GIRL POWER!
From the DC Super Friends series
by DC Comics
DC Comics’ superwomen fight the good fight.
Catwoman has stolen one of Gotham City’s most precious jewels, and it’s up to Batgirl and her superfriends to save the day! With each turn of the page little readers are introduced to a different female DC Comics hero. In addition to Batgirl, Hawkgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman get their own pages, while other DC characters lurk beneath small flaps. Unfortunately, those tertiary characters are mostly men. Superman and (the white) Green Lantern pop up quickly, followed by Cyborg and Flash. The villains are mostly men as well, which is curious. Why bring in Captain Cold when Killer Frost is readily available and much, much cooler? At least Harley Quinn, Cheetah, and Poison Ivy make appearances. The only person of color on hand is Cyborg (green Poison Ivy doesn’t count) even though the roles of Hawkgirl and Green Lantern have been filled by people of color in other media. Also disappointing is the notion that these badass women need their male counterparts to vanquish the male villains. And then there are those hot pants….
A decent introduction to the characters, but diversity remains a problem. And give Supergirl some pants! (Board book. 2-3)