Back Issue Box: Action Comics #303

Back in Action Comics #1081, Phantom Zone villain Ras-Krom summoned Zanchyroia dragons.

I'll be honest, I thought for a second they were an updating of the Kryptonian kaiju from Action Comics #303. Turns out, I was wrong. This creature is a Kryptonian Drang. 

Then in Superman #21, we learned that Superman's Red emotional storms are the result of a Red K injection from Pharm and Graft. I remembered Action Comics #303 again for its Red-K centric main story.

Between a flying Kryptonian dragon and the Red K connection, I thought it would be fun to formally review this story here. As a plus, Supergirl has a small role in the story. Besides, it has been a while since I have gone back to the Silver Age for something completely silly and fun. 

'The Monster from Krypton' was written by Edmond Hamilton with art by Curt Swan. It sports a pretty eye-grabbing cover of Supergirl riding the one-horned monster while the US military fire Kryptonite bullets at it. But perhaps the most interesting thing about the cover is that it gives away the twists. The monster IS Superman, changed by Red Kryptonite!

Well, settle in for a silly ride! Here's some Kryptonian Kaiju and Red K hijinks!

Review: Absolute Superman #3

Absolute Superman #3 came out last week, a flashback issue looking at young Kal's life on Krypton as it approached destruction. It is a pretty heavy-handed issue as we see Jor-El and Lara dealing with a completely corrupt Kryptonian hierarchy by rebelling with violence.

Now look, this is the Absolute Universe, the one tainted by Darkseid energy, and so the whole thing is going to be murky. A Kryptonian Science Council allowing genocide to happen as long as they escape? Sounds like a Darkseid place. Lara donning attack armor and wielding a lava gun as she mows down innocent police officers? Sounds like a Darkseid place. 

We have seen this Kal on Earth, fighting the system by helping people. He seems to be an upstanding hero, only retaliating when attacked by the cronies of Earth's own corruption. Writer Jason Aaron is walking a fine line here. Superman as a populist hero fighting an inherently evil world? Sounds okay. But where does it end? When does fighting the system become fighting innocent people also stuck in the system? When does this become too ham-fisted?

This issue comes close to that. It veers to the preachy. But I do think it is important for us to see the experiences of young (not baby) Kal on Krypton to inform who he is on Earth.

Now there are some things that seem convenient for the story. And some things that seem nonsensical given the story. So of the three issues of this series so far, I feel this one is the weakest from a writing view.

Interesingly enough, I think this might be the strongest issue from an art view. Rafa Sandoval is just crushing it on this book. Here we see Krypton with its death pangs. We see Lara in action. We see high tech and lush alien landscapes. Sandoval is inching towards Dan Mora as my favorite DC artist.

On to the book. 

Amazing Heroes #136 - Superman at 50 and 'The Supergirl Saga'

One of the holiday presents I got this year was a copy of Amazing Heroes #136, a Superman-centric issue celebrating the Man of Steel's 50th birthday. 

I am a big fan of Amazing Heroes and definitely have been looking in back issue bins for ones that cover interesting topics for me so this was a gold mine. The issue includes a section where comic professionals give brief reflections on why they love Superman. There is a 'gallery' section of Superman pics from up-and-comers including one from a some guy named Adam Hughes who is about to break on the scene.

But for me, the article I found most interesting was an interview with Superman editor Mike Carlin and Superman creator Jerry Ordway about the state of Superman in the DCU and some upcoming storylines. The biggest one on the horizon at that point? The Supergirl Saga.

Remember, we were only about 2 years into the Byrne reboot so things were still a bit fresh. The Superman line was still settling in. Hearing Carlin and Ordway's thoughts, especially knowing where things end up going, was interesting. 

But far and away, the look back at the origin of the 'Supergirl Saga', the publicity for it, and how it seemed a bit still in flux is fascinating for this Supergirl fan. 

On to the details.

Review: Superman #21

With the weekly schedule of Action Comics done and the holidays and year reviews behind me, I am finally getting to Superman #21 to review. (I have to say that the last few months have been busy here on the site with the two-fer Action Comics reviews but it also assured content. I might miss that.)

