Tease The Continuity: Supergirl: Many Happy Returns Disappoints!

The Good: A few clever lines, Fun artwork, Moments of plot
The Bad: Resolution, Plot meanders in the middle, Missing a lot of crossover material
The Basics: Peter David's tenure writing Supergirl ends on a downbeat when Linda Danvers encounters Kara Zor-El in an ultimately jumbled work.


As a result of the generally high-quality of the CW television incarnation of Supergirl, I have become more and more familiar with Supergirl and associated characters over the past two years. The truth is, when Supergirl started to actually get good, I felt compelled to look into the source material more. There have been a lot of incarnations of Supergirl in the different eras of DC Comics, but the first one I was familiar with was Kara Zor-El and only truly knew of her because of the heroic sacrifice she made in Crisis On Infinite Earths (reviewed here!). I knew that after Crisis On Infinite Earths, Supergirl was replaced with a shape-shifting alien who assumed the identity of Supergirl. I also knew that at some point, Peter David was writing Supergirl comics and I figured it was well past time for me to track down some of those works given that I grew up enjoying the writing of Peter David.

Ironically, my latest foray into Supergirl comics comes at the end of two eras: Supergirl: Many Happy Returns marked the end of Linda Danvers as Supergirl and Peter David's tenure writing the character. Supergirl: Many Happy Returns compiles issues 75 - 80 of Supergirl and failed to satisfactorily close the book on Linda Danvers, leaving a pretty huge loose end given the volume's ultimate transition for Linda Danvers.

Supergirl is attacked by a squad of assassins, but is able to repel their attack by utilizing her telekinetic powers preceding her physical attack. She learns the attackers were hired by someone named Johnny. Having just returned to Leesburg, Linda heads back home where she discovers her mother is pregnant. While talking with her family, Kara Zor-El arrives from Krypton. After a brief encounter in which Kara Zor-El disposes of Johnny Reb (who came to kill Supergirl for taking out his men), Kara flies off to try to find Superman. Reaching Metropolis just ahead of Supergirl and Superboy, Kara falls prey to Mr. Mxyzpltz, who is disrupting a parade with an attack by actual dinosaurs. When Superman arrives to save the day, he rejects Kara, believing her to be a fan. Supergirl and Superboy return Kara to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Kara begins to talk about her life on Argo City; the life she misses.

Taking Kara home with her, Linda Danvers takes a job teaching at Leesburg High in order to be near Kara. While Johnny Reb is augmented by Fatalist, a creature working for the Supergirl-slayer Lord Xenon, Kara and Linda try to settle in to life incognito in Leesburg. Fatalist has Rebel attack Leesburg High and Kara leaps to action to attempt to save the school. The Spectre visits during the attacks and Kara learns that Fatalist redirected her from her universe-saving fate, while Xenon seeks to slay every Supergirl. To attempt to right time and space and save the universe yet again, Linda takes Kara's pod to take her place. While Linda tries to make the grand sacrifice, The Spectre reveals that Kara remains in danger from Xenon and Linda must try a different way to save Kara and the universe!

Supergirl: Many Happy Returns has a lot going on with the introduction of three adversaries who are each, at one time or another in the narrative, the primary antagonist. Xenon, Rebel, and Fatalist each attack Supergirl and their relationships are unclear for much of the volume. Fatalist appears to be working both for and against Xenon's wishes and within the book, Fatalist seems to have virtually the same stature as The Spectre which is saying a lot for a character I had never heard of before picking up Supergirl: Many Happy Returns. Xenon, similarly, is characterized as both nearly invincible and trapped by Supergirl. How Lord Xenon went from being trapped at the beginning of time by Supergirl in a tower with the House Of El symbol on it to being able to cull Supergirls from all time and space to try wiping them out is not made at all clear within Supergirl: Many Happy Returns.

Linda Danvers has an interesting arc in Supergirl: Many Happy Returns, though. Guided by Kara Zor-El's naive curiosity about what makes a hero, Linda steps up to make the ultimate sacrifice by replacing Kara Zor-El. By attempting to take Kara's place, Linda prepares to live a life that is not her own knowing full well that she will be called upon to die in Kara's place to save the universe. Intriguingly, Peter David manages not to create an untenable (for the die-hard fans) retcon by having Linda replace Kara (with Kara's very different costume). Despite the way a significant chapter of Supergirl: Many Happy Returns becomes undone, the journey Linda goes on is fairly satisfying. Linda makes a good-faith effort to make the heroic sacrifice, even though in the process she develops a very distinct life and relationship, but the attempt to alter reality simply does not "take."

Following that, Danvers continues to develop and Supergirl: Many Happy Returns ends at a surprisingly dark place. Depending on one's perspective of the heroic ethos, Linda Danvers either makes a transition from idealist to pragmatist or a transition from hero to villain at the climax of Supergirl: Many Happy Returns. Either way, the volume concludes the story of Linda Danvers without a truly satisfying resolution.

Supergirl: Many Happy Returns lacks much of the wit and wittiness of Peter David. David writes a very tame script for the book, though it does illustrate his penchant for exploring how things fit together - David built his mainstream genre career on taking bottle episodes of Star Trek and making them fit into a more serialized sensibility for the Star Trek Universe - by having Danvers and Kara Zor-El meet. Danvers's attempt to save Kara and the universe is compelling and interesting, but most of the book lacks clever lines that David is known for.

The artwork in Supergirl: Many Happy Returns is fun, but intellectually disturbing. Drawn like softcore with a minor and a young adult who is impersonating a minor, the skimpy outfits in Supergirl: Many Happy Returns are presented in a strangely provocative way. That said, the artwork has a good sense of movement within and between panels and all of the characters are recognizable throughout. The colors are consistently vibrant and the characters all look good.

Ultimately, Supergirl: Many Happy Returns is an intriguing set-up that leads to a resolution that is both painfully predictable (for the Kara Zor-El plotline) and a tremendous letdown (Linda's plotline promises a huge new arc for the character that never materialized). Between that and the lack of genuine originality in the tone or narrative, Supergirl: Many Happy Returns is an unremarkable end to David's Super-creation!

For other graphic novels featuring Supergirl, check out my reviews of:
Superman/Batman, Volume 2: Supergirl
Supergirl: Death And The Family
The Brave And The Bold, Volume 1: The Lords Of Luck
The Last Daughter Of Krypton
Girl In The World
Sanctuary
Out Of The Past
Red Daughter Of Krypton
Crucible

4/10

For other book reviews, please check out my Book Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Supergirl Joins The Alternative Lantern Corp At Her End In Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible.

The Good: Good artwork, Moments of character
The Bad: Awkward relationship changes, Irksome plot progression, Weird place in the larger DC Universe
The Basics: Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible works to resolve Supergirl's arc before the abrupt end of her storyline when Kara joins an intergalactic peacekeeping force.


