Friday, January 21, 2011

Review: Supergirl #60


Supergirl #60 came out on Wednesday and I have to say ... I was worried.

It was the first issue in the post-Sterling Gates era.

It had a pink S-shield.

It was plotted by Nick Spencer who has jumped ship.

I went in with low expectations.

Surprisingly, I thought this was a good to very good issue, setting up the premise of this story arc and introducing us to a new villain. Now I have a caveat about my overall grade here, something I will need to see happen in the upcoming issues to feel even better about this. But I'll admit, I liked it.
The writing is credited to both Nick Spencer and James Peaty, although I bet this is more of a plotted and scripted sort of thing. I'll talk more about the writing in a bit, but I think that Supergirl was portrayed in the right manner, something I wasn't sure was going to happen.

The cover by Amy Reeder (outside of the pink S-shield) is a nice one, showing a flying Supergirl turning to the camera.And Bernard Chang seems comfortable with the characters here. I was very happy with the art in the book.


The book opens at Harvard University where a student named Alex is talking to one of his buddies about how man evolves. It is often through conflict and being conquered. He talks of the evils of the Roman Empire, how they mistreated much of society, but also how the Romans brought civilization dramatically forward.

He wonders if super-heroes are doing humanity an injustice by stopping Earth from being conquered by alien races. Maybe these new masters would elevate mankind just as the Romans did.

We don't know Alex yet, but  he is obviously bright, cocky, and self-assured. He is quick with the turn of a phrase. But he already seems very creepy.


The next scene jumps to Lois having lunch with Catherine Devereux, a former Cadmus employee who left her job to be with her child who is battling leukemia.

Catherine tells Lois of a project at Cadmus, a project which could threaten the world. She needed to tell someone so her conscience would be clear. Lois assures her that it is the right thing to do. And it doesn't matter if Superman isn't around, someone else is protecting Metropolis.

So first off ... this is Lois Lane. Not what we saw in Superman #707.

But more importantly, how great is it for Lois to talk about Supergirl protecting the city so easily, so confidently. It was a small moment but it struck the right chord of how Supergirl is viewed now, like a hero.



We then see Supergirl, flying over the city, acting as guardian angel.

I really think Bernard Chang draws a lovely Supergirl. She looks lithe and agile here. She does seem to be a bit long in the torso in this panel, invoking a sort of midway between Michael Turner and Jamal Igle.

She sounds and looks sure of herself as she patrols the skies. She even catches a young man who has fallen off a skyscraper. In a nice role-reversal from many Silver Age issues, the man tells Supergirl he did it so she would save him. He even hopes she'll give him her number. There is a great panel where you can feel Supergirl rolling her eyes at him. It is a nice little introduction for her to this new team.


But before we get more of Supergirl, we are back to the Harvard commissary where Alex is talking about his latest smart-phone app called Flyover. He created it so people could document when and where they have seen young super-heroes. It ends up being a sort of GPS to find out where heroes are, a way to triangulate their location.

Already on the grid live, the app is accumulating hits. Even the young man saved by Kara has downloaded her position.

The concept is interesting, social media being used for ill will. We recently saw it in Matt Fraction's Iron Man where people thought they were playing a smart-phone game but were actually piloting drones and fighting the real live Tony Stark.

But again, we are treated to a whole page of dialogue between Alex and some new students who arrive. Their talk isn't really important to the story, more small talk among friends. In the end, I wonder if there was too much talk ... but more on that later.


Presumably, based on her Flyover position, a small team of Superman villains gets teleported to Supergirl's area, ready to fight her.

This isn't Riot. These are some heavy hitters (although Kara does notice that Silver Banshee is there and doesn't usually associate with other villains): the Parasite, Metallo, the Kryptonite Man, and Silver Banshee. Supergirl shouldn't be able to last long against all these guys. She would probably struggle with one.

But like a hero, she doesn't fly away.


I love these two panels. Supergirl asks the villains who hired them. The Kryptonite Man reminds her they would gladly kill her for free.

I really liked the second panel. Supergirl succinctly asks them 'battle?' We see her open hand close to a fist. And as if to bring our focus onto her fist, we see the villains blurred in the background. If this was a Matrix movie, it would be a force ripple obscuring them when she balls up her hand.

It was panel progression that worked for me.

And, amazingly, she actually gets the upper hand, tossing the K-man aside and bashing Metallo.

I liked seeing her reflection in Metallo's mask.


But again, before we seem much of that fight, we cut away.

First we see the Daily Planet where Perry is asking for stories. Jimmy talks about a gorilla in a local zoo who is adopting stray cats.

Then Lois bursts in with the news that Devereux gave her. Cadmus was, once again, experimenting with Kryptonian DNA. My theories about this later.

