Backstories: Supergirl Daughter Of Krypton

Every so often, the universe shines and good luck reigns supreme.

The other day I was in my local comic book store and decided to thumb through their discount trade boxes, something I rarely do. 

Sitting in there, for a buck (!), was this Scholastic book for young readers: Backstories: Supergirl Daughter of Krypton. Written by Daniel Wallace with sketches by Patrick Spaziante, the book is a chapter book focusing on the first year of the character's New 52 history. 

The core of the New 52, of what Supergirl would become - hero or villain - is all there, right on the back cover.

Now I will admit, that first year in the New 52 was a mixed bag. The angry Kara who just wanted to be left alone wasn't to my taste. The young hero who delved into her history and rallied to beat Reign and the World Killers? More to my liking. 

This book is pretty good at softening some of the rougher edges, making it more suitable for a young reader. Less dark. It actually is quite delightful, especially the ending.

And I'll add that the sketches by Spaziante are really wonderful. Many of them mirror important moments of the New 52 run, some of them lifted right from the books. But they are perfect for the book. 

On to the book itself and some of the highlights.

We open with a foreword written in the first person.

Supergirl talks about landing on Earth, struggling, but realizing she is the last daughter of Krypton. She holds the history of Krypton. She is proud to be the holder of that legacy.

And she was taught by her parents to never give up. 

First person is bold! Not a bad choice to hear from the main character herself, in her own voice.

We also get a couple of fun things before the actual story.

First we get a timeline of events. Sure it tips off the events of the book before the reader even gets to it. But it is a nice little feature. And interesting they have her joining the Justice League.

I do like the last blurb stating Supergirl is ready to defend the world against future menaces. 

The book opens on Krypton and discusses Supergirl's history there. Much of it reads just like the New 52.

Now you might remember that in that comic book Zor-El is a bit aloof and maybe even unhinged. He shoots Kara with a stun gun to put her into her pod. Alura is a bit overbearing wanting her daughter to adhere to the strictest of Krypton's customs.

Here they are more loving. Zor-El just puts Kara in suspended animation. He doesn't shoot. And both parents are loving and supportive. Their love for Kara is emphasized. Saving her is looked upon as the noble sacrifice it is.

I also liked the addition of these sort of mini-profile pages that accompany each chapter and highlight a character.

We read about Krypton's destruction. We see Supergirl land in on Earth and battle Simon Tycho's crew.

And yes, we see her fight with Superman.  She was confused after all.

This is a good example of Spaziante's homages to New 52 images. This picture of Supergirl hitting Superman is right off the cover of Supergirl #2.

But it all wraps up well.

Check out the last chapter, a sort of denouement talking about Supergirl as a hero. This isn't tied to any continuity. This is just about Kara. 

She is beloved. She is a hero. She no longer feels like an outsider. She is someone people can look up to. She will always fight against injustice. (Maybe I need to send this book to James Gunn?)

Anyways, this was an unknown treasure and a complete steal at $1. I am glad I got it and wonder who I should gift it to!