As I have found myself into Supergirl of late, I have been interested in the direction that The New 52 took the character in. To that end, I figured that I had to finish the series and the end for The New 52 came with Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible. Whatever momentum the character arc for Supergirl had going into Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible, it is cut short in the final volume. Kara Zor-El has weird beginning in Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible, with an abruptly terminated attack by Brainiac that finishes off yet another crossover with Superman and Superboy that is concluded in Supergirl. But then, Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible goes into an entirely new arc that puts Supergirl as part of a new interstellar team that seems redundant in a universe filled with Corps's like the Green Lanterns.

Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible picks up after Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton (reviewed here!), with Kara abruptly falling to Earth some point after her Red Lantern Ring has been removed. No longer attached to the Red Lantern Corps and stuck on Earth on her own (Kal-El is apparently completely re-evaluating his place after his experience with the Doomsday virus), it seems instantly strange that after starting a new relationship for Kara, rather than give her real time on her own, Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible puts the Kryptonian woman in a group that is essentially the Green Lantern Corps without the rings!

Kara Zor-El crashes to Earth after the U.S. Military has deployed a Kryptonite bomb to stop Superman after he went crazy and mutated after fighting Doomsday. Rescued by Michael and kept away from the poisoned atmosphere in a bomb shelter, until she learns from Michael that his parents are in Metropolis, which is suffering from everyone inside suddenly falling into a coma. After recharging by flying above the Kryptonite cloud, Supergirl goes to Metropolis and starts to get survivors out, while Wonder Woman fights Lois Lane, who is behind the comas. Supergirl rescues Michael's parents and just as she begins to develop a relationship with Michael, Brainiac and Cyborg Superman attack Queens. After repelling Brainiac, Supergirl returns Michael's parents to him and there she finds Red Hood, who needs her help in taking down a syndicate who is selling alien weapons to street gangs.

After Kara starts working as a barista, where she is visited by Kal, she is abducted by Lys Amata, Perceptor Of Crucible Academy. There, Kara Zor-El is teamed with Maxima, Tsavo, and Comet to train to be a better protector of her homeworld (or adopted world, Earth). After extensive education at the Crucible, Kara and Tsavo are sent to Tsavo's homeworld, Ngo, which is embroiled in a civil war. There, Tsavo's brother has taken over, with the aid of rejects from the Crucible. Supergirl must fight to save Ngo and figure out what is going on with the Crucible Academy!

Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible is a weird volume that yet again redefines Supergirl and marginalizes her within her own book. Kara bounces between Michael, Kon-El (at least in that the volume devotes time to her making peace with the Kryptonian clone), and Comet. Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible rushes through having Kara actually get trained by the Crucible Academy before she ends up on Ngo as part of a "case." The character arc is erratic and hardly focused on Kara.

The artwork in Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible is good, brightly colored and with all of the characters consistently rendered. The sense of movement is all right in Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible, but the narrative is troublingly choppy.

Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible is the short straw of narratives for both Tony Bedard, who starts the volume and whose Red Lantern arc for Kara Zor-El is abruptly ended and is only a tiny portion of a larger crossover that makes Kara "just another Kryptonian," and the by K. Perkins and Mike Johnson, who get stuck at the end juggling between a lingering relationship story and a whole new organization that is created right before it is abruptly canned.

As a result, Supergirl: Volume 6 - Crucible is a mess that never quite hits its stride.

For other Supergirl New 52 works, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Volume 1 - Last Daughter Of Krypton
Voluime 2 - Girl In The World
Volume 3 - Sanctuary
(Supergirl: Volume 4 – Out Of The Past

3.5/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Rage Against Supergirl: Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton

The Good: Interesting character direction for Kara Zor-El, Good artwork
The Bad: Very basic plot
The Basics: Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton places Kara Zor-El within the ranks of the Red Lanterns and pits her against her oldest enemy!


It has been a while since I read any of the Red Lantern-focused books. Come to think of it, it has been a long time since I picked up Green Lantern, too. But, as I make my way through The New 52 library of Supergirl, the Red Lanterns rear their disgusting heads. Their appearance comes in Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton when Kara Zor-El joins the Red Lantern Corps.

Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton picks up after the events of Supergirl: Volume 4 – Out Of The Past (reviewed here!) and it completes the arc for Kara as someone who has been kicked around by the whole universe. Rather nicely, Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton is the entire arc of Kara Zor-El as a Red Lantern from beginning to end!

Opening with Lobo hunting a bounty, Supergirl arrives at Dr. Veritas's facility where she discovers her entire staff appears like her - both in appearance and genetically. Veritas runs tests, which confirm the Kryptonite poisoning is no longer afflicting Supergirl. Veritas is being hunted to the core of the Earth by Lobo, who Supergirl goes to try to speak with only to be attacked. When Supergirl appears to kill Lobo, Veritas's staff is thrilled at the opportunity to dissect and study the corpse of a Czarnian. Lobo is not dead, however, and after playing possum, he incapacitates Veritas's staff and takes out Supergirl. But Veritas escapes to her containment area and sets free Blaze and unleashes a yellow sun orb that super-powers Supergirl. In the ensuing fight, Veritas teleports Lobo and Supergirl out and Lobo taps into Kara's rage to keep her off-guard. That rage, however, calls forth the power of the Red Lanterns and a ring arrives for Kara.

Kara is transformed into a Red Lantern and Siobhan is the first person on the scene. Red Lantern Supergirl attacks Siobhan and Siobhan reluctantly taps into the power of the Silver Banshee to save her own life. To save Earth, the Silver Banshee convinces the Red Lantern to take her thirst for revenge elsewhere and Red Lantern Supergirl flies out to the stars to find who or what destroyed Krypton. Supergirl joins the Red Lantern Corps to protect Grax from the invading Diasporans. In The Block, Blaze is free and starts a hunt for Supergirl and Silver Banshee. Kara tells Guy Gardner - who is leading the Red Lanterns in Atrocitus's absence - that she wants to eradicate the Diasporans and the Worldkillers. The Red Lanterns travel to Primeen where they hunt a new, rogue Red Lantern and try to prevent her from joining Atrocitus. Atrocitus and Dex-Starr hunt the new Red Lantern and before that hunt is resolved, Guy Gardner kicks Kara out and sends her to Mogo to be de-ringed. Kara rejects that, though, and heads to Earth where she finds the Diasporans and Worldkiller-1 waiting for her! Worldkiller-1's armor attacks and attempts to absorb Kara in order to make her the ultimate judge of the universe! To stop the Worldkiller armor and save Earth, Kara must make a choice between being a Red Lantern or being herself!

Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton has a good arc for Kara Zor-El as she has spent the entire four volumes before this being betrayed, abandoned, and manipulated. Here, the universe recognizes her pain for the angry potential it represents and rewards her with a Red Lantern ring. Kara's time in the Red Lantern Corps allows her the opportunity to put an end to creatures reminiscent of the Worldkillers that plagued her from her arrival on Earth and affords a few Red Lanterns the opportunity to make some beautifully cutting barbs at her expense.

Siobhan Smythe is well characterized in Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton. She is granted almost a solid chapter to wrestle with being the Silver Banshee and while the book leaves the whole Blaze hunt for her and Supergirl unresolved, Smythe is a solid friend to Kara and Earth in the book.

