As I have said many many many times, this reboot of Supergirl worries me. It worries me because I have yet to read one thing that makes me think I am going to like this character. It worries me because the characterization of Supergirl in this new book bares little resemblance to the Supergirl the comic has known for the last 50+ years. Most of all, it worries me because it harkens back to the earliest issues of the last volume of Supergirl, a clumsy practically unreadable book starring an unlikeable young girl who was hardly a hero.
DC wanted to move away from the Jeph Loeb and Joe Kelly characterization of Kara just a handful of years ago. And yet here we are again. The 'new' Supergirl sounds suspiciously like that old one, the one that slaughtered her schoolmates, wanted to kill Superman, hung out at bars, smoked, and did very little that was heroic. If you want to make a character like that ... fine ... just don't call it Supergirl.
The latest issue of Action Comics had a nice publicity shot of the Superman Family books and there in the middle is Supergirl fighting robots. Her tag line ... 'alone and hunted'. So maybe that means alone in this adventure ... but it sounds like the creative team wants her to be alone ... isolated, alienated. Remember she has no affection for humanity so don't piss her off. I suppose I should be happy that her tag line isn't Superboy's: 'Reprogrammed to Kill!'.
Despite the dizzying amount of publicity coming out about the new DC books, Supergirl hasn't been written about much. I keep hoping that something will come out that might give me some optimism about the book.
Then this DC Source blog posted this about Supergirl:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/09/09/from-the-editor%e2%80%99s-desk-wil-moss-on-supergirl-and-dc-universe-presents/ Looks like my worries right be on target.
I dunno how many of you have sisters, but when mine was a teenager, she was, as they say, hell on wheels. Always getting into trouble, always getting into fights (usually more with her friends than with her enemies), always managing to outthink authority figures (be they cops or parents), always hanging with a questionable crowd, always a new piercing or tattoo – just drama at every turn, and usually of her own making. Hell. On. Wheels.
Read the paragraph again and just ask yourself if you think that describes Supergirl. Getting into trouble. Fighting with friends more than enemies. Hanging out with a questionable crowd. Hell on wheels.
I'm not saying I need the simple saccharin 'throw me in the orphanage' girl from the 1950s. But Supergirl, in all her incarnations (outside of the odious first 19 issues of the first series) has always been a hero first, someone who tries her best to do what's right. Someone who embodies hope and strives to help others. There is a reason so many people state that Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 is the best Supergirl story. It is because she is at her most heroic, sacrificing herself for family and friends, saving the world despite knowing she will probably die.
Reread that top Source paragraph one more time. Paul Kupperberg's Supergirl in the 1980s wasn't that character. Sterling Gates' Supergirl wasn't that character. Landry Walker's Supergirl wasn't that character. Neither was James Peaty's or Kelly Sue DeConnick's. I doubt that Brian Wood's version of the character would be described that way either. Heck, that isn't even Marv Wolfman's Supergirl!But that is the Supergirl DC is giving us.
Here is more of the Source post.
And that’s a lot like the Kara Zor-El you’ll meet in a couple weeks in Supergirl #1. This Supergirl is someone with all the power of Superman, yet all of the drama and lust for life of a real teenager. And whereas I quickly learned to stay out of my sister’s way, Superman hasn’t learned that lesson yet
I don't know but something about the addition of the phrase 'lust for life' is chilling and the description of her in the other paragraph is all wrong. And she gets to fight with Superman again!
This whole thing sounds like a gigantic step backwards for the character. And it worries me. I just want to know what made DC think that this was the right direction to go in for Supergirl.
I will buy the book and keep an open mind. I will review it here. But I don't have high hopes for it.
40 comments:
THAT Is DC's Big Idea for Supergirl, to turn her into the Silver Age Incredible Hulk..."Alone and Hunted"?
Oy Vey!!
But then again that seems to be DC's overall plan to become The Best and Most Profitable and Most Popular Ersatz Marvel Comics around.
Sheer genius, only Atlas Comics circa 1975 can beat a record like that.
Well poor can survive even death and the forcible expulsion of her fans from the DC Aud, somehow she will have to survive.
Still, I will read the initial issues and reserve final and irrevocable comment til then.
