer Morgan fight a purple-pink, one-horned, demon. With a tail. And a 'scepter of power.' I have no comment for any of this.
Coming up later: I left out probably the best Warlord guest spot, which we'll check out soon. And did anyone see the Justice League Unlimited episode with him? Waiting for the DVD's sucks...
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