The artwork in Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton is good, with vibrant colors one might expect of a Lantern-themed book. The character design for Red Lantern Supergirl is good and not exploitatative, which is appropriate. The movement in the fights is decent and the static shots are well-rendered. There is a good balance between action and dialogue in Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton.

Ultimately, the conflict in Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton is surprisingly basic after the set-up and there are massive subplots which remain noticeably unresolved. But, for the bulk of Supergirl: Volume 5 - Red Daughter Of Krypton, there is a solid story being told and it is well worth the read for fans of Supergirl and the assorted Lantern Corps!

For other Supergirl New 52 works, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Volume 1 - Last Daughter Of Krypton
Voluime 2 - Girl In The World
Volume 3 - Sanctuary

6/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Krypton Just Keeps Getting Killed: Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past!

The Good: Decent artwork, Good coloring, Good character work
The Bad: Surprisingly basic plots, Reliance on other Kryptonians undermines Kara Zor-El's character
The Basics: Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past introduces Cyborg Superman and returns both Brainiac and Krypton to the narrative with mixed results.


As I have become more of a fan of Supergirl - on television and in print - I have started to recognize certain elements and characters as being iconic Supergirl or immensely popular in the Superman and affiliated characters corners of the DC Universe. So, when the Cyborg Superman appeared on Supergirl in "The Darkest Place" (reviewed here!), I was pretty psyched as I recognized the villain Hank Henshaw from (ironically!) the Sinestro Corps War from Green Lantern. The Cyborg Superman is an incredibly complicated and compelling villain in the DC Comics source material. As one going back to the Supergirl corner of the DC Comics universe, I was pretty excited when Cyborg Superman made his debut in Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past.

Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past continues after the traumatic events Kara Zor-El experienced in Supergirl: Volume 3 – Sanctuary (reviewed here!), but it opens with just enough of a recap to allow readers to feel the narrative is accessible. Unfortunately, Cyborg Superman popping up is far less engaging than it could be - arguably because it pushes a plot that undermines the power and horror of Brainiac - and Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past then transitions into a Kryptonian team-up story that once again minimizes Supergirl as a character. The result is a decidedly mixed story.

Two days before she steals the KR-1 and heads into space, Supergirl returns home to see Siobhan and say goodbye. Siobhan is unsympathetic to what Supergirl has gone through recently as she has her own issues going on (including a sewage leak in their shared apartment!). Recognizing that she is dying as a result of her Kryptonite poisoning, Kara leaves Earth and is drawn to I'Noxia where the planet is under attack by a giant alien. Kara saves many lives and then stops the Crix, as part of the manipulations of Delacore. Delacore explains that I'Noxia is essentially a planetary model and he has Supergirl recreate a beloved Kryptonian statue from her memory. When she recognizes that the technology of I'Noxia and its N-10 metal represents a potential to recreate Krypton, the Cyborg Superman appears to ask her for help. He wants Kara to start recreating Krypton with her memories in order to try to spark something that would give him a clue as to his past before he was made into a cyborg.

Cyborg Superman soon turns on Kara, declaring he needs her body for his own to be made whole. I'Noxia recreates all of Supergirl's tormented memories and send them against Kara. When Kara's body succumbs to the Kryptonite poisoning, the Cyborg Superman is able to abduct her and prepares to take her body. But when Brainiac, the Cyborg's creator, arrives at I'Noxia, Cyborg Superman insists on taking control of Kara's body. The Cyborg is revealed to be Zor-El, Kara's father, and as Brainiac mercilessly attacks I'Noxia, Supergirl's consciousness fights to break free of the Collective and Zor-El comes to the painful decision to save his daughter's life. With the newly recreated Cyborg Superman doing battle against Brainiac, Supergirl turns her attention to saving Delacore and I'Noxia.

Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past concludes with the crossover "Krypton Returns," which is a different story from the rest of the book. The Oracle is creating a crisis throughout the omniverse and Kara, Kon-El and Kal-El must stop H'El and the Oracle from saving Kypton and wreaking more destruction than if the planet was destroyed. Kara is trapped back in time on Krypton. There, she must defeat H'El again, while Kal-El and Kon-El prepare other points in time for Krypton's destruction. Kon-El has to save Kara from dying at the hands of the Eradicator a week before Argo City is destroyed and Kal-El witnesses his parents preparing to have him!

Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past is important in the long arc of Supergirl in that it is another volume in which Kara Zor-El tries to save Krypton, opens her heart and is utterly destroyed emotionally for it. Kara is shocked and poisoned by H'El and when Cyborg Superman spins her a good yarn, she is susceptible to him. It is tough to make a protagonist a dupe and have them continue to be interesting, but Michael Alan Nelson pulls it off for the bulk of Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past. Supergirl acknowledges that she is making a mistake again when she recognizes Cyborg Superman for what he is and she goes into the conflict with the clone army pretty well-prepared.

Supergirl continuing to be duped and having to take part in ensuring Krypton's destruction lays the framework well for the subsequent volume, but given that Kara has not fully fallen, it is not entirely satisfying.

What is good is the artwork in Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past. The characters look consistently recognizable and there is good use of color for the I'Noxian replicants. Familiar superheroes who are replicated from Kara's memories are colored with faded colors to indicate their status visually and that is executed well.

Ultimately, though, Supergirl: Volume 4 - Out Of The Past is a fairly average graphic novel that progresses the Kara Zor-El's story well, but not in an exceptional way that allows Kara to truly stand on her own.

For other New 52 titles, be sure to visit my reviews of:
The Flash: Reverse
Green Lantern: Rise Of The Third Army
Harley Quinn: In The City

5/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Too Much Missing To Be Satisfying: Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary Is A Partial Crossover!

The Good: Moments of character, Moments of story, A few good panels of artwork, Intriguing beginning to the next story
The Bad: Missing story parts, Abrupt ending, A lot of mediocre artwork
The Basics: Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary is committed to the issues that comprise it, which makes for a terrible anthology as it only tells a fraction of the H'El on Earth story and its follow-up.


It seems that I have gotten into Supergirl (the latest episode, "The Darkest Place," is reviewed here!). I realized after watching the television series that it has been awhile since I went back to the source material and gave it a fair shake. Given that I have been generally enjoying the way Supergirl has been standing on its own, without living wholly in Superman's shadow, I figured it was a good time to go back to the books and see if I enjoyed them any more now. I resumed where I left of in The New 52 incarnation of Supergirl with Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary.

Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary picks up after the events of Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World (reviewed here!) and the context clues are more than enough to allow new readers to pick up Volume 3 and not feel truly lost. Unfortunately, the fractured nature of the crossover event that the chapters in Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary contain make for a much less satisfying read than they ought to. Apparently, the chapters in Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary are alternating chapters from a crossover with Superman and Superboy called "H'El On Earth" and these chapters do not tell nearly enough of a story to be satisfying, either on their own or even for Supergirl's character arc in them!

