Supergirl Comic Box Commentary

Back Issue Box: Adventure Comics #399

2012-01-31T08:00:00.095-05:00

My beloved New England Patriots are preparing for the Super Bowl and a rematch with the hated New York Giants. The big game is less than a week away. So I figured what better time to go to the back issue box and look at a Supergirl football story (albeit college football).

Adventure Comics #399 had Supergirl getting involved in the seedy underbelly of gambling and sports in the story 'Johnny Dee -- Hero-Bum'. This was a full length story written and drawn by Mike Sekowsky in the pre-'limited powers' portion of the Adventure Run. I really appreciate what Sekowsky was trying to do in this Adventure run, maturing Supergirl and making her a more serious hero. If only he hadn't done the 'de-powering' pill storyline.

The issue starts with Supergirl directly questioning Johnny Dee, the star player for Stanhope's football team.

It turns out that in the last game, Johnny claimed he was sick and couldn't play. The result is a loss to Leesville. And Supergirl being the big fan she is thinks she smells a rat and confronts him.

It is an odd way to start the issue. We are dropped into the end of a conversation and don't really hear what it is about. I am showing the scene in its entirety. We only learn about it Also, it seems off that someone of Supergirl's stature would take the time to pester a college quarterback, even if she could tell he was not ill and able to play.

We then get a brief origin montage of Johnny, how he was a walk-on phenom for the team. And he seems like a Tim Tebow/Cam Newton style quarterback, both running and throwing for insane yards. We also learn how he had fell in love with another student Roxie Thompson.

Doing a little supervision spying, Supergirl sees Roxie crying and visits her. This prompts a face to face to face discussion between Supergirl, Johnny, and Roxie.

Johnny then reveals that he has been threatened and beaten by gamblers. A bunch of hooded thugs batter him and Roxie with clubs and whips. It is a chilling scene. He has to throw the game against Rawlings or both of them will be hurt.

The coloring of this scene is effective, mostly blue hues except for the most violent scenes which are tinged with red.

And he does throw the game, fumbling the game away. That means he has thrown the game against Rawlings and sat out against Leesville.

When pressed about why he didn't go to the police, Johnny says he couldn't risk it. Plus he can't give them any details. Supergirl seems to have little confidence in our police force as she agrees with him that they couldn't be of any help. Really?? Couldn't they tail Johnny and intervene? Put a wire on him? Do anything?

But Johnny wants no help. He can't risk Roxie suffering and so he throws Supergirl out, asking her not to intercede.

Kara has a bit more tenacity than that and decides to stick around and eavesdrop. Sure enough, the gamblers call up. Johnny is to sit out the next game. And to make sure he follows commands, they crooks will have three snipers placed around the stadium, their sights locked on Roxie.

Nice last panel there with Supergirl in the background large as listens in on Johnny. Good layout.

Johnny does sit out, claiming he has a stomach ache. Ugh ...

But Supergirl isn't going to let this happen; she isn't going to let Johnny sit out or let Stanhope lose. So she scours the grounds, rounding up the gunmen. First she wraps one up that she found on the roof. Then she captures one who is dressed like an elderly woman and armed with an umbrella gun.

And then she gets the last one who is stationed on the top of the announcers' booth.

With the snipers rounded up, Johnny suddenly feels better and asks to go into the game and drives the team down the field, rushing for a touchdown himself.

Unfortunately, the syndicate isn't happy and decide to show Johnny they mean business by kidnapping Roxie from the game.

Supergirl is able to track them down. In an interesting move, Supergirl captures them on a small bridge, bending the ends of the bridge shut, creating a cage. She grabs Roxie, thrashes the crooks, and then melts the car doors, sealing them in.

With little time left in the game, Supergirl flies Roxie back to the stadium at top speed.

As time expires, Johnny leads the team to victory, kicking the game winning field goal!

What a match-up nightmare Dee must be to opposing coaches. He can throw. He can run. And now he can kick? How would you set up your defense if every time Stanhope lines up for a field goal, the ball could be going into the hands of this All-American who could run or pass!

I love the ending, the perfect sort of Supergirl story finale. Despite stopping snipers, rescuing a young woman, and protecting the integrity of a hard working college athlete, she gets written up for bending the bridge leading to a terrible traffic jam. She tries so hard, is successful, but sometimes doesn't get a fair shake.

Sekowsky's art is solid. And I actually don't mind this version of the costume, the miniskirt and thigh high boots fit the time of the story. And there are some fun parts of the issue for example, the man dressed as a granny, at one point Supergirl vibrates through a wall like the Flash.

As for a Supergirl collection, this is just another issue and of no major importance for the character. The football angle is the only unique thing. It is probably available for $5-$10 for the completists out there.

Now, if only Supergirl were around to lend a helping hand for my Patriots, who I fear have their hands full with the Giants!

Overall grade: B

Giffen And Jurgens On CBR

2012-01-30T08:00:00.004-05:00

Over on CBR, Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen were interviewed, discussing their approach to the Superman book. The whole interview can be read here and is well worth reading. It is interesting to see what pieces of Perez' work they are picking up and what their thoughts about Clark, Lois and Clark, and Wildstorm characters making their way into the DC mainstream.

As usual, some of the questions grabbed me more than others. Here are those questions with my comments.

Before we get there, I have to comment on the Jurgens art that has been previewed for the run. It looks fantastic, more detailed than his stuff from the 90s. That picture above is just great.

CBR: DC editor Matt Idelson recently announced there is going to be a big "Superman"/"Superboy"/"Supergirl" event this summer. As the flagship title, are you guys sort of leading the charge and setting the pace for the event?

Jurgens:The idea is, and again, this gets back to where we were originally in the conversation, that yes, this is a new DC Universe and we have a somewhat re-imagined Superman, Superboy and Supergirl. So, what are their connections, if any? Or is it going to be a situation where the connection is so distant there really isn't one? How do they interact with each other? What we're looking to build here, along with the appropriate creative teams from those two books of course, is we want to set up what exactly are those relationships, why these three characters see each other the way they do. I think there's something there that's very compelling and interesting because it simply isn't going to be what it was a few years ago.

Giffen: With any bit of luck! I have to point out right up top here that I am not the hugest fan of the boy/girl, lad/lass, dog/chimp rule of superheroes wherein you take a character and then just introduce dozens and dozens of different variants. So one of the things I would hope with this crossover, what we can do is, instead of making these characters seem more similar to each other because they all wear the S, is make them as dissimilar to each other as humanly possible so each character is still a unique character in of itself and not just part of a bigger family of like characters. That's always driven me crazy.

So, I have to wonder what all of this means.

Okay, so they want the relationship between the 'Supers' to be different than it has been the last couple of years. Way back then, they all seemed to get along. Superman was a role model. And they all wanted to do good. So I don't think that is too bad.

Now, I don't mind if they are 'dissimilar' to each other personality wise as long as the fundamental heroism of the characters are still there. Back in Jurgens first run, the characters were different. Superman was Superman, beloved trusted leader. Superboy was a brash young kid who was girl crazy. Supergirl was a naive hero just starting out. But they all worked together to be heroes.

So you can have different personalities, still respect one another, and still have the same goals. What I don't want is this story ends and they all walk in different directions not liking each other.

CBR: Have you already begun fleshing out the crossover with Scott Lobdell on "Superboy" and Michael Green and Mike Johnson over on "Supergirl?"

Jurgens: We have, which again, we're very much in the opening stanza of that dialogue, but we've all gotten on the phone a few times and talked about it. Part of it is just coming to an understanding of when does this particular story for "Superboy" close, when does this story for "Supergirl" and "Superman" close, so we can synch up the timing on everything. If it's a stand-alone, three-issue miniseries, it's easy to do. But when you have to bring all your existing stories to a natural conclusion, it's a little more complex. But we're getting there.

Giffen: We're still at the "Gee, wouldn't it be neat if?" stage. Somewhere down the line a more solid direction will come out of these phone calls where everyone is just throwing their wish list out there and seeing how everyone else responds.

At least it sounds like nothing is written in stone. Superboy is still such an unknown commodity. Does Superman even know he exists? And Supergirl and Superman need to mend the family fences. I am glad they are bringing them together ... together again for the first time!!! ... but if this is going to be the foundation of the super-family moving forward, I hope it isn't a foundation of distrust and dislike.

CBR: Idleson also mentioned that you have big "star-spanning" plans in the works for Superman. After Helspont, are you going to be focusing on more external cosmic and alien threats rather than threats coming out of Metropolis itself?

Jurgens: No! I think if you're in a room with editors and writers, one of the words that get thrown out there is "cosmic." Really what we're talking about is power. I think with Superman, the two best Superman stories really fit at both ends of the yardstick, which is very small personal stories that can only happen to a Superman or Clark Kent, but then you cross out everything that is in between and get to the other end of the yardstick where you do big and powerful and "cosmic" stories. When we say it, we don't necessarily mean threats from another planet. What we're looking at is power and scope. I think that's really what we're trying to introduce to the book.

Giffen: Legion Of Super-Heroes fandom used to have a phrase: a "sense of wonder." I think that is what we're trying to bring back to Superman, at least that's my primary goal. Bring back that sense of wonder about the book, the feeling that you'll pick up the book and see something in there that you've never seen done or never seen done quite like that before. Somewhere along the line, that sense of wonder in comics got lost and I think it's time we bring it back.

I think I am not alone in craving good Superman stories given the last couple of years. We have seen them in Action so far. So space-faring, cosmic Superman stories would be pretty cool to read. That said, the state of Superman in the current DCU, what he means to Metropolis, to the world, in the now (Action being in the past) is still vague. And I would rather have that solidified before we Superman in deep space battling galactic threats.

Jurgens and Giffen both say in the interview that the mistrust of Superman will continue as an undercurrent ... but one of many reactions to Superman. The thing is, I still would rather have Superman be the role model, the ultimate hero, the trusted protector of the city. Someone has to be the standard. And there are many many titles out there with heroes the public is unsure of. Heck, every Xmen title has that theme. I don't think I need to read it here.

I consider myself a big Giffen fan. And I like what Jurgens did on Superman in the past. So I am hopeful.

Review: Superman #5

2012-01-28T08:00:00.051-05:00

Superman #5 came out this week, the penultimate chapter in George Perez' brief run on the title.

I always worry about the second to last chapter of arcs. The story has to be brought to a point where an appropriate and satisfying conclusion has to happen in the next issue, in a short 20 pages. I usually hope that any major reveals have been revealed (even if it is a last page splash) so that the finale is all about conclusion. If there is a big reveal and the finale in the last issue, I usually think that things are rushed, that neither the reveal or the conclusion is given enough time to breathe.

And my guess is that there isn't going to be enough space next issue to satisfactorily wrap things up. We still don't have all the answers, we still have to have a 'final battle', and we know that Supergirl is going to guest star adding another element that needs to be covered. Heck, this is the second meeting of the two cousins ... that alone should be given several pages to cover their emotions.

Anyways, I do want to commend Perez for continuing his pattern of dense story telling here. There is a lot of stuff happening in this issue, in all of his issues. And while not everything needs to be answered in this arc, the major plot points need to come to fruition. I guess we'll see.

Art is again done by Nicola Scott and she does a great job channeling Perez here with inset panels and big action. Her art is solid. I can't wait to see her on Earth 2.

Last issue we learned the alien avatars of fire,ice, and invisibility were created by Superman at some point (although he doesn't seem to remember making them). And in the opening pages of this issue, they seem to be attacking him.

A cyclone of fire and ice is focused on Clark's old apartment building with Superman floating at the top.

From a characterization point of view, it is a good scene to see the PGN staff mobilize for the story. Jimmy and Miko remain on the ground, rushing into the dangerous scene for up close reporting. Ron Troupe is also there, but farther back taking in the big picture. And Superman gadfly Billi McCoy is in the news chopper to get the bird's eye view. Perhaps best of all is Lois managing things from the Planet building, both eager to get the story but worried about her staff.

Superman somehow absorbs the cyclone into himself. Then speaks the language the aliens have been speaking and claims himself as the savior of the city.

It appears that he somehow absorbed the alien presence from their human hosts. He drops them off for medical care and then takes off.

One thing I like about this scene (although I haven't shown it) is that when Superman makes the cyclone disappear the people on the street are cheering him. This is in contrast to McCoy who continues to wonder if Superman is part or the source of the problem. Not everybody distrusts Superman.

But then Superman goes on a mini-rampage, scouring the city of potential threats.

With little regard for possible human casualties, he vaporizes the Fleisher giant robots, freezes the Sky Raiders gang members to death, and immolates Titano and 'other mutations'. Superman kills.

For a while I have wondered if these entities represent a New DCU Eradicator. There is too much use of words like 'purge' and erasing 'contagions' for me to change my opinion.

The city appropriately responds negatively. Some, like the mayor, plead with him to fall back into line. Other like McCoy go on the attack wondering who can stand up to him.

But acting as judge, jury, and executioner ... sounds like the Eradicator.

And, of course, who is the person who wants to step up to the fight? Why General Lane and a new K-Squadron.

So again, the military wants to attack Superman, an all to common theme these last several years in comics and a mere month since they actually did attack him in Action Comics #4.

But seriously, when has any K-Squad been able to do much against the man of steel.

Unfortunately, it seems as though this prickly Superman doesn't like dissenting opinions either. McCoy is flooding the airwaves with anti-Superman sentiment. And Superman doesn't like it feeling it interferes with his mission to keep everyone safe. And so, he bursts into the Planet and drops McCoy from the top floor.

Meanwhile, and interestingly, Lois is frantically calling Clark. At first I thought she was simply calling out to Clark knowing he was Superman, hoping to break Superman out of his vengeful state by calling him Clark. (I think this Lois knows Clark is Superman but is playing along.)

But then she says she wants him to pick up the phone. So maybe I'm wrong.

I still think she knows there is a connection between Clark and Superman.

And while he doesn't answer his phone, her call does awaken THE REAL SUPERMAN who is charred and floating in space. So this killing Superman is some simulacrum comprised of the alien presences. But it also means that they walloped Superman enough that he has been unconscious long enough for them to run amok. How long does it seem this Superman was active ... days? Incredible.

But more impressive is that Lois' voice awakens him! I keep hoping that a Clark/Lois relationship will happen. Of course, the fans in 1938 had to wait 50 years! So maybe I won't see it!

Anyways, while this issue showed what an out of control Superman might do, we have seen this before. Maybe too many times. And I wouldn't mind this issue that much if there were 2 more issues to wrap this up. But in 20 pages we need an explanation of what these alien things are, a Superman/Supergirl fight, a Superman/FakeSuperman fight, some public response to this guy not being the real Superman, and some denouement of all the 'where was Clark, what is wrong with him' angst we have been wallowing in. I don't know if that is enough time or space. Now the Clark stuff might linger ... but the rest of it needs to happen. And if the origin if these things is explained in 3 panels, I'm not going to be happy. I suppose I shouldn't judge this issue on my perceived problems with the next. But I can't help it.

Overall grade: B

New Green And Johnson Interview On Newsarama

2012-01-26T08:00:00.013-05:00

Over on Newsarama, there is a very good interview with Supergirl writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson, discussing what has been going on in Supergirl so far and what we can expect moving forward. Here is the link: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/green-johnson-supergirl-120125.html

As always, I highly recommend going to the site and reading the interview in its entirety. It really gives a lot of details about the story so far, with lots of hints about what is coming up.

As usual, I picked a couple of segments of the interview that struck me and added some of my comments.

Newsarama: In issue #5, Supergirl finds out that it's all true. Krypton's really gone. How important was this moment for the title? It's a real turning point, isn't it?

Michael Green: For us, her finding out what happened back home, and that "home" is gone, is probably the most foundational part of her back-story. If Superman's never-ending story is, "what is my place in this world," because he got to grow up here and be an out-of-place child here, her story is so disruptive that her story becomes, "what happened to my world? Where did those people I love go?"

We wanted to make sure we gave as much attention to those emotions as possible, and really make that the first big piece of her story, finding out that it's all gone and dealing with it. It's real loss. It's everyone know you know and love is no more. There's nothing to do about except honor their memory by staying a good person in the face of it.

So the interview starts off with a bang with this response from Green. The biggest thing I like about this answer is that he says that the best way for Supergirl to honor Krypton is to be a good person. There isn’t the ‘sulk and isolate yourself’ feeling from this response, the biggest concern I had about the characterization of this new Supergirl.

Nrama: Supergirl has been constantly in danger in this comic, and when she found out that her world had been destroyed is coupled with danger yet again.

Green: We wanted to keep her from being allowed by life to have too much time to process and grieve. She's getting bad news while still very much a participant in her adventure. So it wasn't something that she heard and then got to sit with for a long time. I think if Clark had his way, he was going to give her the bad news and then sit with her as she cried it out. But she resisted that, because she just wasn't ready to hear it. And as a result, it's just been a roller coaster for her.

Johnson: And part of that is the larger story that we're building to, which is how she got here, because as you saw in issue #5, somebody got their hands on the shard that recorded the father's death, and why would that be in her pod with her? Who put it there? And who ultimately sent it there, even though the pod was her father's plan to have her survive the death of Krypton?

Glad their take on Clark’s response mirrors my own. I do think he will want to help her and hopefully she will allow him to help her work through these issues.

And I am glad that I was asking the right questions in my review of Supergirl #5. Who did rocket her? Who did put the crustal in there? We assume Zor-El got killed. So is it time for an Alura sighting?

The picture above looks like Kara sparring with some robots. This must be part of ‘Zor-El’s plan’ or part of what she was preparing for. It also explains why she thought Tycho’s robots were from Zor-El. He has to have been a military scientist. Notice how she is wearing different style boots? I wonder if she could fold the 'over the knee' portion down to make more like a buccaneer style version.

Nrama: Mahmud Asrar drew a very emotional moment, when she saw her father die. And you really relied on him for this, didn't you?

Johnson: It sounds horrible to say, but my favorite panel so far that we've seen is the panel where she just sort of screams and lets it all out.

But you're right that we relied on him in that moment. We told Mahmud, "We're not going to put any captions or dialogue here, so it's all on you." And he just nailed it, better than we could have imagined.

And any words would ruin that image. But it's the most emotional moment that we've had so far.

Green: And that moment, the scream that you see as she realizes she has lost her family, was the moment we'd been building toward, that moment of her really feeling it, her realizing it's true, and just being in pain.

I’ll concur that this panel was powerful and didn’t need anything else. Asrar just shines on this book.

Nrama: We found out who the Worldkillers are, thanks to the appearance of this new villainous character, Reign. And Supergirl isn't really not on the same side as Reign, and yet she they're both looking for the same answers. What does Reign represent for Kara?

Johnson: Reign will be an ongoing, important member of Kara's rogues’ gallery. And the best villains, I think, have something that connects them intrinsically to the hero. Reign is a twisted reflection of Kara. She has all this power, but she's a little bit of a loose cannon.

Green: We wanted Kara to be able to see some of herself in there. And in a way, it's temptation, because she's so much in pain that there is a part of her that does want to be like Reign and get angry, and use that pain to get even or just feel better by taking what she wants. And that is a real temptation, especially given the insane amounts of power she woke up with when she landed under the light of a yellow sun.

I called Reign a dark reflection of Kara and I think she has the power to stand toe to toe with her. So I am glad that she isn’t a one-off rogue, but an ongoing adversary. We still need to learn more about her … but she sure is interesting. And nice splash page here!

Nrama: It's always seemed a bit of a coincidence that all these Kryptonians landed on Earth just because it had a yellow sun. It sounds like Reign is thinking the same thing?

Johnson: Yeah, that ties into a larger story that's unraveling, and it's kind of mirroring Kara's adaptation to Earth. You'll see the unraveling of that mystery.

It's very convenient that this happens to be the safe place for Kryptonians after the death of their planet. And feeding into that as well is the question about the House of El itself, because Jor-El and Zor-El both had different plans, different responses to the threat to Krypton, and the difference between the brothers themselves is something we want to explore over the next year.

Hmmm, maybe my militant Zor-El prediction is right. I just hope that there isn’t any ‘Kill Kal-El’ style nonsense in the brother’s different viewpoints.

Nrama: Last time Superman and Supergirl met, they didn't exactly see eye to eye, as we discussed in our last interview.

Johnson: [laughs] That's putting it mildly. But there's a meeting coming up between Superman and Supergirl that deals with how their perception of each other might have evolved now, given their acrimonious meeting the first time.

I still think, after realizing that Krypton and her family are gone, that Kara should reach out to Kal for some support. Not reliance! Support. That is what families do. Despite the cover to Superman #6 (with Kal punching Kara), I hope the two come together.

Nrama: Then to finish up, can you give us any hints about what 2012 will bring to Supergirl?

Green: The next arc really is about, OK, I'm here on Earth, I've taken a stand and said this is a place worth defending. Now what do I do? And we'll see her meeting people and making new friends, or maybe making new enemies. Because if you're going to be somewhere, you have to talk to creatures there and learn their language.

Johnson: In Supergirl, over the next year, the series will be all about getting Kara to the point where the trauma, while not over for her, is at least resolved in the story. It's going to be about her adjusting to life on Earth and the new challenges and decisions that brings.

Again, all good news here. She thinks Earth is a place worth defending. That is a far cry from ‘she has no love for humanity … so don’t piss her off’!'

It sounds like she'll be the hero I want her to be.

New Supergirl #6 Cover

2012-01-25T08:00:00.032-05:00

Over on his website, Supergirl artist Mahmud Asrar posted the new cover for Supergirl #6, due out on February 15th. Here is the link to that post: http://mahmudasrar.com/post/16431081818/supergirl-6-written-by-michael-green-and-mike

This is a great cover. For one, the 'looking up' point of view on comic covers are usually done to make the hero seem bigger than life, to increase the feel of power. Here it shows the exact opposite image, a helpless Supergirl pinned to the wall. But I also love the use of the blue sun as the source of light in the background, slightly washing out Kara's face, the shadows deepening at Supergirl's feet. And the overwhelming blue tint from the sun just pops. Adds to the melancholic feel to the cover.

Just given the material, I also think this will stand out a bit on the rack.

This was the original cover solicited for Supergirl #6.

And while this is a very nice cover of Supergirl fighting with Reign, it is the sort of standard battle scene cover, probably lost amongst the other battle covers on the rack.

I think the new cover is overall a better piece of comic art. Hopefully, if a trade gets made of this first arc, this proposed cover will be included in back material.

New DC Logo - Supergirl Style?

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

The comic world got to take a good look at the new DC Comic logo last week, a sort of top layer D being peeled off of an deep layer C. It isn't super engaging on its own. But I don't know anyone buying the books simply for the company branding. Here is the DC Source article discussing it: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2012/01/19/new-brand-identity/

One thing that is potentially interesting is the creation of character or title specific interactive logos as seen above. The glowing green Green Lantern logo and the lightning style Flash one do look pretty.

I saw that the fantastic Aquaman Shrine site made their own new logos for Aquaman and they look pretty snazzy too. Here is that link: http://www.aquamanshrine.com/2012/01/dc-interactive-logos-pt-2.html

I figured why not try my hand at a Supergirl one. Alas, I am pretty lacking of advanced computer art skills. So take these with a grain of salt.

