As I have mentioned recently, I have found a new source of joy ... old comic fanzines that have articles about my favorite characters. I recently went to a local comic store that was having a massive sale, 50% off everything! And, to my delight, they had a pretty good section of comic magazines including the Fall 1984 issue of Comics Collector. Right there on the cover 'She's a Supergirl'!
To put this in context, the movie hadn't been released yet. The Kupperberg/Infantino comic had been cancelled. The Superboy/Supergirl Double Comics was in the works (although never published).
Writer Kim Metzger wrote 'Girl and Supergirl' for Comics Collector. Metzger sounds like a huge fan of the character in this article. Great Jim Mooney pic to open the proceedings.
This is a beefy article (I will include it in total at the bottom). It is a historical document, tracing Supergirl's stories from her first appearance to her last (at that point). It is a love letter, written with the tone of a fan. And it is an exasperated plea from a fan wondering why Supergirl isn't more recognized and appreciated. This is as much Metzger's personal opinions of Kara's history as a litany of the stories.
But when the opening paragraph is 'why don't more people know who Linda Danvers is?' you know this is a fan who wonders why everyone else isn't a fan? I am going to highlight parts of the article that struck me first.
Metzger recaps the Action run with a decent retelling of the origin issue and tracking all the stories in that run highlighting Lesla Lar, Superman's bad behavior, Dick Malverne, Comet, and Streaky.
But these paragraphs gave me some new thoughts to mull over.
First off, interesting that Metzger says that Supergirl was most likely made a relative to avoid any love triangle or upsetting the Lois Lane dynamic. Never heard it laid out like that before.
Metzger posits that Supergirl having powers while never having been on the high gravity Krypton made yellow sun rays be the new explanation for the super powers. I don't know of any statement by creators to corroborate that. And even if on a weaker gravity Argo City, the bodies of the Kryptonians would still be 'built' for higher gravity. Still, interesting theory.
The article cruises through the rest of Action in Adventure.
Metzger didn't particularly like the early Adventure stories under longtime editor Mort Weisinger, feeling they were repetitive and didn't really take advantage of the campus setting of Stanhope. Also, the lack of a supporting cast made the stories seem tired and old.
She thought Mike Sekowsky injected some new ideas into Supergirl's life with the supporting cast in San Francisco, the new costume, and the depowered Starfire story.
Remember, as much as this is an article relaying Supergirl's history, it is Kim Metzger's critique as well.
So I have to say I was a little surprised when she talked about how much she loved the Joe Orlando editted run in Adventure Comics (issues #409-424). Those are some crazy, wild, disjointed, insane stories. Even for the time, I don;t know if I would call these stories 'the best ever'. Of all the things in this article, this was the one I found most interesting.
A more universal opinion is given about the solo title from the 70s in which many of the issues were more romance related than action. I suppose I think of them a little more fondly as wonky stories from their time.
Are they that different than the insanity in those Orlando issues?
The Superman Family stories and the Daring New Adventures title get a much more cursory review without specific arcs discussed. But Metzger does point out one of the obvious problems with this time period. It was clear DC didn't have a clear vision of what to do with Supergirl. From guidance counselor to soap opera actress to student, she seemed to be all over the map.
I will say, the Daring New book did give the character a lot of what Metzger was asking for - a mature Supergirl, an establisher supporting cast, a solidified vision, and action. I am surprised it wasn't talked about more. Certainly, it is a clearer approach than those wild Adventure stories.
The paragraphs that resonated the most with me were the end ones.
Metzger ends by saying that the character of Supergirl needs to stabilize a bit. Supergirl needs to be the focus of her own stories, and remain true to the qualities that endeared her to her fans from the beginning. Creators need to 'realize what made her so super to begin with'.
Sing it Kim Metzger! These exact sentiments are what made me start this blog 17 years ago!
Hard to believe that Crisis was far enough away that it isn't even mentioned. The story ends with this splash art. There is no signature but this looks like Colleen Doran? Or Rick Hoberg?
If you want to read the article in its entirety read below!
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