Opening at a facility at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean where the half-alien, half-remnants of human Simon Tycho are attacking Supergirl, when Tycho convinces Kara to stop fighting him. He plays her a recording that seems to indicate Kara's mother killed her father when she learned he was experimenting upon their daughter. Quickly learning the nature of the Kryptonian structure Sanctuary, Kara is able to neutralize Tycho and contact Siobahn. After helping Kal-El neutralize a Kryptonian dragon, Kara returns to Sanctuary where she falls asleep and encounters H'El. H'El is another Kryptonian who has the ability to teleport instantly and tells Kara he wants to return home to Krypton before it was destroyed. After giving Kara the ability to understand English and the choice of whether or not to kill the cloned Kryptonian (Superboy), H'El teleports Kara to Kal.

Reuniting, H'El and Kara visit Kal-El's Fortress of Solitude, where Kara is oblivious to Kal being locked out by H'El! H'El miniaturizes Kara and teleports her into the bottled city of Kandor, where Supergirl encounters remaining forces from Brainiac. Removing the power crystal from Kandor and giving it to H'El puts Supergirl in the crossfire from the Justice League. The Flash vibrates into the Fortress of Solitude to rescue Kara, but Kara does not allow him to help her, as she is determined to rewrite time with H'El and save Krypton. With the Star Chamber ready to be activated, Kara squares off against Wonder Woman. While the Oracle that H'El summoned to Earth is wreaking havoc, Wonder Woman and Kara fight to a standstill . . . when Diana is able to convince Kara of the truth. In the aftermath of stopping H'El, Supergirl is severely wounded, Kryptonite poisoned and sent off-planet to recover. Returning to Earth, though, puts Kara in jeopardy from both Lex Luthor's ally Appex and the Kryptonite poisoning she is suffering!

On the plus side, Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary opens with an intriguing character. Kara Zor-El exhibits quick thinking against Tycho and that sets up an engaging potential story with a protagonist who seems to be worth following. As the story with H'El gets going, Kara Zor-El remains interesting and the progression of Supergirl's character arc is initially very well-executed. In Supergirl's story, H'El is a potential savior who comes to Kara saying all of the right things needed to make Kara believe him. While readers have a pretty good feeling that Kara is being duped - simply by the larger continuity in the DC Universe where Krypton is destroyed and the consequences of saving it would be catastrophic to the overall comic book universe - the progression is surprisingly well-handled by writer Mike Johnson. Johnson has a realistic development for the seduction of Kara Zor-El, so the reader is able to invest in her journey.

It is a shame that journey - including the apparent grand act of sacrifice by Kara - is not fully included in Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary!

Fidelity to the original issues of Supergirl leads to a narrative gap when Kara and Kal-El have already killed the Kryptonian monster from the first chapter at the outset of the second chapter. Similarly, the second chapter ends with Kara walking in on Kal and Lois Lane, but the third chapter opens with a flashback to Kara and her best friend on Argo City. The entire incident at the end of one chapter disappears before the beginning of the next chapter! Throughout the volume, readers are left lost as the book leaps forward without the actual story being told of how H'El is doing what he is doing. While it helps Kara Zor-El's character arc to be duped for so long with Wonder Woman having to deliver exposition to Kara about what is actually happening, it is unsatisfying to read only a portion of Kara and H'El's storyline.

The artwork in Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary is generally all-right, though the quality is fractured. Near the end of the book, the panels that contain aliens and both Power Girl and Supergirl together are well-drawn and colored. But The Flash is incredibly poorly rendered when he appears in the alien weapon he attempts to use to take down Supergirl and much of the fight between Supergirl and Wonder Woman is presented with a mediocre sense of movement to it.

Ultimately, there is little purpose to Supergirl: Volume 3 - Sanctuary. Most of the issues in this volume are a part of the book Superman: H'El On Earth, which seems to be a more complete version of the story than the one told in this book. The result is a disappointing volume on its own that will underwhelm those who are fans of Supergirl . . . or those who just want to be able to follow a story about the character!

For other New 52 titles, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Harley Quinn: Power Outage
Red Lanterns: Blood And Rage
Wonder Woman: A Twist Of Fate

2/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Two Stories, One Book: Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac Is Mostly Fun!

The Good: Moments of character, Well-defined backstory for new characters, Wonderful artwork
The Bad: Odd story breakdowns, Short, Poor characterization of love/male influence
The Basics: Resolving the conflict of Brainiac, the gynocentric Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac then works to set up the next volume!


When it comes to my book reviews, I can think of no other work that pleasantly surprised me of late quite like Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 (reviewed here!). Based on the oversexualized statue and toy line from DC Collectibles, the Ame-Comi book was one that I picked up on a complete lark, not at all expecting it to have any serious merit. I'm a big enough person to admit when I am wrong and I was wrong about Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1. Based on the strength of the first volume, I picked up Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac.

Right off the bat, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac seemed like it was something of a misnomer; after all, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 had very powerfully introduced Brainiac to the narrative, so it seemed like readers already knew Brianiac was rising. Beyond that, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is an anthology of the first four Ame-Comi Girls comic books to follow the introductory ("featuring X Character") series and it picks up immediately after Volume 1. As such, it is a story in progress and it is impossible to review Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac without referencing where Volume 1 left off. Unfortunately, because only the first two (of four) chapters deal with the dangling plotlines left from Volume 1, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac starts to feel like something of a cashgrab by transitioning awkwardly into the next story instead of having Volume 2 tell the whole next story. In other words, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is an awkward bridge between two stories; the fast resolution to one and the slow build to another (without any resolution or strong character development). That fracture makes it a tougher sell than it ought to have been.

Opening with Wonder Woman squaring off against the black Kryptonite-infected Supergirl, the battle between the heroes and Brianiac's forces seems to be going quite poorly. As Batgirl, aboard Brainiac's ship, searches for a weakness, Wonder Woman finds the possessed Supergirl's weakness and utilizes the Lasso Of Truth to turn the tide of battle against her. Seeing which way the wind is blowing Duela Dent abandons Brainiac's ship. While Brainiac activates the computer at the Earth's core and sends devices up to the surface all around the Earth, the heroes fight off Brainiac's drones in Kansas. Power Girl makes it to the Earth's core, but finds it filled with giant, mechanical bees controlled by Brainiac. After Power Girl manages to communicate with the drones, she discovers that Brainiac is already in the core waiting for her!

Gaining access to Brainiac's ship leads Brainiac to shut off life support. Rising to the occasion, The Flash passes through the door and hunts down Brainiac as Power Girl fights the Brainiac in the Earth's core. After battling Brainiac, the alliance between the heroes begins to fracture when Power Girl becomes determined to save Supergirl's life, regardless of Wonder Woman's advice. Forming a Justice League to come together should another threat to Earth arise, the group splinters apart to return to their own lives.