Dispersed within the Planet scene is more from the Harvard Cafe.We learn that no one can remember when they first met 'Alexander the great', or how long they have been friends. He simply was in their heads. It is clear that Alex is more than a smart kid; he must have some sort of powers. I think I got it figured out ... but we'll see at the end.


And suddenly we are having all the scenes shown to us, one panel at a time.

Supergirl's success in battle is short lived as the 4 villains gain the upper hand.

Devereux goes home to her ailing child.

And Alex talks more. We finally learn what he is trying to do. He wants to eliminate super-heroes so the next wave of conquerors will be successful. But he'll eliminate Supergirl, not Superman ... because she is the future.

It is an interesting plot tied in to the plugged in community. But it does take us a while to get there. And we again get more panels where Alex and his friends are talking about girlfriends and dating. It seemed like wasted space.


It isn't just Supergirl he wants to kill. It's all the young heroes. And Flyover is just the way to find them.

Nice panel showing the scope of Alex' psychosis.

When his friends all call him on it, saying he's crazy, Alex tells them they won't say a word or he'll reveal a deep dark secret they all have - secrets he lists including cheating on tests, killing someone while drunk driving, and having an affair with a Dean.


And with that, Alex says he is done with college.

In a sick twist, Ms. Devereux comes home to find her child is dead, a note from Alex written in a book nearby, chastising Devereux for talking to Lois. It shows just how diabolical Alex is.

So what do I think about all this.

First off, clearly Alex is the project from Cadmus. He must be a clone who has been rapidly aged. Given Spencer's hints from before, I would have initially said it was the Luthor/Brainiac clone from Adventure. But the wrinkle about Kryptonian DNA has me thinking differently. Maybe, like Conner, Alex is part Luthor (get it A-Lex) and part Superman, only he's more Lex than Clark ... like 75% to 25%. Remember, in Supergirl Annual #2, Brainiac 5 talked about Supergirl's major adventures including 'Luthor's other son'. Alex has to be it.

Secondly, my caveat about this arc and the writing in this issue. I thought this was a good first issue because it showed us all the key pieces of the puzzle and gave us some insight into the villain. But this was told in a Nick Spencer style. There was a lot of talking going on, maybe tangentially concerning the main action of the story, but keeping us away from the action. This is the same pattern I have seen in 3 issues of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. I think it worked here because we were just getting to know Alex. But I don't know if I want to see this style every issue ... or even one more issue. I am about to stop reading T.H.U.N.D.E.R. because it feels like it has been spinning its wheels. Let's face it, Supergirl was only in a small part of this issue. That's fine to set the table, to give us the info we needed about the upcoming conflict. But I don't want her pushed to the periphery of her own title so snappy dialogue and meaningless repartee can happen. I mean, we learned a decent amount about the students Alex was friends with, their romances, their sins. Will we see them again? Did I need to hear all I heard about them? Or was that page space wasted?

I don't mean to sound negative. I know I am talking about a potential problem in the next issues. To be honest, I think that Spencer leaving might be the right thing here. I have more trust in James Peaty, that he'll keep Supergirl front and center.

Lastly, I wonder if its Banshee who will save Supergirl from her current predicament, payback for Kara helping Siobhan get a family talisman in Supergirl #49.

All in all, I thought this was pretty good. I hope the next issues can build on this, showcasing Supergirl more.

Overall grade: B+/B

21 comments:

Dave Mullen said...

A very good issue that allayed any worries over a drop in quality.
There was a lot going on, the Cadmus subplot is welcome as Cadmus was always a good background feature in Metropolis and a sure source for additional plots. It's really odd to think that Superboy & Supergirl are the two books that are actually 'Superman'; doing the sort of stories Superman did routinely and making full use of the locations they live in.

I have to raise a glass to Bernard Chiangs work, I was a big fan of his Superman work and yet worried about how he'd approach Supergirl. Worries that were again dispelled by some fabulous layouts.
This issue was surprisingly wordy with perhaps too much going on at once, though I think new threat Alex is a very timely addition to the book. Supergirl has had good villains but nobody who felt like her arch-foe, Alex fits the bill maybe, especially as like Lex Luthor he stays in the shadows and plays other people to do his work for him. I liked the use of modern technology as a basis for the story and his motivation has a nice ring of plausibility to it. DC seems to be using this sort of character a fair bit given Maxwell Lord is basically the same idea and others like Luthor, Rhas Al Ghul or even the Calculator got there first.

Overall a very good sign of things to come. I don't ask for gimmicks or flashy art from a comic, just good writing and storytelling. Supergirl has once again delivered on that!

drawmein said...

That Nick Spencer.. man loves his apps (see Infinite Vacation)

Yota said...