I thought that keeping the Superman style bright blue 'D' added a sort of visual link between the 2 cousins. They are part of the same hero family. That should carry over visually.

I thought that adding Kara's unique new S-shield as the underlying 'C', just a hint of her blond hair peeking in to show it is Supergirl, might be nice. It looks a bit dark here unfortunately. I should have tried to lighten up the shield.

And here would by my view of the Supergirl big screen. Again, the shield seems too dark for the C in the corner. You can barely make out that it is even a C. So maybe I need to go back to the drawing board a bit. But I think that the Mahmud Asrar cover image from the first issue is stunning and would make the best image to include on a Supergirl logo page.

Hopefully DC will give Supergirl her own interactive logo. I'd love to see other 'home grown' attempts too!

Review: Legion Of Super-Heroes #5

2012-01-23T08:00:00.064-05:00

Legion of Super-Heroes #5 came out last week and I am really struggling to come up with a grade for it; I am really of two minds about it.

One of the joys and I am sure challenges of being a creator on Legion is the huge cast in the book. The roster is twenty-something strong. So losing track of a character for a long period of time could be a problem. Writer Paul Levitz has always been able to juggle all these characters, making sure that everyone is checked in on now and then. This issue take a bit of an easy route to solving that problem. It is literally a day in the life of the Legion, a way for Levitz to check in on what all the Legionnaires are doing as the clock rolls by. And, for that purpose it works extremely well. If you are a Blok fan, or a Saturn Girl fan, or an Invisible Kid fan, you haven't seen much of them in the last couple of Legion arcs. So Levitz gives the majority of the team members a couple of panels and a little characterization to get us up to speed. And for that reason, and as a Legion fan, I thought this was a decent issue, reminding me of where everybody is.

On the down side, each vignette is short (they have to be) and somewhat scattershot as we check in for a moment and leave. If you are a Blok fan or a Saturn Girl fan you might want more than just 3 panels. So as a result, the book reads a little disjointed and doesn't seem to add up to much.

On top of that, comic legend Walt Simonson drew this book. When I heard Simonson was on board for a Legion issue I was thrilled. But Simonson doesn't get much chance to shine here, instead drawing normal 'day to day' stuff like Vi running on a treadmill or Brainy working in his lab. Where is the Infinite Man when you need him!

And for those reasons, the book felt a little flat.

There was something of a running theme of a 'vision of stones' through the book. We open with Dreamy telling Star Boy she saw an image of stones, not a nightmare but a vision. I suppose it is nice to see Thom recovering.

In one appreciated segment, we see Rokk distraught over the apparent deaths of the Legion Lost gang. The Legion has always been like a giant family so the loss of seven Legionnaires should have the team upset. At least somebody is. And Rokk is the perfect choice. He has always been the bedrock of the team.

Meanwhile, Pandora the cloaked woman ... I mean Glorith ... continues to struggle with adapting to the world of the Legion. She has locked herself into her room and written a letter to the Black Witch that she wants to return to Sorceror's World.

Luckily, Invisible Kid comes to pry her out of the room and into the social network of the team. Again, Jacques is a good choice to do this. He was certainly out of his element when he joined the team. So he would probably try to help someone else adjust.

Nice view of the hall of heroes here.

And after receiving Twilight Sparkle's letter, Queen Celestia ... oops ... after receiving Glorith's letter, Black Queen thinks Glorith needs to stay where she is, that Glorith is the Legion's responsibility now. It reeks of foreshadowing that Glorith is going to turn to the dark side. But Mysa is too busy suppressing the absorbed Mordru to have the energy to stop it.

It was nice to see these two again, even briefly. Although, to be honest, I miss the White Witch.

Just what were those stones that Dreamy saw?

Not Stone Boy. Again, a nice little moment.

And as a big fan of the original three, I was glad to see that Imra and Garth were having fun settling down as parents to their twins.

Still, Imra needs to be an active member, especially with Tellus gone. Do the right thing Levitz!

Meanwhile, Brainy is working so hard to break the 'Flashpoint' barrier of time travel that he falls asleep working in his lab.

And the big stones are Stone Henge? People have gathered there, including Sun Boy. Is this a celebration? Something more ominous?

And there were other scenes. Polar Boy returning from a night of bar hopping and amour. Cham talking to the Science Police. Ultra Boy working out some frustrations. Still, I want Walt Simonson showing something like Ayla flinging lightning at The Persuader! Or Sun Boy immolating Doctor Regulus. Not Legionnaires eating lunch and people staring at rocks.

So some decent nuggets of characterization. But nothing exciting.

I feel like the Legion right now is a comfortable read. But I was hoping for something more invigorating after the relaunch. And I don't think this book would be interesting to anyone other than the most die-hard continuity-filled fan.

Overall grade: C

R.B. Silva's DCnU Supergirl

2012-01-21T08:00:00.022-05:00

I have gushed over R.B. Silva's art on the Superboy title and recently revisited his great blog at: http://rbsilvasart.blogspot.com/

Over on the site, he posts concept art, penciled pages, and other goodies. So I was thrilled to see his take on the 'new' Supergirl, posted way back in November. How did I miss this!!

What a great take on Girl of Steel! She looks stern and tough! But there is that Silva-feel to the whole thing. Stunning!

We'll see much more of Silva's Supergirl next month when she shows up in the Superboy book.

That image whets the appetite!

I'm not surprised that Silva renders a great Supergirl. We saw a bit of her in the Jimmy Olsen back-up feature back in Action Comics in late 2010.

Ack! I hope Silva ends up being at a convention I am attending at some point!

Review: Supergirl #5

2012-01-20T08:00:00.145-05:00

Supergirl #5 came out this week and continued the momentum of the last couple of issues of the title. There has been progression here after a couple of decompressed opening issues. Writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson are working their way through Kara's origins and continue to unveil new elements to the story, answering some questions but creating new ones on the way.

One thing that I liked about this issue is that we finally have Kara acting rather than reacting. We are slowly learning about who this Kara is, what she thinks, where she is at emotionally. And we are learning that not only through her actions but through her thoughts. Add to that the introduction of the character Reign, someone who is clearly set up to be a contrast to this Supergirl, a dark reflection of who she could become, and I finally feel like maybe I have a sense of who this Supergirl is.

And, as I have said before, I think this is a challenge for Green and Johnson. Supergirl was basically rebooted 7 yrs ago under Loeb and Turner. She was then soft rebooted by Gates and Igle when they washed away the 'Kill Kal-El, crystal hell' aspects of the earliest issues. There will be elements to their story that will echo aspects of the prior origins.

Lastly, I wonder how closely the entire super-creative teams meet, how much editorial oversight there is, to make sure that the Krypton in Supergirl mirrors the one being created in Action and referenced in Superman. I hope that there is a universal feel to the planet, streamlined and consistent.

As always, Mahmud Asrar's art is incredibly strong here. There is a mix of action and emotional moments in this issue and Asrar shines in all facets of the book.

The issue opens with Supergirl streaking through space, flying to the coordinates she saw on Tycho's satellite, the potential site of her home. This is a frantic Supergirl trying to reclaim some sense of sanity in her life, trying to get back home. She hopes her powers won't suddenly leave her. She is desperate and she knows it. And that mix of fear and hope is shown so perfectly on her expression here. Just a great mix of art and words here.

Luckily the sun stone seems to be guiding her through space.

The stone leads her to a stargate/wormhole takes her to a blue sun system, Argo City in orbit.

But the city is abandoned and in disrepair. And obviously separated from Krypton, torn away. The sad truth about Krypton's fate is slowly unfolding. Again, a nice splash page here.

So already, a question. Who put up the stargate?

And next question. Where is everybody?

Supergirl flies to her old house, finding it dust-covered and empty. The slow realization that she is alone, without family and friends, begins to take root.

Kara places the sunstone inside a control matrix, activating a message from Zor-El. The destruction of Krypton is imminent and Zor-El has a plan to save the city by erecting a force field around it. But the plan is too risky to include Kara. So Zor-El places her in suspended animation and fires her protective pod away. He states that the time in slumber might affect Kara's memories.

So there was a lot to process here. The Silver Age element of Zor-El saving the city with a force field, Argo being ripped from the planet intact is preserved. But this means Kara was fired off Krypton before the planet exploded, not from Argo at all. Interesting.

I do have to add that this look of Zor-El seems a bit different from the look of Jor-El in the current Action Comics. There is no headband, no chest symbol, just a tunic.

Unfortunately, the message ends in tragedy when someone comes into the room while Zor-El was recording and blasts him through the chest. So there are echoes of Zor-El's death in Supergirl #36 at the hands of Reactron.

But this also creates a number of new questions. So Zor-El died before the destruction of Krypton. Who killed him? Was Kara already in the pod when he recorded this? If not, who put here there? Who put the crystal into the pod? Who fired the pod? And where is Alura in all this? So there are some answers here but not the whole story.

With this message displayed, the sunstone burns itself out, crumbling away. So no further knowledge will be gleaned from it.

And then there is this lovely 'silent scream' splash page as Kara reacts not only to seeing her father's assassination but realizing that she is alone. Krypton is gone. Her family is gone. Her friends are gone. This is such a powerful display of the anguish she must be feeling.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Supergirl flies out into the city and starts smashing anything she can get her hands on. So we have seen Supergirl have an angry response to physical or mental confrontations. Now I hope we will soon see some other emotion from her when she is troubled.

Her destruction of the planet is stopped when she is affronted by Reign.

Reign says that she is like Kara, looking for answers about who she is and what has happened. She seems to know a lot about Krypton and the world-killers. She even hints that Zor-El knew about or was involved with the world killers.

I think we are going to learn more about Zor-El than he is a peaceful scientist. We have heard Kara talk about her 'father's plans'. In the first issue, we heard Kara say that an encounter with attacking robots would be something her father would set up. Now we hear Reign talk about Zor-El and world killers. Maybe he was in the military, or a weapons developer. There is more here I am sure.

But Kara isn't ready to partake in quiet conversation. She thinks Reign might be responsible for Argo's destruction and/or the death of Zor-El. Supergirl wants to know what Reign knows. And so she attacks. Again, this immediate response of anger and violence might make sense in the context of the emotional turmoil she is going through right now. But I hope we see other parts of Kara's emotional make-up when things settle down.

I do like that Reign, a living World Killer, is a nice foil to Supergirl. Reign says a lot of things that this Kara might. She has immense power. She was born to rage. She could conquer. Those are all things that Supergirl could say, might say. But what I have seen is that this Kara won't take that last step, stopping her fight with Superman when innocents were threatened, hoping that her destruction of Tycho's satellite didn't kill anyone.

Reign is a monstrous version of what Kara could become, a dark reflection, and a nice way to show us who this Supergirl is by showing us what she isn't.

With her powers waning, Supergirl is defeated by Reign and left to die on Argo which is slowly falling into the blue sun. (I can't believe DC wants a floating Kryptonian city to remain in the DCU, so I suspect that this last vestige of Krypton will burn away next issue.)

Again, we see more of those similarities between Reign and Supergirl. Reign is looking for answers about her origins. She wants to know what happened to her. She went to Earth looking for those answers and then came to Argo for the same. Hmmm ... basically Supergirl's story so far. Again, it makes Reign a nice foil. When Kara eventually steps up and defeats the World Killers, it will show who Supergirl is.

This also added more questions to the fate of Argo. Reign showed up and found the population dead. So where are the bodies? And I really hope that we get to see something of Alura.

So, overall this was a good issue. We learn more about Supergirl's origins, more about Zor-El, more about Argo. and more about the World Killers. We also have a lot more questions that need to be answered. Reign plays a contrasting role to Supergirl nicely. We have more raging Supergirl. I hope next issue, we see a quieter Supergirl dealing with her grief in a nonviolent way.

And I have to say it again. If you are Superman and another surviving Kryptonian comes to Earth, someone who is potentially family, I doubt you would leave her to her own devices. I better see Kara seek out Kal or vice versa soon. It doesn't make sense otherwise.

Lastly, I could spend a whole post gushing about Mahmud Asrar. Amazing stuff here.

Overall grade: B+

April 2012 Solicits

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

The DC Comics solicits for April 2012 have been released over on the DC Comics website here.

It is an interesting month as six titles have the 'final issue' tag on them in what feels like a quick axe for the reboot. As I have said before, I wonder if DC was a bit quick to act here.

Here are the super-titles solicited as well as a couple of surprises.

SUPERGIRL #8

Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON

Art by GEORGE PEREZ and BOB WIACEK

Cover by GEORGE PEREZ

As the NYPD hunt her down, Supergirl takes refuge with a new friend named Siobhan. While Supergirl may have temporarily escaped her troubles, Siobhan’s are just about to catch up with her: the curse of the Silver Banshee has risen, and this time it’s brought its family with it…

Don’t miss this special issue featuring artwork by comics legend George Pérez!

As I have said before, George Perez is a pretty awesome pinch hitter for Mahmud Asrar on this issue. That cover alone is worth the price as Supergirl seems trapped within the body of Silver Banshee. Nice use of the straps of the costume to mimic prison bars.

And while I am glad that Siobhan comes on board as a supporting cast member/frenemy, I do worry about the NYPD hunting down Supergirl. I'm ready for Supergirl to be an accepted hero. I understand that the 'alienated young girl' theme is an important part of this reboot. But I hope it isn't overplayed.

And I really hope we see Superman back here before this. I still can't believe he would let another Kryptonian, let alone his family, wander the Earth. He would want to be part of her life, regardless of what Kara wants.

ACTION COMICS #8

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT

Cover by RAGS MORALES

Variant cover by GARY FRANK

1:200 B and W Variant cover by RAGS MORALES

It’s the epic 30-page conclusion of Grant Morrison and Rags Morales’ majestic opening storyline! $3.99 gets you front row seats to the ascension of the DC Universe’s first Super Hero as The Man of Steel goes toe to tentacle with the all-new Brainiac for the final fate of Metropolis!

I have been trumpeting Action Comics as the jewel of the new DCU and DC seems to understand it as well. What could be better than a 30 page mega-finale to the opening arc. And this is an arc that presented us with a young crusading Superman, re-introduced Luthor and Brainiac, brought us the bottle city of Kandor, and showed us Jor-El, Lara, and Krypto all over again. It has been a dizzying ride ... but wonderful.

I also think I am going to want to grab the Gary Frank variant. Frank just reinvented Brainiac and retold Superman's Secret Origin himself. So I am glad he is being tangentially included in this reboot.

SUPERMAN #8

Written by KEITH GIFFEN and DAN JURGENS

Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

1:25 B and W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

Superman, agent of the Daemonites?! How has Helspont bent The Man of Steel to his will?

I don't know Daemonites or the Helspont at all. There is a Starro flavor to this cover. But not much info.

I am hopeful that Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens can bring some punch to this title. Jurgens guided the Superman ship throughout much of the 90s. That Superman was the definition of heroic. So maybe the 'Metropolis doesn't trust or like Superman' part of the Perez arc will go away.

SUPERBOY #8

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN

Cover by SHANE DAVIS

Well, that rescue mission didn’t go exactly as planned…and things have only gotten worse for Superboy, as N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s plans for him and the Teen Titans take a deadly turn! If he wants to keep his head, he’s gonna have to take down another dangerous young metahuman for them: the bruiser once known as Grunge!

I have also been pretty upbeat about the Superboy title.

But it is pretty clear that this book is being used to introduce the Gen13 characters to the DCU. I have loved Fairchild's part in the book because it felt natural. She was a supporting cast member. But this issue having Superboy fight Grunge (a character I know virtually nothing about) seems like a simple way to bring in another Wildstorm character. This also continues the run of 'Superboy fighting heroes' cover images.

I also think that DC really wants me to read Teen Titans, linking it closely to this book. And frankly, I don't want to read that version of the team, that Tim Drake, that Wonder Girl, that Kid Flash. I hope this book remains separate enough that it can be enjoyed alone.

LEGION LOST #8

Written by TOM DeFALCO

Art and cover by PETE WOODS

The lead-up to next month’s game-changing TEEN TITANS/SUPERBOY/LEGION LOST crossover starts here! Rose Wilson and the Ravagers of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. attack our lost Legionnaires for a battle royale! When the smoke clears, the Legion won’t like what they see…

One of my favorite characters of the reboot is also from the Superboy book, Rose Wilson. She even seems to be getting her own title soon ... The Ravagers.

Now DC is doing a crossover event between Superboy, Legion Lost, and Teen Titans. Man, DC must really want me to read Teen Titans (or maybe they want all the Titans readers to read Legion Lost).

I don't know if even Rose can be a threat to the Legion squad in Legion Lost. That said, if this cover is any indication, I am going to love Pete Woods rendition of Rose. I hope new writer Tom DeFalco is able to continue the feel that Fabian Nicieza had on the book.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #3

Written by J.T. KRUL, ADAM BEECHEN, DEREK FRIDOLFS and DUSTIN NGUYEN

Art by HOWARD PORTER, NORM BREYFOGLE, DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS

Cover by HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY

In the debut of SUPERMAN BEYOND, The Man of Tomorrow returns home to an unfamiliar City of Tomorrow patrolled by super-powered police officers. With most of his loved ones gone, he wonders if Superman has a place in this new world. But time and death hold no meaning for a foe who has set a plan in motion to destroy the Man of Steel once and for all!

In BATMAN BEYOND, Russian criminals have taken Mad Stan’s dog and Stan will stop at nothing to get them, even if it means blowing up all of Gotham City in the process. As if Terry doesn’t have enough to handle, his girlfriend comes to him with shocking news about her brother.

In JUSTICE LEAGUE BEYOND, the team works to break the brainwashing Micron underwent, while getting a valuable history lesson from Amanda Waller...but will it help them discover Kobra’s plot in time to save the world?

So I reviewed the Superman Beyond one-shot when it came out so I might get this issue of this mini-series to see what this is all about. This looks like a 'Batman Beyond Family' book with multiple stories per issue. But I don't know if I will be in for the long haul.

So looks to be an interesting month with Supergirl and Action leading the way.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #595

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, DC released the cover image for Supergirl #8, in whick Kara befriends a girl named Siobhan who also happens to be the Silver Banshee. I am glad that the Silver Banshee is remaining a Supergirl villain, someone who is a Kara-rogue first and foremost.

Throughout his work on the title, Sterling Gates had Supergirl and the Banshee square off, having her appear not only in Supergirl #34 but also Supergirl #48 and Supergirl #49.

Long ago, I even reviewed the PAD Supergirl's interactions with Banshee in Supergirl #11 and #12 .

With the Banshee now playing prominent roles in three incarnations of Supergirl, I thought I would take a look back at her first appearance in Action Comics #595.

Action Comics #595 was written and drawn by John Byrne in the early parts of his renaissance of the character. I always say that I really appreciate the Byrne run on the Superman books as he injected much needed vitality into the character. And it is amazing that he was able to handle all the creative pressures running so many books and still get things out on time.

This was during a time when we were still learning about this Superman. The post Man of Steel books were still less than a year running. And Action Comics was set up as a sort of DC Comics Presents book, with a different guest star in each issue and mostly 'done in one' stories. It was a brilliant way to re-introduce Superman to the DCU at large.

As for me, I have always been a sucker for '??' as a question mark as I try to figure out who it is before the story ends. I guess my favorite one was the original Brave and Bold #150. This was a decent cover with the Banshee standing over a dead Superman with his ghost in the background. Just what could be happening here! And who was the guest star??

The book starts with the Banshee walking down the streets of Metropolis. I guess if you have her power you don't need to skulk around.

She ends up being accosted by some construction workers who appreciate the female form regardless of the trappings. And, of course, that leads to them dying at her hand.

One thing I do like about this opening splash page is the panel border encompassing the men but not the Banshee. The guys' first comment is how tall the Banshee is and this accentuates her size. She seems to tower over them, even though they are in the background.

And the construction workers aren't the only one who face her wrath. She enters an antique book shop and promptly kills one of the workers as she searches for something.

It is an interesting first take on the Banshee. Initially it looks like her touch is deadly. But then we keep hearing about how eerie her voice is as well.

Her actions lead to the Metropolis police and Superman getting involved.

Banshee has killed a SWAT team style officer the page before. Here she is confused at seeing another similarly dressed policeman wondering why he is so resilient and why he isn't dead. Hmmm ....

She also seems to know a lot about Metropolis, commenting on their police force's tactics as well as recognizing Superman.

I do question Superman's flippant 'Pee Wee Herman' comment. Isn't there a dead cop on the sidewalk somewhere? A pile of bodies in the city?

And we learn that it isn't Banshee's touch that kills. It's her voice. She kills Superman right there on page 9!

Interesting that it isn't a banshee scream yet, just talking to the victim. More on that in a bit.

But Superman is apparently really dead. We see Lois' tearful response to hearing the news.

And we see the JLA' s response. Interesting to hear Batman call Superman almost a 'god'. And the League starts to wonder what their next steps should be. J'Onn thinks actions need to be taken.

I think I might be one of a handful of people who actually like that version of Black Canary's costume.

But my favorite response is Luthor's.

Like any arch-villain, Luthor is irate that someone else killed Superman. Superman was meant to die by his hand. That last panel is very good with a small Lex nearly sobbing. It adds to the feel that Luthor is a 'small' man. And it also shows just how much Lex defines himself as being Superman's adversary.

Byrne really plays up the 'Superman is dead' aspect of the story. We even get to see the funeral in Metropolis. Superman is placed in a glass casket so people can come pay their respects. Lois seems to be in charge here. I really liked Byrne's Lois.

The wake is interrupted when Superman's ghost rises from his body and says he cannot rest until his work is done, until he has stopped the Banshee.

Superman's funeral!! I almost wish this was 2 issues long to see more of this event.

Instead we cut to Superman's ghost tracking the Banshee down to another bookstore. And who else is there? Jimmy Olsen! Olsen has been trying to dig up information about what the Banshee is looking for.

As before, she is stunned to see Superman still alive, or at least 'partially' alive. She lets loose with her full Banshee scream. While the scream is deafening and painful, it doesn't kill Superman's ghost or Jimmy for that matter.

I like the lower panel's composition. First off, you feel her screaming through her body language. And adding the EEEEs adds to that power.

And when that scream doesn't work, she pulls out all the stops, screaming until she appears to explode, vaporizing herself. And yet despite the power of this scream (it blows out the windows of the store and levels the book shelves), Jimmy and Superman's ghost remain alive.

I like the feel of this panel as well. Has a sort of Steranko feel to it.

When the dust settles, Jimmy sees not only Superman but his ghost (and the issue's mystery guest star), the Martian Manhunter. That explains the shape change and the intangibility parts of the ghost's makeup.

But was Superman really dead??

Nope, her powers put him into a deep coma. And Superman doesn't even know if he would survive andother round of that scream. Okay, maybe that is a little easy.

J'Onn deduced that her confusion about the cops in the first brawl showed that she somehow needed to see the victim, or know who the victim was, to kill them. Since the second officer was helmeted and since she thought it was the first officer, the second was immune to that personal scream (targeting the first cop). Interesting. By convincing the Banshee that he was Superman, the Martian Manhunter was immune to the lethal nature of the scream (even if it did hurt him). See it was aimed for Superman, not him (despite his form).