JF
I find it strange that every time we hear a DC person other than Gail Simone talk about women in general there's this hint of "women are just like that" in the tone. In the article by Wil Moss I get that feel that he still resents what his sister was like when she was growing up. We got the same thing from Ed Berganza during the early stages of the last run in 2006. It's almost as if the men at DC are still the same the geeky, inept, socially-awkward guys they were in high school and all of their female characters are an attempt to either worship or retaliate against the girls that refused to date them. They're not real people, they're cardboard cut-out stand-up figures of what they think those strange girl creatures must be like.
I really can't understand this. Zatanna is now "dark", Wonder Girl is a criminal, Harley is crazier than before, Donna Troy is just gone, Power Girl can't have her own book, Selina Kyle is apparently going to be all about being sexy, we can't have a cheery and happy Stephanie Brown Batgirl, the Justice League is back to being a Smurf team, and Supergirl is a resentful teenager that hates authority and fights with her friends and is always getting into trouble. I guess that in the DC universe a female character can't be likable and admirable until someone "sets her straight," probably a male authority figure. Maybe that's why they haven't been able to figure out how to write a successful Wonder Woman book, the character just doesn't fit into their mental model of how women behave.
I really hate to say this, but Supergirl has gone from my long-haul list to my short term list. My favorite character has to prove herself to me, and that just stinks. DC has three issues, I don't have the patience to sit through another two years of inept male writers telling me how much they think teenage girls suck.
I agree with Gear. The new Supergirl book is also on my short list. I hated the Kelly characterization and have enjoyed the Gates, Peaty, DeConnick, and Landry versions much more. I will not spend $ on another Kelly-like version of SG. I hope that it is a case of the headline not matching up to the article, and that the new book is different than the solicit, and that it includes a heroic, compelling and interesting SG, but that could be wishful thnking. All I know is that the new creators have 1, maybe 2 issues, to keep me hooked. I have no intention of spendng $ for 3 months on a crappy book.
Scott
Still sounds to me like a huge improvement over issues 20-59. One does not have to be simplistic to be a hero first-- she can be a rebellious teen, one who actually acts like a teen,and she can out think authority figures and still be a hero first. She should be a lot more Superman in Action #1 than an inferior (with sexist restrictions) version of silver age Superman.
Puckett and Palmiotti's takes on Supergirl had to be the worst takes on Supergirl since the earliest appearances of the character. Supergirl was represented as dumb, screwing up everything she attempted, obsequious, needing Superman to fix her mistakes, crying over everything, and never speaking up for herself. Gates/Igle was almost as bad. The touchdown celebration of the baseball field was an obvious dumb blond joke. "I don't have time to date" was a very problematic as well, just like some of the comments Igle made. Not many under 50 are interested in a dull-witted, overly emotional, 1950's-esque version of Supergirl.
The character had progressed beautifully under David's Linda and Loeb and Kelly's Kara. Then DC screwed everything up. They made her the inferior Superman in a skirt again. She wasn't her own character with her own personality doing her own thing. She was Superman's Robin. Her sales went to hell because of it.
The new Supergirl is already projected to sell more than any issue since Churchill was doing the art. I'd say DC better stand by this version of Supergirl and not allow the character to get screwed over by people who think a teenage female "needs to know her place." Dull-witted, inferior Superman Kara has no place in post 1950's/early 60's comics. Female characters have come along way since Wally Cleaver's girlfriends.
Hi Larry.
The comic buying audience disagreed with you. During that period Supergirl went from selling over 100,000 copies in issue #1 to a little over 50,000 by issue #12, an almost 50% drop. Sorry, that's an epic failure, and the homicidal murderous villain you love had to undergo emergency surgery to prevent the book from being canceled. Whether you like the later run or not it was necessary because the buying public was running from that Supergirl like she was made of Kryptonite. The reason this new book is projected to sell so well is that main characters always sell well in #1 issues, and the run you love tanked so bad. Nobody wanted to read it.
The crazed angry sex-pot that you dream about was a horrible read.
It's worrying too much. You can do a moody Supergirl sure but it's a very limited idea as no one wants to read about a self absorbed and aggresive teen for issue after issue. There has to be another aspect to her for the buying audience to care enough what happens to her. An angsty, angry Supergirl has already been done and the Loeb/Turner run is a hard act to follow, those stories are still fairly current and even inspired the recent DVD animation, all they're doing therefore is a retread. It's not moving the character on one iota.