I think that this was a decent issue... But it almost felt filler-y to me, and that's even taking into account that this is the first issue off of an established creative team and story arc... I mean, it was, as everyone has been saying verbose, but that's not my main concern. There's such a thing as foreshadowing, and then there's just pulling stuff out of nowhere, and Evil Foursquare kind of has that written all over it, in my opinion.

This article read like it was grasping, which it probably was due to the sudden shift in writers within this one issue. It was entertaining, but I'm looking forward to more of Peaty's stuff if killer apps is what we'd be looking forward to from Spencer...

Martin Gray said...

Wouldn't it be ironic if a sort-of son of alien-hating Lex Luthor did pave the way for extraterrestrials to invade Earth?

I loved the issue. Yes, it was talky, but it gave us a chance to get to know the heartless Alex, and how he sees people as things (for example, referring to the young woman as 'it') before we learned about Catherine's son. And yes, next issue James is solo and we'll get a sense of the style of the new run. If it's very chatty with little Supergirl, then we can start getting worried.

For now, I'm just thrilled by a splendid issue, and optimistic enough to expect plenty more.

Anonymous said...

I also enjoyed the issue, but I hope we get thrown some curve balls. The obvious make-up of the clone is part Luthor/part Supes but I hope the non-meta aspect of the clone includes DNA comes from Maxwell Lord. Luthor is so tied to Superman, I think it would be cool to give Supergirl her own foil, and a Lord/Kal-el or Lord/Luthor/Kal-el clone would be different. Alex's mental powers remind me of Lord's and his psychosis regarding metas would be an interesting twist of the Brother Eye/OMAC angle. I also hope that Supergirl does not become a guest star in her own book. Given the foreshadowing image of other young DC heroes being tracked by Flyover, I assume Alex's plan will impact other young heroes and necessitate a few guest appearances. I hope they are just that, guest shots, and that Supergirl is still the focus of the book. I don't want her brains lost in the shuffle, as she should be able to unravel the mystery of Alex & his plan with the help of the other heroes. But they should have a strictly supporting role.
SL

Anonymous said...

Generally I liked this issue, it's been a number of years (maybe going back to The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl) before anyone sat down and really dreamt up a good super villain for Kousin Kara...Alex seems to fill the bill nicely.
Besides he is "timely" clearly a brilliant college sophomore who has read maybe two major books and has decided on that limited basis he has the whole world figured out.
Our colleges are STUFFED with characters like him, except Alex has the means to act out his ideas...again timely.
AS for the artwork I'm gonna reserve judgement a bit some of these panels looked stiff and a bit un-natural...That could be me, I did compare Jamal Igle to Curt Swan once...
It was wordy but I do think a very peppy storyline has been sired lets hope it will go in the right direction in coming issues.
BTW my own hope is for Supergirl to lay out all comers in the next issue Banshee or no Banshee, "Kara-tharis" unto the last is my moto.
:D

John Feer

Gear said...

It's funny, sad, and strange to me that Supergirl and Superboy are both so very readable, what with where Superman is right now. I don't know if I can remember a time when both of those characters were written so well while Superman suffered so badly.

When I went to my comic store Wednesday I was apprehensive. In fact, I've been a bit apprehensive for a couple of weeks. I knew Supergirl was coming this Wednesday, and ANJ, like you I was ready to be disappointed and dreading it. So I may be liking this issue more than I should as a reaction.

So first off ... this is Lois Lane. Not what we saw in Superman #707.

Exactly. And look, she's dressed appropriately for the occasion. She's smart, quick, and on the ball. As much as I disliked the characterization of Lois in Superman #707, I liked it here to an equal degree. Again, maybe I like it so much because it was so nice to have her back.

And I'm going to cut the writers some slack on the talky nature of much of the story. They're setting the board, arranging the pieces, and trying to quickly introduce a lot of characters in a way that gives them some personality. They're also trying to introduce a new primary villain who is arrogant, opinionated, and has an agenda, and that takes a lot of dialog and exposition. We know who Supergirl is, so I'm not too shocked to not have as much of her right now as the stage is being set. But now that the players are in place we need more of the title character.

All in all, this was a good and satisfying read. As I said, maybe it was more satisfying to me than it deserved because of my dread, and because of having also just finished reading the Superman story (which was abysmal) and Justice League (not bad, just pedestrian, and had you-know-who in it.)

It's amazing how good something can look when you can contrast it with something that's pretty bad. Maybe my opinion will change when I read it again later, further removed from the nadir of Superman we're living through. But right now I'm pretty happy with what I just read.

Anonymous said...

"It is an interesting plot tied in to the plugged in community. But it does take us a while to get there. And we again get more panels where Alex and his friends are talking about girlfriends and dating. It seemed like wasted space."

You mean the part where Elise is making out with Alex? I think it's to show his mindframe and how much of a dick he is, and how he sees (or "sees through") people.

Anj said...