In later incarnations, it turns out that the Banshee can kill you if she screams your true name. That is why Superman believing he is Clark first, or Matrix being Linda Danvers and not Supergirl, made them safe in future adventures. I like that wrinkle about her power more than this original attempt.

Jimmy, being the investigator he is, also realized she was looking for some books from the Castle Broen from Ireland. Later, the Banshee is linked more to Scottish roots.

So this first appearance lays down some ground rules for the Silver Banshee but her powers and origin evolve a bit.

But for me, the best thing about this issue is the fact it is over in one book! A new villain! Superman's death and wake! Reactions from the DCU! And a quick resolution! Amazing.

I can't wait to see what this new Banshee is all about. And we get George Perez on art! Not a bad sub for Mahmud Asrar.

Overall grade: B/B+

Review: Superboy #5

2012-01-17T08:00:00.060-05:00

There have been plenty of surprises in the DC relaunch. Titles I thought for sure I would love that I haven't (like Green Lantern Corps or Captain Atom). And titles I thought I wouldn't collect but was lucky enough to stumble upon and pick up (Birds of Prey and Demon Knights).

But all of the surprises, Superboy is the biggest. I have enjoyed this title more than I ever thought I would, especially when reading the pre-relaunch buzz. But somehow this title has churned along, revealing more and more about Superboy and N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and boasting a great and complex supporting cast.

Last issue was the first time that Superboy stood front and center, now supporting cast around him, and I wondered if he alone would keep me intrigued. He is growing as a new person in this world. Will his characterization match that of those around him?

This issue, the supporting cast is back. And Superboy continues to grow as a character. So this issue was a win. Scott Lobdell seems to be slowly letting Superboy form his own personality, free from NOWHERE's control. And right now, he seems like a powerful kid on the edge, albeit with good tendencies as we see here.

Add to that RB Silva's amazing art, and this book continues to shine.

The book opens with Superboy back at N.O.W.H.E.R.E., running through the usual tests, and ready to fulfill his mission of bringing in rowdy super-powered youths.

So it is interesting for me that Superboy is willing to trade Wonder Girl to NOWHERE to buy his own freedom. That isn't exactly noble. But he never exactly says outright that he is on board for that plan.

What I really liked was Superboy taking charge of his own life, including the 'Michael Corleone' like statement of tying off loose ends. Time to settle some family business.

We still don't know exactly what N.O.W.H.E.R.E. stands for or what there overall mission. But there has always been a sense of evil there. Here we see a more concrete representation of that evil. N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s supervisor Templar morphs into some sort of multi-headed demon which slaughters a crew of workers for their failure.

To be honest, the off-screen slaughter works so much more for me then actually seeing the heads impale these guys. The unknown sense of what could makes a 'splortch' sound works better than an actual panel of flesh being rendered.

The best character of the book for me so far has been Rose Wilson. She is tough, takes no prisoners, and strong-willed. But she was also good friends with Fairchild. We know Rose knew Caitlyn's secret but kept it to herself, not letting NOWHERE know. She is a true mercenary, working for but not necessarily espousing her employers beliefs.

She took off a couple of issues ago but is back now. I hope at some point Lobdell fills in what prompted her to return. Here Superboy gives it to her, wondering where Rose was when 'Red' got taken. I love how Silva let's us know just how self-defeated Rose feels, slumped against the wall. It is the first time we have seen Rose in a position other than strength or battle.

But part of the loose ends for Superboy is saving Caitlyn who is being taken to 'the colony'. Maybe he didn't say this to Rose because he doesn't know just where her loyalties lie.

Conner has no problem stopping the truck Fairchild is being transported in, scattering the Metans that N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has guarding her.

I love this red flare effect of the tactile telekinesis. Beautiful.

And he saves Caitlyn, turning her over to whoever she was working for. Could this be the DCnU introduction to John Lynch?

But it is clear that Superboy hasn't bought into what N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is doing, doesn't trust anyone there, and wants to save the one person who fought for him. Nice character growth.

As for Rose, she stumbles upon a jump drive hidden in Caitlyn's quarters and rather than give it to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. she peeks at it herself.

And Rose is on there, named Ravager, and part of 'Culling Day'. Culling day? Must be N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s plan to send out their brainwashed young Metans to kill someone ... maybe older heroes?

My guess? N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has implanted a control chip in Rose as part of their plans to convert her to Ravager. In turn, Rose removes the chip herself by ... gauging out her eye to get to it. You heard it here first!

And Superboy sneaks back into his quarters so he can't be implicated in the Fairchild rescue. And he starts to push back against his masters. It is all coming to a head here, nicely.

Hopefully, next month's brawl with Supergirl is handled well. And hopefully I don't need to read Titans to see how this all turns out ... because I am not.

And man, RB Silva just continues to do fantastic work here!

Overall grade: B+

Dollmaker Designs And Jamal Igle's Run

2012-01-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

We are nearing the end of Jamal Igle's look back on his Supergirl issues over on his blog. This series of posts has really been a joy for me, a way to relive those issues and get a look into the creative process. Here is the link to his review of Supergirl #58, the first part of the Dollmaker story:
http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-vaults-supergirl-58-finale-part-1.html

Here, Igle reviews some of the concept art for the Dollmaker, the Toyman's estranged and insane son. Above was the settled on design which works well giving him a sort of 'wetworks' feel with the apron.

But here were the other designs.

The tophat and goggles look gives him a steampunk feel, something Jamal Igle says Sterling Gates was going for. But it also smacks a bit too much of the Mad Hatter, especially the Depp Mad Hatter.

Igle says he wanted a demented 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' feel to the Dollmaker and so came up with this design. But DC said it looked too much like Klarion. I agree.

And then there was this design with the Dollmaker as an angry young modern man. I am glad this wasn't decided on. For one, this looks too ordinary ... like a kid that lives in anyone's neighborhood. You need a good super-villain look to be a ... well ... to be a super-villain.

Jamal reviews #59 here: http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-vaults-supergirl-59-final-issue.html

Here is a closing statement by him:

Thank You Sterling, for being one of the best creative partners I've ever had. Thank you Keith Champagne, Jon Sibal, Marc Deering, John Dell and Robin Riggs for keeping up with my maddening exponentially growing obsession with detail. Thank You Nei Ruffino, Blond and Tom Chu for the beautiful color work you did. Thank you to all of the letterers who worked on the series. Thank you Nachie Castro, Wil Moss and Matt Idelson for showing faith, allowing me to experiment visually and pushing me to imrpove.
Most of all, Thank you Supergirl fans, for the love and occasional ire that you showed me over the years.

And I don't know what to say back except thank you Jamal. Thanks for everything. Your approach to the character, the costume, the story-telling. Your run with Sterling Gates was really a high point for the character.

Review: Legion Lost #5

2012-01-14T08:00:00.107-05:00

It feels funny to be reviewing Legion Lost #5 the day after DC released a list of cancellations a mere 5 months into the DC relaunch. Why funny? Well, I worry that this book won't be given time to find its audience, for word of mouth to seep out that it is a quality book.

So I feel I need to do my part to spread the word that this is a very good book. (Of course, I say this knowing that Tom DeFalco comes on as the new writer in 2 months ... so who knows what it will be like then.) As I have said before, there are two great strengths to this book.

The first is the great characterization that writer Fabien Nicieza is bringing to this cast of Legionnaires. We have had rotating narrators since issue #2, allowing not only some deeper introspection for that character, but also to see how the other characters are perceived by their teammates. Tellus provides the narration in this issue, probably the biggest spotlight on that character since his inception.

The other strength is Pete Woods art. Woods has always been a favorite of mine but he has improved with each issue on the book, maybe as he becomes more comfortable with the characters and their personalities. But he sparkles here.

And while, as I have said before, the overall plot of 'a released mutating virus the Legionnaires have to stop' isn't one I necessarily think is great, the rest of the book is so good that I can look past it. In fact, we have moved forward in the plot enough to keep me happy.

The book picks up right where last issue left off, with the unlikely pair of Tellus and Dawnstar taking on powerhouse brute and Hypertaxis virus index case Alastor.

I do like this initial panel with Dawnstar thinking of the 73 ways in which the two can desperately retreat while Tellus thinks now is the time to stand up to the villain. And, as sometimes is the case, a telepathic attack might be the Achilles' heel for Alastor. It shows tremendous courage on Tellus' part, something I wouldn't necessarily list as a quality I think of in him but one I do think of for Legionnaires.

The '73 ways' reminded me of the famous scene in Dark Knight returns where Batman thinks of 7 ways to disarm the thug chasing him, 3 cripple, 3 disarm with minimal contact, 1 hurts. No where in that list was 'desperately retreat'.

Last issue was Dawnstar's spotlight and we learned how she is constantly bombarded by information from her tracking senses. How that information overflow makes her center herself, steel herself, and not give in to her emotions.

I like how hear Tellus recognizes that in Dawny, discussing how she is 'burdened' by passion. I wonder if living in our 'more savage' times is going to make those passions bubble to the surface.

I also had to include this panel to showcase just how fantastic Woods' draws Dawnstar.

And maybe she does give in to those passions as she is able to at least briefly hold her own against Alastor, dodging, weaving, and striking for a while against the triplicated giant. Her job is simply ... distract Alastor while Tellus tries to worm his way in psionically.

But the sparrow can only avoid the hawk for so long. She starts to take damage.

Tellus' has to make a tough decision. He can always lobotomize Alastor, save Dawnstar. But that would be crossing an ethical line. Again, this gives the reader a glimpse inside Tellus. He is powerful, maybe more powerful than I suspected. But he also has that internal core of heroism.

Realizing that he and Dawnstar might be in over their heads, he calls out to the rest of the team. They disable the Black Razors and try to join the fight. Wildfire leaves at top speed. Tyroc follows as fast as he can. And Timber Wolf throws Yera over his shoulder and leaves on foot.

Digging a little deeper, we learn Alastor's origin. His sister was killed while a student on Earth, a victim of xenophobic terrorism. Overwhelmed by grief and pain, Alastor gets to Earth, meets a disgruntled and drunk Psion, and create the Hypertaxis virus.

This overwhelming weight of this pain, this hatred for humanity makes it tough for Tellus to break through.

Now I have to say, I don't necessarily need all my villains to have a sympathetic back story. Sometimes I just want my bad guys to be bad guys. But this does add some dimension to Alastor.

Now I freely admit that Wildfire is my favorite Legionnaire so I might be biased about this book. But I really like the tortured relationship he has with Dawnstar. There is a lot said in a little here as Wildfire comes to her rescue.

Dawnstar knows he will be there to save her 'whether she wants it or not'. So maybe Dawnstar isn't as interested in Wildfire as he is with her. Maybe a simple way to curb her passions is to attach herself to a man who can never be passionate with her. Maybe this relationship is even more dysfunctional than the obvious first pass tells us. It is this depth of character, hinted at but there, that makes me like this book.

And, as a Wildfire fan, I had to share this splash page of some anti-energy glory as Wildfire tries to simply vaporize Alastor. I mean, this is what you live for as a comic fan!

But like any good Dragon Ball Z fan will tell you, it's never that easy. When the smoke clears, Alastor is still standing.

And that leaves Tellus to get back to business. I do like how he ends up doing breaking through this wall of hate towards humanity by showing Alastor a vision of the future where Alastor is revered as a savior for bringing Hypertaxis to Earth, uniting humanity with the galaxy.

It is very interesting way of shutting Alastor down, bringing him peace and love to break through the hate. Making his 'weapon' Hypertaxis into an olive branch. And that complete disconnect of his hopes ... being the hero rather than the villain ... psionically shuts Alastor down.

And to add to the relief of that victory, the Legion is given more good news. Gates is alive, albeit mutated a bit by Hypertaxis. We don't know how he survived, although I guess next issue he gets to play narrator.

But I love that the Legion actually smile here, happy their friend is alive, happy they were victorious, happy they are making headway.

Meanwhile, Timber Wolf continues to plod along to regroup with the team. That is ... until the Martian Manhunter shows up. So it seems that the Legion have finally got the attention of the super-hero community.

So, what can I say? Progression of the virus plot. Nice Tellus' characterization. Some deepening of the Wildfire/Dawnstar relationship. And one huge anti-energy blast splash page! What wasn't to love here.

I hope that Tom DeFalco picks up where Nicieza leaves him. This book doesn't need a 'new direction'. It needs publicity.

Overall grade: B+

New DC Titles - World's Finest; DC Cancellations

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

Just a couple of days ago when I was reviewing sales, I wondered when the news of the next wave of DC titles would be coming out. I didn't have to wait long. Over on USA today, Bob Harras revealed news of the next titles DC would be launching. Here is the link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-01-12/dc-comics-unveils-six-new-series/52504982/1

For me, the most interesting reveal was a World's Finest comic starring Huntress and Power Girl.

Here is a blurb about the title:

while Huntress and Power Girl are stranded on our world and want to return to theirs in Worlds' Finest, written by Paul Levitz with art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire in rotating story arcs. "What does that mean to be exiles from that Earth 2?" Harras says. "We thought it'd be a nice thing to bring this concept back and to really, as we did with the 52 initially, reconcieve it and freshen it up."

So, as a Huntress fan and a Power Girl fan, I am going to be in for this title. Add to that art by two of my favorites, Perez and Maguire, and I will definitely be in. I have liked the current Huntress mini-series so hopefully Paul Levitz can continue the momentum he is building there.

Now you know what I would have really loved? A World's Finest book with rotating Superman/Batman family members. Supergirl/Damien? Superboy/Batwoman? Batwing/Steel? All sounds good to me and could keep the title fresh. I have talked many many times here about the next World's Finest and who it should be. I had hoped Supergirl would be one of the members.

The other titles include Batman Inc. by Morrison (I'm in), Earth 2/JSA by James Robinson and Nicola Scott (I'm in), Dial H (probably not), Ravagers (probably out) and GI Combat (probably out).

In reviewing sales, I also wondered when the first cancellations would be announced. I didn't have to wait long for that either. Here is that quote:

to keep the line of books at a tight 52, six series launched in September are ending with their eighth issues: Men of War, Mister Terrific, O.M.A.C., Hawk and Dove, Blackhawks and Static Shock.

I don't know if replacing two failing war books with one new war book makes sense. I am sad to see Hawk and Dove go, mostly because I bet Sterling Gates had great ideas for that book long term.

Wow ... never a dull moment in the DCnU!

Super Family Cross Over

2012-01-12T08:00:00.024-05:00

Over on the Superman home page, Super-editor Matt Idelson dropped some hints about an upcoming crossover event. Here is the link to the news and interview/Q&A session: http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=10759

And here is the relevant blurb:

Many things that will be factors in Action this year are being established in issues #5-6, Frank. Grant (with the help of guest-artist Andy Kubert) has sprinkled an incredible amount of fun hints inside a really challenging story. Meanwhile, Keith and Dan are plotting some really star-spanning stuff for Supes, though before that we’ll be doing an event between Superman, Supergirl, and Superboy in the summer. Superman hasn’t met Superboy yet, and his relationship with Supergirl isn’t exactly lovey dovey. Seeing how they function as a unit under those circumstances should be interesting, to say the least.

So, on one hand I am glad that the three will be getting together for a combined story, the first look at the 'Superman Family' in the DCnU. After all, one of the appeals of Superman is his legacy, the family he has surrounding him. And, despite New Krypton and Grounded, I thought that the relationship Superman had in the old DCU with both Kara and Conner actually was great. They had all grown together to love and respect each other. And maybe this is that first step.

That said, I have the same worries about this story that I have about Super-team in general in the DCnU. Who wants to read books where Superman has a lousy relationship with Supergirl or Superboy? And his relationship with his only living relative, between the only surviving Kryptonians 'isn't lovey-dovey'. I would suspect that both sides would want to embrace each other for support and friendship. Will they still not be talking to each other ... not trusting each other ... nearly a year into the DCnU?

I know this is a half a year away and much will have changed. But I really hope that this is a team up where the three learn to work together, trust each other, and become a family.

Sales Review: December 2011

2012-01-11T08:00:00.040-05:00

It's that time again when sales figures for last month's comics come out and I try to analyze just what the heck it all means. I sometimes wonder if I was better off when I didn't know these numbers existed, when I didn't try to survey the comics landscape and try to anticipate just where a comic fits into the pecking order of the almighty dollar.

As always, I thank the folks at ICv2 for doing a great job of not only giving a big picture analysis but also showing some of the details. Here is a link to December 2011's top 300 selling comics: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21881.html

Now last month's sales showed that maybe things are settling a bit after the explosion of the New 52. Marvel was able to reclaim the top spot in 'market share' while DC dominated the top ten selling books, claiming 8 of the top 10 and boasting 4 books that sold over 100K each. That's incredible.

While there is no doubt that there is a top tier for DC sales, there now seems to be a middle tier and lower tier as well. Not everything is selling as wildly as it did the first month.

Supergirl seems to have settled nicely into that middle tier, performing solidly last month. While sales for Supergirl #4 were down 13% from the prior month, her rank remained stable (rising one spot to #42). As each issue of this title seems to be building momentum, I am glad that readers are sticking around.

So Supergirl selling nearly 40K is wonderful and hopefully sales will remain this brisk. But shedding over 10% of readers a month for the second month in a row is somewhat concerning. And yet, the rank holding steady seems to imply that people are simply shifting their comic spending money around or shedding titles everywhere.

This isn't a big surprise to me. I said myself that I would try a bunch of the new 52, settle on some, try some for an arc, and reassess. (That should be a month to month process really.) Within the next couple of months, I will drop DC Comics Presents (once the Jenkins/Chang arc ends) and I anticipate dropping Hawk and Dove.

And remember, there is that lower tier of the new 52's. I arbitrarily chose 21K as a cut-off mark for sustainable sales. There are 12 of the new 52 below that line. This includes Hawk and Dove (which I currently collect).

How will DC respond to this lower level is the most interesting question. We have already heard about creative team changes and 'new directions' a mere 4 months in. How long will DC keep these lower selling titles afloat to see if they can find an audience before pulling the plug?

And when will the 'new new' batch of title be announced?

Review: Action Comics #5 Kents Back Up

2012-01-10T08:00:00.051-05:00

Action Comics #5 included a back-up feature written by Sholly Fisch with art by ChrisCross. Fisch is the official back-up writer and seems charged with the task of filling in the back story of some of the characters being re-introduced in the Superman mythos. Last month's character was Steel. This month we get a look at the Kents.

Fisch does a good job of showing us just how much Martha and Jonathan love each other and want children. Much like the main issue including helicopters investigating the Kal-El crash site immediately, Fisch modernizes the Kent's plight while reinforcing why they would be the perfect couple to raise Superman.

We last saw ChrisCross on the Kelly Sue DeConnick Supergirl issues. The art in those issues was occasionally extreme with the characters wearing wild expressions. Cross scales things back here, telling a very human story with slight touches that adds to the story.

This isn't a snapshot in time but rather an overview of years in Jon and Martha's married life.

It starts off with their wedding where the young couple, clearly smitten with each other, immediately talk about filling their house with children. There is some not so subtle irony in the 'babies falling from the sky' comment, but it works in this innocent early time.

I don't know if the Kent's wedding has ever been covered anywhere before.

But that early optimism is eroded by each failed pregnancy test. I like Jonathan's quiet strength as he reassures Martha that she will be a wonderful mother and that they will continue to try.

Unfortunately, medicine can't fix every problem. He has low motility. She has endometriosis. Hormone injections and in vitro methods can only go so far. This method, despite its costly nature, is unsuccessful.

This is perhaps my favorite scene of the short story.

Despondent after science has failed them, the Kents turn to their minister for some solace. And he is able to provide them some peace by saying there is a plan. They are good people and they need to have faith that something wonderful will happen.

This last panel showing a happy and suddenly reinvigorated Jon and Martha was wonderful. And I can't remember the last time someone of the cloth was shown in such a positive manner. It really worked for me.

With that, the Kents turn to their next option, adoption.

But that isn't much easier than hormone shots. It is a process, sometimes arduous and also costly. There is a sort of 'here we go again' look on the Kents' faces as they realize their dream is about to put on hold again.

But nothing will stop Jonathan. He'll mortgage the farm to get the fund money for the adoption process.

I love how he says he'll open a general store if he has to, an obvious reference to that part of the Kent's Silver Age history. But it is a wonderful scene showing just how much these two love each other, support each other, and are willing to risk it all for each other. Lovely.

Now, we know that Morrison is going for a Golden Age feel here. So will Martha bring Kal to the local orphanage as a 'found' baby only to adopt later (as in the earliest Action Comics origins?) or will she spirit him away to the Kent farm and come up with another explanation for him? I don't know if the former will hold up to the light of current times. But we'll see.

Still, much like the Steel story, Fisch does a great job letting us learn a lot about these characters in a short page count. And Cross' art amplifies the words.

Overall grade: A

Review: Hawk And Dove #5

2012-01-09T08:00:00.106-05:00

Hawk and Dove #5 came out last week and was co-written by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld, the transition issue for the creative team. Rob Liefeld is taking over as writer and artist on the title starting next month. And boy, does this feel like a transition issue. It almost feels like two half-issues. And, unfortunately, it probably means the end of me getting this title.

The thing about this title so far is that it has been a pleasing mix of wild action and some deeper mysteries behind the heroes' powers. What is the War Circle? What is the Don/Dawn mystery? Who is Condor? Why is he old? Why did Condor create ... or even need Swan as a back-up? On top of that there was the usual smoldering question of why these two very different heroes team up.

Unfortunately, this seems as though this issue was meant to simply truncate the arc, to just end the storyline without many answers, to wipe the slate clean for the next issues. And frankly, it was the mysteries more than the wild action that had me coming back.

The issue starts with the kidnapped Deadman trapped in crystal and being used by Condor and Swan as a key to open up a portal to a 'magic world'. Let's remember that they are entering a 'magic realm' as that plays into a quibble coming up.

But also we have the hint of a betrayal here as Condor talks about things lining up nicely for him, rather than for them (he and Swan). I liked the idea of a villainous Dove in Swan. We have seen Kestrel and Condor. Swan was something of a new idea.

This double page spread was previewed over on DC, so I don't mind showing all of it.

The heroes are seen chasing a demon across some D.C. rooftops as they try to get some information about Deadman's whereabouts. It is a nice introspective couple of pages for Hawk and Dove. We hear more about Hank's relationship with Don, something I hoped would be flash-backed or commented on in this title. And we hear more hints about the secrets in Dawn's past. About how she would prefer to act alone.

There is some interesting stuff hinted at here. It is this stuff that made me come back to this title.

After learning something from the demon, we get another good moment between Hank and Dawn.

Hank wants to talk to Dawn about some of his concerns, but he wants to do it as people. For someone as bull-headed, as brash, as concrete as Hank, this has to be considered a big moment. He is worried about Dawn and Boston's relationship. He is worried that Deadman is affecting Dawn somehow, making her angry and violent. And he is worried that Deadman endangers them. After all, Condor found them because of Deadman. It is a good character moment for Hank, showing a depth to him that we don't often see.

