Review: DC Comics Bombshells #31

DC Comics Bombshells #31 is the penultimate issue of this title and the penultimate issue of me collecting this title. I have been talking about dropping this title for a while. The series is coming to an end next month. There is a new title coming out shortly thereafter but I think I am out. The stories have become too meandering and too confusing. And the whole thing seems to be weighed down with the messages that Marguerite Bennett is trying to impart and proselytize to the audience.

I have said it before and I'll say it here. Tell me a good story that has a message and I'll be engaged. Have a message you want to say and then construct the story around it and everything just feels forced and I feel preached at.

And it is a shame that I am leaving because the first year of this book was brilliant. The story came first there. And it is also a shame because Supergirl has taken center stage in this last arc.

On to the book.

The book opens with the origin of Killer Frost which is well done and heart breaking.

We then get a rapid fire history lesson of how the Joker's Daughter keeps looking for an acolyte for her dark magic lessons and Frost, Zatanna, and Raven have all been found wanting. Meanwhile Frost has brought her monster army into Leningrad.

Last issue we saw Lois Lane lying in a haystack with Raven and being all flirty. Here, Lois tells Supergirl to remain true to herself despite the battles. These two then have a moment of romantic chemistry where Supergirl promises to return.

I don't mind having heroes be remind to 'battle not monsters lest ye become a monster'.

Then the mastermind, General Faora shows up. It becomes clear to Kara that Faora is Kryptonian. The General pushes Supergirl harder than others until Kara ends up moving so fast that time seems to have frozen. This reminded me of Mark Waid's Flash #81.

And then Faora says she is Kara's mother.

We get a flashback to a very Zack Snyder Krypton. This is an environment where babies are created, molded from the best genetics, and keeping bloodlines pure. Faora felt that the planet was not promoting strength or cunning. And so she plans a coup.

Faora gets two co-conspirators and scientist - Lara Lor-Van and Alura In-Ze to help her. Lara and Alura's genetic lines aren't destined to move on. They are a couple. So they artificially inseminate Lara with an embryo of her and Alura. And somehow Kara has the entire Kryptonian genetic make-up in her, something Faora hoped to exploit.

This really is a Snyder Man of Steel plot, the 'codex' implanted in Kara.

At least Faora isn't truly Kara's mother.

When it becomes clear that Faora's takeover will be a bloody coup, Lara and Alura trap her in the Phantom Zone. Unfortunately, Lara is shot and killed in that skirmish.

I'm not sure what these two expected from someone like Faora.

What is even stranger is that Faora ended up landing on Earth before Kara. She was there when Kara landed. But rather than take Kara and raise her, all she did was take a blood sample, basically the codex. She let Kara be taken by her Earth parents.

She kept an eye on Kara; she has seen all the pain Kara has suffered. But she didn't intercede until now.

Because now she needs Kara to create a cloned invincible army.

So I am confused about this. Why wouldn't Faora take Kara and raise her if Supergirl was made to be the strongest. Why not raise her to believe what you believe? Or kill her if all you needed was her blood? Why leave an all powerful loose end out there? And if you have her blood for DNA, why do you need her now?

There are a lot of leaps I have to take to make any of this seem reasonable.

Kara won't become a monster. She won't become the lieutenant in Faora's army. She won't lead a clone army. She'll fight Faora. (I bet Faora is regretting letting Kara go now).

I guess we'll see how this all ends next month.

Overall grade: C