Cover Theme

I still can't get over the thematic similarities between these two Supergirl covers. And I think it is ironic that they fall within a number of each other despite being different volumes and nearly 10 years apart!

First we have the cover for Supergirl #49, coming out in January.


And here is the cover to Supergirl #48, released with a cover date of September 2000.

In both instances the composition is fantastic and not the usual fare for comics where characters are bigger than life. Supergirl is small and surrounded by a negative space. She is looking away from us, no hint of her face visible. It really gives that feeling of helplessness, of feeling small against a threat she is powerless against.

They look like they could be released one right after the other.

In Supergirl #48, Linda is mourning the death of Dick Malverne, her boyfriend who she had just saved from demonic possession only to have him die from cancer. And battles with Carnivean had kept her away from his side during his last days. Linda felt completely defeated. I thought this cover (really the whole issue) was one of the best and most engaging of that Supergirl series.

So I loved seeing it's thematic doppelganger by Josh Middleton. Who knows what happens in Supergirl #49? Lana's death?

Review: Superman:World Of New Krypton #9

Superman:World of New Krypton #9 came out last week and I have to say it was the first issue of the mini-series that I was pretty underwhelmed with. This issue seemed like a filler isue. And with only 3 issues, I don't want filler. I want progress.

Some of the conflicts established over the past couple of issues simply disappear. Some plot threads not seen in a while are re-introduced but without much movement. And some new threads are shown. But again, this issue just seemed to be treading water.

I keep having to remind myself that the story of New Krypton isn't going to be over by issue #12. But we must be heading towards some ending ... right?

The issue begins with Jemm, Son of Saturn and his troops storming into the Kryptonian council, angry over New Krypton's aggression, their taking one of Saturn's moons. A skirmish ensues and the Saturnian warriors seem to be holding their own.

Kal squares off against Jemm. The two know each other from prior adventures. It is Jemm's respect for Superman that ends the fighting. Kal tells him that this was no time for fighting and Jemm agrees. Jemm orders his men to stand down.

And just like that, the conflict with Saturn ends. Jemm says that New Krypton is lucky that the full fury of Saturn has not been brought to bear. But Saturn will be watching. Oh yes ... they will be watching.

With that statement and a quick acknowledgment to Rao, Jemm and his men fly off.

Doesn't that seem a bit too easy? Too fast? Especially given the Jemm's ire when he bursts in initially. I mean one page earlier he starts a brawl with a Kryptonian military contingent. It just felt off for him to stand down so quickly.

And any good will made with the Thanagarians in last month's issue (which I felt was a very strong issue) evaporates as we learn that the Hawk people will also be watching New Krypton. Oh yes ... they will be watching. But it also means that this potential conflict has also suddenly ended.

Too bad this happens because it was that mutual respect between Kal and the Thangarian captain that was one of the better parts of WONK #8.

I can understand what Greg Rucka and James Robinson might be trying to do here. With Earth, Thanagar, and Saturn 'watching' New Krypton, the whole planet might feel threatened. And that, of course, may be just what Zod wants to spur the planet into conquest. For all we know, Zod may have been behind the 'attack on Thanagar'.

Kal seems a bit perplexed by the religious representation on the Kryptonian Council. The 'voice of Rao' has been silent the whole series.

It is true. The Religious Guild is a major player on the Council but we haven't heard anything from them the whole series. I have assumed all along that it is the Military Guild that has been pulling the strings, that are manipulating events to a certain end. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it is the Religious Guild who are conspiring to bring New Krypton to war.

Whether there is a conspiracy or not, there is unrest on New Krypton. The Council is in-fighting. The Artist Guild understands that with only 100,000 Kryptonians alive that any death is a step closer to extinction.

The Military Guild feel that New Krypton needs to respond to this sudden number of enemies aligning against the planet. Kal does his part saying that New Krypton needs to make friends of these potential enemies. But it feels like he is speaking to the air.

It is this sort of unrest that jeopardizes a government's ability to lead. It would be easy for someone like Zod to simply declare martial law to 'stabilize' the planet.

All of these events are building to something explosive ... most likely the Earth/New Krypton war.

After that scene, we break away to check in on some of the supporting cast.

First we catch up with the Red Shard unit. In what is something of a new plot, it is revealed that Del-Nar is harboring some romantic feelings for Kal. The other troops even compare her feelings to those that Ursa has for Zod.