Dawn doesn't want to hear it. In fact, showing some of that impetuous and violent new nature she smashes a chimney ... while in human form! It seems very out of character ... but I think that's the point. Something is different here.

But this is where the 'Gates-feeling' half of the issue ends. I could be wrong and maybe the whole issue was co-written. But the issue takes a left hand turn.

The demon the two heroes defeated lead them to a magical doorway, hidden in a movie theater.

This leads them to the 'magical realm' that Condor escaped to. Except, this chaos realm looks like ... city rooftops?? This seems wrong. Or maybe lazy?

And that isn't all that we see.

Condor has mutated to a more monstrous form.

Swan is dead ... eaten by Condor as she had fulfilled her purposes.

Deadman also has been 'eaten'.

So all of that stuff happened off screen? And Swan is dead? What was her purpose? Why did he need her? And why did he need to kill her? And why did he mutate further? And what about the War Circle?

It is as if a bunch of plot lines were simply cut, ended.

One new wrinkle to the mysteries is the reveal that Dove isn't part of the War Circle. Okay, I assumed that there was a Peace Circle as well and that the avatars are linked somehow. Instead we learn that Dove is something bigger that that.

Will these Dove mysteries be revealed?

And again Dawn's trouble origin is hinted at again. We once again hear her say the 'things she needed to do' to survive before she got her powers. Again, it was these mysteries about the nature of the heroes' origins that grabbed me on this title.

But before we can learn more, the Condor fight ends. Dove somehow uses her peace energy in a new way, or re-opens the wound Swan gave her last issue. Either way, she somehow shoots a beam of energy out of her belly which immolates and dissipates Condor.

It all seems too easy. What is this power? Did she know she could do this? Did she know what it would do? And what happened to Condor?

So four issues of plot lines are finished in about four pages. Condor and Swan are dead without really much of an explanation of what they were hoping to accomplish, why they needed each other, why they needed Dove, etc. The slate is clean ... but I wanted answers.

And, again unexplained, Deadman is not dead dead. He is somehow back alive, albeit in his spirit form. He, like Hank, realizes he threatens Dove by hanging around her and he doesn't want to hurt her. He ends their relationship because it could harm both of them. While I am glad Deadman is out of Dove's life (I never quite understood it), this should have had more punch than a quickie break-up in four panels.

And while Hank consoles Dove, this is done in a tiny last panel. And that moment deserved more time, a way to build off the earlier conversation or show how these two care about each other.

Next issue is all Rob Liefeld, a Dove solo story as she teams up with Batman. So that is that. We are forced to hit the pause button on whatever is left of the mysteries of the first four issues.

Anyways, part of the draw of this book from it's inception was Sterling Gates' presence. After seeing how he handled characterization and relationships in Supergirl, I thought he would handle Hank and Dawn very well. And I also felt like he would be able to bring a fresh approach to the mythology of the avatars. And we saw the roots of that in the first 4.5 issues.

But frankly, the way this was all wrapped up, I doubt that Rob Liefeld is going to be able to write the sort of Hawk and Dove book I want. I'll give next issue a try. But I wonder if this is my jumping off point.

Overall grade: C-

Jamal Igle's Review Of Supergirl #54

2012-01-07T08:00:00.033-05:00

Over on Jamal Igle's blog, he continues his personal review of his time on Supergirl. While I haven't discussed all of them here, I had to comment on his recollection of Supergirl #54. Here is the link to his blog and that discussion: http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-vaults-supergirl-54.html

Now Supergirl #54 is where the BizarroGirl storyline really started to pick up. As I have said countless times, I think the BizarroGirl story arc is one of the best Supergirl arcs of all times, just a wonderfully emotional story about Kara learning to let go of some of her pain and to emerge from the tragedies of New Krypton stronger. But those are hard lessons and initially she depressed and unwilling to act. If you want to see what I thought of Supergirl #54 when it came out here is the link to that review:
http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-supergirl-54.html

Now the thing I am really loving about this series of posts Igle is doing are the process pieces he is including. From thumb nails to concept art, from pencils to ink, we are really being treated to the creation of the art.

Since I love the BizarroGirl arc so much, it is no surprise that I love BizarroGirl as a character. Here Igle let's us see his design pictures for her. Here is concept work for the ultimate design for BizarroGirl. I like that it is a mix of the Silver Age solid blue shirt/skirt with the gold trim of the current incarnation.

But this was also a treat. Here was a concept piece for BizarroGirl that wasn't used. The red shoulders have a sort of Crisis-era feel to them. Igle was going for an Alura feel here and I can see that.

In the end, I like the idea that was ultimately used more. This 'feels' very different from the Supergirl uniform of the time. And part of the power of that arc was that Kara and BizarroGirl weren't opposites, but reflections of each other. The familiar feel of BizarroGirl's final uniform added to that feel.

But there was so much in this issue that I loved. My favorite page was the 'closet of solitude' page, first sneak-peeked in Superman #700. At the time, I had a blast deciphering what the items were. Here is that link:
http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2010/06/supergirl-preview-page-in-superman-700.html

But there was the splash page homage to Superman #1, the Dr. Light orbiting laser trick, and the decision to help BizarroGirl, an emotional stand-in for Reactron and New Krypton. Wonderful.

All these issue reviews have been great so please go to Jamal's blog and peruse. He recently announced there that he is no longer a DC Exclusive talent and so we may see him all sorts of books. But I will always cherish these Supergirl issues.

Review: Action Comics #5

2012-01-06T08:00:00.076-05:00

Action Comics #5 came out this week and continues Grant Morrison's reimagining of the Superman mythos. While the first four issues have been showcasing a younger crusading Superman facing off against his first 'super-villain', this issue takes us back in time to the actual destruction of Krypton. It also begins a sort of side adventure straying from the 'Collector of Worlds' story arc for two issues.

At first I was against this sidestep of the main arc as I wondered if it just might be a way to give Rags Morales some time to catch up on art duties. But in classic Morrison manner, there is a method to the madness. This isn't simply a trip back in time but instead a story which temporally picks up where last issue ended. Brilliant.

It also does give us some back story to this activist Superman, letting us see the doomed planet, the desperate parents, and the kindly couple. Let's face it, this is Superman's origin. I'm glad that we finally get to see it in the DCnU.

Andy Kubert pencils the issue and provides his usual solid work despite having to deal with the multiple setting within the issue.

The issue opens with Krypton in its death throes. The planet is erupting around Jor-El and Lara. So much of the classic origin are recreated here. Jor-El's attempts to persuade the Science Council, his Space Ark plans are all there. But some new splashes are also there.

Superman's cape is actually his paternal grandfather's Kryptonian cloak. Krypto is a more wolf-like pet and is still there. I guess he didn't take an ill-fated test flight in this new world.

One thing I did like in this opening part of the scene was Jor-El's lamenting being right again.

The panels here are askew and angled adding to the seismic feeling of the pages.

In another new wrinkle, Jor-El considers pushing the family into the Phantom Zone as a way to escape the planet's destruction. Now this felt a bit like the Silver Age as we see a gaggle of psychopaths awaiting the Els on the other side of the glass, anxious to psychologically torture the family when they enter. While none are named, there is a Zod-appearing guy wearing a clawed gauntlet who actually almost escapes the 'anti-Universe' to physically attack Jor-El.

Heroically, Krypto forces "Zod" back in, smashing the portal as he does so.

Now how could that villain be able to leave from that side of the mirror? Is the glove the key? Is there unknown tech in the Zone? Or did someone send it to him?

At least we know the answer to the 'ghost dog' question posed last issue.

With no choice, Jor-El and Lara put Kal into the prototype rocket he just happens to have in his living room, activates the Brainiac A.I. and sends Kal off.

More goodness here. I like how Lara also helped design the rocket, the 'Mothermatician' she is. That is nice.

And the Brainiac A'I.'s narration of the story from here on out is a sort of physics epic poetry, both lyrical and clinical at the same time.

The fact that Brainiac is AI on Krypton makes me wonder if that means Jor-El co-opted some of the collector's tech when he took Kandor. Or maybe the Collector is a separate entity who gets inoculated with Brainiac in this arc. All too interesting.

After an initial bumpy ride, the ship's guidance system gets Kal to Earth. And discovered by the Kent's on the lonely Kansas road, Martha and John take the baby into their care.

I do like that the scene is updated such that search copters and government men are already combing the scene. There is no doubt things wouldn't be as easy as they were in Siegel and Shuster's original origin or even John Byrne's 'isolated by a massive blizzard' explanation. The Kents are showcased in the back-up feature and I'll review that soon.

As for the ship, without Kal it assessed the situation. As human converge on it, it senses our technology levels, our weaponry, and declares us 'apes with atom bombs'. Realizing that Kryptonian tech in our hands would be like giving a loaded gun to a baby, it goes into sleep mode ... that is until awakened by Kal last issue.

I have to say there was enough classic and novel in this origin so far to make me happy.

I thought this whole issue was simply retelling the origin from the rocket's recorders.

But this is where things take an unexpected left hand turn. First off, now awakened by Kal, knowing that this is the dawn of super-heroics and super-villainy, the ship begins to morph, growing into an almost floral crystal form. Was this to be the beginning of the Fortress?

I think no. This sounds more monumental. Could this somehow be an evolution seed spurring the creation of super-beings? Could this be the 'origin' of the DCU on Earth? I wouldn't put it past Morrison to do something so trippy.

But before it can get too far, 'new evils' come and rip it's Kryptonite powered engine out of the chassis.

We see different shadows speaking with different word balloons. But recognize the clawed gauntlet from the first act, wielded by someone strong enough to crush Kryptonian sunstone? I guess "Zod" somehow does escape.

It also answers a question I had from Supergirl #4. Now it looks like Kryptonite did exist on Krypton before the explosion. Maybe it is uranium like as it is used as a fuel source here.

And here are the bad guys, mobilized by a 'mysterious benefactor'. One is identified as a version of the Kryptonite Man, the only one of the villains able to safely handle the K-Engine.

We learn that all the 'isotopes' of Kryptonite are here as well. Maybe synthi-K and Kryptonium are Blue and Red Kryptonite?

Again, the Kryptonite Man's comments about this is where it all started, gives this a more cosmic feel.

And the importance of the moment is solidified when Superman (clearly from the future as he is in his battle togs) arrives with a high-collared Legion. They were hoping to stop this wrinkle in time. The villains stealing the engine is a history altering event, something beyond the Time Trapper. Even the ship knows, if the engine isn't returned, no one will live.

I don't think I like this DCnU version of the Legion uniforms. All too Jim Lee for me. And Rokk looks down right evil, even Cosmic King-y.

Amazingly, this story looks like it is wrapped up next issue as Action Comics #7 is back to Morales on art and Superman trying to save the shrunk Metropolis.

I don't know about everyone else but I am really loving this title right now as we get solid fast paced story telling in the midst of a compelling young Superman and a rethinking of his origins. This issue continued that as this issue was almost perfectly paced with action sequences sandwiched around the calmer moment of the Kents' discovery. I hope we will see more of these earliest days, those Smallville days, at some point.

But for now, Morrison continues to pinball us as readers through this opening arc, shoe-horning a quick time travel story, big villains, and a new Legion in the middle of Superman's coming out party. Incredible. Add to the big plot all the nuances and details and language and you have a great book.

Overall grade: A

Back Issue Box: Superman Family #199

2012-01-05T08:00:00.116-05:00

In Supergirl #4 last month, villain Simon Tycho marvels at the stretchy and invulnerable uniform that Supergirl was wearing. He wonders what applications he use such a fabric for to turn a profit - diapers, towels, armor.

It isn't the first time I read about a scientist potentially trying to profit from Kryptonian textiles. So I figured I would turn back the clock to early 1980 and look at Superman Family #199.

Supergirl dominates the cover of Superman Family #199 (drawn by Ross Andru and Dick Girodano) and is seen stretching her cape over an exploding truck. But the tag line is that it will 'lead to big trouble of Supergirl'.

"The Case of the Cape Caper" was written by Jack C. Harris, drawn by Win Mortimer and inked by Vince Colletta. It opened up the book and is a pretty silly story that even a young Anj had some issues with. So here we go!

The issue starts with the ominous news that 'Organized Crime has come to Santa Augusta!', the Florida city that Supergirl resided in during this part of her career. Yes organized crime is a new and 'ugly blot on the flowering city' which also hosts the New Athens Experimental School where Linda Danvers was a guidance counselor.

And this crime wave has been so prolific that Supergirl has started doing extra patrols. And it seems to have paid off when she arrives to stop a daring daytime bank robbery. But the criminals are prepared. They have planted a bomb at a nearby building, the perfect distraction to keep Supergirl busy while they escape.

But matters get more mysterious when her cape bursts into flame! It is clear that the cape she is wearing is a fake. Someone has pulled a switch!

A corrupt scientist named Wells has been working for the local crime boss Jason Janson. Wells likes to be on the scene when one of his scientific/explosive crimes are pulled off. And sure enough, like on the cover, one of his crimes included an oil truck being destroyed as a diversion. This time Supergirl was on the scene and was able to protect the crowd by stretching and draping her cape over them.

And like Tycho, Wells immediately thinks about other applications for an invulnerable and elastic fabric. A cloth armor, a building cloak to smother fires, a drape to put over tanks. Even as a kid I knew a lot of this didn't make sense. Sure the cape might be invulnerable but it isn't stiff or durable enough to protect a car slamming into bricks. Wouldn't the car still suffer damage? Wouldn't the soldier still feel the kinetic energy of the bullet even if the round didn't penetrate?

I know ... I can buy the Supergirl's powers which defy physics but not these things?

Inspired to pull off the cape caper, Wells begins stalking Supergirl and taking pictures of her cape. He talks of his 'knack for calculating weight and textures' and so armed with the information gathered from his photos, he begins creating a copy.

He then leaks a phony tip to the police that a local zoo fountain will begin to spurt acid while the crime gang tries to steal a cage filled with rare and valuable monkeys! (Stealing monkeys!) Anyways, Supergirl drapes her cape over the fountain while she chases down the helicopter lifting the primate cage.

Seizing his chance, Wells pulls the switcheroo and obtains her Kryptonian cape!

Not surprisingly, Wells can't study the fabric. He can't test it, sample it, or replicate it. So his grand schemes for criminal greatness come to a quick end. But the cape still has it's intrinsic value, one Wells hopes to cash in on.

Meanwhile, the mystery of her cape continues to plague Linda's thoughts even when she is at work. This is one of the things that always endeared me to Supergirl. Her life isn't easy. She has to juggle all her responsibilities and it isn't easy. She isn't always successful. It makes her much easier to relate to than Superman who seemed to be able to juggle his Earth, galaxy, universe, and WGBS responsibilities without breaking a sweat.

But jeez, how would you like to be a superhero and get yelled at by a kid for getting too many lunches!

Meanwhile, Wells realizes that his best chance to gain something for stealing Supergirl's cape is to sell it to crime lord Janson. And to prove it's worth, Wells runs the gauntlet of protective measures that are built into Janson's headquarters. The cape easily deflects bullets and lasers. And luckily Janson's men have a strict 'no head shots' policy when it comes to shooting their enemies. Really?? A 'no head shots rule'??

Still, Janson sees the value of the cape and buys it from Wells for a million dollars cash.

Now wearing the cape, Janson decides to recoup his losses by killing Wells and reclaiming his cash. I guess there is no honor among thieves.

Luckily, Supergirl's hearing is always attuned to listen for gunfire and the recent volley of shots has brought her to investigate. She catches Janson with the literally smoking gun still in his hand.

But before Supergirl can grab him, Janson warns her about his failsafe device. He has a tamper-proof detonator strapped to his chest which if hit will set off an explosive Wells had placed under the Santa Augusta Police Department. If she doesn't let him walk, he'll kill the force.

Incredibly, Supergirl instead lunges across the room regardless of his warnings. And as he promised, he hits the switch.

Amazingly, the police department remains in one piece. And Supergirl reclaims her cape in this amusing way. That looks like it is straight out of a Looney Tunes cartoon. I just thought that panel was too precious to not scan!

But how?? How can the building remain standing?

It turns out that Wells had placed bombs beneath the Police Department building. But when Supergirl lunged at Janson, she closed the cape around him, blocking the radio signal from reaching the explosives.

And so, another unscrupulous crime boss and scientist fail to capitalize on Krypton's wonder fabric.

This is a pretty forgettable little story although it showcases some of the key features of a good Supergirl story. She strives to do what's right, she struggles a bit, but by persevering she emerges victorious. Harris' plot has some pretty big holes in it. Mortimer does a serviceable Supergirl ... nothing spectacular. For a Supergirl collection, this is of low importance.

Overall grade: C+

Sneak Peek At New Villains

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Over at the Idle Hands blogspot, they have posted a preview page of upcoming characters that will appear in the DCnU. Here is the link to that post: http://idlehands1.blogspot.com/2011/12/2012-preview-dcs-new-52-ever-expanding.html

My guess is this page will be in the books released tomorrow so I can ogle it up close. But even in this small picture a couple of things stood out. First off, it looks like there will be some evil doppelgangers of Blue Beetle and Captain Atom soon.

But most importantly, it showed us some upcoming villains for the Supergirl book (assuming that characters drawn by Mahmud Asrar aren't going to appear somewhere else).

First off, this has to be the new Silver Banshee. And I have to say I like this design a lot. One, it has enough elements of the 'old' Banshee, that she is immediately recognizable. But the short hair adds a new element, makes her feel a little harsher in general.

But the best thing is that her mouth seems to be either covered or hidden in shadows. That means that her greatest power is somehow hidden. More importantly, it probably gives Mahmud Asrar some liberty in drawing her mouth when she does her banshee scream. I bet that it will be some sort of Venom-esque huge mouth with crazy fangs. By being able to manipulate that aspect of the character, visually we will probably get a better sense of the power of her scream.

But wait ... there's more!

We get to see a little more of 2 of the World Killers that are coming in Supergirl #7.

This is definitely one of them, as seen on the big screen TV on the right of the cover of SG #7.

This may be the World Killer on the center television on the cover, although she doesn't seem to have that facial structure in this picture. So this may be another new villain.

Can't wait to see these characters in stories, especially Banshee. As I have said before, I am glad that she has settled into being a Supergirl rogue.

Review: Superman #4

2012-01-03T08:00:00.108-05:00

2011 ended with the release of Superman #4, the start of the second half of George Perez' opening (and only) arc on the title.

This arc has been intriguing to me for several reasons and this issue continues those trends. First off, I find it interesting that the first arc for Superman in the new DC Universe should focus on the people of Metropolis being distrustful or frightened of the Man of Steel. This should have been something of a coming out party for Superman, solidifying who he is moving forward in the DCnU. Instead, we are dealing with tropes seen in Grounded and even New Krypton. Not exactly a glittering debut for the primary hero of the DCU.

And while there is this ongoing plot of aliens/elementals attacking the city and Clark, the more compelling plot threads have been the reintroduction of Superman's supporting cast. Seeing the new Lois and Perry and Jimmy working hard and trying to figure out what is going on with Clark has been a nice sidebar to the action heavy fights we have seen.

Lastly, unlike some of the more decompressed books, Perez has really stuffed each issue with a lot of story ... a lot of dialogue, a lot of exposition. I love this aspect of the book as I feel I am getting my money's worth of story.

Jesus Merino continues to do solid work here on the book. In particular, I love his versions of Lois and Jimmy so far.

In the aftermath of the attack by the ice creature/Heather Kelley, the Metropolis police tries to sort through the details by interrogating the people at the epicenter. That means grilling Jimmy and Miko to see if they will shed some light on the event. It also means asking Superman some tough questions about his actions.

These aren't chats over coffee. They sound like pointed and biting questions, an inquisition of sorts. And the undercurrent seems to be trying to get Superman or is friends to implicate him in murder or assault.

Again, this feeling of treating Superman like a threat, like a liability rather than an asset, has worn thin for me. The last time that Superman has been treated like a true hero in his own book was way back in the Johns/Frank Brainiac arc at the end of 2008! Since then we have had Superman leave Earth, be branded an alien and targeted by the military, fight his own people while they tear through Earth, and then walk across the company disillusioned and sad.

The interview ends with the Police Commissioner springing Superman. At least the mayor seems to have Superman's back.

And luckily, Heather Kelley has reappeared clearing Superman of murder.

Things get murkier when Superman slips into Clark mode. Everyone seems to be wondering why he wasn't at the Kelley story site. Lois knows he was in Smallville when he told her he was on his way to where Heather was reporting. (Jimmy had GPS'd Clark's cell phone). Why would he lie to her? More importantly, I don't know how I feel about Clark's friends trying to dig into his business so much. A little weird ... although maybe out of concern.

To make matters worse, Clark barely has any memory of the Smallville visit anyways. Everyone has been saying how scattered Clark has been recently. This is the first time we are aware that he is confused himself.

And lastly, I suppose this once again shows how tough it would be to maintain a secret identity.

Things go from bad to worse. Jimmy, Miko, and Heather have all been invited onto a tell-all news show to answer questions about the ice attack. Lois doesn't want Clark's absence brought up.

Perhaps this was the most compelling panel sequence of the issue. Lois knows 'Clark' was in Smallville at his parents grave. She also seems to have images of Superman flying out of the Smallville cemetery. Does Lois know Clark's secret? Is she covering for him?

The interview takes a left hand turn when the host seems to focus on Clark's absence rather than the near destruction of the city, the next ice age, the presence of a giant winter woman. I don't know if that really would be such a crucial angle to be explored on a tabloid style sensationalist news show.

Regardless, Heather covers for Clark, outright lying. Nice poker faces by Jimmy and Miko. Off the air, the host decides to pester both Heather and Clark (who is standing off camera in the wings). I doubt this guy McCoy is going to just drop this story. Is this an opening volley for this character to start shadowing Clark?

Heather also confronts Clark and the two leave the studio. Suddenly Clark finds himself in his Superman togs, in his old apartment, surrounded by the monsters he has been dealing with. And he doesn't recall getting there.

Moreover, the creatures say he went there on his own, per the plan.

At last we finally get some insight into the purpose of these things, even if it is extremely cryptic.

They are here to recalibrate, reformulate, and adapt the environment. That which can't be adapted must be eradicated.

Okay, I don't know what that means. But the word eradicate sticks out like a sore thumb. Is this the DCnU Eradicator? Is this environmental purging similar to that Eradicator's mission to recreate Krypton? Now I am intrigued.

Superman battles they creatures in his old building but they adapt to his attack, changing form into a swarm of insects to 'inoculate' him. And then, the big reveal. These beings were created ... by Superman. Very nice cliffhanger.

So this really is just what an issue leading to a penultimate chapter should be. The reveal that Superman created these things here means that Perez has all of next issue to explain just what all of this means. It also means that the entire last issue can be spent wrapping everything up. I hate when the explanation and the wrap-up are both stuffed into the last issue; one of those elements always suffers.

But just why would Superman create these things? And why doesn't he remember doing it? And why such violent and malevolent entities? Unless they have outgrown what his original programming was and have become self-aware. While the fights scenes with these things have been well done, this origin piece is the most interesting things about these characters.

