Review: Supergirl Woman Of Tomorrow #2

Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #2 came out this week and was a better issue than the first issue, by a smidge. There are some moments in this book where I actually felt like this was Supergirl. A few brief moments. And there is also an homage to the Peter David run with the Matrix/Earth Angel character, something which will always make me smile.

But these are just a few rays of sunshine breaking through a blanket of dark clouds that is this story. 

Once again, it is clear that this isn't a Supergirl story. It is a Ruthye story. Everything happens through the lens of that character, clearly Tom King's pet project. The whole True Grit homage feel to this remains unbroken as this story is written when Ruthye is much older, remembering this adventure. Her overly verbose style sometimes overwhelms the reader when faced with pages of long internal monologues. Plus, Supergirl is asleep for a 7 of the 24 pages here.

It also isn't a Supergirl story because this doesn't feel like Kara. It's like King wants to make Supergirl 'cool' by having her curse like a sailor and throttle people without talking to them first. That isn't her. This could very very easily be Starfire from the Titans. She IS quick-tempered and she also has had to deal with tragedy. This could very very easily be Power Girl. She IS brash and heck, she has seen her universe die! But when I read this I wonder which Supergirl stories King read for his research.

Honestly, look at the issue (or the panels here) and in your mind's eye substitute Kory. The book reads the same.

Add to that some missteps like (nearly) killing Krypto and some questionable continuity and I just can't behind this book. At least not yet.

Once again, I will say the art is absolutely stunning and raises the grade of this book by a whole letter. Bilquis Evely brings a gorgeous look to all the scenes here from brawling, to quiet moments, to jaunts in space. I don't know how to explain it but it is both polished and raw at the same time. And it sings. Mat Lopes colors are wonderfully muted in places like the dank ferry they are on. But also the pastels in the landscape scenes are spectacular. 

On to the book. Settle in. This book is a big deal and so I am going to go over it with a fine tooth comb and give you all my thoughts.

The book starts with Ruthye and Kara on a 'haulferry', a packed public transit taking the two to the planet they believe Krem to be on. Remember, he ran into Kara's rocket which was auto-piloted to return from her original point of transit.

Ruthye's personal space is being violated by the man sitting next to her and she is using all her fancy words to explain to him that her ticket grants her some space. And, oh by the way, if he doesn't give her that space, she'll wake up Supergirl to deal with him.

That's right. The 'star' of the story is asleep for the first 5 pages of the book.

Moreover, King boils Kara down to this. 'She has lived a life of battle and woe.' Not 'she has survived much and is a great hero'. Not 'she has seen much and defends those who need it so they don't suffer too'. 

Battle and woe.

Now sure, this is Ruthye yapping to some guy. And maybe it is Ruthye who is playing that up. 

But that line alone makes me think that King's take on Kara is all wrong. This shouldn't surprise me. After all, I read Wally in Heroes in Crisis.

The ferry makes a brief stop in a port giving Kara and Ruthye the chance to grab a bite.

They are accosted by a gun-wielding man who is upset that Superman incarcerated his brothers. King makes the point of saying that episodes like this happen everywhere they go even though he will only show this one. These are villains who want to attack Superman through Supergirl. 

Everywhere they go.

No one thanking Supergirl for the good works Superman has done. More importantly, no one thanking Supergirl for the good SHE has done. Only by bad guys intent on killing her, a very cynical take on Superman and Supergirl alike. It is as if Supergirl is seen by King only as an extension of Superman, a weakness to be exploited. Just as she is being written here as an agent of Ruthye's story, not her own. This isn't a Supergirl story.

And, of course, she is made 'more mature and gritty' with her cursing. Who the F do I think she is? It is a moment that some people will cheer as 'bad ass'. I think of it as trying to make a character seem gritty and 'real' through swearing. It doesn't make you cool or grown up.

Supergirl is still powerless but she is able to repel the attack easily.

The alien is still trying to attack her from the ground she she steps on his head, a sickening 'CRAKK' heard.

She doesn't kick away his gun to disarm him. She breaks his head.

As if, like cursing, cruelty and sadism makes Kara 'fun' and 'awesome', the words he told SyFy that only his story would convince people that Supergirl is.

 The ferry runs into trouble when a space dragon enters their traveling lane. Without a doubt this thing will destroy the ship. The captain asks Supergirl to save them but she is still without her powers. She she has to hope for a miracle.