Superman #21 is a sort of breather issue to catch up on the characters and their private lives. Between Doomsday, Time Trapper Doomsday, Superwoman, and other mysteries, there is a lot of plot happening in this book. I give writer Joshua Williamson some kudos for recognizing that giving the characters a moment to breathe and giving the audience some moments to remind them why they like these characters is a brilliant move.

As always, Superman and Lois and their relationship is the axle this book revolves around. So this 'date night' issue is focused on them. It would be hard enough to stay connected when both are ultra-busy journalists. Now both are super-heroes on top of that. So seeing the two taking time for each other is great. Williamson realizes we are in a superhero comic so this isn't without action. 

Dan Mora continues to shine. His work is just so beautiful, full of energy. I will admit that there are some places in the book that seems a little rough, a little unpolished. Still stellar for sure. But I wonder if Mora is burning the candle a bit too bright given the number of Mora covers I see on the racks.

On to the book.

Supergirl Best Of 2024 Part Three: Top Ten Comic Moments #5 - #1

Well, we are nearing the end of our recap and so far it has been a little bit of a circuitous tour.

Part one was the Supergirl non-comic highlights and some comic moment honorable mentions.

Part two was the beginning of the top ten Supergirl comic moments, #10 - #6, with a bonus honorable mention. 

As always, my hope is that Supergirl will be recognized for the cool character she is and warrant her own ongoing title. It is intriguing to me that the books where she is a supporting character, the writers showcase how great she is. But in the past few solo books, she is angry, drunk, sad, ineffective, or idiotic. Can't we get someone who likes the character to write the book? 

That said, 2024 has had its highlights as you will see. Much of them show how integral she is to the super-family, either emotionally supportive or action ready. 

My favorite moment might seem random but when you are a lifelong Supergirl fan it completely made my year. We'll get there.

So let's settle in as we review the top five moments for Supergirl in the year 2024!

Supergirl Best Of 2024 Part Two: Top Ten Comic Moments #10 - #6

I started my 2024 Supergirl year in review yesterday with a look back at her non-comic appearances, my convention season, and a couple of comic honorable mentions.

As I said, this was a decent year for Supergirl. Not the best but certainly not the worst. We started the year with the very end of Philip Kennedy Johnson's Action Comics run in which Kara was the second in command of the super-family, the smartest person in the room. We saw Joshua Williamson keep her as a that field general, especially in House of Brainiac. And Mark Waid, when he included her in his books, always treated her well. 

That said, it has been nearly 4 years since Supergirl has had a solo book on the shelves. And her recent solo stories have been, in my opinion, pretty lackluster.

So cobbling together a top ten comic moments list means combing the depths for Supergirl moments that stood out for me. Some of them are one panel wonders, a blip into a story. Others powerful moments in arcs she was a main part of. And yes, even Mariko Tamaki's solo story has a moment that was a solid entry.

But I long for the halcyon days of a solid monthly Supergirl book. 

On to the Best Supergirl Comic Moments of 2024!

Supergirl Best Of 2024 Part One: Non-Comic Reviews And Comic Honorable Mentions

Well, we have reached a new year and that means it is a good time to go back and look at 2024 and how it treated Supergirl.

As with most years, this will be a three day review.

Today - non-comic year as well as Honorable Mention 2024 comic moments

Tomorrow - Top ten 2024comic moments, #10 - #6

Friday - Top ten 2024 comic moments, #5 - #1

It has been an interesting year for Supergirl overall.

She was a major player in the Crisis On Infinite Earths trilogy movie which wrapped up that era of the DC Animated universe. She also was a key player in the second season of My Adventures with Superman television show. A Supergirl movie is in the works and she was even casted. That is a lot of exposure for the character which I think is always a good thing. But certainly the concept of the upcoming movie and her portrayal in the two animated series weren't exactly what I look for in Supergirl as a character. 

In comics, it was a bit more piecemeal as you had to sort of look to find Supergirl here and there. I think she had a great presence in the House of Brainiac arc. I think she has been treated well by Mark Waid in his Phantom Zone arc in Action Comics. But I have found her one solo story by Mariko Tamaki to be a bit lacking. 

So overall I think it has been an okay year for the character. Certainly her being visible outside of comics is a good thing. And I'll reiterate that while these takes on her don't work for me, if you love them, I am glad.

As always, I want to thank the people who come to the site and read my ramblings! Appreciate you all!

On to the year in review.