Overall, this arc for me has been more up than down. The supporting cast stuff, the action scenes, even this reveal of the 'Eradicators' have all been solid. The story has been dense in a good way. And Jesus Merino brings a sort of scratchy sensibility to Perez' layouts. The only downside has been this theme of people not trusting Superman or wanting him around. It's time to put that plotline back into the store room and move on.

Overall grade: B+

Supergirl Sighting: Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #3

2011-12-31T08:00:00.047-05:00

What better way to wrap up 2011 than by a looking at a past version of Supergirl who cropped up in an unlikely place.

Chris Roberson salvaged the end of the Superman arc 'Grounded', weaving in a lot of Superman lore into his issues as Superman staggered to some psychological healing. Roberson's issues really saved that arc.

So I was thrilled when I saw that he was writing a Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes crossover mini-series for IDW. I am a casual Star Trek fan. I have seen all the episodes too many times to count, I love the movies, and very much liked Next Generation. But my Trek fandom is sort of on the periphery of my geekiness. On the other hand, I am a huge comic book guy and a giant Legion fan for most of my life. So this was a mix of two disparate things that I like, a sort of 'chocolate and peanut butter' mix ... perfect.

And Roberson seemed like the right writer. In 'Grounded', it was clear he had a working knowledge of some little known Superman history. So I figured he would treat both the Legion and the Star Trek crew the right way. The book has been fantastic so far as the Legion and the Enterprise meet in an alternate timeline where the Federation is a fascist and expansionist regime run by Tommy Tomorrow.

In the last issue, the Legion and the Enterprise crew compare the United Planets to the Federation, how both those timelines are superior to the one they are trapped in, and how they need to fix things.

During that conversation, we get a montage page of the Legion and their greatest enemies. This is clearly based on the Levitz/Giffen Legion based on the presence of Light Lass, the cowl/hood of Wildfire's costume, and the presence of Karate Kid.

And there among the Legionnaires is Supergirl! This was around the time that she came out of 'retirement' to help in the Great Darkness Saga and then hung around for some adventures with Brainiac 5. I have covered those issues in depth on this blog in the past.

How wonderful to see this version of Supergirl again, even in a group shot.

But as fantastic as that was, it wasn't the best moment of the book.

Now this amalgamation of Trek beings and Legion's Fatal Five was the biggest moment of sheer geek giddiness. A Gorn Persuader? A Mugato Validus? An Orion Emerald Empress? Now that is awesome sauce.

If you are an old school Legion fan, or an old school Star Trek fan, or any fan of either in any form, I advise getting this comic. It is fun and entertaining and well worth reading!

Dark Supergirl Action Figure

2011-12-30T08:00:00.027-05:00

Over on Comic Book Resources, Mattel has announced the next wave of DC All-Star action figures, due out this year. There is also a good discussion about a collector friendly web-site that allows the more serious collector access to more esoteric figures.

Here is the link to that article, well worth reading in its entirety: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36077

The series includes the new Superman, the old DCU Red Robin, and the Flash. It also includes Dark Supergirl, in her all her black costume glory.

I liked the James Robinson treatment of Dark Supergirl in his Justice League run. Dark Supergirl was a sort of sanctuary for Supergirl when the weight of personal tragedy was too great a burden to carry. She sunk into this petty personality to try to shield herself from feeling anything. So I think I have to get this figure for my collection.

It's a shame that the mold seems to be from the DC Universe Classic series, one of the weaker Supergirl figures to come out recently.

Still, Dark Supergirl played a role in the last incarnation of Supergirl's life, sort of bookending her life. Dark Supergirl appeared in her first adventure and nearly in her last. As such, I'm glad that she will have a figure of her own.

Review: Legion Of Super-Heroes #4

2011-12-29T08:00:00.090-05:00

Legion of Super-Heroes #4 came out last week and had all the elements that make me love the Legion. There was a big galactic threat in the form of a Dominator fleet poised to invade the UP. There were multiple squads of Legionnaires each dealing with a facet of this adventure. And there were vastly different locales throughout the universe in which the Legion has to adapt. These all are parts of the scope of the Legion that makes it such a special comic for me. And Paul Levitz has always been the best writer for this sort of story. Each Legionnaire seems to have time in the spotlight and each place seems unique and yet no aspect of the story feels short-changed ... usually.

Unfortunately, the pacing of this story seemed off as this arc raced to its finish. Creators must hate someone like me, who is constantly talking about how pace is either too fast or too slow. But here, crucial elements of this story are glossed over or barely discussed as things come to a close. I was hoping for some more satisfactory conclusion to some of the threads here.

And I also wonder about the nature of this comic's relaunch. It basically was untouched by the new DCU, picking up right where the last comic left off. But is this 'new' Legion book accessible to new readers? I don't know. Now for an old-timer like me, I am pretty happy as this has felt like what a Legion book should be. But I doubt people who don't know this universe are able to grasp everything that's happening here.

One thing I do have to say is that I am loving Francis Portela's art on this book. It is sleek and polished and clean, echoing the tone of the book perfectly.

Now one Legion squad is on the UP outpost planet Panoptes, the linchpin for an apparent Dominator invasion into UP space. These Legionnaires on the ground are dealing with Res-Vir, a Daxamite who is working for the Dominion and has access to a version of Brainy's anti-lead serum.

I really liked this scene as the rookie Chemical Kid is able to stop Res-Vir with some guidance by the more veteran Element Lad. It is this sort of camaraderie that works so well in the Legion. And these two could become an extremely powerful combination for the team. One controls elements. The other controls chemistry. The combos of their powers are limitless.

Luckily, Chemical Kid is able to stop Res-Vir by slowing down some processes and speeding up others. What I also liked here is that Kid is scared here, not the cocky rich kid we saw in the Adventure Comics issues earlier this year.

Another squad is on Dazam trying to figure out what made Res-Vir go rogue. There are two questions to be answered here. How did the Dominators 'cure' Res-Vir of his weakness to lead? And how did they convince him to leave the planet when Daxamites are quarantined to their planet and don't want to leave.

Despite the Science Police thinking this is a dead end, Shrinking Violet has this squad press on, leading them to Res-Vir's training site, a micronuclear plant which also has access to Kryptonite. Now long time readers like me know that Kryptonite is a crucial ingredient to Brainy's anti-lead serum so this is something of a revelation. But that isn't explained at all. Will new readers know why access to Kryptonite means anything? Shouldn't this have been expounded on? And even if he has Kryptonite, how can Res-Vir synthesize the serum? And how would the Dominator pick him out, talk to him, convince him to join the cause? None of these plot elements are discussed further. And I think they should have been.

I am a big Lightning Lass fan and this is a lovely version of her by Portela. What I like is that Portela uses different body types for different characters; they all aren't cookie cutter similar. Ayla here looks slim and fit.

Contrast that to the more voluptuous Dream Girl as she talks to Brainiac 5. Nura has always been drawn in a zaftig manner, so I don't mind her drawn this way. But I am glad that Ayla looks different than Dreamy who looks different than Comet Queen.

Now Dream Girl has always been a big flirt and she sort of is here with Querl. There was a Dreamy/Brainy romance in the Waid version of the team. Is that carrying over? Or is she still faithful to Star Boy?

But Brainy is having no part of this talk about magic in the 31st century. He is too busy studying Glorith's force fields.

And then he has a breakthrough. She shunts the attacks thrown at her through time! Not exactly a shock for me. All along I knew that 'Glorith' had to be somehow linked to the Glorith of old. But will she be the Purple hooded woman like we all think?

With Res-Vir stopped, the Legion on Panoptes can focus their energies on stopping the Dominator fleet.

Incredibly, this small squad basically wipes out the ships of the fleet easily. Maybe too easily? The ships don't seem to get off a shot. And none of these Legionnaires outside of Mon-El are invulnerable. There was no element of threat here, and so no real concern on my part for the characters.

Yes, the Legion are a powerful team. But if a fleet of starships can't scratch even one of them, what conflict can't they overcome?

Mon-El seems to have a personal gripe in this as the Dominators have included a Daxamite in their schemes. He rips open the command ship and orders the Dominator fleet to return to their space.

He also says, pretty off the cuff, that their anti-lead serum would eventually poison Res-Vir and so shouldn't be used again. How did he learn that? Is it true? And isn't that a very neat way to end that plot thread. Again, a bit more background info about that line would have been appreciated.

And isn't a bit too convenient to simply let the Dominator fleet return home after they tried to invade? Won't the UP declare war? Or want to be part of these negotiations? Again, this felt a bit too easy.

The issue ends with Shady and Mon-El talking. She thinks he is finally acting like the 'old' Mon-El. And I agree. I am glad the Green Lantern Mon-El storyline is over. And maybe this will lead to a reconciliation between these two. I do love how Portela has Shady's hair as a mass of tendrils until it slowly smudges out to more of a cloud of shadows. Very slick.

So this was a good skeleton of a story - a big threat in the opening arc, multiple Legion squads, and stellar art. But the 'meat' on that skeleton, the small details of the plots, seemed to be glossed over a bit as we rushed to the finale. Pieces of this Dominator plot which I would want discussed in depth were wrapped up without much explanation. And so that detracted a bit from this overall.

Overall grade: B

Review: Supergirl #4

2011-12-28T08:00:00.119-05:00

With the holidays officially behind me, I have some reviews to catch up on. So, a week after it's release, here is my look at Supergirl #4.

Much like the last issue, Supergirl #4 has a lot of story in it, moving through the Mr. Tycho story pretty quickly while dropping a few subtle hints about the origins of Supergirl. But more than anything, this issue got us into the mind of this Supergirl, giving us a better idea of who this particular Kara is. So the decompression of the first two issue, my biggest peeve of those books, isn't around here. I can understand that the 'arrival moment' warrants some time to unfold. But with that moment behind them, writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson keep things rolling.

Again, this first arc seems to have two goals in mind. The first is Supergirl adjusting to the Earth and our world. The second is to fill in the gaps of her origin, what happened with Argo City and her family. While this issue clearly focused on the former, the latter is teased at a bit.

Finally, this is the first issue where Mahmud Asrar did both the penciling and 'markering' on the art. As usual, his stuff just pops off the page. The markering technique adds some nuance and depth to the work. And this issue we get to see moments of high drama and high action.

The issue opens up on Tycho's orbiting satellite headquarters. Last issue, Supergirl collapsed due to Kryptonite exposure as she neared her space pod. With her incapacitated, Tycho is able to study her more closely.

We start out with his analysis of her costume which is indestructible, stretchy ... basically armor. It reminds me of the more Silver Age aspects of Kryptonian fabric, invulnerable and able to be stretched to massive dimensions. Tycho, who seems to be more interested in the control of knowledge to obtain wealth, in only interested in copying the fabric for more mundane purposes. It reminded me a bit of Superman Family #199, where a thug steals Supergirl's cape and tries to cash in on the wonder fabric.

But there is more to this. I can understand that the fabric might be more durable under our yellow sun. But was it designed to be armor on Krypton? Was it indestructible there as well? What is the purpose of this suit, obtained after some sort of personal trial? Or is it merely ceremonial and the toughness of it is merely the result it being Kryptonian.

And the mystery, at least for me, deepened a bit here. Tycho has Kara in a stasis field near the Kryptonite, keeping her helpless and in pain. The text here, her thoughts, is nicely done here, describing her pain.

But how does she know what Kryptonite is? As far as I know (and of course things could be different in the DCnU), Kryptonite is the result of the planetary explosion. Kara should not have been exposed to it if she was rocketed straight from Krypton, or put in suspended animation on Krypton. Unless Kryptonite existed on the planet in this relaunched universe.

Of course, Kryptonite played a key role in the Argo City tragedy in the Silver Age. Could she have experienced it there? But then, wouldn't she remember her time there and not think she was on Krypton yesterday? Interesting ...

She is released .. rescued ... by one of Tycho's men. 'Jacobs' was in a battle suit fighting Supergirl when she first arrived. He sensed she was innocent there and therefore cannot stand by while she is being tortured. He didn't 'sign up' for that. I love the 'pieta' image here, one of comfort. It really added that extra layer of feeling to this image, painting Jacobs in the right light.

So Supergirl gets to see some of the best of humanity here, someone with compassion, someone willing to risk his own safety to help someone in need.

But then just as quickly, she sees the worst of humanity. Tycho shows up and has Jacobs executed. He is shot and killed just for helping Supergirl.

It is easy to see why Supergirl might be confused about embracing Earth as a new home. In her short time here, she is immediately attacked by humans, tortured by humans, and the one person to help her is killed by his own. No wonder she only wants to go home. We eat our own here.

This exposure to the whole spectrum of humanity will surely help Kara form her opinion about us and how she wants to act here.

With her strength returned, Supergirl tears her way through the satellite, dispatching Tycho's men and reclaiming her costume. (I find it interesting that she went right for that instead of simply escaping. It hints at the importance of the costume, at least in her mind).

I loved this panel as she crashes through the floor to confront Tycho. That is a nice strong image of Supergirl. I will admit I am still not a fan of the boots. She really seems to be a fast learner as she has semi-mastered her powers already.

Tycho has an ace in the hole though, a bargaining chip, the red crystal seen at the end of issue #2.

Supergirl recognizes it as a sunstone, a sort of external hard drive which probably holds a message from Zor-El. Tycho has even been able to hack it a bit, find a star map which might show Argo's location.

As for me, while the story is moving forward, I am getting a bit tired of Supergirl not understanding English, not being able to communicate with people in the book. Yes, it adds to the 'stranger in a strange land' feel. But it also limits what Green and Johnson can do. She can't talk to Tycho here. In her last origin, this was dealt with by having her be holed up in the Fortress for a bit, learning about Earth. How will it be handled here? Hopefully soon.

Tycho is willing to trade it for some of Supergirl's blood. Given what we have seen of Tycho, for him to be willing to trade this, this receptacle of information, makes me think he already has plans for that blood. He doesn't seem like the guy to trade away something like this for nothing.

But she can't understand him so she can't barter. And she doesn't want to simply grab it as she doesn't want to damage it.

So instead, she blasts through the floor with her heat vision, damaging the satellite's power core. Once again, I think this is sort of a subtle hint at Kara's intelligence here as she is able to scan the place with her x-ray vision and correctly deduce the power supply.

I thought this set of panels was great.

First off, Tycho can't believe that he might be beaten by a 'teenage girl', a rant/snark he uses earlier in the book as well. Underestimating Supergirl is never wise.

But I also like how outside, Supergirl is concerned for the well being of the staff inside. She knows that she might have overdone it and is happy to see everyone escaping unharmed. She cares about human life.

But all of these events have her questioning what she should do next. The crystal is cracked. She needs a Kryptonian console to access it. But where can she find one? Can she trust 'Kal'? Or should she just try to fly back to Argo based on the map on Tycho's wall.

I would like to think that Superman is combing that planet and space for Kara. Whatever the disaster was that took him away in Supergirl #2, it must be over by now. He now thinks he has a living relative, another Kryptonian, someone who isn't in control of her powers and must feel lost. You would think finding Supergirl would be at the tip top of his 'to do' list. He has thought he was alone, the last son, and even now is facing some distrust by humans. You think he wouldn't let Kara out of his sight.

The only person significantly injured in the explosion appears to be Tycho. There is less than more of him left as his limbs and most of his torso have been blown away. He has pieces of his 'brain' automaton grafted on to him to keep him alive. And yet, despite that, he thinks he has won when he spies a sample of Supergirl's blood on one of his minions uniform. So he *must* have plans. Will it be to heal himself? Clone a body for himself? Rebuild himself? Suddenly this is not just a Luthor knock-off. This guy will probably have powers.

So overall, a good story with progress as the Tycho chapter closes. We got some new info and hints as to Supergirl's past. And we add the first villain to her rogue's gallery. Add to that the continued scenes showing that Supergirl does not want to kill people, understands the sanctity of human life, and is scrappy enough to overcome the adversity she has faced so far. Green and Johnson are forming an interesting Supergirl here.

As I said, Mahmud Asrar is just stellar here.

And it looks like the 'origin' piece is moving forward.

Overall grade: B+

Recent Interviews With Creative Team

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

The creators on the Supergirl book have had interviews posted on some of the bigger comic sites around the net recently. As always, these are both great to read in their entirety. There is a lot of interesting information throughout them. As usual, I picked some of the blurbs that interested me and figured I'd share them here.

Between interviews and recent spots in 'Best of' lists, the book is getting some great publicity.

Here is the link to Ain't It Cool News which ran an interview with writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52342 They were asked what is coming up in the book.

MG: At the end of issue #4, Kara makes a decision that leads her back to explore her home city of Argo in issue #5. We dig into the mystery of how Argo survived and drop hints about who sent her to Earth, which is part of her ongoing mystery. And we introduce a new villain with ties to Krypton. Issues #6 and #7 introduce the Worldkillers, who were first mentioned by Superman in ominous tones back in issue #2.

I have my crazy theories about Argo and how it can still be around. But the thing that grabbed me here was the 'who sent her to Earth' piece. Firmly entrenched in my history, I just assumed it was Zor-El. And it may still be. But the fact that it is a part of a mystery opens up the chance that it was someone else.

I am interested in seeing what this universe's Argo is like.

MJ: Issue #8 also introduces the first important member of Supergirl’s new supporting cast, Siobhan Smythe, an Irish teenager who – like Kara – is a recent immigrant. She’s the first real friend Kara makes. Which sucks, because Siobhan’s alter ego is a big scary demon called Silver Banshee. Sterling Gates did a great job in the previous SUPERGIRL run establishing Banshee as an arch-foe for Kara. In our book we’ll see Siobhan’s first steps down a very dark road.

So I am a bit torn about this.

I am thrilled to hear that supporting cast is around the corner.

And I love the fact that the Silver Banshee remains part of the Supergirl's rogue's gallery. She seems a natural fit.

That said, I am cautious about how this 'frenemy' storyline will play out.

And Comic Book Resources ran an interview with artist Mahmud Asrar here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36033 Again, well worth reading the entire thing as Asrar talks about his approach to the character, the costume, and the covers her did on the Peaty and Deconnick runs.

Asrar's art has appropriately been lauded. His stuff just pops off the page. Here he talks about the process of using copic markers on the art.

Before I started working on the new "Supergirl" book, I used to work in a more traditional manner. I inked most of my work throughout my career except for a bunch of my mainstream stuff. The covers I did for the pre-relaunch "Supergirl" book fall into that category. However, in my private work and commissions I prefer to work with markers where I render an image in complete grayscale. My editors liked how those looked so they encouraged me to do this book in that style. Due to time constraints I couldn't fully work with that process in the first few issues but all the covers were rendered in markers 'til now. I've switched to drawing the interior pages fully in markers as of issue #4.

I have to say I was kind of reluctant at first. First off as it is a more time consuming process. Before this project, I hadn't tried it on storytelling before. Then there were production factors, like how it would print or if would it be colored properly. After some more insistence and arm twisting by the guys at DC, and considering the up sides of the process, I caved in and decided to go for it.

I do think that the underlying marker tones adds great depth to the art. It gives dimension to the work, a fuller visual experience (as seen in the above CBR exclusive preview panel).

When I'm doing all the rendering with the markers myself I'm more in control of the outcome as opposed to working with an inker and drawing in only black and white as a penciller. I get to add in more detailed lighting and I can define shapes the way I see it with the grayscale. This way I also feel I give direction to coloring without having to write notes or describe how I see the page. Using warm and cool grays I think I have a certain control over the colors, too, which all adds up to make the end result something I'm more fond of. It also eliminates any scapegoats as almost the entire blame lies on me, which can be a good thing and bad thing altogether.

For me, the process stuff is just as fascinating as the end result, so I thought this was some nice insight into how Asrar conveys what he wants on the page. This panel showcases how the marker adds subtle cues of contour and depth.

I really hope to see Asrar at a con at some point. I'd love a commission.

Review: Legion Lost #4

2011-12-26T08:00:00.110-05:00

I am catching up on some late reviews as the holidays and end of year reviews has got me behind schedule.

Legion Lost #4 came out a couple of weeks ago and continued to be a strong character driven book. But while the depth of the characters has been enjoyable, the movement of the overall plot seemed to slow this issue. And while I usually would roll with that given the other strengths of the book, I am a bit worried because a change in writers is only two issues away. We learned that Fabien Nicieza is leaving the book and Tom DeFalco is taking over on the Source Blog here. Will Nicieza try to wrap up the plague story arc giving DeFalco a clean slate? Or will that story line continue forward under the new scribe? Will the current model of a new narrator each issue, so far a revelation, be continued? Looking back, I felt that Legion Lost #1 was one of the weaker first issues if the relaunch I read. But the last couple of issues (and this one) have improved as Nicieza gave each issue a unique voice/perspective and artist Pete Woods hit his stride. I hope the momentum isn't lost with the switch over.

As for Woods, the art just keeps getting more and more beautiful. And in this issue, we see that Woods draws a lovely Dawnstar.

Dawnstar got to act as this month's narrator and much of the exposition is told from her perspective as seen through the telepathic link Tellus' provides for the team.

Dawnstar has seemed somewhat aloof in the early issues, complaining about the grime of planet and the accommodations. Nicieza does a good job cluing us in on why she has such a wall built up around her. Her tracking senses are constantly bombarding her with information. It is implied that is like she is being assaulted, that there is a maelstrom of sensations always around her. To process it, to protect herself, she seems to have tried to disengage from the world, from people. It is an interesting take on her character.

Part of her is there in Fargo, following along as Wildfire, Tyroc, and Timber Wolf continue to track the Yera/Rdrayyj being.

So I am trying to figure it out. A human has been mutated into the rdrayyj but has somehow merged with Yera. But Yera is trying to absorb more Durlan genetic matter to somehow gain control/seperate from this thing. But the rdrayyj is trying to kill and eat beings with Durlan DNA. So is Yera somehow guiding this thing to it's victims? And how did she get absorbed?

There is a lot I need to learn here because right now I am lost. Still it is good that Yera has somehow survived.

This encounter hasn't gone unnoticed. The mysterious military woman is seen ordering an intercept squad. And the Fargo police arrive. In a funny moment, the Fargo police state they aren't the Metropolis or Gotham squads. They don't deal with metans and don't want to.

One officer is going to shoot the Durlan mutant, an innocent victim of the plague. I like that Timber Wolf steps in front of the bullet. Unfortunately, despite the shout of pain and the blood spatter, the remainder of the issue, Wolf is unharmed and his uniform unruffled.

But I loved Dawnstar's almost jealous comments about Brin. He acts; she is asked to react. He has passion for the hunt, the fight. These are all things Dawny denies herself.

Despite the somewhat gruff makeup of this Legion group, they all have hope from seeing Yera and knowing she is alive. One thing that has been a constant in the Legion, even in the down-trodden 5YL book, was their hope.

The rdrayyj is able to slip away while the local authorities try to corral the Legion.

I thought this was a great semi-splash from Woods showing a well-trained Wildfire/Tyroc eliminating the weapons and cameras in the mall on one fell swoop. Hey, I'm a Wildfire guy. So I thought this was pretty slick.

