Grrl Power

[Matuse]

Hyperactive comic book geek girl with INCREDIBLY filthy mouth gets superpowers? Well, ok then.

I found this one via a banner ad somewhere a couple of weeks ago, and I'm loving it so far. The key to whether YOU will like it is whether or not you buy into Sydney's schtick. This is best exemplified by the following page:

http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/346

If you like that, you will like the rest. If you don't, moooooooove along, because normal and Sydney can't see one another with telescopes.

Page 1 is here: http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/48

There's a substantial amount of art evolution, particularly in the first 20 or so pages. I actually find it kind of interesting to read the commentary from the author below each strip where he talks about his drawing style and the problems he sees.

Worst part? Only updates on Mondays. Story hasn't even really gotten started yet, so pack a lunch.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I've been reading this one for a while now. Personally, I find Sidney's antics to be hilarious, but yeah, they really wont be for everyone and most of the draw, for now at least, has been said antics.

Main weaknesses is definitely pacing. The comic started around two years ago and the plot has only started happening. We haven't even been properly introduced to the full cast, yet.

Still, the author does seem aware of this issue and has been picking up the pace in the past 2-3 months. So I'm fairly optimistic in this regard. It helps that it doesn't miss updates, and they go up on time. That does count for a fair bit in webcomics.

[lord_khaine]

I would like to add my recomendation for this comic as well, since i find it hilariously funny. Especaly the last couple of ones with Math have been a blast, "photo op"

[Southern Cross]

As I've also been reading Grrl Power, I can also recommend it.

[Steckie]

Recently started reading this comic, it's usually pretty funny. Sydney's hyperactivity is great and her mouth seems to be unable to keep shut with hilarious results.
The comic has recently upgraded to a monday + thursday schedule and is currently entering it's first big fight.

Last comic had a great moment of a dude's balls being crushed by balls. It makes sense in context

[Dusk Eclipse]

I was wondering if I should start a thread, now I'm kinda sad I missed my opportunity (joking.... mostly). And thanks for telling me it now updates Thursday, I missed the announcement.

[Southern Cross]

Lucky for you Grrl Power has an RSS feed..

[Metahuman1]

Reading it, love it, loads of fun! I Strongly Recommend this one.


Also, yes, more recently it's been a Monday Thursday schedule. =)

[The Mormegil]

The only problem with this webcomic is that it updates too slowly.

[CrimsonKnight]

Considering the quality of the art, I am just fine with a 2/week update schedule.

[Rakaydos]

Could be worse... Dreamkeepers is amazing quality, but the graphic novel is a year behind schedual, and the Prelude webcomic posts sneak peak sketches instead of plot every other week.

(still so worth checking out)

[Avilan the Grey]

Despite it's obvious art influences I LOVE this comic. I just found it three hours ago and binged thru it immediately.

[Metahuman1]

You know one of the more minor details I like? I like that the in universe explanation for why super hero's look like super models for the most part is that it literally comes with the super powers, and there still trying to figure out why but because the super powers are only just barely beginning to be understood, that detail is still one of a hugh number of mysteries and for most parties interested in actually studying it, one of the least important details!

I just find that a brilliant way to get away with the supers all looking like Iconic super heros often look, except the one's that don't have actual powers but use tools and skills like Math, Peggy and Halo. (And Math looking good is easy to explain as Genetics and superb athleticism having perks.)


I also find it amusing that he seems to have decided at in at least some cases, Super Strength as a power comes with actual muscle mass, even on women, and it's not a thing were Captain America and Thor are built like body builders but because it's not universally considered Sexy Miss Marvel is built like a very generic model. It's a nice little ascetic touch that you don't see often at all. =)

[Calemyr]

You know one of the more minor details I like? I like that the in universe explanation for why super hero's look like super models for the most part is that it literally comes with the super powers, and there still trying to figure out why but because the super powers are only just barely beginning to be understood, that detail is still one of a hugh number of mysteries and for most parties interested in actually studying it, one of the least important details!

