Friday, August 15, 2008

Alex Ross' New Krypton Art

A couple of days ago, Newsarama released the above sneak peek at Alex Ross' image for the New Krypton storyline starting in all the super-titles in October. The covers for November's issues of Action comics, Superman, and Supergirl will be able to be put together to form this image.

The news story also included a brief interview with Johns and Gates. Here is the link:


Here is what I am guessing the cover for Supergirl #35 will look like (the last 1/3 of the Ross piece).


I don't know if Ross' style works with Supergirl. Most of his characters appear to be in their late 30's, even Kara here. That said, I think this piece is wildly fascinating. We see just about every version of Kryptonian that has been written: Silver Age, Byrne Age, Donner film-like, Birthright. An old-school Nightwing and Flamebird? Heck, next to Kara is someone who looks like Superwoman. Do you remember her from DC Comics Presents Annual #2?


In truth that Superwoman was an Earth woman from the future (I think Jimmy Olsen's great-great-great-great-something or other) who had tech based powers. So technically, as that Superwoman is not a Kryptonian, this must be someone else just dressed like her. Still nifty to throw in that imagery. I haven't read that DCCP issue in a dog's age.

And here are the Kara specific bits from the interview:

Sterling Gates, the new player on the Superbooks, will start on the Supergirl series with issue #34 in October with artist Jamal Igle.

"For Supergirl, who remembers life on Krypton, having 100,000 Kryptonians creates some unique conflicts," Gates said. "From that, Supergirl's relationships change as we get going. Her relationship with Superman is such right now that he's like a big brother to her, because he is her family. And through New Krypton, you're going to see that dynamic get turned on its ear and go through changes."

It is going to be very interesting to see how Kara responds to this discovery of Kandor. I can only imagine that her first instinct is going to be to live with the Kryptonians and go back to her original culture. I mean if for years I was living in a place I felt was strange and just could not get acclimated (much like Kara now), I would jump at the chance to go home. Remember, we learned in the Brainiac arc that she even had close friends who lived in Kandor, albiet 35 years ago. There was a hint back in Action #850 that her parents survived the destrution of Krypton (which of course they did in the Silver Age). Could they somehow be in Kandor? Methinks I will need to review pertinent bits of Action #850 on this blog, especially on rereading it in the recent Supergirl trade.

But even the scene with Cat Grant this month shows that Kara still hasn't adjusted to life on Earth and probably still feels like an outsider. My guess is she is going to be very conflicted during this arc.

More from the interview:
Johns said that Superman, Supergirl, 100,000 Kryptonians and Zod's soldiers are just the start -- the entire Superman universe will be involved in the story.

So maybe we will see all those different styles of Kryptonians from the Ross' pic in the arc. Strange.

"It's going to involve the entire cast and a lot of the villains. It's going to redefine a lot of villains, like Reactron and Metallo," Johns said.

I like the Reactron comment. Does this make him the first official member of this Supergirl's rogues gallery?
I do wish that the Gates/Igle team had a few issues under their belts before being thrust into a cross-over. Still, this should insure some healthy sales for the first issues of their run and might garner some long term readers.

11 comments:

Heath Edwards said...

this is a great pic. alex ross has really done a great job on getting lot of the different kryptonian styles in thee. i wonder if they'll try and explain how they're all different, or if they'll come up with some explanation for a lot of them being imaginary... i've always been partial to the sterile 'man of steel' kryptonians, but this is fun...

Anonymous said...

Oh 100% fully agreed with, heath edwards. And did you happen to notice that a majority of the pictured Kryptonians are all actually different era versions of both Jor-Els and Laras as seen portrayed in one given medium or another come the Super mythos themselves through out the years to boot even! Clever Mr. Ross, clever! Supergirl's title just seriously RAWKS in general, and THIS so called "New Krypton" mega cross over event's arc is just going to fling our girl's title WAY in to the stratosphere at such a rapid speed as a result I'm willing to bet!

Anj said...

i wonder if they'll try and explain how they're all different, or if they'll come up with some explanation for a lot of them being imaginary... i've always been partial to the sterile 'man of steel' kryptonians, but this is fun...

I wonder the same thing because there are so many variations ... the sterile Byrne, the more war-like Birthright, the broad chested Silver age.

The cover of the New Krypton Special has both a Donner-like crystal city as well as the current bottled Kandor (very different interpretations) so I do think they plan to talk about it.