The Legionnaires are able to track Yera/rdrayyj only to find her and them surrounded by a military group called the Black Razors.

But the star of this book is Dawnstar ... and by extension Pete Woods.

We get a couple of pages of her meditating, sifting through all the information at her disposal as she tries to track Alastor. I also thought this page layout just worked, the prior scenes and its sensory hints radiating from a pensive Dawny, like rays from a sun. The cosmic effect in the darker aspects of her costume also work, hinting at how otherworldly her powers are, a sort of omniscience, a cosmic awareness of all things around her.

She is actually able to find Alastor's spoor and follow it. But with the muscle of the team busy with the Yera business, Dawnstar decides it is her time to act. In some ways it's crazy to think that she and Tyroc could handle him given how physically imposing he was in the first issue. In other ways it shows how heroic the Legion is, these two facing off against such a threat.

But her 'See.Do.Simple' mantra was great as if she is trying to talk herself into this sort of action.

This panel and the meditating ones show just how fantastic Woods' Dawnstar is. These are stunning renditions of her.

But she and Tellus are outclassed by Alastor. He can control his transformations, he still has his Hulk-ish form. And he has some Carggian in him. Which makes his three times as powerful.

I think the best thing to do is run here. But we have a nice cliffhanger here.

So yes we have the confirmation of Yera being alive, the introduction of the military Black Razors, and the discovery of Alastor being alive. But I still felt the movement of the plague-story was a baby step here. The real step forward was the characterization of Dawnstar. I have really come to love this 'monthly narrator' trend in this book as it allows the reader to really get a feel for the character. Good stuff here.

And Pete Woods remains a favorite of mine. His work on this book continues to improve and sparkle.

Overall grade: B+

Happy Holidays And Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:00:00.027-05:00

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from Supergirl Comic Box Commentary!

Perhaps the most perfect Christmas gift was presented to the web a couple of day ago when Mike Maihack did one last Supergirl/Batgirl comic, this time holiday themed. Here is the link and Maihack's words:
http://cowshell.com/buffalog/2011/12/20/merry-christmas-from-batgirl-and-supergirl/

Anyhow, I think this’ll be it for these little Batgirl/Supergirl comics. I feel these sort of one page, costume themed gags have kind of run their course and if I do any more I’d rather draw a longer arc I have in mind.

So, no more of these for the time beings, although the buzz on these comics have been overwhelmingly positive. I love that Supergirl is happy and upbeat. (Bringing the Christmas tree on patrol is fantastic!). And I love that Batgirl wants to be grim and gritty but just can't be around Kara. Wonderful.

Anyways, good cheer to everyone who drops in on the site and talks Supergirl! This place and the friends I have made here are a special gift for me. Thanks for making this blog such a fun place!

March 2012 Solicits

2011-12-23T08:00:00.195-05:00

The DC solicits for next March are up. Here are the Super family related books as well as a couple of surprises.

SUPERGIRL #7

Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON

Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

It’s Supergirl versus the Worldkillers! But who are they, and where did they come from? What is their connection to Krypton? More important, can the Girl of Steel stop them before they make good on their names and destroy Earth?

First off, this is a great cover. The angle looking up at Supergirl just adds to the heroic feeling of her. It also helps that she seems to be shielding that child behind her, protecting him. I guess Supergirl has some affection for humanity. But it also works because while we are looking at from the angle of the villains, we still see their faces projected on the jumbotrons. And since they are shown on big screens behind her, it heels as though they are towering over her. Just a superb layout.

But moreover, I had assumed that 'world killers' were some sort of weapon, a doomsday bomb of some sort. But it is clear that Worldkillers are beings. Could they be linked to Doomsday?

This is a very good solicit.

ACTION COMICS #7

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH

Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT

Backup story art by BRAD WALKER

Cover by RAGS MORALES

Metropolis has been captured! To save it, Superman must push the limits of his nascent powers as never before! Aboard the ship that has the city captive, The Man of Steel finds an important tool that may help him defeat Metal-zero and his boss!

And as Superman fights foes in the sky, Steel must do what he can to protect those still in danger on the ground in a backup story by Sholly Fisch and Brad Walker!

Another great cover with Superman looking into the bottled Metropolis. Very nice. It also seems to work because the citizens of Metropolis are seen in the midground, adding to the feeling of smallness. And what about the creepy Brainiac spiders everywhere. I guess they have to keep the populace in line?

How the heck is this young Superman going to save this city? And more Steel! I am loving this book.

SUPERMAN #7

Written by KEITH GIFFEN and DAN JURGENS

Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

The start of an insanely epic arc from the new writing team of Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens! New love interests, new roommates, and a new foe: the wicked Helspont! What does this monster want with Superman, and how does it all connect to the Daemonites?

So this is the beginning of the new creative team with Jurgens and Giffen taking over the book. I hope that they bring back some of the magic of Jurgens 90s stuff, a time when Superman was the top hero of the DCU and wasn't dealing with people not trusting him, wasn't wallowing in his own angst. Let's make Superman a hero, beloved by the people, and successful in thwarting evil.

I don't know much about Helspont as a villain, if he is new or not.

SUPERBOY #7

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN

Cover by SHANE DAVIS

Superboy’s come back to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. with vengeance on his mind – but Rose Wilson is waiting for him. Right from the start, she was the one meant to bring him down when he went out of control – and this fight is going to be out of control! What can one woman with swords do against the most powerful teenager in the world? You – and Superboy – will be very surprised indeed!

Another good cover if only for the major inclusion of Rose on the cover! She is a great character. But last issue's cover was Superboy fighting Supergirl. This cover is Superboy fighting Rose. Hope this book doesn't derail to 'Who will Superboy fight this month?'

As I have said before, this book is the biggest surprise for me in the DCnU. I have enjoyed it a lot!

TINY TITANS #50

Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO

Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

FINAL ISSUE

In this awesome 50th issue, questions are answered! Mysteries are solved! The Tiny Titans may be one step closer to becoming Super Heroes! This issue may change your life! Plus, it’s highly recommended by Franco’s mom!

This is a complete bummer. I loved Tiny Titans. The Supergirls ... all of them, ranging from 8-12 ... loved Tiny Titans. It is sad to see this book go. I hope that Supergirl and all her Super-pets get one last moment to shine here!

And at least Superman Family Adventures is around the corner.

SUPERMAN: SECRETS OF THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE TP

Written by JERRY SIEGEL, JERRY COLEMAN, ROY THOMAS, JERRY ORDWAY, GEORGE PEREZ, ROGER STERN, MARK SCHULTZ, GEOFF JOHNS and RICHARD DONNER

Art by JOHN SIKELA, WAYNE BORING, ROSS ANDRU, MIKE MIGNOLA, CURT SWAN, DOUG MAHNKE, PHIL JIMENEZ and others

Cover by ROSS ANDRU and DICK GIORDANO

Don’t miss these tales of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude! They’re collected here for the first time from SUPERMAN #17, ACTION COMICS #241 and 261, ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #2 and #10, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #100, and the hard-to-find DC SPECIAL SERIES #26, previously available in tabloid format!

And for an old timer like me, I am seriously thinking about getting this trade celebrating the Fortress in all its incarnations. I can only assume this means that a new Fortress will happen in the DCnU. Nice old school cover here, if this is what they are going to use.

And that is a veritable who's who of creators all in one place!

This month the first trades for the DCnU titles were solicited. No Supergirl trade was listed.

2011 Year In Review Part Three: Wrap-Up And Top Ten Supergirl Moments

2011-12-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

The new year is just around the corner and that means that 'Best of' lists for 2011 are everywhere. And, as I have done the last three years, I will join in the fun by looking back at the year and picking the Top Ten Supergirl moments that happened over 2011. Now I know I am long-winded usually ... and I am reviewing a year ... so bear with me. This is a long post!

2011 was a crazy year for comics in general and it was no different for Supergirl. It was something of a wild ride.But one thing I have to say, she remained in the spotlight of the DCU, not only in comics but outside of comics as well. I haven't always been able to say that so any year I can, it has to be a good thing.

Supergirl remained an active topic in the merchandise world with no less than 4 statues solicited by DC Direct. While the Michael Turner mini-statue was in some ways a re-solicit, we also got a full size Adam Hughes Women of DC statue, an Amanda Conner based Women of DC bust, and a Supergirl portion of a Superman Family multi-statue. We even had a Polly Pocket Supergirl as well and Heroclix of Supergirl, Superwoman, and BizarroGirl. Obviously, she must be a pretty popular character to warrant such merchandising.

And in terms of other media, we learned that she will be part of the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network. She will be part of the Super Best Friends shorts, produced by Lauren Faust of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fame. That is a great way for the character to branch out to a new audience. Love the costume too.

But this post is about Supergirl in comics. In 2011, the 'old' Supergirl title had two major arcs. The first, by writer James Peaty and artist Bernard Chang, seemed to pick up right where Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle's run left off, with Supergirl still sort of reeling and regrouping from New Krypton, wondering about her place in the world. While the villain's motives were murky, the characterization of Kara was spot on making this a big success in my mind. The next arc by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist ChrisCross had a lighter feel to it, a bit more of a fun and rollicking story. But in the end that feeling and the story's conclusion was perfect for it to be a capstone for that incarnation of Supergirl. And James Robinson and Paul Cornell had her play major parts in the adventures of the Justice League and the Reign of Doomsday.

And then the relaunch happened and we had another Kara crash land on Earth, feeling lost and alone and confused. Early publicity material made her sound unlikeable but so far so good as this Kara tip toes her way into the DCnU.

So with all that going on it was tough to pick my top ten moments. I had plenty of them. But here they are:

#10 - "She's Magnificent" - Superman/Batman Annual #5, James Robinson and Miguel Sepulveda

As blog friend John Feer often says 'there is nothing like some Kara-tharsis!' And the Reign of Doomsday was a perfect storyline for that sort of unbridled action where Supergirl got to cut loose. In this scene, after having just shaken off the anguish of Dark Supergirl (more on that later), Supergirl just lays the hammer down on Doomsday coming within a cat's whisker of defeating him. This was just great. And Miguel Sepulveda's art (aside from the high heeled boots which I really dislike) captures the moment perfectly.

But what really kicked this into the top ten over any other moment of strength is Batman's response when he sees Supergirl on the offensive. Grayson can only say 'She's magnificent' as he watches her batter Doomsday. I have to concur. She is. And I think James Robinson really loved her as a character as well.

#9 - "Super Intuition" - Supergirl #65, Kelly Sue DeConnick and ChrisCross

Kelly Sue DeConnick's short arc was a fun, up-beat story filled with laugh and love. It really was something of a breather after the somewhat heavier arcs that preceded it. This was Kara hanging out at college, meeting friends, and meeting a guy she was attracted to.

But DeConnick also put some Supergirl history into her story, sort of nods to the past. Stanhope was the school that Supergirl was visiting. And here we have a mention of super-intuition! Super-intuition was one of Kara's goofier and less defined powers of the Silver Age. So to see it again, even as a bit of a snark by Supergirl, was greatly fun. I appreciate any time creators recognize Supergirl's history and translate it to the current continuity.

#8 - "Grounded Facepalm" - Superman #713, Chris Roberson and Eddy Barrows

So I could probably write books about the problems that I had with Grounded as a storyline. In particular, J. Michael Straczynski's early issues were cringe-worthy, making Superman act like an elitist jerk more than a hero.

Handed the reins, Chris Roberson did his best to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Roberson's issues had Superman reconnecting with his friends and family and getting a better understanding of his role on Earth. That said, Roberson could have had Supergirl and Superboy play a bigger role in that psychological healing. Instead, we only have this brief moment from Superman #713 before a complete stranger helps Superman (lost opportunity there for Kara to help her cousin in my mind).

Still, I love this moment because it actually summed up my feelings for this arc. After several issues where Superman seems to be on the road to recovery he suddenly decides to stop being Superman out in the open. Kara's response is perfect ... the face palm. That is exactly how I felt that moment. I just wanted this arc to end, I wanted Superman to act like Superman again. And to have him take a step back had me rolling my eyes.

So plant that face in your palm Supergirl! I was right there with you!

#7 - "Bizarro Girl Action Comics #252 Redux" - Tiny Titans #42, Art Baltazar and Franco

I have gushed about Supergirl in Tiny Titans too many places to count. And this year was no different with Supergirl having several great moments in the book.

This panel stood out as the best of the best. Here BizarroGirl arrives on Earth. But this panel is clearly an homage to Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics #252. Even the dialogue is a riff on that classic picture. As I said before, creator acknowledgments of Supergirl's history are greatly appreciated. I feel as if the creators recognize her and her history as meaningful when it is done. So this was wonderful.

But add to that that it is BizarroGirl arriving here just added another layer of awesome. She is a great character. And she is a new rogue for Kara and a remnant of the Gates/Igle run. I am glad that there is some permanence to the character.

It is sad to see this comic ending.

#6 - "Outsmarted" - Supergirl #64, James Peaty and Bernard Chang

In 'Good Looking Corpse', James Peaty had Supergirl facing off against Alex, the petulant, smarmy, and overconfident clone of Dubbilex. Alex dripped superiority, laughing in the face of pathetic humanity as he plotted.

So this was just a fantastic comeuppance by a Supergirl who had, over the course of the arc, realized that she is a leader, a worthy eventual successor of Superman, and finally in the big leagues. It is a different sort of Kara-tharsis, more subtle but almost more devastating. That is a powerful looking Supergirl, towering over the fallen Alex, almost gloating, as she says 'this must be a new experience for you .. exposed, powerless, outsmarted'. It is the most cutting insult she could give him. And it was Supergirl who did the outsmarting, beating him at his own game ... and maybe rubbing it in just a bit.

Now that is a great Supergirl moment.

#5 - "Big Brother" - Justice League #60, James Robinson and Daniel Sampere

The relaunch of the DCU meant the dissolution of James Robinson's Justice League. One thing I loved about that run was the relationship that Robinson set up between the Dick Grayson Batman and Supergirl. From the beginning Robinson said that they would have a big brother/little sister relationship, not a tawdry one.

Throughout the run it was great to see Dick take Kara under his wing, trying to get her to open up a bit, to befriend him, to trust him. And it was fun to see Supergirl become so protective of him, rushing to his defense a number of times while shouting 'Grayson'. It just seemed natural that Dick, who grew up in the shadow of a legend, tried to find his own way, and inherited a legacy would be the perfect confidante for Supergirl, someone who constantly compares herself to her cousin and finds herself lacking.

This hug, as the team is disbanding, was a quiet moment showcasing that familial love the two had. They'll always be there for each other. Hmmm, this would also be a good World's Finest comic too.

#4 - "Forgive Yourself" - Superman/Batman Annual #5, James Robinson and Miguel Sepulveda

One of the most compelling parts of Sterling Gates' run was the psychological fallout Kara suffered in the aftermath of New Krypton. She went missing. She cut her hair. She swore off being Supergirl. She was grieving on the inside, suffering survivor's guilt, and trying to figure out the best way she could shield herself from more pain as well as make sure she didn't cause anymore harm.

Those themes were re-examined by James Robinson when he had Kara again take on the mantle of Dark Supergirl. This wasn't the evil Dark Supergirl that was seen in the earliest Loeb/Churchill issues. This was a bratty and superficial Supergirl, someone trying hard to ignore her feelings but hiding behind a facade of irreverence. But it was clear that wasn't her.

In the Superman/Batman Annual #5, Dark Supergirl is told that she is dying. The only way to be cured is to save herself psychologically. She needs to shake off this phony persona of Dark Supergirl. She needs to accept who she is. And she needs to forgive herself. While many of these themes were seen in the BizarroGirl arc, I feel like emotional catastrophes don't just disappear. They can relapse. I thought Robinson handled those emotional themes well and did it in a novel way. When Supergirl forgives herself, rids herself of that guilt, she dons the classic blue costume and became the Kara we all love again.

#3 - "Respect From Damien" - Supergirl #62, James Peaty and Bernard Chang

I have talked about 'Good Looking Corpse' earlier in this post and in the honorable mentions post. In that arc, Supergirl has to come to the realization that she holds a pretty special place in the DCU, that she is a worthy successor of Superman and in his league. Kara was her own worst critic at times, the sign of a growing hero wondering where she was on the journey.

But another part of that analysis of her place in the DCU came externally in the form of respect from the other young heroes. So when Supergirl comes up with an intricate plan to defeat Alex, when she recruits Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, and Robin, they all fall in line behind her. So we hear how Miss Martian looked up to Supergirl, was in awe of her.

Perhaps the biggest compliment she could get was from Damian Wayne. Damian has always come across as someone who looks down on everybody as an inferior. He is someone whose respect you have to earn. And that doesn't come easy. Here he says that he is following her into battle because he has been watching her and she has 'passed the test'. Outside of Bruce, Dick, and maybe his mother, I don't know if he respects anyone. Add Supergirl to that short list. She is the leader of the next generation of heroes. I loved this scene.

#2 - "Don't You Forget About Me" - Supergirl #67, Kelly Sue DeConnick and ChrisCross

The announced end of the DCU allowed some creators to have a bit of closure with their characters. So whether it was Paul Cornell having Clark and Lois profess their love, or Bryan Q Miller having Steph say 'it's only the end if you want it to be', creators got the chance to have their characters say goodbye.

Kelly Sue DeConnick gave us a great moment of closure to the last incarnation of Supergirl. It isn't Supergirl that says goodbye to us, that asks us to remember her ... it's Linda. While Supergirl survived into the DCnU, it is unclear if Linda Lang did. And from a longevity point of view, Linda Lang is a blip on Supergirl's history, existing only 2+ years out of 50.

And Linda is a decent symbol for that incarnation of Supergirl. Early we saw that this was going to be a troubled Supergirl. She jumped from her rocket naked, she was brainwashed by Darkseid, she beat up other heroes, went Dark, beat up more heroes, complained about being a hero, wanted to rave dance instead of save people, was proud of sneaking into a bar as an underaged girl by wearing a tight shirt, wanted to kill Superman, gunned down her high school with her father, and grew crystal spikes from her body.

That was about as far from who Supergirl is as you could get.

And then Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle came on board, rehabilitated her character, acknowledged the prior bumps in the road but moved past them, set up the Linda Lang identity, and restarted Kara on the hero's journey. And within their run, and James Peaty's, and DeConnick's, Supergirl and Linda learned some hard life lessons but always grew from them, always strived to do what was right. And when she failed she dusted herself off and kept moving forward. These writers seemed to embrace the core of what makes Supergirl Supergirl, that need to do what's right, to help people, to embody hope.

It had been a while since I felt like the creators understood the character. Then I got 3 years of stellar stories. And then DC erased that Supergirl.

So thank you for this moment and this story Kelly Sue. And thank you Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle and James Peaty and Bernard Chang. And Matt Camp. And ChrisCross. Thanks for letting me read the true Supergirl again.

And don't worry Linda. I won't forget.

#1 - "Last Daughter Of Krypton" - Supergirl #1, Mike Johnson, Michael Green, and Mahmud Asrar

Whether you were for a reboot or against it, there is no denying that the DCnU relaunch, the New Fifty-Two, was the biggest event of the comic year.

And by extension, there is no denying that the relaunch of a new Supergirl has to be the top moment in 2011.

So what is this Supergirl going to be like? The early promo material described her as someone isolated, someone with no affection for humanity, someone more likely to fight with her friends, Hell on wheels ... so don't piss her off. Again, that just didn't sound like Supergirl to me, not what she has represented for this half century. I was admittedly worried ... and maybe even a bit perturbed given how far the last Supergirl had come. This seemed like a giant step backwards.

That said, so far in the comic, this Supergirl hasn't been that off-putting. She's confused. And sad. And angry.

But she stopped fighting when innocents were endangered. And she listened to Superman for a bit. I haven't seen the stark description of a disaffected hero in the book at all. While the jury is still out, as I said above so far so good.

Writers Mike Johnson and Michael Green have given me some optimism in the face of the unknown. And Mahmud Asrar's art has been amazing. I have hope that this Supergirl will soar just as high as the last one. But those are some pretty big shoes to fill.

And that's my Top Ten Supergirl moments for 2011. Please let me know if you think I'm off my rocker, or forget a major scene, or if you think I got the rankings wrong!

2011 Year In Review Part Two: Top Supergirl Moments: Honorable Mentions

2011-12-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have to say that these end of the year reviews are both a lot of fun to put together and some of the more difficult posts to put together.

2011 was an interesting year for Supergirl. There were 2 creative teams on the old volume. There was the relaunch and the DCnU. She was the muscle in the Justice League and suffered through another bout of 'Dark Supergirl'-ness. She was a member of the Superman Family as it fought through the Reign of Doomsday. And she continued to pop up in other places like Tiny Titans, DC Retro-Active, and even the DC Universe Online Legends comics. It's great that Supergirl has been such an active character in the DCU.

And that made it unbelievably tough to cone down to just the Top Ten Moments. As in the past, I have some Honorable Mentions, the events that almost made the cut to Top Ten.

# 5 - 'Red Skies' - DC Retro-Active Superman 1980s
With the DCnU around the corner, DC put out a number of Retro-Active books, a look back at some of their key characters in the prior decades. Superman got a Retro-Active treatments for the 70s, 80s, and 90s and Supergirl appeared in the first two. It was great to see those older versions of Supergirl, both in attitude and costume, one last time.

Marv Wolfman wrote the 1980s Retro-Active and the story revolved around the Monitor testing Superman's will, his resolve to continue to fight when faced with overwhelming despair. Superman is shown all the parts of the grim and gritty DCU that would happen in the near future. And then he is shown the death of Supergirl in the Crisis. That was the key moment in testing Superman. Would the Man of Steel wilt in the face of Supergirl's death. It did the opposite, making Superman want to fight even harder.

In this scene, Superman calls Kara to talk after waking from the visions the Monitor barraged him with. I have to say, it was interesting to see Wolfman, the man who killed Supergirl, acknowledge that her death would be a monumentally huge event for Superman. And it was fun to see this Supergirl again, albeit briefly, hanging out in her pajamas and petting her cat.

#4 - 'Affection For Humanity' - Action Comics #904
The Reign of Doomsday was the last story arc for the old Superman and the old Action Comics. And I will admit, I enjoyed it more that I thought I would. It was a wild, action filled story with crazy fight sequences even if some of the plot points were muddled.

Supergirl had some very nice moments in Paul Cornell's issues, enough to merit a couple of honorable mentions. Throughout the arc, and in this scene, Supergirl is shown to be extremely strong and a leader. And she often voices her feeling about how she is fighting for more than just herself. She cares about her family and the people of Earth. She isn't going to let anything hurt them ... not if she can help it. And that includes even unstoppable villains like Doomsday. Just pure heroics here.

#3 - 'The Meaning Of Heroism' - Action Comics #904
Reign of Doomsday was also picking up on some of the aftermath of Grounded (which was churning to a close in Superman). In Grounded, Superman was constantly questioning himself ... his role on Earth, his duty to the people of Earth, his purpose. I love how Supergirl can see through all that nonsense and set Superman straight.