I just find that a brilliant way to get away with the supers all looking like Iconic super heros often look, except the one's that don't have actual powers but use tools and skills like Math, Peggy and Halo. (And Math looking good is easy to explain as Genetics and superb athleticism having perks.)


I also find it amusing that he seems to have decided at in at least some cases, Super Strength as a power comes with actual muscle mass, even on women, and it's not a thing were Captain America and Thor are built like body builders but because it's not universally considered Sexy Miss Marvel is built like a very generic model. It's a nice little ascetic touch that you don't see often at all. =)

I like the fact that the characters feel like they have more complete personalities in a way comic-book supers don't. You wouldn't see Wonder Woman cackling at the suggestion of a televised doctor's visit. You wouldn't see Thor taken out by a hyper-active midget (Wolverine, on the other hand...). You wouldn't see signs in the X-Mansion locker rooms reminding visitors that X-ray vision is not allowed and in any event wouldn't provide a pleasing picture anyhow. You wouldn't see Captain America approving of a new recruit's disruptive antics simply because he dislikes the limelight.

There's just something... practical about the setting. Almost like someone tried to think the superhero genre through for once... It's frankly inspiring.

[Avilan the Grey]

I like the fact that the characters feel like they have more complete personalities in a way comic-book supers don't. You wouldn't see Wonder Woman cackling at the suggestion of a televised doctor's visit.

Actually you would. Sort of at least. My favorite WW run was the one (the minor What If run) before the one that was before New52. Especially the episode where she and Black Canary went to Japan for super wrestling, and she found out that she had apparently signed off on a bunch of merchandice on her movie deal (long story) that involved... very very busty and scantly clad action figures. Black Canary reminds her that she is, after all, sporting the second most famous set of breasts on earth, and that she should go with the flow.
But yes, this is something Marvel usually do better than DC, the whole "Real World - Superheroes" thing.

Anyway. Having a... minor super heroine fetish definitely makes me like this even more. Max is... awesomely hot. Harem is... interesting.
The only one I don't really like is Dabbler, and that's mostly because I really hate her true form look. Animal Ears is something I HATE on characters.

I love her personality though.

Also, the author gets so much right, especially the part where he introduces Supers into a society that has imagined them for years. The "Nobody in Zombie Movies has ever watched a zombie move" thing is one of the things I loathe, and he avoids it completely.

[Metahuman1]

Oh, don't get me wrong, all of that is wonderful, and I love it, but that's actually a major feature of the setting, just like a major feature of the Marvel U is Civilians are almost universally jerks and idiot's, a Feature of Game Thrones Setting is that it is dark and Gritty, a feature of My Little Pony's setting is that it's generally upbeat, and a feature of Eberron is that it does a lot of magi-tech/Steam/Magi-Punk stuff as just a part of the current state of the world.

I'll second liking not using the Supers version of "Nobody in our Zombie story has ever heard of them in any capacity before, or if they have has no familiarity with them beyond "it's a thing in books I don't read/ TV/Movies I don't watch." "

And I love most of the personality's we've seen displayed by important protagonists thus far.

Regarding the other, Maxima, en, metal skin thing is kinda a turn off for me though it is an awesome design in every other regard, and her over all design is indeed wonderful, so I think I actually like Dabbler better in that regard cause the animal ears thing doesn't bother me. Agree that Heatwave and Harem are awesome, and I'm not sure if it's just how un-used to seeing it I am I but Really like Anvil's look.

And, Sydney is actually rather cute in her own way, it's just that she's more cute then hot, to me at least, and uses her personality to actively try to counter balance that cause she want's to be liked for reasons other then "aren't you adorable." which makes perfect sense to me. It also doesn't help her that she's spending so much Camera time with the others.

Edit:

Except that Marvel's idea of Real World Supers most of the time is : "There all angsty and usually jerks and the universe works on inverted Karma were no good deed EVER goes unpunished, and the Punishments for those deeds are never allowed to end ever for any reason because never letting them have anything good or decent save to painfully take it away is so much better and more interesting!"

