Strong Female Protagonist
Top Shelf
Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag
Jan 05, 2015 Web Exclusive
There have been so many “what if superhumans existed in the real world” stories that it takes a fresh view and top execution to stand out. Brennan Lee Mulligan (words) and Molly Ostertag (art) have nailed both. This is a tale of Alison Green, who is essentially Supergirl, but has retired and gone to college. It’s a moral examination of having the powers of a god, yet still knowing you are helpless to enact real change on the world. Alison asks great questions, finds herself in odd situations, and comes up with pitifully few answers. Which is fine and appropriate. The story’s main hitch is that it’s written as a serial (and, indeed, continues online), and doesn’t have much of a satisfying story arc.
Yet it’s hard to resist the clever reinterpretations of what superfolks could mean in a slightly more real world than that of typical smash-‘em-up comics. Not to mention the strong characterization and world of Alison and her friends and family (blissfully, she has a mom, dad, and sister—discarding the tired super-orphan trope). And—apologies for burying the lede—Ostertag’s cartooning is what sells everything. Not a super book, but strong indeed. (www.topshelfcomix.com)
Author rating: 7/10
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