When Superman wonders if he should continue to be a role model to people if it sometimes leads to tragedy (like the death of the Eradicator). Supergirl states the obvious, personal sacrifice for the betterment of all is a good thing, it is what it means to be a hero. Of course that's a good thing!

The student has become the master here. Superman needed to shake off the angst he was carrying and move forward.

#2 - 'The New World's Finest' - Batgirl #23
In a short period of time and over a couple of key crossover issues, Steph Brown/Batgirl and Supergirl became very good friends. There was something pretty magical about their crossovers. They seemed so natural together, easy pals still learning the ropes of super-heroics and willing to team-up and learn together. There was joy in these issues. What a great new World's Finest.

In this scene, Batgirl was trying to break up a prison riot and interact with her father and knew she needed help and called on all her friends, including Supergirl. Supergirl wonders out loud if their teaming up should be a regular thing. I would have loved to see an annual cross-over between these two but sadly it won't happen in the DCnU, at least not anytime soon.

This scene was the favorite of blog friend Gene.

#1 - 'Know The Risks' - Supergirl #62
James Peaty had a tough task ahead of him, following Sterling Gates on Supergirl while trying to pick up the pieces of Nick Spencer's plots. And yet, he and artist Bernard Chang put together a great arc. For me, the best part of this arc was just seeing a more mature Supergirl understanding what she needed to do and then going out and doing it. Yes, she was still her own worst critic in this arc, a part of still being on the hero's journey, but that didn't stop her from being a hero and being recognized as a leader by others.

This scene seemed to encapsulate so much of that. She understood that there was a major threat out there, she knew she needed lead other heroes against it, and she knew that there was some risk in facing off against this enemy. And yet, despite that, she forged ahead. Knowing the risk isn't belittling it. It means going in with open eyes against the threats ahead. This was a calculating Kara ready to do what was right no matter what. And that showed a more mature hero. One with an unshakeable resolve. This scene almost made the top ten.

And those are the 5 honorable mentions for the Top Supergirl Moments for 2011. Tomorrow, the year wrap up and the Top Ten Supergirl Moments in 2011!

2011 In Review: Part One - What Might Have Been

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, 2011 was a crazy year for comics in general and DC Comics in particular.With sales down and cries of gloom and doom for in the industry echoing, DC gambled, blowing up the DCU, relaunching the DCnU, and churning up the mainstream publicity machine. And so far that gamble has been a win.

With that much upheaval as well as with all the great stuff that happened this year, there was simply too many Supergirl moments to have only one 'year in review' post. So this year I'll have three.

Today I'll review what I call the 'what might have been' moments of 2011, things that were hinted at or discussed ... things that might have come to pass with Supergirl if things had happened differently.

We'll start off with the appearances of future Supergirls in variant costumes in comics. So techinically these 'did' happen. They are just things that some day might have been.

First off, JSA All-Stars #17 we saw an alternate timeline were a super-hero named Regal eliminated evil from the Earth and led a massive Justice Guild to patrol the planet. One of those guild members was this snazzily dressed Supergirl, complete in a one piece blue dress. I loved Freddie Williams' art on this book and thought this was slick.

At around the same time, in Red Robin #19, Tim Drake set up a virtual future Justice League to safeguard the Unternet, the criminal internet world. This was the current Titans and next generation heroes as the League and front and center is Supergirl, again wearing a more classic one piece all blue uniform. I don't think it is coincidence that Kara is in front. She would lead that team.

The variant costume, some version of an all blue dress has popped up now and then, usually as a colorist or artist error.

But the DCnU relaunch put an end to those storylines. And it also put an end to the future plans that some creators had for their books. These may have been throw away ideas but they might have been real arcs planned.

James Robinson had put together a very enjoyable run on Justice League of America with his unique team of legacy heroes and other versions of the Big 7. That run came to an end with the old DCU and in JLA #60 Robinson teased some of the future stories he might have had in mind for the team.

Robinson always had his League fighting the most monumental of threats and these glimpses of what he had planned next were of the same caliber. In this one, Supergirl saves the day, stopping The Construct from firing off all the Fortress' weapons leading to a robot Armageddon. While this page showcased Supergirl, the other teases (fighting Martians, fighting Dark Opal) were just as interesting.

While the relaunch affected Robinson's JLA, it basically erased Steph Brown's career as Batgirl. And that is a shame because Bryan Q. Miller's book was a pure joy, a book I looked forward to month in month out.

Much like Robinson, Miller gave us some glimpses of his future arc ideas in Batgirl #24, the last issue of that book. This one looked great, the young female heroes of the DCU cast as Disney-style Princesses in the Queen of Fables world. Check out Kara as Cinderella. How I wish this one actually happened.

I miss this book.

But the 'New 52' happened and with it all the changes to the DCU.

Other creators on-line had their own ideas about what should be in the DCnU. Mike Maihack designed this Supergirl/Batgirl cover for the 'DC Fifty-Too', a site devoted to 'might have been' books for the new DCU. Maihack's cover got such buzz that he has since written and drawn a couple of well-received web comics with Batgirl and Supergirl. This is a 'sort of might have been' book because future strips still might happen!

But what else might have been in 2011?

Well way back in Superman #700 (June 2010), Sterling Gates reviewed his 2011 plans for Supergirl on a preview page he got to write about the book. While we got to see some of those stories, we missed out on a lot. Gates planned on sending Linda Lang to college. There was going to be another showdown with Superwoman. And it sounds like there was going to be a massive brawl with all Supergirl's rogues. But more importantly, it sounds like Gates was going to give us a happy Supergirl, stronger for all the lessons she learned in New Krypton.

Despite this long term plan and the printing of this page, Gates was taken off the book a short while later. I would have loved to see these stories as it would have really been the next phase in Supergirl's heroic journey. This is no knock to either James Peaty or Kelly Sue DeConnick, both of whom wrote arcs I thoroughly enjoyed. But it seems like Gates had a long term plan until he was presumably bumped for Nick Spencer, who lasted 15 pages. Ahh ... what might have been!

And, as if being denied those Gates' stories was tough, in 2011 we also saw some glimpses of what might have been if DC had given the green light for a Cosmic Adventures in the Ninth Grade. Landry Walker had a lot planned for their Kara and had some concept pictures to share. A team up with Batman?? The Locker of Solitude??

The first Cosmic book was near perfect. These glimpses of a potential Ninth Grade book only make me want to see a sequel even more! While this is a 'might have been', it really should be a 'make it happen'!

And so those are the 'what might have been' moments on 2011, a crazy year in comics as it was reflected by Supergirl.

Tomorrow, the honorable mentions for the Top Supergirl Moments of 2011.

Sales Review: November 2011

2011-12-19T08:00:00.021-05:00

The DCnU reboot/relaunch certainly led to a massive uptick in comic sales and DC sales as a whole. Comic sales were robust, DC ruled to comic landscape, and comics were suddenly being promoted in mainstream media.

But could that momentum be maintained? Could the bloom stay on the rose? Or would entropy set in?

Well sales from November are interesting to peruse. As always, ICv2 does a great job breaking things down. Here is a link to their site and sales tables: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21712.html

While DC continued to lead the market, the lead over Marvel has shrunk. Certainly, there are some thing about the DCnU that worry me. The changes in creative teams feels like there was a lack of foresight, a lack of the big picture long term in these books. DC is already talking about cancelling some books ... cancelling after 3 issues of sales, without allowing a book to find its market ... seems like too quick a trigger finger.

As for Supergirl #3, sales dropped pretty dramatically. The issue sold about 10K less than the prior! That's a 17% loss. What could have driven that many people away. And it is a shame because I thought the third issue was the best of the book so far, less decompressed and with more moments revealing who this Kara is.

Of course, you need to put these things in perspective. If a year ago you asked me if I would be happy with Supergirl selling 45K, I would of course say yes. But I don't know what to think about this ... and I don't want to overthink it. A drop of 20% this early can't be considered a good thing.

Hopefully we won't see a further freefall.

Review: Superboy #4

2011-12-17T08:22:00.076-05:00

I didn't know what to expect from the Superboy comic in the new DCnU when it was solicited. I had never really read any Scott Lobdell comics. Conner sounded like another 'angry young hero', disinterested and angsty. And the 'old' Conner had just come off a quirky run by Jeff Lemire.

Surprisingly, I have rather enjoyed the new Superboy comic and that means the creators have had to overcome my pre-release apathy. But as I have said in prior reviews, my love for the comic has mostly been built around the supporting cast and the locale rather than Superboy himself. I don't think I should be surprised by that. This Superboy is a blank slate. So it is hard to like/dislike him at this point whereas 'Red' and Rose seem to be more fully developed and interesting people.

Superboy #4 was released this week and was really the first time the title character was the 'star' of his own book, as opposed to feeling like a player in an ensemble piece. This issue therefore gives us the opportunity to learn more about the character. Unfortunately, I don't know if I like him that much right now. The story this issue seems a bit scattered as Superboy runs through a gamut of emotions in a short time. And, of course, his being the star of the book meant little Red and no Rose, my favorite parts of the book. As a result, this issue has been the weakest of the bunch.

That said, RB Silva continues to shine on the book. The art here continues to be dazzling.

The book starts where last issue left off, with Caitlyn 'Red' Fairchild at her most She-Hulkiest, throttling Superboy for invading her quarters and threatening her. The opening page of her holding Superboy in a choke hold is crisp and definitely conveys the strength Caitlyn has in this form. I especially love how her costume/underwear have the green/purple color combo of the classic Fairchild.

Moreover, we learn a bit more about her as the fight continues. She is impervious to telekinetics; all thirteen of her group are. Hmmm, a new Gen13 I suppose.

While she is too slippery for telekinetics, the rest of her apartment isn't. Superboy implodes the place into them both and this attack renders her unconscious. It will be interesting to see just how invulnerable/durable this Caitlyn is.

Unconscious, Fairchild reverts to her smaller form and is quickly scooped up by a NOWHERE squad.

This only adds to her mystery. Who is she? How is she? Why is she in deep cover in NOWHERE? And who does she work for? Bio-terrorists? Really? I do hope we get to learn more about her story and soon.

This also introduces us to Centerhall, a NOWHERE agent who is now Superboy's handler. And this guy seems completely slick. Unlike the others, Centerhall wants to give Superboy all the information he wants. He wants to give Superboy some autonomy. He even seems chummy. But something about him seems too friendly, almost oily.

Still, he is at least partially up front with Superboy. Centerhall doesn't really know what NOWHERE's mission is. And each wing of NOWHERE seems to be oblivious of the others. Even on the Superboy project, no one group oversaw the whole thing. As a result it is hard to know just what Superboy's genetic make-up is. Each group did a little strand of DNA and no one seems to have the master blueprint. Centerhall is candid. That missing DNA might be from a killer. Will the half Luthor part of the old Superboy remain intact in the DCnU?

And Centerhall gives Superboy his freedom, letting him leave the NOWHERE Headquarters and live as a normal person. On the one hand it seems like a positive gesture. And yet, just how is Superboy expected to thrive in an environment he knows nothing about? A world which he doesn't know and which doesn't know him.

There are several pages of him wallowing a bit in his existence as a freak, a weapon, as someone who doesn;t understand the mundane world around him. And that wallowing leads to some rather brattish episodes where he lashes out at Christmas carolers, people eating in restaurants, and even igniting a Christmas tree.

I had to surpress an eye roll reading these pages. Poor poor Superboy ... so misunderstood. Even he doesn't know who he is. It just comes off a bit too cliche. I mean ... lighting a Christmas tree on fire?

His little tantrums scare the citizens but really do no lasting harm. And when he witnesses someone being potentially hurt, he springs into action, saving this person pitched from a skyscraper by the super-powered teens we saw last issue.

Now this will be an interesting thing to examine in this book. And I hope Lobdell plans on exploring this. Why does he help people? His VR training? His genetic make-up? Because he is partially human and want to help his fellow person? And if he does want to help, why is he so conflicted about it at first? Why did he lash out before?

Basically what rules him? Is it nature or nurture which makes him decide to be a hero? And what about the other side of his nature (assuming it's Luthor)?

Nice panel here as Superboy confronts the teens. He decides to act 'like a human' and bring these murderers to justice.

And people should listen to him because he's Superboy; that should be enough.

This leads to a fight sequence where Silva really shines with glimmering red TK strands float amidst pyrokinetic flames and supermalleable limbs. It really is a slick couple of pages with nice angles and panel composition.

But these two aren't in Superboy's league and he quickly dispatches them. At one point he say that the only reason they are alive is because he isn't like them ... at least not this night. It does show that there is some conflict in him. He is really is a blank slate. Which way will he veer.

For now though, I like that avenging the people killed by these villains feels right to Superboy. There is more good in him.

But this is a pretty big emotional swing to happen in a few pages. I usually complain about the slow pace of comics these days. This epiphany was reached pretty quickly. My guess is there is more psychological internal conflicts to come.

Realizing he wants to be a force for good and stop killers like these two, Superboy returns to NOWHERE and re-ups. He wants to help round up other 'kids stirring up trouble'. This has to be what Centerhall was hoping for all along, something to happen to make Superboy run back to the only home he knows. The first one on the list:Wonder Girl.

So I have no intention of collecting Teen Titans so I hope this solo book becomes a partner book with TT. I suppose that until everything is up and running in the DCnU, some degree of crossover is necessary. I just hope I can understand this book without that one. Because I am more apt to drop this book than I am to pick that one up.

So overall, an okay issue albeit a bit too pat in some places. And I am sick of the conflicted hero wondering why they should help people. Can't people just be heroes any more??

Overall grade: B/C+

More From Jamal Igle's Blog

2011-12-16T08:00:00.027-05:00

I have posted about this before, but Jamal Igle is reviewing his time on Supergirl an issue at a time over on his blog. The individual posts are great with Igle discussing his thoughts about his approach to the art, the story, and the characters. It is the 'behind the scenes' stuff that I just love to read. Here are some links and some great pics starting with Supergirl #35: http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-vaults-supergirl-35.html

Here Igle talks how he wanted to mimic the 'de-powering chamber' from the Donner Superman II movie. It is so obvious now that he says it! Of course this was the simple way that Sterling Gates removed the angst/anger/crystal powers that plagued the earlier versions of the character. This crystal drained the Kryptonite poisoning from Kara.

And here are some thumb nails from the book. I have to go back to the issue and compare these to the actual layouts of the pages.

Supergirl #36 was the dramatic 'death of Zor-El' issue. Here is the link to that review:
http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-vaults-supergirl-36.html

Igle does a great job reviewing his approach to that death scene and is definitely worth reading his words.

But this page stuck out to me. First off, Igle was the first to showcase crystal architecture (like the Fortress in the Donner movie) in the New Krypton arc. This was also the first appearance of the white cloaks as part of the Kryptonian culture.

I love that last panel as Kal and Kara look concerned when they hear Alura's bellicose words.

Looking at these pencil pages just remind me what a great and complicated character Alura was. I didn't always like her as a character. But I definitely missed her once she was gone.

Supergirl #37 included the introduction of Superwoman to the Supergirl rogue's gallery. New Krypton was just hitting its early strides and the mystery of 'Who is Superwoman?' was a big part of it. Here is the link to Igle's review of that issue: http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-vaults-supergirl-37.html

One thing I didn't realize was the Superwoman's, Nightwing's, and Flamebird's costumes were designed by Alex Ross. Here is a picture Ross did.

There was a time I thought Nightwing was Conner (returned from the dead) and the Flamebird was Linda Danvers! That would have been a wild story!

We also meet the 'new' Inspector Henderson in this issue. Here is Igle's character design sheet for him.

I have to say I have been enjoying these posts, especially the production parts. There are now posts on Supergirl #38 , Supergirl #39 and Supergirl #40 as well. Moreover, it just reminds me how invigorating these early issues were. I feel like I am reliving these moments again, except now that this run is over it is almost bittersweet. In 4 issues we had a couple of new rogues, new supporting cast, and all of New Krypton! I don't know if I appreciated what Gates and Igle were doing as much back then as I do now with the run in my rear view mirror.

I highly highly recommend going to Jamal's site and reading his thoughts too!

Superman Family Adventures

2011-12-15T08:00:00.021-05:00

Recently on the DC Source blog, an announcement was made that a Superman Family Adventures all ages title will debut in the spring. Here is the announcement link and a blurb: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/12/12/announcing-superman-family-adventures/

This May, the Eisner Award-winning creative team of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling TINY TITANS, Art Baltazar and Franco, will continue bringing their wonderful and unique humor to DC Comics with the new ongoing monthly series, SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES. The series will be starring (you guessed it!) the whole Superman gang – Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luthor, Bizarro, General Zod and … Fuzzy the Krypto Mouse!

But wait, there’s more! Before SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES hits stores, you’ll be able to get a sneak peak at the series in the DC Nation 2012 Free Comic Book Day Super Sampler!

So I am thrilled ... thrilled ... that the entire Superman family is being showcased in the book including Supergirl. I have gushed in the past about Baltazar and Franco's Tiny Titans book so I am interested in seeing what they have in store. Will it be primarily a humor book? An adventure book? A mix?

One thing I really like about the book is that it will introduce the extended Superman mythos to the next generation. Batman certainly has had the lion's share of the DC all ages market between Brave and Bold and all the solo titles tied into the various cartoons on television. Now Superman (and by extension Supergirl) gets a moment to shine.

Will this be in place of the rumored Super Best Friends Forever book? Or is the Supergirl part of this book the SBFF strip?

And, not to beat a dead horse, but isn't there room for Cosmic Adventures on the shelves?

Anyways, I am pumped for this book, will be at my LCS on FCBD with the supergirls to get the book, and anticipate reviewing it here.

2011 Year In Review

2011-12-14T08:00:00.040-05:00

This splash page from Supergirl #59 was my number one Supergirl moment for 2010. It was the culmination of the Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle's run and symbolized just how far they had brought Kara over their time on the title. It even mirrored the opening page of Supergirl #34, their first issue, a near perfect bookend. That list is here:http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2011/01/2010-in-review-and-top-ten-supergirl.html

I am starting to put together my 2011 Year in Review posts, a crazy year for the DCU and Supergirl. There were James Peaty's and Kelly Sue DeConnick's runs. There was her time as the muscle in James Robinson's JLA. And even as part of the Superman family in Reign of Doomsday. Plus any number of guest spots.

The plan right now is for a three day recap of the year for Supergirl. Day one will be '2011, what might have been'. Day two will be the 5 honorable mentions on the Best Supergirl Moments of 2011. And day three will be the big wrap-up, the Top Ten Supergirl moments of 2011. I am going to try to get these done by next week.

So which Supergirl moments will rise to the top for me?

More importantly, which one rose to the top for all of you? As always, one of the things I like the best about this blog is hearing from other Supergirl fans. So did any moments stand out in your mind? What were your favorite 2011 Supergirl moments? Let me know!

Review: Hawk & Dove #4

2011-12-13T08:00:00.091-05:00

Hawk and Dove #4 came out last week and continued to keep me engaged as a reader by balancing the mystery of the avatars while doling out great action scenes. It is as interesting a dualism as the main character's traits.

And while I like a good punch-em-up as much as anybody (maybe carve-em-up is more apt here), it is the background myth of the avatars that is the big draw for me here. And we aren't getting clues via exposition, by the characters finding an old tome or running into a wizened elder who can rattle off the whole spiel. Instead writer Sterling Gates is slowly unveiling information in an organic way, through action and through comments people are making. It makes for a much more satisfying read because it isn't just easy revealing. And the fact that Hawk and Dove are as lost as me lets me identify a bit more.

But woven into these small reveals are wild brawls with over the top action, befitting artist Rob Liefeld's style.

The book opens with Hawk and Dove interrogating Condor in his human form. Condor is an old guy and awful smug for someone staring down the barrels of multiple guns and 2 super-heroes.

Of course the standard scans like fingerprints and identification come up empty. I am still saying that this guy became Condor some time in the more distant past. That when Condor, he is powered up and vital. But as a human he reverts to his normal age, maybe even more preserved.

Maybe the avatars of war come about during times of great strife? Could he be the avatar from WWI?

In any case, he isn't saying anything.

Hawk asks for some alone time with Condor prompting an interesting conversation between Dove and Officer Watanabe. Throughout this book, there have been some hints that there might be a darker undercurrent to Dawn/Dove. Who does keep her in check?

Is part of this darkness based in her origin? Her vague encounter with Don? I don't know if I need Dove to be tainted. The comic world needs more pure heroes. After all, she wielded the white light and was a powerful force of good in Blackest Night.

We then flashback to Dove's battle with Swan seeing how it turned out. How did Dove beat Swan?

This was the moment of the book for me. First off, Dove seems to fire some sort of energy bolt during this fight. But more important, she hints at part of her origin that are new. What does she mean that she had to fight with people just to eat, how scum tried to do unimaginable things to her. That has never been part of her origin before. She was part of a well-to-do family and only became Dove when she rescued her mother from terrorists.

This has to be a new reveal. But what does that mean for her psyche? And how is she the avatar of peace if she has this anger inside her?

The battle ends in a stunning way when Swan filets Dove, a wound which emanates a massive amount of energy which seems to vaporize Swan.

So more mystery here and that's a good thing. What are the extent of Dove's power? What is so special about that knife?

And then Condor gives us more clues. He is out to kill the members of the War Circle. So Condor and Osprey aren't avatars for other ideals or concepts; they are also Avatars of War. This has a major 'Highlander' vibe to it. Condor wants to kill the other avatars to gain their power.

But the subtle hint is the British accent. I am sticking with my WWI soldier origin idea for Condor. Maybe he begged for power before he rushed from the trenches, fighting for yards of land?

Now I have to say I don't understand all of this.

It turns out that Swan didn't want to kill Dove, but instead use the wound to open up a conduit to another realm, allowing Swan to become a wraith? And that's because Condor is interested in Deadman as well?

This was the one part of the book that befuddled me. Why is this part of Condor's plan?

But while I don't know why Condor is interested in Deadman, his plan works. Swan is able to ethereally attack Deadman and capture him. How does this help Condor get more avatars' power?

Unless this is some way of getting Hawk and Dove to head to Nanda Parbat where they will receive some exposition about their origins from either a mystic tome or a wizened elder. (I still like the slow boil reveals better.)

Finally, in a nice way to tie in to the other running plot in the book, Condor is freed when the police station is overrun by the zombie-men of Alexander Quirk. Condor is able to slip away in the chaos.

But I like his other little comment on the way out. Why is Dove getting violent. Is she being changed by her time near Hawk? Is that what happens to Avatars of Peace, eventually they are spoiled by their comrades and burn out. Could that be why Don died?

So we are getting more and more information about the mystic tapestry of the avatars and what they represent. And, for me, that is the best part of the book. I want to learn it all ... and I want to learn it all now ... but I am savoring the ride. To be honest, it reminds me a bit of the last Hawk and Dove series, the Kesel book, when we were teased for a while with glimpses of fur under Hawk's costume and wondering just what it all meant.