I think it would be interesting to explore this a bit. I understand that Clark's love for Lois is absolute. But he is off earth and among his people. How would he react to this?

And we also catch up with Tyr-Van and the Labor Guild. This is a subplot that has been really put on the backburner. I was glad to see that the writers haven't forgotten about it. Unfortunately, this scene is more a reminder of the thread rather than much movement.

It was in the earliest issues that Kal and Alura talked about establishing a Labor Guild seat on the council. Kal hasn't really followed through on that. With everything else he is doing, the fall out with Tyr may be keeping the Labor Guild from being in the front of Kal's mind.

We also hear that more of the Laborers, specifically the farm workers, are coming down ill. I had forgotten about this plot as well. Why is it only effecting the farmers? Is this a natural illness? Or is it more terrorism to weaken the framework of the planet. Much like the water shortage intensified everything in Metropolis, a food shortage might make things more combustible on New Krypton.

And General Zod seems to be healing quite well. I guess his 'cellular degeneration' has been slowed to the point that he is up and walking around.

There is a tense conversation between Kal and Zod about the politics on the planet. The first question Zod asks is if New Krypton is ready to go to war. He asks as if it is a foregone conclusion. Kal counters that he feels there has been too much war talk recently but that the military is ready to do whatever it is called upon to do.

I still think that Zod put Kal-El in charge to try to show Superman just how difficult the position of military leader is. At some point Kal may have to declare war on an imminent threat. And wouldn't Zod love to see that? Wouldn't that be a victory in Zod's mind ... to see the peace-loving Kal-El turned to his way of thinking?

Unfortunately, the conversation is cut short when Ursa tells the two soldiers that an alarm is ringing from the home of Mar-Li, the Artist Guild council member seen earlier. Another issue, another cliff-hanger. This time we see Adam Strange standing over Mar-Li's dead body.

Looks like you can add Rann (or is it Earth) to New Krypton's enemies.

My guess is that Strange acts surprised, says he had nothing to do with the murder and instead that 'somehow he was Zeta beamed' there. It certainly looks suspicious. Someone has to be behind these events as they all seem to be leading the planet to a more militaristic and less altruistic galactic outlook.

This issue read quickly. Some plots that I felt deserved a bit more time seemed to end abruptly. Others seemed to given more screen time than they deserved. It just seemed odd that the Saturn plot was started and finished in a handful of pages. The look into Red Shard training and a discussion about Non's loyalty to Kal were given as much time. The issue just felt uneven.

That said, there is an uneasy feeling on New Krypton right now. It seems like a lot is happening and none of it is good. I definitely have that 'this isn't going to end well' feeling, that need to see how bad it is like when you approach a car accident on the road and have to peek as you pass.

The art chores are split between Pete Woods and Ron Randall (who did fill in issues of Supergirl during Kelley Puckett's run) and there wasn't a major difference in style. I did not think that took away from the issue.

Overall grade: C+

Didio on Cosmic Adventures Sequel

I think most readers of this blog loved Landry Walker and Eric Jones' Supergirl and the Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade. It was a near perfect Supergirl comic that both new and old fans of Kara could enjoy.

When the series ended, it seemed teed up for a sequel. Sales were good for a Johnny DC title and the series had critical acclaim. What more could DC want?

Unfortunately, no word was heard about a sequel. And we all waited and wondered. And wrote letters. And asked Dan Didio.

Much like Yota's question about Linda Danvers made it onto Didio's Q&A column on Newsarama, so did blog friend Gene's question about Cosmic Adventures this month! Here is the link:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091102-Didio-10-Questions.html

And here is the question itself. Sorry for the small font.



It is hard for me to interpret this answer rationally.

Part of me is ecstatic that Didio took the time to answer the question. Answering the question means acknowledging that a question exists.

And Didio does say that he would 'consider' a sequel if the Johnny DC line expands. But for all I know that is just lip service.

And I agree that the book wasn't a 'girls book'. I think young boys would enjoy the action and humor as much as girls.

But the bottom line is no planned sequel. And that sort of sucks ...

Because I remember the topics that Landry Walker listed as on his radar should he do a sequel. Here is that list:

Jerro.
Lesla Lar.
The Phantom Zone.
Satan Girl.
Starro.
Melinda Mee.

Those are topics I would have loved to read about. I still wonder if trade sales might nudge Didio the right way.

Review: Superman #693

Superman #693, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Fernando Dagnino, came out last week and the whole issue was devoted to Mon-El's plight as a captive of General Lane.

