Friday, November 27, 2020

Black Friday: Future State Magazine


 Yesterday I had some optimism, giving thanks for a couple of new Supergirl trades being released in the summer and hopeful for a new monthly.

Today I talk about my pessimism, specifically about how history seems doomed to repeat itself. Because we hear a little more about the upcoming Future State 2 month event at DC. The company released a promotional magazine found here: https://www.dccomics.com/FutureState 

 Now there is plenty of information in this about all the titles and the Superman books. So it is worth perusing if this intrigues you.


 And we get some nice art including this design pic of Supergirl's (or Superwoman's) future costume by Marguerite Sauvage.

But it was the words of Marguerite Bennett, writer on the Superwoman book that gave me pause. 


You know, all I want is a Supergirl book where she is a member of the Superman family but independent. That she accepts Earth as her home and is a hero. And that Earth accepts her as a hero and loves her. You know ... help, hope, and compassion for all. It is that simple.

Instead Bennett talks about how Supergirl thought all she was on Earth to do was to aid Superman. That is, not be a hero on her own.

Bennett says Earth will never want Supergirl so she abandons the Earth and heads to the moon. So know accepting Earth and no Earth accepting her. 

And then the story description sounds like Bennett has an agenda about sanctuary cities that she wants to say and Supergirl is her vehicle to say it. I am not against stories about social or political issues. But it has to be done right.

So to me at least it sounds like an 'agenda first' story with a miffed Supergirl who has left Earth angrily.

Once more we get a Supergirl title which doesn't sound like Supergirl. Or maybe the Supergirl I want to read. 

You would think that DC would realize that this sort of take on Supergirl never works. And yet, here we are again.


I do think the book will look pretty.

Sauvage is an awesome talent.

But my guess is that I will be glad when Future State is in the past.

7 comments:

Martin Gray said...

It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Fingers crossed new DC Editor-in-Chief steers Supergirl in a new direction.

Anonymous said...

I suspect DC's New Editor in Chief who will act as both coroner and undertaker for the whole line of comics. And that costume looks even more ridiculous than the prior "cover hair, super hospital fatigues" ensemble. Its a "tragic prom grown"...
I mean yikes,

JF

Anonymous said...

Hello from a french fan of supergirl,

The first article that i read on Kara Zor-El as superwoman forgot the fact that " the earth doesn't want kara as heroes".

I will try to be like Kara and keep my optimism for the future.

And don't read the dark metal story with the super pets : it's horrible !

Anonymous said...

Bennett doesn't sound like she knows what she's talking about. She's mixed up when Silver Age was Superman's secret weapon when she was very young and learning; with the much later story where Kara was older than Kal and sent to earth to "take care of him." But not that her sole purpose in life was to be a nanny! She was only being asked to help him the way any big sister or brother, or parent or aunt or any guardian for that matter, would. She'd still have a life of her own, for crying out loud! Everyone does.

What is Bennett saying? That Kara was to be some kind of baby-raising female whose identity was entangled in how good her mommying skills were? What kind of dystopia puts women in that role?

But Bennett says "Kara felt her entire life's purpose was to protect Clark until he could protect Earth." REALLY? In what universe, in what story, in what reality was that ever true? I mean -- WHAT?????

Sounds to me like Bennett just didn't come up with a good backstory to explain Supergirl moving to the moon, and once again, editorial didn't try to fix this.

I guess it's in a universe where Kara would wear this ridiculous skirt drawn by Sauvage.

Alex Garner drew some nice variant covers for the 2 issues, so there's always that.

T.N.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why you would trust Bennett to write Kara right after reading Bombshells.

And that suit is ugly.

Gear said...

Martin, I’m not too concerned about whether the new management at DC will steer Supergirl in a new direction, that’s a given. Supergirl is *always* given a new direction, the lack of consistency in direction has been one of the main failings of this title since the beginning of the New52.

I think this is yet another Elseworlds-type take, so we’ll see this as a story arc, Supergirl will disappear for a while again after it ends, and then we’ll have another new take. Supergirl is stuck in Grounhog Day for Superheroes.

Just to be a contrarian, I’m not as unhappy as everyone else seems to be. Kara appears to be self-directed, acting on something she wants to do instead of something someone else wants her to do, and has found a way to take a path where she’s helping others. The story isn’t about her being mind-controlled, ring-controlled, or boyfriend-controlled. Any of that can still happen, and given how she’s been written since Flashpoint probably will, but I’ll give the story a chance to win or lose me.

As for the costume, It’s not the best I’ve seen but it’s not the worst either. Supergirl has a history of odd fashion choices, so .

KET said...

"Instead Bennett talks about how Supergirl thought all she was on Earth to do was to aid Superman. That is, not be a hero on her own."

Seems like Bennett is starting up her Future State Kara characterization from a false premise, which also doesn't sound very futuristic or forward-thinking. Costuming actually looks retro, even if the artwork is pretty...more objectification than practical, IMO.

Overall, I'm not getting my hopes up for FS: Superwoman, even though some of the Future State concepts already seem to be catching fire for other media adaptations (such as the new Wonder Woman/Girl).

KET