Following the Brainiac Incident, in China, the blind mountain-climber Jade Yifei is in the middle of an ascent when she is attacked by the Flying Guillotine. Before she can hit the ground, though, she is chosen by Oa to be the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Saving her family and getting her attacker to flee, Jade takes up the mantle of Green Lantern with surprising ease. In the anti-matter universe, Parallax finds a way through to the matter universe and on Earth's moon, Carol Ferris finds a downed space ship belonging to a Star Sapphire and she becomes one of the ringbearers for the violet light. Returning to Earth, Ferris attends a party where she steals James Olsen away from Kara Jor-El, in the process revealing herself to be a Star Sapphire. After a fight between Power Girl and the Star Sapphire, Kara Jor-El enlists Avril Palmer (The Atom) to aid her in saving Supergirl's life. The volume ends with the set-up for the next major conflict with a backstory detailing the rise of Sinestra!

First off, and I couldn't truly discuss this when writing about Volume 1 as it came right at the end, the black Kryptonite is one of the coolest ideas that Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray brought to Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac. The transformation of Kara Zor-El into a villain under Brainiac's control is a cool idea that is executed fairly well in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac. In fact, Supergirl is only stopped by the Lasso Of Truth and that is treated as a temporary fix, with Kara Zor-El being in a state of mortal peril for pretty much all of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac.

I was initially disappointed that Catwoman had survived the events of Volume 1 to participate in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac. After all, the artwork in the first book made it look like dark Supergirl has snapped her neck and the potential casualty lent some weight to the somewhat light volume. In Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac, Catwoman's survival is blithely described as a function of using up two of her nine lives and that is a bit disappointing as there is nothing else in the text to indicate Catwoman had anything remotely supernatural to her. Keeping her alive is sadly pointless given that she has no substantive role in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac.

There is something thematically disappointing about Steve Trevor's role in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac. As Power Girl and Wonder Woman form the Justice League, Steve Trevor is the voice of pragmatism and reason, the only one in the room discussing the legal ramifications of non-U.S. citizens launching military-style missions from U.S. soil and the superhero team including minors (Barbara Gordon and Carrie/Robin). Trevor is also the only one who brings up the idea that members of the team could be killed and that leads to liability issues. While Trevor's counterpoints to the budding Justice League are a good place to finally address "Girls" (as opposed to "Women") in the title, it is troubling that Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac uses a male character to negotiate practical and rational elements in a female-centered super hero team. In the real world, there are enough problems with getting women to work together for their common goals; it would have been refreshing in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac to see the female characters model it well for any young women actually reading the book.

In a similar way, Star Sapphire basically uses a love potion (mind control) on James Olsen and that pulls the reader way out of the narrative. In a book filled with accomplished, powerful women (including Carol Ferris, the way she is first introduced and described by Olsen), it seems particularly lowbrow that the Star Sapphire sells herself as the best looking woman at the party. It's a shallow reason for Olsen to want her and it does no service to the concept of love that the Star Sapphire is supposed to embody. For sure, the Green Lantern comics have had trouble reasonably and consistenly defining the Star Sapphires and their powers, but Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is not doing any favors to the struggle by picking a pretty shallow portrayal of love with Ferris obsessed with Olsen. At least Kara Jor-El is rational enough to see Olsen's near-infidelity for what it truly was and not make the book go too far in the direction of melodrama.

On the opposite side, Princess Diana is presented in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac as a refreshingly strong character. Not at all plagued by self-doubt or a sense of melodrama, she comes across as a natural leader. Similarly, Kara Jor-El is characterized well as a powerful, articulate woman not requiring the traditional trappings of stereotypical American relationships. Jor-El is not jealous and her protective nature of James Olsen actually comes across in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac as her desire to see her boyfriend not be victimized by a woman willing to use mind control over him.

The addition of Green Lantern to Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is an interesting one and the book has a decent re-imagining of the Green Lanterns. Jade's mantra is different and her story sends the book in an entirely different direction. Her backstory is dwarfed by the extensive backstory given to Sinestra at the very end of the book. Sinestra, having once thwarted Brainiac on her own, becomes the next great villain for the Ame-Comi saga . . . right before the book ends.

Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is somewhat sloppily written in that Kara Jor-El (Power Girl) is referenced as Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) is a scene where the artwork is clearly of Power Girl in her mundane outfit and Supergirl is still in stasis elsewhere in Metropolis.

Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac includes bonus features, in the form of rough character sketches for Brainiac at the end of the book. Between the variant cover gallery and the sketches, the bonus features are mildly amusing, but leave the reader wishing there were more story (substance) as opposed to fluff.

Despite being terribly short and broken up to sell more books as opposed to finish and begin narratives at logical places, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 2: Rise Of The Brainiac is still worth reading and a fun book.

For other books featuring characters that had Ame-Comi reworks, please check out my reviews of:
Wonder Woman: Gods And Mortals By George Perez
Superman: Brainiac By Geoff Johns
Harley Quinn: Power Outage By Amanda Connor

5/10

For other graphic novel reviews, please check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Collectibles Become Comic Books With Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1!

The Good: Good characters, Good story, Some knock-out artwork
The Bad: Incredibly erratic artwork, Fractured story at points
The Basics: Against all my first instincts, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 becomes a joy to read and a set-up graphic novel worth championing as the DC Comics Universe as re-imagined in a gynocentric way!


A few years ago, when my wife and I were still living in Upstate New York, we made a day trip to Albany. I thought it would be fun to visit the state capital and we ended up doing a lot of generally geeky things, like visiting comic book shops, trying local restaurants (okay, that's not geeky) and going to the movies. While at one of the comic book shops, I came across a Wonder Woman figure that I had never before seen. The figure was the Ame-Comi Wonder Woman, the first one which featured a barely-dressed Wonder Woman holding the head of Medusa. At the time, $39.95 seemed a bit steep of a price for me, so I passed on picking it up (which was aided by my wife staring me down and asking me point-blank, "Where the hell would you display that?!"). I did not think much about the Ame-Comi toy line, despite occasionally seeing them in my sidebar advertisements and seeing the prices for some of the figures (like that Wonder Woman I passed on all those years ago!) going quite high. But, given how intensive September is turning out to be for Marvel Comics-based reviews, I figured that I would branch out a little bit with my DC Comics reviews and that was when I discovered that there were actually comic books based upon the Ame-Comi toy line.

The concept of building a supporting work around a collectible or toy is not a new one. As much as I loved Masters Of The Universe growing up, I know that the television series was based on the toy line, not the other way around. So, DC Comics is now creating supporting materials for the popular collectibles from DC Collectibles, like Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 and a comic book based upon the DC Bombshells line of statues. Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is the anthology of the five volumes (three issues each) of the main characters - Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Power Girl, Duella Dent, and Supergirl - reformatted for the printing and without the "To Be Continued" line at the end of the chapters that would have delineated the original issues.

