Power Girl’s Status in the new DCU

Bob Harras told ComicVine yesterday that Power Girl will be in the DCnU – or at least that Karen Starr will appear. Hm…

ComicVine: Will we be seeing Power Girl in the future?

Bob Harras: Yeah, she’ll be around.

ComicVine: But not in her own title?

Bob: No, she won’t have her own #1 title, but Karen Starr will appear in one of the 52 titles.

– ComicVine: Bob Harras & Eddie Berganza Reveal The Reason For DC’s Revamped Titles

It’s interesting that he said Karen Starr will appear in one of the 52 titles and not “Power Girl” as asked. Karen Starr is not a widely known name to DCU fans, and completely unknown outside the comics. Perhaps she will appear in a cameo as her public persona as owner and CEO of StarrWare. I’m not reading all 52 #1s to find out!

Regarding the JSA in the new DCU, Dan Didio posted this on his Facebook:

As for JSA, we have decided to rest this concept while we devote our attention on the launch of the three new Justice League series. As for other characters and series not part of the initial 52, there are plenty of stories to be told, and we’re just getting started.

– Robot 6: DC Comics has ‘decided to rest’ the Justice Society

The JSA is notably absent from the initial 52 titles and Superman is being described in the solicitation for Action Comics #1 as the world’s “first superhero”. I agree that’s a good idea to focus on the the first wave of books and wait for a while to introduce the JSA. They’re a massive group with a very big history and deserve to be focused on as a whole. This is why it’s so odd that JSA members Mr. Terrific and Hawkman are getting books of their own in September. Their solicitation blurbs make no mention of their ties to the JSA. It’s going to be difficult to explain that connection later.

A June 15 interview on Newsarama hints that the JSA may be introduced at a future point:

Newsarama: We’ve seen the announcement that Superman was the first superhero. Doesn’t that make it cut and dry that there was no JSA generation?

Bob Harras: Nothing is cut and dry. That is something that you have to keep reading to see what happens.

– Newsarama: DCnU Will Keep Much of DC History Intact

Perhaps like on Smallville, the JSA will be a quasi-mythical team that has largely lapsed from the public’s memory. I don’t see a better way to try to explain their presence in the DCU outside of a parallel Earth. I don’t like the idea that those characters could have been “forgotten”, unless there was some magical mass amnesia involved. That works for the original Golden Age characters, but it wrecks havok with characters like Power Girl. How the heck did she slip through the timestream to the “new” DCU? (Again, I mean.)

Power Girl is one of the titles I’m most disappointed not to see continue in the DCnU. I loved the revival of Kara’s company and her new life as a high-powered, altrusitic and forward-thinking CEO. Judd Winnick was just recently able to focus on that part of her life again after the year-long diversion due to Justice League: Generation Lost. The creation of a full blown secret identity with a red wig and glasses (!) in Power Girl #23 was the most exciting development since Judd Winnick took over, and I was incredibly pumped to see that storyline continue. I had also hoped to see Atlee return: she was the best thing to happen to Kara.

I’m allowing myself a little bit of hope that Power Girl will continue to exist in the new DCU. Before the ComicVine interview, it seemed impossible that DC would allow an Earth 2 character to exist. (Thanks to Sara “Babs” Lima for asking that question!) I hope they aren’t just keeping her Karen Starr persona, and that she will eventually be revealed as Power Girl and a member of the JSA. If they decide to play the “everyone’s lost their memories of who they are” story for a while, and Kara actually thinks she is Karen Starr, that would be fine with me.

Related:

• Power Girl’s New 52 Costume – February 14, 2012
• Power Girl to star in “Worlds’ Finest” in May 2012 – January 29, 2012