And people wonder why I tend to prefer DC when DC isn't doing stupid stuff like trying to copy Marvel.

And yet, right now, I think I like this Web comic better then I like either big two publishers right now on the whole.

[Avilan the Grey]

I am re-reading the archive now, taking the time to read the comments. Very fun. Plus it gives me an excuse to re-read the comics.

Edit: Oh yes, Angst. At least when Marvel started it (primarely with Spider-Man) it was genuine and sort of lite teen angst. He WAS a teenager, and he WAS worried about bullies, which girl to take to prom etc etc.

DC is not as good at it but when they DO get it right they get it right.
My three favorite DC runs are all fairly recent, and all are lampshading the genre to one degree or another:

In order they are:

3. Birds Of Prey, the Simone run (just before the New52 crap)
2. The before-mentioned WW run
1. Power Girl's run as her own title just before New52. This is my absolute favorite comic book of all time.

I should add that my absolute favorite Marvel run was the She-Hulk run with her as the professional lampshade-hanger of the Marvel Universe (which would fit in between 2. and 1. above).

[Metahuman1]

I love pretty much everything you listed, I tend to like Captain America and Thor simply because while they do Angst, they angst over things that are logical, and they seldom let it get to the level that it's affecting there ability to get down to brass tacks, protect people and stop the villains. (I think the closest cap ever came on that front was the time Red Skull and Zola got together right after the Avengers were Dismantled before civil war to try and break his mind when the Winter Solider first appeared, and that's less angst interfering and more losing ground in a psychological warfare attack. )

Mind, a lot of that got ruined with Civil War and later Avengers vs. X-men (I think both companies should put down a rule that if you want to write a story about super hero's fighting other super hero's, you have to make it an else worlds one shot so that main universes or important alternate universes like Ultimate Marvel Vs. or Earth 2 and 3 for DC aren't messed up.).

Though I give them Credit for managing to make Deadpool borderline screw up proof by simple virtue of making him insane and random all the time as a result of his insanity. While the rest of there universe is in the flusher as far as my desire to read any of it, Deadpool is boxing with Zombie Richard Nixon. Or something equally stupid and awesome! XD!!


And Gail Simone is utterly brilliant.




Getting back to the Web Comic at Hand that is likely better then both universes on the whole in there current state, dabbler and Sydney doing science about Harem's powers, and a gorgeous in universe explanation of "Ok, I understand it but I'm a sufficiently advanced alien form another dimension and universe all together that can go back and forth at will. You human's don't even understand the basics of a whole list of concepts needed to even begin to grasp how this works. "

Also, apes, not monkey's, was awesome!

[Avilan the Grey]

Oh I love all of it.

Right now I am mostly curious about if

Spoiler

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The good guys know Harem is a (insert number larger than double here) agent, and if not, how they will handle it when they find out. I'm afraid Max will want to give her the death penalty... Seems Harem isn't really thinking things through

[Calemyr]

Oh I love all of it.

Right now I am mostly curious about if

Spoiler

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The good guys know Harem is a (insert number larger than double here) agent, and if not, how they will handle it when they find out. I'm afraid Max will want to give her the death penalty... Seems Harem isn't really thinking things through

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Harem... not thinking things through? Who would have seen that coming?
Honestly, though, if I remember correctly, that industries guy stated that not only does he expect she's spying on them for Archon as well, he's counting on it. I'm really kinda wondering if he's actually something of a good guy who's sense of style comes of as a bad parody of a Bond villain, and it really is just a question of lingering distrust between Archon and it's corporate sponsors - one where having a quintuple agent is actually helping smooth matters out.

I mean, tell me if that wouldn't be the ultimate twist in comic books: that the shadowy industrial bigshot who acts chummy with the heroes during the day and acts conspiratorial with his second command at night turns out to be... a decent guy after all? Seriously, that would have to break a few laws of the super hero genre...