Dear Larry,
As I've said before a couple times (and you continue to willfully ignore): the touchdown celebration joke in SG #34 was not a "dumb blond" joke, it was an "alien-to-our-culture" joke.
I should know the intention of that line, I wrote it.
Please stop saying it was a "dumb blond" joke, because it was not.
Thanks (and sorry to intrude on the discussion, Anj),
-Sterling
Thanks Sterling for popping in! For me, I'm having an uneasy feeling about this new SG. Landry, Sterling, David, Kelly Sue and Peatty had a great grasp on the character but... I'm getting a uneasy vibe here from the blurb to the series...
I don't know if it's just me who thinks that they're going at this the wrong way but... I think the "socialite Supergirl"
aspect HAS been done before and so has the "angry teen with Superpowers"*-thing-which Sterling did a great job at tweaking to the point that she's an actual teenager with superpowers WITH feelings and issues that makes sense for her journey both emotionally and mentally.
Gail Simone is an awesome individual and I'm happy she's on Batgirl but with that I'm also uneasy because I grew up seeing Babs both walking as Batgirl AND not walking as Oracle. With that said, she had this to say to me, and other Babs-fans, on Tumblr•: "...
As for the getting her out of a chair thing, I’ve actually discussed this a lot. When people suggested a Lazarus Pit or a Purple Ray solution, I’ve always felt that was a bad idea, I still do. I’ve talked about this at length. But those things do create a logic problem that has increasingly grown awkward as the years go on.
Again, people may not agree with the idea at all, that’s perfectly fair, but going the magic wand route has always seemed to be the most problematic road to take out of all possible choices.
...
This idea has been floated in the past and it was always felt that if they were GOING to do it, the magic wand was probably the worst way to do it. But the discussion was still that it shouldn’t be done.
...
With the relaunch, a lot of characters are going back to an earlier stage (not all, which, I agree, is confusing and sucks). We’re still not going the magic wand route, however."
Me:
"...That’s good to hear, Gail. Glad you’re back here to clear things up again. I love Oracle as well as Babs as Batgirl so… I’m still conflicted about this… I just hope Oracle isn’t forgotten while this new DCU is running. As for her walking again, it’s a tough decision, I’m sure of it. I’m still on the fence about it, too, and not everyone can do what she does and still have the strength to overcome all odds; physically and/or by their test of personal faith and will power… But, I just hope she’s still the same Babs we all know and love-whether or not she walks again."
Gail:
"...Losing Oracle sucks. I’m happy to write Barbara as Batgirl. It’s lovely. But there is an Oracle-sized hole and I’m not sure any one character can fill it."
I think Gail understands what we were trying to voice here: We love and relate to these great characters-whether it would be Barbara, Kara, Renee Montoy, Savant, Creole or any other character mentioned here.
She's an awesome person and she appreciates us voicing our opinions, because if we don't, then who will? Link here:
http://gailsimone.tumblr.com/post/9948871383/i-like-how-gail-simone-keeps-living-down-to-my
•That's after a buch of cutting and pasting of lines from the posts. I just whittled it down to the necessary issues here. The whole link is up there.
*This is a really big generalization here. I put that there because it was the only way to describe it at the moment, I guess. :-/
-ealperin
"have packed SUPERGIRL with enough spectacle to give Michael Bay a run for his money."
Well that sentence alone is enough to give me pause.
Gear has made some excellent points. In every incarnation in her 50+ history Supergirl has always been a positive person for good. That doesn't mean she was always a Pollyanna, she could be quite serious at times in David's run for instance.
It would be out of place to transplant a personality that is contrary to what Supergirl has been known for just so the creative team could benefit therapeutically. If they want to do something similar to Kara on Smallville, fine. But if I want to read someone like Ravager, then I'll read a Ravager comic, not a Supergirl comic where Kara acts like Ravager.
Gene
P.S. Nice to hear from you again Sterling!
One character DC and Gail Simon could consider for an Oracle replacement is if their not going to allow is Stephanie Brown to be Batgirl. She could become the new DCnU Oracle.
Thanks for all the comments and thanks for stopping by Sterling.
