Powerpuff Girls #1 Review

The Girls are back! Is the first issue a trip down nostalgia lane with a fun story?

Here's the official description from IDW

Citizens of Townsville, fear not! The Powerpuff Girls are back! In this IDW debut issue Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup are back to take down the meanest of the mean and the ugliest of the ugly! Plus, what fiendish secret is Mojo Jojo hiding? The answer is sure to surprise! 

In many ways, The Powerpuff Girls is the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic of yesteryear. A show supposedly aimed at girls, but quickly gained a following from both genders of all ages. It's easy to see why, it has great heroes, action, and the stories are both engaging and funny. It's been many years since the series finale, you can say the franchise has been dead. Leave it to IDW to resurrect it with a brand new comic series. Sadly, it will only be five issues strangely. Perhaps if they sell well enough it could evolve into an ongoing series. So, how does this first issue fare? I haven't had this much nostalgia in awhile.

Troy Little writes...and draws! It's pretty amazing how he handles both duties. The prologue is very appropriate, with the classic "The city of Townsville..." I'm guessing longtime fans will be the primary readers of the book. They, like myself, will hear the narrator and all the sound effects from the show throughout. Little perfectly captures the personalities of the characters. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are as diverse as they are in the show. Mojo Jojo is almost a parody of his former self, realizing that he keeps seeing defeat over and over again. It's an interesting change of pace since like the reader, he realizes it's almost futile to keep trying. There are quite a few jokes throughout, funny stuff such as Mojo talking about working in retail.

The art is perfect. It's almost as if the exact renders were taken from the actual episodes. Some might wish the book had more of a stylistic take, but I personally liked how it's 100% show accurate. Like with the MLP comics, there are lots of covers. Cover A is a pretty solid piece of the girls with a rather depressed looking Mojo. Cover B, C, and D all feature one particular Girl, so fans can pick their favorite. Those three combine to make the fabulous RI. The subscription variant by Stephanie Buscema is the most unique of the bunch and the one to get I'd say. As for store exclusive variants...there are too many awesome ones! I personally like the Hastings cover.

Overall, the Powerpuff Girls are back with a pretty great start to this new series. IDW has worked their magic again with bringing back a great property and giving it life once more. It's fun for everyone, whether you be a longtime fan or a new reader. Young and old alike can pick it up and have a blast, just like the show.

4/5