Alex fits the bill maybe, especially as like Lex Luthor he stays in the shadows and plays other people to do his work for him. I liked the use of modern technology as a basis for the story and his motivation has a nice ring of plausibility to it.

Thanks for the comment.

I think that a Luthor-like antagonist is a good idea for Supergirl's rogue's gallery as well.

Alex might be a Luthor!

Anj said...

I mean, it was, as everyone has been saying verbose, but that's not my main concern. There's such a thing as foreshadowing, and then there's just pulling stuff out of nowhere, and Evil Foursquare kind of has that written all over it, in my opinion.

Thanks for the comment.

As I said, I didn't mind the talkiness here, just worry about it happening all the time. I think we needed to see who Alex is and hearing him talk gave us a look inside.

If he is Luthor's kid, an app made so quickly makes sense. The fact he got a hit on Supergirl right after going live did seem a stretch.

Anj said...

Wouldn't it be ironic if a sort-of son of alien-hating Lex Luthor did pave the way for extraterrestrials to invade Earth?

Great point! Luthor is all about man being held down and needing to self-ascend.

Anj said...

Alex's mental powers remind me of Lord's and his psychosis regarding metas would be an interesting twist of the Brother Eye/OMAC angle. I also hope that Supergirl does not become a guest star in her own book.

You are right that putting Lord in the genetic mix makes sense. I didn't think of that.

I also share your fear that Supergirl could end up being in the background with so many planned guests. Hopefully she will lead this generation like Superman leads the current one.

Anj said...

It was wordy but I do think a very peppy storyline has been sired lets hope it will go in the right direction in coming issues.
BTW my own hope is for Supergirl to lay out all comers in the next issue Banshee or no Banshee, "Kara-tharis" unto the last is my moto.


Thanks for the comment.

I agree that this was a good opening chapter. I was filled with dread and this helped calm some fears.

I think the villains are 4 heavy hitters that would give Superman a run. While I hope she gets more shots in, I think it would be hard to expect her to win 1 on 4.

Anj said...

We know who Supergirl is, so I'm not too shocked to not have as much of her right now as the stage is being set. But now that the players are in place we need more of the title character.

Completely agree. We needed to build the foundation here and having so much dialogue/exposition helped.

My concerns were more about the ongoing nature of THUNDER Agents and how I hope we don't see that here.

Anj said...

You mean the part where Elise is making out with Alex? I think it's to show his mindframe and how much of a dick he is, and how he sees (or "sees through") people.

Thanks for posting.

It was more the opening scene where we meet Elise. A panel of her pecking Jason on the cheek, a panel of 'that's going on'. A panel where he says she likes how he stands. I don't know if I need that dialogue or panel space dedicated to these ancillary guys.

Alex kissing Elise showed how self-centered and callous he is. That worked.

Saranga said...

I just read the issue and of course headed straight over here to see what you thought.

I really liked it. New characters, new villains, this is what I was hoping for, for ages. Kara needs her own (good) rogues and I thought this issue set everything up really well. I was surprised by how much I liked it.

The splash page of Supergirl was the same one I saw in pencil format at the London comic-con back in October - it didn't look so torso heavy in pencils and inks. I must say I really enjoyed Changs pencils and the layouts. But enough in this comments section, I'll get my own review up ina few days.

Anj said...

The splash page of Supergirl was the same one I saw in pencil format at the London comic-con back in October - it didn't look so torso heavy in pencils and inks.

I can't wait to read your take. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief that it was a good issue.

I forgot you saw some of it at that con. Must be cool to see it in issue form now.

Gear said...

I just re-read this issue. I'm still liking it just as much as before, which reassures me a bit.

But I'm re-posting here because, on a second read, I noticed something in the artwork that gave me a start. We know Luthor was unhappy with how his previous clone work on Superboy turned out, and that he's going to try something different this time. And when I saw that one two-panel where we see Supergirl, blood dripping from her lip, and then just Alex's eyes and nose as he says she's more dangerous because she's the future, I thought "What if the clone this time is a Lex/Kara mix?" The hair, the blue eyes, and the eyebrows in that two panel....

Okay, speculation. But it did give me a momentary chill.

Anj said...

I thought "What if the clone this time is a Lex/Kara mix?" The hair, the blue eyes, and the eyebrows in that two panel....

That is a scary and interesting idea.

So we have Lex/Clark as an idea. We have Lex/Clark/Lord as an idea. And now we have Lex/Kara as an idea.

Hmmm ... maybe a poll?

Anonymous said...

Anj:"Hmmm ... maybe a poll?"

Sounds like a plan to me!-ealperin

Anonymous said...

Personally, I'm just annoyed that Nick Spencer "dropped out" of this. DC hyped it up...I just hope this Peatty guy does something interesting in the lines of Mr. Gates or Mr. David. Ah....Those were the days! ^_^-ealperin