'Reds' are red kryptonite capsules that non-Kryptonians take as a hallucinogenic. Maybe taking one will change her into something that can help.

Rather than telling the passengers the situation and why she needs one, Kara bursts in and demands one all while cursing away. Look at that last panel. Why so angry?

Once again, it just seems that King's version of 'fun' and 'awesome' and 'cool' is this foul-mouthed, quick to anger person.

I have said everywhere on this blog that I love Supergirl because she is an unpolished version of Superman. She is still learning the ropes. I don't mind her being quick-tempered or fierce when needed. Maybe this could have been her reaction if no one offered her a 'red' when she asked nicely.

Now Kory? She'd go right here.

Now the 'red' was probably just a plot device so King could sneak in a reference to the Earth Angel flame-winged Supergirl. Because luckily, that is what the Red K does. Thank goodness it didn't just give her an ant head because then the story would be over.

What I don't like about this sequence is that is is pretty clear that Kara kills this thing. She flies through it's brain pan.

She doesn't push it out of the way. She doesn't knock it out. She doesn't lure it away.

She kills it.

Am I supposed to feel less about this needless death than let's say ... Krypto being shot. 

But maybe this is also King's take on being cool and 'bad ass'. She killed a freakin' dragon dude!

Hey, at least I got to see Evely's take on the Earth Angel Supergirl.

 

And then a real Supergirl moment.

You'd think that one of the things that might be happening here is that Supergirl would be talking to Ruthye, telling her about her own pain and how to channel that anger, how to rise above. But we have had little true interaction between the two. Remember, Supergirl slept the first 5 pages so we could get Ruthye talking to a nameless alien.

But here, Supergirl take the moment to be almost motherly to Ruthye, teaching the young girl how to wash her hands and why it is important. King says that this starts the way many things started with Supergirl, with a moment of kindness.

That page of hand washing has Kara start to scrape the surface of her dealings with Alura and her past. It feels symbolic, cleansing yourself, washing away the grime. It feels real.

But then I asked myself where are these moments of kindness that Ruthye talks about. All we have had so far is the tough-talking, pain-dealing, drunken, puking, angry Supergirl.

I know ... we still have 6 more issues.

 The Ruthye asks if Kara ever sought vengeance on the ones who hurt her. Kara says no. And Ruthye hears regret.

Now I hope ... I mean HOPE ... that King is going to ultimately show that Supergirl is fibbing here, perhaps to try and convince Ruthye not to go down the path of vengeance.

Because if he thinks she is telling the truth, he hasn't read a lot of Supergirl in any incarnation. Because off the top of my head I might remind him of a couple of events.

Like when Supergirl sought vengeance against the faith healer who killed her boyfriend.

Or when she hunted down Reactron for killing her father and other Kryptonians.

Or when she briefly took the side of Zod when New Krypton was destroyed to take vengeance on the Earth's army.

Or when in the last major arc of her last book, the cover says 'THE GIRL OF STEEL WILL AVENGE THEM ALL!' 

So I hope she is just avoiding the truth. Because if she isn't, we are re-writing history.

 But after that hand-washing scene, we are back to Kara sleeping.

When someone else tries to encroach on Ruthye's space, the now powered Supergirl punches him. Kara doesn't ask him to refrain and then punch him when he refuses. She just punches him.

Because that is 'cool' and 'awesome' and 'bad ass'.

The sentiment is perfect. First there was a botheration then there was Supergirl. It is the execution that seems off.

Ruthye then catches us up to how they landed on the ferry.

Remember Supergirl and Krypto were shot with arrows by Krem.

Heroically, Kara rows them to a healer. That is a nice moment. And I like how selflessly Kara asks for the others to be cared for first. How she herself survives multiple arrows to the chest is beyond me. I guess medically I have to let that one go.

But Krypto is dying from poison, probably is dead already (although thankfully we don't see a corpse so there is hope.) Only by getting a sample of the poison can the healer counteract it. So Kara is off on the quest for Krem.

We know through the story that this jaunt takes weeks. I don't think Krypto is going to make it. King killing the dog might be the last straw.

Beautiful art. Phenomenal colors. 

A very good Koriand'r story.

But not a very good Supergirl story, a non-character in her own book, an extension of others, and frankly mostly unlikable. Knowing DC, I shouldn't be surprised.

Overall grade: D+ (raised by the art)