SDCC 2007: Michael Turner to write, draw Powergirl solo

In its first big announcement of the San Diego, DC Comics announced that superstar pencilling stylist Michael Turner will be chronicling the adventures of one of the DCU’s iconic characters.

“Everyone knows Powergirl,” said Dan Didio, “but we feel the time is right to really make her a star in the DCU. Michael obviously has the power and fan following to take the character where she needs to go.”

“It’s a dream assignment,” said Turner, whose recent work has been primarily concentrated on covers. “I felt like I was ready to step back into the grind of producing a monthly comic, and this was just the right opportunity.”

When asked about his admittedly controversial interpretation of the character and the direction of the series, Turner said he’d be starting with the basics.

“Like Dan says, everyone knows the character. They just don’t know her, you know?” At this point, Turner started winking spastically and not-entirely-gently elbowing anyone standing near him.

“Sure, she’s strong and she can fly, but lots of people can do that. So what sets the character apart? Well, she’s sassy. And she doesn’t wear a lot of clothing. I think that’s the sort of thing people want to read about. So I figure we’ll make her sassier, and maybe pare the costume back to its bare essentials.”

When asked if he thought the character’s convoluted history would be a sales obstacle, Didio offered a consolation to the fans, announcing a six-part weekly series leading into Turner’s ongoing.

Countdown to Powergirl will explain everything fans need to know about the character, Didio claimed.

“We’ve got Dan Jurgens and Geoff Johns working on it, and they’ve managed to incorporate 463 essential Powergirl stories into one blockbuster story. And then in the second issue, they’re going to cover the more complicated stuff.”