Opening with Steve Trevor briefing the U.S. President on the rumors of Themyscira hours in advance of Kasnia launching an attack on the island, Princess Diana of Themyscira trains in hand to hand combat with the minotaurs on the island. When the Kasnian army invades, the Amazons easily repel them, but when Queen Hippolyta realizes that the battle was turned by Diana, she is angered. Hippolyta wants to send an envoy to the strongest, most democratic nation on Earth and have the envoy trade protecting Themyscira for the Tears Of Panacea, the elixir that grants Amazons vitality. After dressing Diana in a surprisingly skimpy outfit and charging her with becoming the Themysciran ambassador to the world, Hippolyta sends Diana off to the United States to learn wisdom and humility. While Diana speaks to the United Nations, she is attacked by Cheetah. In the process of thwarting Cheetah, Diana saves the Kasnian Ambassador and Diana learns that even Cheetah does not know who hired her.

Right off the bat, Wonder Woman is characterized as strong and sassy in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1. While training, she is a formidable opponent to three minotaurs, even if they claim she is vain and narcissistic. Despite the claims of her sparring partners, she is eager to defend her homeland and that selfless quality is one of the hallmarks of Wonder Woman. In that way, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 quickly asserts that while the art style might be new, the characters at the heart of the narrative are going to bear familiar traits. This makes sense as the volume generally tells a familiar origin story for Diana with new artwork in a moderately-altered setting.

Batgirl's origin story is second in the book and it features Barbara Gordon and her cousin Carrie heading out for a night on the town. After being seen off by the wheelchair-bound Jim Gordon, Barbara and Gordon go out as Batgirl and Robin to thwart some crime in Gotham. They do not have to go far, as Poison Ivy is in the park tormenting a young couple on their first date. While the pair is easily able to stop Poison Ivy, she is soon joined by Catwoman and Harley Quinn, who are being monitored by Duela Dent. Despite their best efforts, Batgirl is captured by the trio and taken back to Duela Dent's lair where they are joined by Cheetah. Robin has to rescue Batgirl, while Barbara does her best to learn about Duela Dent's new lair and who might be behind designing the futuristic prison she has built. While Barbara realizes that Duela has her aboard a spacecraft that she could not have possibly invented, Carrie goes to Steel (Natasha Irons) for assistance in mounting the rescue of Batgirl.

The female-dominated narrative of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 comes out very strongly in the second chapter. The reversals to the originally-established DC Comics universe are fun, like Jim Gordon being stuck in the wheelchair instead of Barbara. The idea of Barbara looking after Carrie, much like Bruce Wayne looks after the young men who become Robin is a similarly cool twist. But the Barbara Gordon chapter is either where the concept of the book starts to play as awkward or I am just out of touch. Carrie uses phrases like "the soundest crew in Gotham" and "Mom is tranquil" and dialogue like that either embodies youthspeak I have no experience with or it is intended to mimic bad translations in American comic books/Manga. Whichever, the second chapter features some truly off lines.

In addition, the Batgirl chapter has decidedly inferior artwork compared to the first chapter as the characters are rendered far more simplistically. The sense of movement, like the dialogue, is a bit off, which makes for a poor flow and a less enjoyable reading experience. How Batgirl survives being submerged in the death tank Duela Dent made long enough for the spikes to deploy makes less sense than Batgirl being able to dodge the spikes!

Duela Dent's chapter in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 offers the reader explicit backstory on the female steampunk Joker character. She is presented as the daughter of the Joker, who grew up in the twisted landmark House Dent. One night, while playing hide and seek with her father, she ended up in the attic, where she was attacked by bats and, in the aftermath, was forced to cut her hair and get rabies shots. Shortly thereafter, her father was killed (paralyzing Jim Gordon in the process) and Duela Dent began her reign of terror on Gotham City. Acting as an agent of pure chaos, Duela brought Gotham to its knees until Batgirl showed up. Duela Dent's backstory is well-conceived and illustrated enough to be captivating. It is also the first chapter clearly intended for more mature readers (as if Wonder Woman's outfit didn't make that clear in the first chapter of the book!). Duela Dent is a cunning, cruel adversary, who is surprisingly well-conceived.

Duela's chapter then flashes forward to where Batgirl's chapter ended, with Duela and her lackeys cornering Batgirl on the ship. After incapacitating Batgirl in a futuristic trap, Duela demands fealty from her crew. Catwoman resists and the two fight, leading Catwoman to be jaded when Duela reveals her ally. Duela Dent is working with Brainiac, who intends to reduce humanity (outside Gotham City and Atlantis) to savages before abandoning the planet for a few million years. While Duela revels in her plan to rule the world (or the ashes of it), Catwoman frees Batgirl and tries to get her off the ship.

The third chapter greatly expands the scope of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 by introducing Brainiac and The Flash (Jesse Quick). The artwork is erratic, but still better than the second chapter. While the character arc for Catwoman is fairly predictable, it works because many, many DC Comics volumes have been written on how super-villain societies have a tendency to fall apart because villains do not work well together. Catwoman is characterized as smart enough to understand the human desire for respect, whereas, Duela Dent is a somewhat monolithic agent of chaos who demands fealty. While the plot of Duela's chapter is somewhat predictable and a little fractured, it progresses the overall story of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1.

The fourth chapter introduces Power Girl to the narrative as the Kryptonian Kara Jor-El rescues James Olsen from pirates he wants to interview off the coast of Kenya. After rescuing Olsen, Power Girl returns to Metropolis, the city of the future that she has built based upon Kryptonian technology and environmental practices. While giving a tour of her facility, she is attacked by the Silver Banshees who out her as an alien and attempt to kill her. The Silver Banshees are armored women working for (presumably) Lex Luthor, who has built a giant mech to lay waste to Metropolis, kill Power Girl and (in his mind) prevent a Kryptonian invasion. No sooner has Kara saved Metropolis than a ship carrying her cousin, Kara Zor-El, crashes down in Smallville . . . with Manhunters right behind!

The artwork of the fourth chapter is more stylized than the earlier chapters, with the pirates having bodies with proportions that are noticeably off. Similarly, after Power Girl melts their firearms with her heat vision, the guys keep holding the red-hot weapons, which looks utterly ridiculous. Ironically, Power Girl herself looks the most similar to her non-Ame-Comi rendition, which might be a statement in and of itself. In fact, Ame-Comi Power Girl might have more of a costume - whatwith her somewhat pointless leg armor - than her mundane comic counterpart. What does an indestructible woman need with armor? That is not made clear in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1. Power Girl's chapter is such a disconnect from the other chapters that it makes Barbara Gordon's shock at aliens influencing Earth seem nonsensical as Kara is out and about as an alien in love with humanity. Fortunately, just around the time the reader is thinking "How are the Manhunters so bad at their job that they arrive in force to stop Kara Zor-El, but not Brainiac?!" Brainiac's ship arrives and reduces that qualm as the Manhunters recognize the Coulan ship instantly. The female Manhunters are well-rendered for the gynocentric reinterpretation of the DC Universe - their fire hair is pretty cool.

The final chapter of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is Kara Zor-El, Supergirl's, chapter. Opening with a brief flashback to Jor-El and Zor-El appealing to prevent the destruction of Krypton (it's not clear why those characters weren't female scientists instead of Power Girl and Supergirl's fathers!), before they are condemned to the Phantom Zone, the story flashes back to exactly where the prior chapter ended. The Manhunters agree to pardon Power Girl and Supergirl in exchange for their aid in arresting or destroying Brainiac, which they set about to doing right away, much to the chagrin of Duela Dent and her team aboard Brainiac's ship. As Brainiac sends a legion of androids to slaughter Supergirl, Power Girl and the Manhunters, Earth's metahumans take a stand against them!

