Power Pack is a great way to reach out to young, new readers, not just those new to comics, but new to reading in general. The main story -- a basic origin story and introduction to some of the basics of the super-hero genre -- will be perfect for such a new audience, but the plotting is so rudimentary and transparent that it won't hold the attention of others. The cuteness factor here is cranked up to 11, and that's fine. I enjoyed the cuteness myself, but it only goes so far. The backup story -- featuring the adventures of Franklin Richards, makes for a nice balance to the saccharine quality of the main piece, though. It doesn't really fit the characters, mind you, but as a short story -- a quick hit, in and out -- it's entertaining. Gross, but entertaining.
The three older members of the Power Pack have a problem. Their youngest sibling, Katie Power, AKA Energizer, has put together a special summer-vacation report to take with her to the first day of school. Such enterprising behavior in one so young is usually to be applauded, but Katie's illustrated story gives away the young heroes' secret identities! Meanwhile, an alien Snark approaches Earth, ready to beef up his reputation by capturing the Power Pack. Elsewhere, Franklin Richards, son of the Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, decides to go on a fantastic voyage (thanks to his father's technology), much to the chagrin of his robotic nanny.
Gurihiru's art on the main story is as sweet and simple as the script itself. The wide-eyed, manga look is bound to appeal to younger readers; it's a smart choice for this revival. the effort to reproduce the crude art style of a child in the opening pages is actually too effective. The rough quality of "Katie's" drawings grows old quickly, but that's really the fault of the script, not the art. The device makes sense, but it goes on too long. Chris Eliopoulos's comic-strip style for the Franklin Richards story captures the character's precocious attitude perfectly. Eliopoulos's work here is clearly meant to evoke a Bill (Calvin & Hobbes) Watterson feel.
The biggest liability of the main story is that the central conflict -- Katie's difference of opinion with her older siblings -- doesn't hold the reader's attention. In order for it to work, we have to believe that Katie is oblivious to the need to keep her powers a secret. She's young, yes, but that doesn't mean she's stupid. Furthermore, there's ansolutely no tension here; the readers knows Katie's not going to blow the secret. The action sequence feels tacked on here as well. I would have liked to see more parallels between Katie's need to prove herself to her brothers and sister and the Snark's zeal to impress his father.
I'm a bit confused as to what this new Power Pack title represents. Is it a continuation of the characters' story? Is it a retcon/revamp? No time seems to have passed in the years since their previous series. In fact, the characters seem to have gotten younger, not older. Furthermore, this book seems to be in conflict with Runaways v.2, which has incorporated Julie Power into a larger storyline. A shared super-hero continuity has benefits, yes, but it also comes with an expectation that there will be, well, continuity. 5/10