I also keep hoping that solicit and this post is off the mark, that any alienation Supergirl feels only early on as she acclimates herself to Earth. Only as the first step of her hero's journey.
The Ravager comparison is perfect. Would people be happy if Marvel said they were rebooting Wolverine as a pacifist? How about Spiderman as a rich kid? Batman as a killer?
Characters can grow but it is hard to read someone like Supergirl when she is portrayed so contrary to the character she is.
It is like when DC made Mary Marvel a 'bad girl'. It didn't work.
"It is like when DC made Mary Marvel a 'bad girl'. It didn't work."
Yeah, that's an extreme example but the common theme tieing the Superman family together here in this reinvention is the notion of xenophbism, of being excluded and targeted because they are aliens.
I don't know just how strong that will be across the books but DC have made a lot of play out of it beint an element at play in there and if so it does alter the characters and their world substantially. This is possibly DCs equivalent of Marvels Anti-Mutant hysteria and while there are stories in such to be had with such a treatment it's still going against the spirit of the character and their world.
Geoff Johns explored some of this in his 31st century Legion tales and the New Krypton arc went into very similar territory, but it didn't really work there as Superman-as-an-outcast, of any sort, undermines the very nature of the character. It weakens the authority he commands and projects, both as a symbol and as premier hero.
Supergirl too as we have seen does not respond well to the isolationists treatment, it may be they are tring to get back to the Loeb/Turner version and the impact it generated but as I said, we've been there already, and sequels are frequently dissapointing.
As said in the blog, Supergirl should be a hero first.
So an editor remembers his sister being a pain in the ass when she was teenager. My sister-in-law was the same- think I want read about it? No. I know my brothers, sister-in-laws and their sons don't want to read about teenage girl 'drama.' They're getting enough at home from my nieces (Bless their hearts). Hopefully, enough teenage girls will be interested in this book to keep it afloat because we all know they are the target market for comics. I'm in for at least the first six issues of Supergirl for sentiment's sake.
Ages ago I read a blog that described the hands that were dealt to female comic characters. It wasn't pretty and opened my eyes to how female characters were collectively treated in DC and Marvel comics. The blog may have been written by Gail Simone; I stand to be corrected. If the new Supergirl will be treated in the same way, it will be dissappointing for me.
I want the comics I read to be good. I want to be proud of the books I buy. I don't want my books to be filled with the malicious fantasies, resentments and memories those involved have/had with the women in their lives. Get a life and/or therapy and leave Supergirl out of it.
The notion of xenophobism can make for a good story. I loved how it was used in the LSH book. I hope it's as well used within the new 52.
I agree with the points said here.
Who would want to read about the angry, wrong crowd, 'fighting friends and family' Supergirl long term?
As I have said before, she was tough to like as a character during the Loeb and Kelly periods. I hope this one is easier to care about.
I didn´t pay too much attention to that post in the Source, I ´d rather read the book and then make my own conclusions.
I don´t know what kind of Supergirl we are going to see, but I don´t think this new Supergirl will be as angsty and bratty as in the inital issues. I ´d like to think we´ll be getting a very different, and at the same time, Supergirl who still has a very gentle heart despite the circunstances
I am chosing optimism! :3
Ayhe
*we´ll be getting a very different, and at the same time, interesting Supergirl who still has a very gentle heart despite the circunstances
-sorry for the double post-
I didn´t pay too much attention to that post in the Source, I ´d rather read the book and then make my own conclusions.
That's a great point too.
I am trying to go in with an open mind, hoping the book reads wonderfully.
Yeah what happened to Mary Marvel is very much a cautionary tale within the DCU and for Supergirl fandom in particular. She went uber-bad, got depowered as a punishment and no one has heard a peep out of her since.
THAT was an attempt to update MM make her relevant and take her out of Captain Marvel's shadow as well...
Gosh DC sure has a handle on those classic heroines eh??
JF
I was aghast when I read that Source post. When the initial solicitations spoke of a Supergirl you didn't want to 'piss off' I plumped for that old optimism, told myself it was simply a case of the blurb person not having read the comic yet. But this is the actual editor, one of the guys meany to push a certain editorial line.
I'm far less optimistic now.
Why does DC equate 'teenage' with 'moody'? I don't want Kara to court unpopularity with potential new fans because the editor's sister was a moody mare.