In some ways it was again gratifying to see an issue that didn't seem to jump around to all the subplots that Robinson was has been introducing. This was an issue about Mon-El and his story.

And the story itself was pretty good, showcasing the resilience of Mon-El, both physically and mentally.

As usual though, there are some parts of this issue that I am scratching my head about.

It is important to remember that the 'death of Mon-El' was a rallying cry for General Lane, another way to swing public sentiment against New Krypton and in particular the Metropolis Three.



The issue starts with Mon-El in a sort of sensory deprivation tank. While Agent Assassin attempts to pry into his mind, General Lane gloats over his capture. It is a nice set of panels, drawn from Mon-El's perspective. I thought that was a nice touch.

But there is another thing to point out here. All along I have felt that there is an undercurrent of malice between General Lane and Mirabai. For now it seems General Lane is commanding her. But I still get the sense that Mirabai is playing him as much as he thinks he is using her. Look at how they both say 'You're welcome' to each other. Things aren't 100% rosy between them ... I'm sure of it.



When the tank can't break Mon-El's resolve, Lane places the Daxamite in a prison chair beneath a red sun lamp and decides to talk to him.

It seems that Lane wants to convince Mon-El to join Project 7734. Now that is an interesting turn of events. Certainly Mon-El would be a powerful ally. In an attempt to turn Mon, Lane shows him everything that Project 7734 is up to. We see shots of the Human Defense Corps, Luthor battle suits, GI Robot, and alien experimentation. It looks like a fairly formidable army.

In fact, Lane tells Mon-El to follow him or be opened up on the operating table bu Dr. Calomar, yet another rogue scientist from Gorilla City.

While I understand that the red tint of these panels is emanating from the red sun lamps, it certainly adds a feeling of malevolence to the discussion.



But there is more to show Mon-El than just the troops of Project 7734. We see that Natasha Irons (still acting as Jenny Blake) and Major Force are also taking orders from the General (although in Irons case it is as a double agent).

Finally we see Lane's 'core team', the heavy hitters ... Metallo, Atlas, Parasite, and Mirabai.

Incredibly, Lane thinks that showing Mon-El that these would be his teammated would be a selling point for the hero. Lane does say that he thinks Mon-El truly wants to protect Earth and that means standing against General Zod. But showing this scum to Mon-El would not be a way to convince him.



As expected, the move backfires. Mon-El calls the core team what they are: a psychopath, a killer, a bully, and a trickster.

Showing some great courage, Mon-El says he chooses to be dissected rather than join Lane. Instead of granting him that wish, Lane decides to let Atlas treat Mon-El like a punching bag. He is beaten for two weeks.

I thought this was a very good scene, really letting the reader see how heroic Mon-El is, especially in the panel above, showing the shackled but defiant Mon-El.



Just when things look lost, just when Calomar starts talking about a 'strenuous battery of tests' he is going to run, Mon-El is handed a life line.

Turns out the Parasite hasn't bought into everything that General Lane is selling. He was captured and brought to Mirabai's world just like Mon-El was. But the Parasite didn't have the fortitude that Mon-El does. He joined Project 7734.

He joined, that is, until he can get away. And surprisingly he has a plan. The Parasite did a little drain of a technician and has absorbed the code for the portal home. But he needs Mon-El's help to get there.

With no other choice, Mon-El agrees.



The two fight there way through the ranks and get to the portal.

While uneasy allies, their differences are apparent. Mon-El just wants to get to the door. The Parasite doesn't mind leaving a few bodies in his wake. The fact that Mon-El jeopardizes his own escape to save some Project 7734 lackey again shows that he is a true hero.

Mon-El is able to escape, crossing over back to Earth, only to stumble upon the wreckage pf Project 7734. The exit point is the site of Brainiac and Luthor's escape and we saw how violent and destructive that was in Adventure Comics.

There is some nice dialogue between Mon-El and Lane here.

First off, I know foreshadowing when I see it. So when Lane says he knows that Mon-El will take his orders eventually I believe it. Whenever the Earth/New Krypton war happens, Lane will be on Earth's side and so will Mon.

But I find it odd that Lane simply let's Mon-El go. Sure there isn't anything the General can do about it. He is there alone. But he doesn't even give a threatening speech to Mon-El. He tells the Daxamite to go to the Daily Planet.