The final chapter of is a cliffhanger, which promises a change in format from the character-centered chapters that defined Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1. In many ways, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is a set-up that brings together, essentially, a female-powered Justice League. It also raises the stakes in the final chapter by apparently killing one character (it would be hard to believe a mere human could survive the beating from an extraterrestrial!) and creating a new villain for the next book. And, while there is something troubling about the word "bitch" being used in such a pro-woman book (it comes up twice in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1, the final time out of Wonder Woman's mouth, which is just disturbing!), for the most part, the book has a strong respect for girl power themes.

Somewhat understandably, Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is a series of origin stories. Duela Dent's is the most concrete and explicit and, given how she is more or less unique to the narrative, inherently interesting. The explanations for Power Girl and Supergirl together is handled well-enough to accept. Supergirl and Wonder Woman's origin stories are familiar and bookend the volume well. Indeed, Supergirl's story being infused with the story of Brainiac makes for a compelling introduction of Kara Zor-El.

The artwork in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1, like the statues and toys upon which they are based, is fun, at the very least. I noticed, however, that the artwork became less detailed as each chapter went on. There are panels, for example, of Wonder Woman's fight with Cheetah that lack the richness of detail that were present in her fight with the Kasnian forces on Themyscira. By contrast, Duela Dent's chapter starts with amazing artwork to explore the architecture of her childhood house to further her characterization in a compelling way. By the time Power Girl's chapter ends, though, it is hard not to acknowledge that Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is very much a graphic novel for people who like breasts. That's not a dig, but the artists are pretty obsessed with rendering large-breasted women and somewhere there is a young teen geek who has a copy of Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 stuffed between their matress and boxspring!

I was not entirely prepared to like Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 when I sat down to read it. The statues upon which the book was made seemed exploitative and over-sexualized (which is fine, but that being a gimmick to rework characters from seemed like it would lead most naturally to a porn parody as opposed to a serious, compelling, work) and the artwork in Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 mirrors that, especially in the final chapter. But Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 isn't just softcore with a story; it is surprisingly character-driven and against all odds, it works. In the Ame-Comi incarnation of the DC Universe, Earth and Krypton are mere creations of Brainiac's and she is coming to Earth to feast and that raises the level of threat in the book far beyond Duela Dent or Cheetah.

It also makes for a strong adventure where young women are working together for common purpose to save each other and the world. Regardless of the artwork, it is hard not to champion that. Ame-Comi Girls Volume 1 is a decent set-up that makes for a fun read and makes the reader eager to continue with the story . . . for more than just the appreciation of the costumes and boobs.

For other books that contain the characters that the Ame-Comi versions are based upon, please visit my reviews of:
Wonder Woman: Blood By Brian Azzarello
Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection By Gail Simone
Supergirl: Death & The Family By Sterling Gates

6/10

For other book reviews, please check out my Book Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Sink Slowly: Supergirl – Volume 2: Girl In The World Does Not Progress The Heroine!

The Good: Most of the artwork, Moments of character
The Bad: Exceptionally simplistic plot, Story elements presented out-of-order/with gaps
The Basics: The New 52 story of Supergirl continues in Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World, which is plagued by fidelity to issues problems as well as gaps in the story itself!


As the DC Cinematic (or Television, anyway) Universe prepares to welcome Supergirl into the fold, I have been boning up on my Supergirl knowledge. Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of Superman or Supergirl, so I had limited knowledge of the franchise (despite being able to list powers and adversaries for Superman, I had no idea who the main antagonists in Supergirl were!). So, having read Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton (reviewed here!), I had just enough interest to pick up and read Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World.

Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World is plagued by a number of problems, not the least of which is that its serialized elements hinge almost entirely upon other volumes. References to Volume 1 are fairly infrequent, so it is easy to get into reading Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World, but when allusions pop up, they frequently come without strong enough triggers (for example, the artwork of the young man in Volume 1 who helped Kara Zor-El escape Simon Tycho was not so distinct or memorable that when he appears for a frame or two in Volume 2 he is instantly recognizable). As well, Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World has fidelity to issues, as opposed to fidelity to story, which is a state I dislike. As a result, Supergirl #0 tells the origin backstory of Kara Zor-El on Krypton after issue 12 is reprinted in Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World. This is a two-fold slap in the face; it should have been at the beginning of Volume 1 for fidelity to story, but after Kara Zor-El commits to solving the mystery of her origin, Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World simply spoon feeds it to the reader. What joy is there in discovery for following Supergirl when we, the readers, have all the answers so long before the protagonist?

That said, Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World picks up immediately after Volume 1, with Supergirl in the ruined section of New York City, having just defeated the Worldkillers. The military forces that were deployed surround Kara Zor-El and they are preparing to (attempt) to stop her when she is rescued by a young woman. Siobhan Smythe runs through the crowd and begins speaking Kryptonian, which allows Kara to start to bond and communicate with a human for the first time. Escaping the military, Kara and Siobhan start to relax together.

Unfortunately, while out at a club where Siobhan is performing, the pair is waylaid by a powerful magic entity. The Black Banshee attacks and, in the process, Siobhan reverts to her own magical form: the Silver Banshee. The Black Banshee is the mystical, cursed, form of Siobhan’s father and his power is the ability to absorb souls. Kara Zor-El’s soul looks mighty tasty to him and he attacks her . . . with unintended consequences for Kara, Siobhan, and the Black Banshee!

Following the attack by the Black Banshee, there is a vignette involving Kara getting waylaid by nanoarmor-protected soldiers from Simon Tycho and a somewhat baffling exchange in which Kara Zor-El and Kal-El (who reunite sometime between chapters?!) argue about how Kara may best pursue her search for the secrets of how she was saved from Krypton’s destruction. The book caps off with Kara Zor-El’s complete origin story.

Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World is as much Siobhan’s story as it is Kara Zor-El’s. Almost an entire chapter is given to detailing Siobhan’s tragic backstory and why she is running from her father. In that sidestory, Siobhan’s lost brother Tom is introduced, which seeds the way for him to return, thanks to Kara’s heroics. But before the relationship can actually develop or grow, Kara flees the city and the book abruptly ends.

Such is the problem with Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World: the volume is so plot-based that Kara Zor-El hardly has a chance to develop or grow as a character. Instead, she dukes it out, loses control, and finds herself bewildered. For those looking for a strong female protagonist, Supergirl is very much a mixed bag – her record in Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World is almost equal parts being the rescued character as it is having her heroically rescue Siobhan and Tom!

The artwork in Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World is good enough. The characters are all recognizable and the coloring is vibrant and looks good. Some of the supporting characters are hardly distinct, but Kara Zor-El and Silver Banshee/Siobhan look good throughout. In fact, the most serious art issues comes in the prequel chapter, where there is a panel that makes it look like an adult Kal-El, wearing a red suit, comes in and menaces Kara’s mother. While fans of the Superman franchise might instantly get it, newbies are left baffled.