Oh well, maybe she'll show her knickers, then at least Larry will he happy.
We won't be following the new Supergirl stories in our home, as we are looking for more all-ages books like Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade.
I'm not sure if this would be of interest to you or not Anj, but we just kicked off Supergirl Week at our blog The Brave and the Old!
This is what I've been waiting for when it comes to Kara. I don't want sweet. I don't want the nice girl from down the street.
I want that badass alien who is trying to figure out how to deal with this new world and what she knows, how to reconcile the two.
I'm hoping deeply that Kara's depiction is similar, in certain ways, to Wonder Woman's. Both are essentially aliens to this world. Both come from advanced societies. Both have great power, but need to deal with how to utilize that power.
That's not who these characters are, Hal. Such stories could be compelling, but I don't want to see them at the expense of Kara and Diana. There's a good chance DC will take this approach with Starfire.
I agree that a long post from the editor carries more weight than a solicit or a throw away line from a con panel. It is worrisome.
I think Supergirl can be badass when she needs to be (she certainly had plenty of kick butt scenes in the Gates period).
But the bottom line is she needs to be heroic.
This defiant angry disaffected girl sounds unlikeable .. unreadable.
We won't be following the new Supergirl stories in our home, as we are looking for more all-ages books like Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade.
I'm not sure if this would be of interest to you or not Anj, but we just kicked off Supergirl Week at our blog The Brave and the Old!
Yeah, this new Supergirl can't be shared with the supergirls at home.
Thanks for the info about your site! Will check it out!
Martin Gray said:
"That's not who these characters are, Hal. Such stories could be compelling, but I don't want to see them at the expense of Kara and Diana. There's a good chance DC will take this approach with Starfire."
Anj said:
"This defiant angry disaffected girl sounds unlikeable .. unreadable."
See, I don't see how being a teenage girl from a vastly superior society makes her somehow angry and/or disaffected.
Teen girls are often ... not nice. They have all sorts of issues they are dealing with. Add to that not only the ability to crush planets, but also the fact that the people of one's adoptive planet are the equivalent of, say, cats or dogs to us, and I see a character who would naturally feel superior but also feel troubled reconciling everything.
Hal wrote: '...the people of one's adoptive planet are the equivalent of, say, cats or dogs to us'.
But they're not. The El family chose to send two beloved children here - why would they send Kara and Kal to live in the equivalent of a cat and dog home? Yes, the science is less advanced, and Superman and Supergirl gain powers, but the people are basically the same. If new Kara does show up and consider us so far beneath her, she's not someone I - and most of the people who comment at this blog - wish to read about.
And yes, teenage girls can be horrible. So can grown men. And maiden aunts. Doesn't mean I want to read about them. I'll go search out some heroes.
"But they're not. The El family chose to send two beloved children here - why would they send Kara and Kal to live in the equivalent of a cat and dog home? Yes, the science is less advanced, and Superman and Supergirl gain powers, but the people are basically the same."
I disagree. This world is a nightmare, murders happen every second, rape is a national pastime in many places (see Demo. Rep. of Congo). There are people with billions of dollars, and people who literally starve to death. Starve. To. Death.
Kara must look at this world as if it is full of less-than-primates. Her ability to be decent and heroic is an actual CHALLENGE!
And yes, anyone can be mean. But anyone who has spent any time with teenage girls knows how nasty and troubling they can be. It's hormonal. Just like teenaged boys.
I just think that this is a great way to go, if they do in fact go that way.
Well, I'll be trying the first few issues. At the very least, we'll all have some interesting chats!
Fair enough! :)
Kara must look at this world as if it is full of less-than-primates. Her ability to be decent and heroic is an actual CHALLENGE!
I agree that the main thing to do now is read the book and see how it all plays out.
I also think that it will be a challenge for the writers to make Supergirl likeable ... readable ... if she truly looks at the people of Earth as chimps.
I still say that throughout her career, Kara's best quality is hope. She always tries to do what's right. I hope that still will be there with 'this' Supergirl.
This response thread has gone on a long time, and reading all these responses has crystallized something for me. So I'll make one more comment, then shut up.
And yes, anyone can be mean. But anyone who has spent any time with teenage girls knows how nasty and troubling they can be. It's hormonal. Just like teenaged boys.