Anj said...

Supergirl's title just seriously RAWKS in general, and THIS so called "New Krypton" mega cross over event's arc is just going to fling our girl's title WAY in to the stratosphere at such a rapid speed as a result I'm willing to bet!

I am hoping that the new creative team and the cross-over will bring in new readers and make the title more popular too.

Nikki said...

Silver Banshee seems to be the first of Kara's rogues gallery, what with her multiple appearances and all

Anonymous said...

Really? Honestly was under the impression that it was more along the lines of it being Reactron as her actual first proper Super villain to debut from her very own rouge gallery come THIS incarnation of Kara here if any really? :/ (:/ = an icon for a confused expression)

Anj said...

Silver Banshee seems to be the first of Kara's rogues gallery, what with her multiple appearances and all

Really? Honestly was under the impression that it was more along the lines of it being Reactron as her actual first proper Super villain to debut from her very own rouge gallery come THIS incarnation of Kara here if any really?

I agree with Talos. This Kara has never faced Silver Banshee. In fact, one of my gripes with her title so far has been a lack of a rogue's gallery.

Given that Reactron has been seen in her title and sounds like he will be returning, I think he might be the first.

Anonymous said...

Zor El and Alurra surviving the destruction of Krrypton?? Hmmm that seems like too much of an echo from the Silver-Bronze age...if they cme back why would Kara want to stay on Earth at all once re-united with her parents?
Of course, they ARE thirty five years older now, maybe int heir seventies...more like her grandparents now since she was in suspended animation all that time...that could be the wrinkle.
of course, my personal thesis about klassic Kara is that being Supergirl allows her to feel needed, serves as an outlet for her altrustic nature and also acts as a rebuke to her super-logical upbringing. Keep in mind a teenager's remorseless 2-D logic "If Krypton was such a super scientific utopia how'd they let it explode like that?"
Oh well, I woolgather...
Still and all that they've sucked me in well and thoroughly...cant wait for this.
If Ractron comes back what about Starfire, Lesla Lar and Nasthalthia Luthor??

BTW Wanna hear my personal revamp of Lesla Lar?

:D

John Feer

Anj said...

Zor El and Alurra surviving the destruction of Krrypton??
Of course, they ARE thirty five years older now, maybe int heir seventies...more like her grandparents now since she was in suspended animation all that time...that could be the wrinkle.


I do wonder how Johns will answer the time lapse. He has talked about Zod's soldiers being there but they would be in their seventies too.

If Reactron comes back what about Starfire, Lesla Lar and Nasthalthia Luthor??

Rectorn fine. Nasty Luthor is being seen in All Star Superman. Lesla Lar ... maybe. But please, no Starfire.

And sure, you can tell me how you would reavmp Lesla.

Anonymous said...

No Starfire? Perish the thought! Every self respecting super heroine needs an envious slightly butch villainess to round out the roster.
:D

Okay as for revamping Lesla Lar, ye olde Lesla was an envious look-a-like Kandorian "girl scientist" who idolized Lex Luthor. Not too much creativity there, and it shows as she was zapped into nothingness about a year later. So my idea is, Lesla Lar's real name is "Leslie Aronson" she is a smart but decidedly unhinged "Krypton fangirl" who idolizes that world's culture and wants quite literally to "become Kryptonian" in a bid to make over the Earth into a Utopia. Obviously she resents Supergirl's adaptation to Earthly ways and ceaselessly schemes to "show up" Kara as greatest Kryptonian female on Earth. She Kryptonizes her name into "Lesla Lar" and uses a variety of gimmicks and schemes to give herself super powers and take to the schemes. Being obsessive and crazy though, she is a criminal danger to everyone and super-cousins in particular. Think of her as Star Trek fan gone mad.
I figure, in Kal and Kara's world, it is possible to imbibe a fairly commercialized strain of Kryptonian culture without ever coming into contact with that planet's darker side. The idea also serves as a critique of obsessive fan-dom, something that always had it's super-villainish aspects, at least to me.

Whaddya think?

John Feer

Anj said...

She Kryptonizes her name into "Lesla Lar" and uses a variety of gimmicks and schemes to give herself super powers and take to the schemes. Being obsessive and crazy though, she is a criminal danger to everyone and super-cousins in particular. Think of her as Star Trek fan gone mad.

Pretty cool concept.
I wonder if the real Lesla will be in Johns' Kandor.