All this adds up to a quick read which is unfortunately unsatisfying volume. Supergirl: Volume 2 – Girl In The World might minorly progress the story of Kara Zor-El and introduce her essential ally to the narrative, but it is simplistic, plot-centered and unremarkable.

For other New 52 titles, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Batgirl: Knightfall Descends By Gail Simone
The Flash: Rogues Revolution By Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Green Lantern: Revenge Of The Black Hand By Geoff Johns
Wonder Woman: Guts By Brian Azzarello

3.5/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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An Intriguing Start: Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton

The Good: Most of the artwork, Moments of character, Moments of plot, Concept of the villains
The Bad: Villains are way too expository, Assumes a lot of knowledge of the franchise (not entirely accessible to new readers), Somewhat simplistic
The Basics: The New 52 reboot of Supergirl starts in Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton when the Kryptonian girl comes to Earth.


I was, perhaps, the most skeptical fan in the world of the DC Comics reboot of its stories a few years back. “The New 52” was a terrible idea and the execution of the idea has borne out my trepidation to the concept. And yet, every major superhero that DC Comics wanted to continue to invest in was reworked and reimagined and their stories were (for the most part) rebooted (with a number of problematic exceptions!). One of the characters whose story was entirely restarted was Supergirl. Her story has a pretty straightforward beginning in Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton.

Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton is one of those quick reads that is simultaneously very good at what it sets out to do and increasingly frustrating the more one considers it. The trade paperback anthology collects the New 52 Supergirl issues 1 – 7 and it does tell a fairly solid story, albeit a clear beginning with the promise of much more to come. And there are many elements to like about it, but it is by no means a great story or exceptional writing. It is, also, clearly geared toward fans of the Superman franchise as it makes passing reference to things like Kara Zor-El studying on Krypton for her trials which will make her a woman without any explicit reference to her age. The result is an instant sense of alienation within the narrative because exactly what stage of cognitive development Kara Zor-El is supposed to be at is unclear.

A space station orbiting Earth monitors objects from space that hurtle through the Earth creating a hole from near-Kansas to Siberia. They send a team of humans in mechanized suits to recover the object and its potential occupants from Russia, per international agreements the station’s owner has with the various governments of Earth. The mechs encounter Kara Zor-El, a young woman who is confused and thinks she might be dreaming. As the mechs attempt to restrain and capture her, Kara begins to experience dramatic physiological changes – she finds she is ridiculously strong, can see through things, can burn her targets with her eyes and can more or less fly. She encounters a man who claims to be Kal-El, her baby cousin, whom she saw only three days prior on Krypton. After a fight with Kal-El, Kara separates from the other Kryptonian when he rushes off to save the lives of some of the humans nearby.

That gives Simon Tycho the chance to engage Kara Zor-El. He lures her up to his space station with the information that he has the pod in which she arrived. When she gets there, though, Tycho tries to incapacitate her, using his artificial life form, The Brain. In subduing Kara Zor-El, Tycho learns about her outfit and in the ensuing battle, loses the memory crystal he recovered from her pod (and most of his space station and staff) to her. Kara flies off to a portal that takes her to the remnants of Argo City, where she was raised. There she learns the truth of the destruction of Krypton and she is discovered by Reign, a Worldkiller engineered by the people of Krypton (despite being outlawed). Reign wants to find out the truth of her origins – and the origins of the other worldkillers – and she and Kara bring their fight from the remnants of Argo City to New York City!

Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton is instantly problematic because of the language barrier. Kara Zor-El does not understand any Earth languages; her internal monologue establishes that. But the men in mech suits talk to her, Simon Tycho talks to her, and civilians talk to her and while she is not supposed to understand their languages, she behaves as if she comprehends them entirely. I get the instinct of knowing that mechs that start shooting at you are inherently bad, but Tycho tries to get involved with somewhat sophisticated ideas with Kara Zor-El and she more or less goes with it, not nearly as confused as someone blocked by a language barrier ought to be!

At the other end of the spectrum is Reign. Reign is established as a pretty cool, if obvious, adversary (it seems like it is supposed to be a big revelation that Reign is a Worldkiller and that Worldkillers are entities, not engineered objects of destruction). The problem with Reign is that she’s not terribly smart (she tells Kara how to defeat her and her posse) and she does not talk like an adversary at all. Reign is searching for her origins and she ends up delivering more useful exposition to Kara than a Bond villain! She details what she knows of herself, the destruction of Krypton, her plans, her (and the other Worldkiller’s) abilities, and that makes very little sense. In fact, after Kara encounters the Worldkillers at Argo City, their trip to Earth makes no logical sense. Reign is convinced that Earth is the refuge for the Kryptonian survivors and thus it must mean something to her own search. There is no logical correlation between those two ideas (in fact, if the Kryptonians were fleeing the Worldkillers, logic suggests that they would want to make their sanctuary the place farthest from anything useful to Worldkillers!). So, Reign seems to be phoning in her heart-felt quest to understand her own origins and find her home.

The final real problem with Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton is in the context of the larger DC Universe. I know I mention this whenever I read a book or see a show/movie set in the DC Universe, but I have to ask: Where the hell is the Green Lantern Corps?! The whole purpose of the Green Lantern Corps is to maintain peace and order in the galaxy. Somehow, a suspended animation pod travelling for decades away from the last remnant city of Krypton eluded them?! The Worldkillers managed to slip by them, unnoticed?! Kara Zor-El falls to Earth, leaves Earth and returns to Earth entirely without setting off any alarms within the Green Lantern Corps in Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton. Wow, the Oans suck!

Ironically, Simon Tycho is an instantly intriguing villain. His motives seem to be simple greed, but he’s using his fabulous assets for a surprisingly realistic purpose. Tycho notes that the major governments of Earth have given up on space exploration, so he – as a business enterprise – has decided to pick up the slack. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a good argument for private sector development like Simon Tycho, but there he is. He’s doing what governments bullied by low-tax right-wingers won’t; investing in research and development. What he does to Kara Zor-El is terrible, but at least he makes sense.

The artwork in Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton is generally good. Kara Zor-El is clearly recognizable throughout the book and the panels have a decent sense of movement and color to them. This is a good-looking book.

And there is just enough in Supergirl: Volume 1 – Last Daughter Of Krypton to make one want to come back to it. Technical problems aside, Kara Zor-El starts as an intriguing-enough young woman and at the beginning of her story there is a lot of potential to make her an interesting character quite different from Superman.

For other New 52 titles, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection By Gail Simone
The Flash: Move Along By Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Green Lantern: Sinestro By Geoff Johns
Green Lantern New Guardians: The Ring Bearer
Justice League: Origins By Geoff Johns
Red Lantern Corps: Blood And Rage By Peter Milligan
Wonder Woman: Blood By Brian Azzarello

5.5/10

For other graphic novel reviews, be sure to check out my Graphic Novel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the graphic novel reviews I have written!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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