You see, this is my problem with the new DCnU, and in some ways DC in general for the last few years in a nutshell. Teenage boys can be a handful, and so can teenage girls. But most of them aren't, and many of them are good, quality, giving members of their communities. They work on food drives for the hungry, and help out at retirement homes, and belong to charitable organizations. Sure, some troll the malls, or get into fights, or become criminals. But not the majority, not even a significant minority. If they did our social problems would be much worse than they are.
But in the new DC, the DCnU, teenage boys gain powers and become heroes. Teenage girls gain powers and they become angry, fight with everyone, are unpredictable "hell on wheels" (Kara) or criminals (Wonder girl). In the real world, sexual assaults happen during war - by men against women. In the world of DC, sexual assaults happen - by women against men, the Amazons during Flashpoint (I find it telling that the only time DC deals with the issue of sexual crimes during war it's women who are the perps and men the victims.) In the real world most juvenile delinquency and youth crime is by teenage boys, by a huge margin. In DC, it's the girls that are the difficult ones that need to be set straight by the male hero.
I don't need all of the young super women in DC to be totally admirable. I'd be happy to have just one. We can't have Mary Marvel, we can't have Stephanie Brown, we can't have Cassie Sandsmark, and it looks like we can't have Kara Zor-El. We can't have any females that are good to the core, start out that way, and are admirable as a part of their being instead of having to be mentored into it by a loving but strict Patriarch.
So there it is. Why can't a Supergirl be as admirable at her core as a Superman? Why does she have to be a problem child - again? Why can't we have just one female heroine that we can point little girls and teenagers to as an example, much like we do with Superman?
Please DC? Just one? Do all the females have to be weird bad-girl fantasies like Mary Marvel in leather?
They have...if you¨re David Rockefeller, own "DC Comix", and your only Agenda is to COVERTLY INDOCTRINATE all readers into a Masonic-Kazahar Cainite "Cult of Isis=Wonder Woman=Maria Magdalena" Satanic covert bull"##$%&&, since COIE in 1985.-
Incidentally, both "COIE" & "Death of SM" in 1992 were Satanic, Illuminati, Masonic covert ceremonies (like 9-11) to bring in their Father in Heaven (guess who) "Age of Aquarius".
DAVID
Gear, thank you for a wonderful post. We need to get that to Dan DiDio ... Maybe he liked his sister!
So there it is. Why can't a Supergirl be as admirable at her core as a Superman? Why does she have to be a problem child - again? Why can't we have just one female heroine that we can point little girls and teenagers to as an example, much like we do with Superman?
Great post.
As you say, can't Supergirl be a hero. Why must all girl heroes be painted with the same brush.
This has been a great thread and great converstion. I really want to thank everyone for taking the time to post.
Because one of the people guiding the new DCU is Eddie "Why can't we get women to read Supergirl?" Berganza. Remember this?http://www.filmfodder.com/comics/archives/2007/01/berganzas_bizarre_plea_for_sup.shtml
Thanks for sharing that link Benwahbob!
Looks like Deja Vu for Supergirl again. :(
Gene
Thanks for that link Bob.
I had forgotten how terrible that plea was. Creepy how history is repeating itself here.
What was the creepy plea? I get Page Not Found.
See, here's the thing about your comment, Gear:
"So there it is. Why can't a Supergirl be as admirable at her core as a Superman? Why does she have to be a problem child - again?"
Well, I guess it depends on how one feels about Nature/Nurture. But Kal grew up on Earth, had parents who were human, went to high school, etc.
OTOH, Kara leaves a civilization that is far, far more advanced than Earth's. Everyone she ever knew is dead. Her entire past is something that to which she can never go back.
And now, where is she? Earth. Hell, when I read the news, *I* am embarrassed to be human. I can only imagine what someone like Kara, who lived her entire life on Krypton, must feel like.
This isn't to say that she has to be some sort of raging beeyotch with nothing but contempt for humanity. But I can easily see how her dealing with the "problems" of humanity would get extremely frustrating after a while.
We are only a bit away from finally reading the issue and I thank everyone for this great discussion.
I agree that it will all come down to the degrees of intensity of Supergirl's personality. I hope it is not too extreme such that she is unlikeable.
We'll see!
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