[Metahuman1]

Spoiler

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Harem... not thinking things through? Who would have seen that coming?
Honestly, though, if I remember correctly, that industries guy stated that not only does he expect she's spying on them for Archon as well, he's counting on it. I'm really kinda wondering if he's actually something of a good guy who's sense of style comes of as a bad parody of a Bond villain, and it really is just a question of lingering distrust between Archon and it's corporate sponsors - one where having a quintuple agent is actually helping smooth matters out.

I mean, tell me if that wouldn't be the ultimate twist in comic books: that the shadowy industrial bigshot who acts chummy with the heroes during the day and acts conspiratorial with his second command at night turns out to be... a decent guy after all? Seriously, that would have to break a few laws of the super hero genre...

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I'm gonna agree with this. Max and most of the rest of the command staff at Archon are probably in on it, possibly more so then Harem even knows. Or, Max doesn't know, but everyone else who's of a comparable or higher rank then she is does, such as Andrea. After all, recall that Max didn't know Andrea was gonna stage the Bank Robberie right before the press conference to get extra good publicity from Max just happening to be in the perfect place at the perfect time and having the perfect opponents who could just disappear afterwords and not be injured.

Who's to say that is either the first or last time she's been involved in going behind or around Max, or simply leaving her out of the loop? So yeah, I like the idea that, as it turns out, he's secretly not evil and in fact on there side, he's just had a bad experience or two with government types before so he wants a bit of extra monitoring so he can protect himself better/be more on top of it if something jaw droopingly stupid on there end starts to develop before it becomes a disaster in his lap.

[Hiro Protagonest]

The only problem with this webcomic is that it updates too slowly.

You think you have it bad? I read Thaumaturge. If I'm lucky there'll be an update before Summer.

[Avilan the Grey]

You think you have it bad? I read Thaumaturge. If I'm lucky there'll be an update before Summer.

Or start one of those that gets cancelled just as it gets good, like Shadowgirls or Chain Mail Bikini.

As for my question... you are probably right.

[The Mormegil]

You think you have it bad? I read Thaumaturge. If I'm lucky there'll be an update before Summer.

I don't think it's bad. I just want it to be better. Like, once per day. Twice. Three times per day even. Four may be pushing it though... I do have matters to attend to...

[lord_khaine]

Oh wow.. i am starting to think just having someone near his level to spar with would be reason enough for Math to hang out at Archon..

Of those 4 supers he casually took out, then one was strong enough to lift a car, and covered in rock.

[Steckie]

Yeah, Math has been pretty awesome these last two pages.
But i really love Achilles now. First he gets punched into the air and does the Goofy Holler. And then Maxima uses him as a human projectile. His pose while he's being thrown at several enemies is just icing on the cake.

Edit: Oh, and there was the yawning while he used his hands to block the eyebeams.

[Metahuman1]

Yup, so far the fight scene has been made of Win. I rather like that Sydney is actually humbled by Math now that she's seeing what happens when he doesn't give a crap about weather or not you go home in one piece or go straight to intensive care. Particularly since I'm pretty sure he's not even going full out yet, he just looks too board and like this is too easy to be taking it entirely seriously. Serious enough to actually hurt the people trying to hurt him, and help his compatriots, yes, but not so serious he's throwing everything he's got into it.

...

Is it bad I want to unleash him on the Titans from Attack on Titan and laugh insanely while he wipes them form existence in less then one chapter?

[lord_khaine]

Mehh.. i would rather unleash Maxima on those.. though i am really looking forward to the point when the introduce someone strong enough to go up against her.

And yeah, Achilles are rather hilarious in how he takes just about everything to casually.

[scurv]

Well worth the read, Some people complain about slow updates but the artist seems to use every update to get a sense of what would happen in the real world with supper powers. It is one of the few that i also read the comments on as much as the comic.

[Metahuman1]

Mehh.. i would rather unleash Maxima on those...:

Yeah, well, here's the thing, Maxima would just blast them into extinction in like an hour, which would be fine by me and all, but watching Math do it with a yawn in twenty minutes using just martial arts and one hand in his pocket the entire time cause he doesn't even need to contemplate taking it seriously would be hilarious!!!!