It just doesn't feel right. Lane has to know that the public sentiment he has so carefully orchestrated could backfire when Mon-El tells all he knows. He has to understand that all his secret plans could be laid before the public. Even if it is empty threat, wouldn't he warn Mon-El to stay quiet ... or else?

Much like Lane's releasing of the Metropolis Three, this quiet acceptance of Mon-El's release is perplexing.

Mon-El vows to show General Lane just what it means to be named Superman's successor. My guess is part of that is for him to don the new outfit with Superman's shield on it.

Regardless, it is a good thing that Mon is heading back to Metropolis because the Science Police look like they will have their hands full with Bizarro.

Overall I thought this was one of the better recent issues of Superman. It did not have that choppy sloppy feeling other issues that dealt more with the ancillary characters in the title. And while I have never claimed to be a big Mon-El fan, this issue did a good job of showing just why Superman would ask him to protect Metropolis.

I also think that Fernando Dagnino's art was one of his best efforts here as well. I think each issue of the Super-family he has done has been better than the last. In particular, I really liked his Parasite.

Overall grade: B+/B

Boston Comic-Con Roundup Part 2 - Jim Calafiore

Figured I would continue to post the commissions I obtained at the Boston Comic-Con a couple of weekends ago.

When looking at the artists attending the conventions I head to, I always try to imagine what they would do with a Supergirl commission. I like to get different sort of artistic takes on the Supergirl character which is why I like seeing pieces by folks like Sean Phillips and Alex Maleev.

It is risky because sometimes the artists feel uncomfortable with the character and the piece shows it. Other times the artist feels like it is a challenge and pour more into it. Either way, I enjoy different interpretations of Supergirl and I think it is one of the more interesting aspects of my collection.

Anyways, it was that feeling of an 'new' take that made me grab a Jim Calafiore piece. He mostly does Batman books so his style is a little dark and angular. But he also did several issues of Countdown so I knew he was okay with doing more traditional super-hero stuff.

I really like how this one came out. Just a really great piece of Supergirl soaring amongst the clouds.

Preview Pages on The Source

Over on The Source late last week, Matt Idelson was kind enough to post a bunch of preview pages from all the super-titles. Here is the link (and hopefully it works):

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/10/30/what%e2%80%99s-going-on-the-superman-books-next-week-find-out-from-editor-matt-idelson-now/

I have to admit that I love preview pages and some of the ones he posted are worth a little discussion. As always, I advise reading the whole post on the Source.

So the first pages worth talking about are the ones from Supergirl #47 which will be released on November 18.

One thing I wondered was how I would like Matt Camp's fill-in art on issues #47-49. So I was glad to see these pages so I could get a better sense of his style.

Judging from these pages, his stuff looks very solid.

And is there any better tease than seeing Alura take out some unknown Kryptonian official? Alura has acted unhinged before so I wonder what this guy did to deserve the left hook. I wonder if he is the 'public defender' for Reactron. Does New Krypton even have forced legal representation?

Well, it turns out there is a better tease. How about seeing Alura crush Reactron's hand? I wonder just how Supergirl is going to react to Alura's responses here.

I can only imagine the salacious and awful things he is saying to her.

Again, I will say that the art in these pages looks great so hopefully there won't be a letdown until Jamal Igle comes back.

The close up panels of Alura remind me of some celebrity but I can't think exactly of who.


I love this page from Action Comics #883.

For one, I have really like Pere Perez' artwork on the title. This page is a winner. I love the bottom 'kiss' panel. Thara's positioning, leaning in with one leg up .... Chris' obvious shock from the kiss ... the art deco circle behind them. It all works, looking like a magazine cover from the '40s.

And given that Flamebird has just drained all the flame out of a Brimstone style creature, my guess is that is one hot kiss!

Lastly, this double page spread from Superman #694 showing, I believe, the first appearance of Mon-El in his new snappy costume.

I like Javier Pina's take on Bizarro as he looks absolutely immense. Still, I would love to see Renato Guedes back here.

There are a couple of pages from World of New Krypton #9 on the DC blog as well. Overall, looks like it will be a fun month.

Happy Halloween!

I guess Supergirl won't be walking through any haunted houses tonight if a spider makes her this terrified.

Nor do I think I she'll be handing out the candy tonight if a Cowboy costume scares her this much!

"The Frightened Supergirl" was the main story in Adventure Comics #401. Written and drawn by Mike Sekowsky, the story involved Nasty Luthor slipping a fear potion into Supergirl's water making the Kara run amok from fear.

In the end, the whole story turns out to be a dream.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!