Cosmic Adventures: Linda Lee Production Information

It has been a very busy time for a Supergirl fan with news coming out almost every day! I am actually running behind on things I want to post on! It really is a good time to be a Supergirl fan!

Landry Walker continues to show us the backstage production of the Cosmic Adventures series on his blog. Last week he talked about Linda Lee and gave us some of the concept art of the character ( http://xray-studios.livejournal.com/51957.html ).

As the series came out, it was interesting to see how the depiction of Linda evolved along with the character. Early in the series when she is at her most vulnerable and most unsure of herself, she really shows it physically, shoulders slumped and hunched a bit. Compare that to the last issues where she is happily bouncing on her dorm bed.

As always, I recommend reading the whole post there and looking at the blog in total. I will eventually catch up and post and comment on the Supergirl production art.

But here are some blurbs that stuck out with me:

And I know there are a great number of people who question whether or not Supergirl even needs a secret identity. The answer is: Yes. Sure, she could fly around all day, performing acts of incredible strength and what not. Sure. And while that might even be the reality if a teenage girl had superpowers, comics are not reality. Comics are entertainment. And one of the key factors in entertainment is relatability.

It has been interesting to see the debate about Linda Lang in the main book. And maybe for the audience of that title, there is a bigger need for that debate.

But in a Johnny DC book where you are trying to capture the attention of a younger audience, you need Linda. The Supergirls at home clearly identified with what Linda was going through even if that then spilled into more super-hero adventures.

Of course, there is room for another take. MiracleMan is a perfect example of this. Why would MiracleMan ever change back to his human self? But this is Supergirl. A character who, despite her alien origins, was always shown to be more human than humans were. A deeply empathic and caring person who would allow herself to live in an orphanage because she believed that the rest of the world would be better served by her sacrifice.

Any talk that includes a Miracleman reference is a good talk! That series was spectacular.

But I think Walker hits the nail on the head about who I think Supergirl should be ... more human than humans, someone who would sacrifice for the good of others.

So Linda Lee was an unquestionable necessity. Particularly when you consider that Linda is a more accurate reflection of who Supergirl really is. A young teen-age girl alone in a confusing new environment. She's not like Superman, pretending to be bumbling Clark Kent. She's really a normal young girl who just happens to have suddenly been given amazing powers and is striving to live up to an impossible heroic ideal. She's still going to be awkward and nervous and shy. If she isn't, than we can't relate to her. And if we can't relate to her, why would we want to read about her?

In some ways, Linda was her identity. I am sure the way she acted as Linda is how she acted as Kara in Argo City. There was nothing false about her.

I have always said that part of the appeal of Supergirl for me is that she is still becoming a hero. She isn't a finished product like Superman. So in Cosmic Adventures when you saw that awkwardness and nervousness and the heroic adventures and willingness to risk it all to save people ... well that IS Supergirl to me.

I have said it before and I'll say it again. I miss this title and I hope a sequel will happen.