This book remains a giddy pleasure amidst the new 52.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Action Comics #4 Steel Back-Up

2011-12-12T08:00:00.048-05:00

I reviewed the main story of Action Comics #4 just a couple of days ago. I figured that the back-up feature deserved its own coverage as it impacts not only this story arc but also the Superman Family and the DCnU. Because it is here that we get an in-depth look at the DCU's second super-hero Steel.

Writer Sholly Fisch does a good job of giving us some great tidbits about John Henry Irons background, enough for us to get a decent sense of who this man is and why he would slip into a metal suit and battle injustice.

And Brad Walker's art is slick here. It is detailed and has a sort of 'penciled only' appearance in some places. The bulk of the story is a brawl between Steel and 'Metallo' and Walker art has the punch to make it work.

I posted this page before but I'll say it again, this Steel suit looks sufficiently low-tech enough to be a first suit. In particular, the use of cables in the arms and legs make sense as the limbs need to be able to bend and move.

And I love that opening line. 'Superman, I'll take care of this.' Short and sweet.

There is an interesting little internal dialogue where Irons discusses his name, John Henry. Named after the American folk hero, he was teased growing up. But he took the name to heart ... never back down from a challenge.

It works doubly well here. Remember, *the* John Henry battled a machine. Here Irons is battling his own technology.

Now why he would make a big hammer for this suit I don't understand yet.

Irons might be outgunned but he is shrewder. He designed Metal Zero with a secret external USB port, a shut down device. With a flash drive, he infects Metallo with a kill-virus and shut him down. Always wise to leave a back door into your experimental tech. Maybe a bit too easy of a win?

In some ways it reminded me of Batman defeating Prometheus by downloading the fighting skill of Steven Hawking into the villain's helmet.

And this was my favorite moment when Fisch returns to the John Henry tale having Irons be a 'steel driving man' and wallop Metallo. Fantastic.

The story ends with Irons realizing that something big has happened here. He saved people. He was a hero. And maybe there is room for more heroes than just Superman in this world. Great iconic pose here but the subtle contemplative expression makes the image. Will he become Steel?

After a couple of month's of promo material, I was glad my extra buck was spent on more story. And I also am glad that this Steel fight was both showcased but also removed from the main story. Superman still needs to shine here. He needs to star in his own book. We don't know enough of Superman here to lose pages to a 'guest star'.

But this fight needed to be told in depth. We got to learn more about Irons. And we have the next hero of the DCnU. That was a win.

Overall grade: B+

Jamal Igle And Supergirl #34

2011-12-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

A while back I mentioned that Jamal Igle is planning a retrospective look at his work on Supergirl over on his blog. I was pretty pumped to see what Jamal had in store. Well, he started that series and if this first entry is any indication of what is coming up, this is going to be fantastic.

Here is the link to the first entry, looking back at his (and Sterling Gates') first issue Supergirl #34:
http://jamalligle.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-vaults-supergirl-34.html It is well worth reading in its entirety, so please head there.

This was the beginning of a reworking of Supergirl's character and Igle starts out by discussing his initial approach to Supergirl and the other characters of the Superman universe. It is pretty interesting to hear his thoughts about how he planned to draw them and who he was trying to invoke.

But for a process nut like me, these things will be the real treasures of a series like this.

Here are the thumbnails of the first 8 pages of the issue. It's fascinating to see these quick sketches and how they match up to the real deal.

And, of course, the most 'controversial' aspect of the issue was the updating of Supergirl's outfit, lengthening the shirt a bit and adding the bike shorts that got the comic world twitterpated. We haven't had bike short talk here in a while!

Here is Igle's concept piece on his changes to the costume including the skort! Igle has always said that his initial plan was for the costume to be a skort and not separate bike shorts. It was a coloring error that implied the shorts! Wild! And there was almost a red skirt! Here are Jamal's thoughts:

I had also pitched an alternate costume design which would have incorporated elements of previous Supergirl costumes. Particularly a variation of the boots and red skirt from the 1980's/Matrix Supergirl. It was decided however that they didn't want to stray from the then current costume as designed by Michael Turner. I did however take some elements such as the new cape attachment and the ...well...

THE SHORTS

The Shorts, the shorts, the infamous shorts. Since there's no way to get around it, I'll tackle it head on. The first thing i need to say is they were never intended to appear as a separate pair of shorts. the whole idea was that they were supposed to be a skort, which is a popular item with female athletes. What happened is,Nei Ruffino had accidentally colored them red with a gold trim rather than the blue they were supposed to be. We went with it and most people didn't notice, until I did the interview with Newsarama that was picked up by NPR.

Hopefully I am not picking the scab of the bike shorts again. Maybe that discussion has scarred over.

Thanks to Jamal Igle for sharing these things with the Supergirl audience. I am looking forward to the rest of these posts (his post on #35 is already up on his site)!

Review: Action Comics #4

2011-12-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

Action Comics #4 came out this week and continued the absolute breakneck pace that writer Grant Morrison has brought to this title. For me, this has been the best book of the DCnU relaunch, a mix of nostalgia, history, action, and characterization.

And this issue is no different. There is a lot to process here as Morrison continues to throw idea after idea at us in the context of high speed action. So we are continuing to learn about Superman and Clark ... and Lois and Metropolis. And we are learning about Luthor and General Lane ... and Metallo and Brainiac. And there isn't much exposition here. We are learning by seeing, not by being told. It is daring and is grabbing me as a reader.

As interesting is the lack of a true 'origin' in the book yet. We haven't seen Krypton explode. We haven't seen the desperate parents or the kindly couple. We are going to learn about that as we go along. And yet, we haven't seen Superman's actions from the beginning. There is no 'first sighting rescuing a space plane' event in this new run. We met Superman when he confronted Glenmorgan but he is already semi-established. Morrison has dropped us into the middle of the action and we haven't had a chance to catch our breath. It is exhilarating.

So yes, you can tell I liked this issue a lot and I'll jump into the story soon. The one downside here was Rags Morales art. While I think it still is very good, this issue looked a bit more rushed than I am used to. It seems rougher, less detailed. While that can add to the frenetic feel of the book, it slightly detracted.

So 'The Collector of Worlds' has arrived, turning Earth's technology into a robot army and preparing to catalog the history of the planet and destroy it. Perhaps the most panicked of the characters in the face of this threat is Luthor. And he was The Collector's liaison!

Anyways, I think there is something ironic about what he says here. He blames Superman for the arrival of Brainiac ... not himself! Amusing. It is like other times when Luthor says he would have saved the world if Superman wasn't around as he is surrounded by the carnage he has wrought.

That said, Luthor has seemed a bit too openly cowardly for my taste in Action. In this issue he has seen running around pleading for his life. It seems somehow beneath Lex. I preferred the initial presentation of this new Lex, where he was smug and untouchable. It is hard to respect this Luthor and as a result a bit harder to fear. Of course, it may be this event that steels him into the cold blooded Lex I am used to.

As if in counterpoint we see the cool and calm John Henry Irons sipping a cocktail while the world crumbles around him. But that apathetic response is shelved when Irons hears the President call for Superman for help.

Irons realizes a Man of Steel is needed. The scene works well and is a glimmer of optimism.

Clark slipped away from his auto factory tour when the assembly robots turned into android killers. And despite the recent sway in public opinion, Superman jumps into the fray to save people.

Despite the devastation around them, the police initially try to arrest Superman! One thing I liked here was the old school 'slap on the bracelets boys' (which sounds like something Siegel would write in the 30s) 'or stand back and let me do my job'. That's heroism. And it sways the cops who finally realize Superman fighting for the good of the Earth outweighs the petty insult to someone like Glenmorgan. Superman is winning people over.

I don't quite understand the white shirt here.

Meanwhile, John Corben has been turned into 'the Voice' of the Collector, the mouthpiece of the alien invader. But Corben's voice occasionally breaks through the robotic tones of his programmer. Corben is still in there somewhere. And Lois tries to coax that true person out by reminding him of all the things that make him human. Hey ... he likes the Chili Peppers ... he can't be all bad.

What it does do is show that the Lois/Corben relationship was more than a date or two. She talks about a trip to Maui. I do like Lois' bravery here. I think she is going to be great in this book.

Despite her pleadings, the 'Metallo' personality wins out and Superman has to come in and save the day.

One of the things that Morrison has been touching on in these early issues is the initial distrust the population has of an alien hero. Corben drives that point home when he talks about how the Metal Zero program was initiated immediately after Superman went public. It is purely an anti-Superman program. That has to be demoralizing to Superman who has tried to help people. It is a sort of psychological attack on top of the overwhelming physical attack of Metallo and the robot army.

And, as if in counterpoint again, to stifle Metallo's words, Irons shows up, as Steel, to help. "I'll take care of this." Just awesome. For Superman, he suddenly has to feel like he is not alone. That he has a friend. That there is someone else out there who cares.

I'll cover the back-up Steel feature separately and soon. I like the low tech look here.

Unfortunately with museums purged of 'important artifacts', the Collector collects Metropolis, bottling it! This is the second time Metropolis has been bottled in recent history (it was in Johns' Brainiac arc). And look, there are more bottles and other cities. Is one of them Kandor? Is that piece of Superman mythos back ... so shortly after New Krypton? Is that how Clark learns his heritage?

This is clearly Brainiac-y enough to be Brainiac, what with the green head and pink electrode nubs. But the centipede look is new. I would wonder if this was a drone but it is doubtful *the* Brainiac would let a drone be in charge of his collection.

With Metropolis gone, things have changed. While his troops remain with their guns trained on Superman, General Lane asks Superman if he can help rescue Lois. General Lane! This will clearly be a turning point in Superman's career. This will make him a hero in the world's eyes. I mean, already attitudes are changing. But what plan could this brash Superman have?

What's worse is we have to wait 2 issues to get to the next chapter! An interlude? Already? Within the first arc? I don't know if this pacing is right. Unless it is planned to give Morales more time to finish the story and tighten things up. The next issue blurbs are about the actual origin, the rocket trip from Krypton, so hopefully things it will slip into the arc seamlessly.

The bottom line is that this comic remains the cream of the new universe. I want to read the next issue immediately after reading this book and that is always a sign of a winner.

Overall grade: A

Mike Maihack Supergirl/Batgirl Web Comic

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mike Maihack has made another short web comic starring the World's Finest team of Supergirl and Batgirl. Here is the link to his blog and the above comic: http://cowshell.com/buffalog/2011/12/06/another-batgirlsupergirl-comic/

Maihack has explored the friendship of the two heroes before. I talked about it here .

Obviously, this is a breezy, cute, and fun comic. But it captures so much. Supergirl is so enthusiastic and open, discussing her costume with us, the unseen audience. Batgirl has seemed more reserved in these comics which leads to some great interaction.

I also liked how Maihack had Babs say her costume was a halloween outfit, which of course it was in her original appearance.

But this was the best moment, when Babs has to confess she wears a Batman shirt and has a crush on him. But the implied 'peek' with X-ray vision adds some nice humor to the bit. I also liked that Supergirl has to admit she also finds Batman attractive as well. As a Supergirl fan, I ate this up.

I really hope that Maihack continues to find time to do these strips now and then. They are like a fluffy pastries ... light, delicious, and incredibly satisfying.

Supergirl: Good Looking Corpse Trade

2011-12-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Remember back in September when this was posted in the DC solicits?

SUPERGIRL: GOOD-LOOKING CORPSE TP
Written by NICK SPENCER and JAMES PEATY
Art by BERNARD CHANG, CHRISCROSS and MARC DEERING
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 176 pg, FC, $17.99 US
Someone is trying to kill the young heroes of the DC Universe in these stories from SUPERGIRL #60-67! Who is this villain, and how can Supergirl stop him? Maybe her friends can help – namely, Batgirl, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, Static and Robin!

I don't know why Kelly Sue Deconnick wasn't mentioned in the credits (or why Nick Spencer got first billing given his small contribution here). But in the end, it doesn't matter. The trade was cancelled meaning anyone looking for it today at the comic store isn't going to find it.

Was it cancelled because the DC wanted to move away from the old DCU and embrace the DCnU? Did they not want to remind people of this Supergirl? Or did they just think sales wouldn't be strong enough to merit the collection?

Anyways, I was looking forward to rereading these stories in this format and considered this trade as a sort of final goodbye to that version of Kara Zor-El. Too bad.

The New Steel

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Over on the Source Blog, DC has released some preview images of Steel's appearance in Action Comics #4. Here is the link: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/12/05/steel-joins-dc-comics-the-new-52/

John Henry appears both in the main story by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales but also a back-up feature by writer Sholly Fisch and artist Brad Walker. The above image is from the Fisch/Walker feature.

I like the sort of stripped down, semi-low tech feel to this suit of armor. For some reason it reminds me of the Tin Man from the Oz books. And I am glad the hammer remains a part of the get-up. Looks like John Corben (playing the role of Metallo/Brainiac drone) is about to taste the pain.

There looks like there will be some good characterization as well, contrasting Irons with Luthor. That should be a nice wrinkle to Steel's origins.

The thing that strikes me though is Steel's place in the DCnU. If Superman is truly the DCnU's first super-hero to appear then Steel is it's second! That's pretty cool ... unless this isn't considered super-heroics.

As for the creative team on the back-up feature, I only know Fisch from the Johnny DC books (Super Friends and Brave and the Bold) that I read with the supergirls at home. I thought Fisch did a fine job there writing upbeat stories and expanding the DCU into those books. I'll be interested to see what he does in a more mainstream book.

And artist Brad Walker has drawn a lot of issues here and there. He penciled Supergirl #31, one of the last chapters in the underrated Kelley Puckett run. This was a pretty dramatic issue where Supergirl tries to convince Thomas' mother to try whatever she can to save her son. Here Supergirl recalls the chance her parents took in trying to save her, how that was risky and difficult, but showed the depth of their love. Walker did a really great job here.

With the addition of Steel to the DCnU, Team Superman is back to it's full roster. Let's hope they can all eventually get along and team up!

Rejected Supergirl The Movie Posters

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I begrudgingly admit that the Supergirl movie is a weak point in my Supergirl knowledge base. I haven't seen the movie in decades. And despite near yearly proclamations that I am going to buy the movie online, I have yet to do so. Feel free to hurl rotten vegetables this way! They are deserved.

The official movie poster is seen above, a nice iconic view of a flying Supergirl wheeling around the Statue of Liberty. It is evocative of the Donner Superman movies but unique enough to not be a knock off. But is a nice heroic pose.

So I owe thanks to all the people who emailed me the link below from the San Diego reader reviewing rejected movie posters, including some from Supergirl: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/big-screen/2011/nov/13/famous-movie-poster-rejects-youve-never-seen-exclu/

I apologize for the size of the pics as that was wall that was provided from the story. Some of these are interesting and clearly needed to be rejected. But others are worthy of consideration. But it seems that the studio initially had a hard time figuring out how to sell the movie. Is it action? Romance? Or both?

This batch seems to play up the romance aspect of the movie.

The first one seems to show a bit of a coy sultry Supergirl with the tag line (I think, as I squint) 'On July 12th, a beautiful woman reveals her greatest secret'. Not exactly inspiring. And is she undressing?

I can't make out the next posters tag lines, but the images of a young girl lifting up a man, or flying with a man play up the fact that she is the strong one here. There is also a playful feel here more like this was a John Hughes movie. But she isn't in uniform and there isn't much heroism here. I think these feel more like a teen comedy than a super-hero movie.

These versions give off the feeling like maybe this is a more serious romance movie. Sure the first one has Supergirl flying (carrying love interest Ethan again) to bring in the superhero stuff but the painted faces in the background with the touching and the deep soulful look more like a tacky romance novel.

The other has the tagline 'the most incredible girl you'll ever meet. But this picture of Helen Slater in a field accepting a rose has nothing 'Supergirl' about it.

These ones are a bit better for the film.

The first one has the classic 'hands on hips' iconic super-hero pose. And the font for the title is finally something eye-catching. That said, it is a bit static and maybe not engaging enough.

The sunset profile poster is actually a beautiful poster. The silhouette captures the costume and cape wonderfully. But this was probably the first time the mainstream population would learn about Supergirl. So I don't think this one would work because you don't see the actual costume and S-shield.

Of all these posters, the first one in the above picture is actually my favorite. Great action shot. Costume visible. Nice tag line ('Her legend is just beginning'). And there is something majestic and grand about how she is smaller, high up in the clouds. My guess is the image was considered too small and didn't sell the character well enough.

The second one again suffers from the more static feel of the simple pose. The bare legs under the smaller photos seem off. I do like the text ("Adventure runs in her family').

This first one is also very good. This also has a great action pose, iconic flying position in the clouds. It showcases the character and the costume. And the text is nice ('She has travelled 20 million light years to save her home and her adventure is just beginning'). I would have been happy with this one as well.

The second one suffers from being to gimmicky. Supergirl holding up the title just looks awkward. And the tagline ('Get your summer off to a flying start') is also pretty lame.

The last two add wrinkles to the 'hand on hips' pose which the publicity guys seem enamored of.

Adding some shadowing and putting her on a beach doesn't seem to add much in the first one. Why is she partially in the dark? Where is the light source? And the text ('From out of another galaxy and into your heart') is a bit cheesy.

The second one shrinks the image of Supergirl a bit and adds the light streak lines. It give some dynamics to the poster making it feel less like a pose. Unfortunately, I can't make out any of the paragraph of text above her. That seems like too much space devoted to text. Why not tighten that up and make Supergirl bigger.

Anyways, I will make my usual proclamation that this is the year that I will see the movie again ... finally. And these posters show just how difficult a time the producers must have been having in how to sell the movie.

Back Issue Box: The Brave And The Bold #160

2011-12-03T08:00:00.132-05:00

With the cancellation of the animated Batman:The Brave and the Bold, I thought I would head to the back issue box and review The Brave and the Bold #160, a Batman Supergirl team up from March 1980. I hoped hoped hoped that Supergirl would somehow get a guest spot on the show but it never happened.

The cover carries the blurb 'Together again - the team you demanded!' and it must have been true as the two heroes had teamed up just over a year before in The Brave and the Bold #147. That issue or the dynamic between the two characters must have been well received for Supergirl to appear in the book again so quickly. There is something interesting about a sideways World's Finest, teaming the more staid and dark Batman with the emotions and eagerness of Supergirl.

The creative team is the same from the B&B #147 issue. Writer Cary Burkett is able to fit in enough story to make this a satisfactory 'done in one' issue even if some of the events within stretch my suspension of disbelief. That said, the characterization and contrast between the Dark Knight and the Maid of Might are really the treat of this story, not necessarily the plot.

I grew up with a healthy diet of Jim Aparo art here in Brave and the Bold, plain old Batman, and the Adventure Comics stories of Deadman and the Spectre. I will always have a soft spot for him. And his Supergirl is really wonderful.

"The Brimstone Connection" opens with one of those all to convenient coincidences that spurs on the story. As Batman finishes up his nighttime patrol, he just so happens to be swinging outside of a building where a man is shot. And not just shot ... shot and somehow thrown from the high rise window. If Batman had been swinging a couple of blocks away this story doesn't happen.

Anyways, this still is a great splash page, throwing the reader into the action. Perhaps my favorite part, which might explain my bizarre tastes in comics, is that Aparo put the dying man's fingertips just outside the frames constraints. It just adds to the sense that this man is falling!

And, of course, this isn't a simple murder. It's the killing of an undercover government agent trying to stop a terrorist group from obtaining the four components of an experimental rocket fuel. He begs Batman to discover the route that the components are on and stop them from landing in the wrong hands. The agent is only able to give Batman one clue ... Brimstone. Unfortunately this conversation allows the killers to escape.

I do like how Batman immediately swears to finish this man's work and avenge him.

Batman doesn't get far in his investigation and is surprised to see Supergirl arrive at Wayne Industries in her Linda Danvers secret identity. Supergirl is distraught as her father has been kidnapped and she has been unable to make any headway in her own investigations. She thinks it has something to do with his work at STAR labs on a new rocket fuel! Again, a convenient coincidence.

I can't help but chuckle at this brief scene. When Supergirl first comes in, Batman is all cool and collected, almost dismissing her concerns ... after all who would want to kidnap Fred Danvers. But as soon as she mentions the fuel, which overlaps with his case, he is all ears. It reminds me just how easily Supergirl was dismissed sometimes.

They head to the Danver's home and look over Fred's home office, the site of his kidnapping. Batman notices a caramel apple core in the waste basket, a place she overlooked when she combed the scene. Batman thinks he can match the bite marks in his Bat-computer in the cave. Unbelievable.

More unbelievable is that he is able to do it. The bite matches Jasper Casbeer's, a mob button man who has an odd predilection for caramel apples. So let me get this straight ... you are a mob hitman, you kidnap someone quietly enough to not awaken his wife who is down the hall, but you leave peculiar and damning evidence at the scene of the crime?

Anyways, as I say, one of the things I love about Supergirl is that she is still on the hero's journey, still learning. She is shocked she missed this clue by overlooking the waste basket and says she won't make that mistake again. She learns from her mistakes.

Casbeer's hideout is in an amusement park and Supergirl and Batman head over to question him.

In another odd tactical decision, Batman tells Supergirl to stay outside and watch the exits while he goes in to bludgeon thugs and pound his way into Casbeer's office. But there are too many troops for the Batman to handle alone. Supergirl has to rush in. And with her father's life potentially at risk, she doesn't go in slowly. She tosses the mob's enforcers around like ragdolls, through pinball machines and walls. And then breaks in to confront Casbeer himself, holding him up with her fists clenched. Very nice.

Casbeer refuses to talk. But his speed in burning the document he was holding leads Batman to believe it was crucial to the case. In classic Silver Age mode, Supergirl's Kryptonian powers are limitless. The brief glimpse she above is buried in her photographic memory. A short bit later, she is able to draw out the map which leads to the drop site for Casbeer to leave his component of the formula. Batman deduces that this Brimstone Connection must be the work of his old enemy Colonel Sulphur. Get it ... brimstone ... sulphur.

I do like the middle panel above. For some reason it reminds me of the more classic 'finger at the side of the mouth' quirky pose Supergirl had in her earliest stories.

The next day, disguised as Casbeer, Batman makes the drop. Meanwhile, Supergirl acts as the 'eye in the sky' following the weaving path of the data until it leads to a warehouse by the seashore.

I thought this panel worked incredibly well, showing the reader just how many twists and turns the package took while still showing that Supergirl had her eye on the thing. Very well done, especially the monotone nature of each drop point, making it clear to be a separate place and time. Wonderful composition there.

When the heroes arrive on the scene, a plane suddenly takes off. Batman tells Supergirl to stalk to plane to see if it leads to somewhere even more important all while he takes on the people in the warehouse by himself. Once again, Batman seems pretty secure in his skills and feels he can send Supergirl away.

With Supergirl away, Batman is again overpowered by thugs and knocked unconscious.

Rather then kill the Dark Knight, or unmask him, or ransom him, Sulphur decides to let Batman awaken, gloat over capturing him, and then putting him in a ridiculous 'Austin Powers' type death trap. Batman is tied to a pole on a pressure plate. Should he step off the plate, a bomb will explode killing both him and Fred Danvers, who is also tied up in the room. Of course, the bomb is on a timer anyways, scheduled to blow up at dawn killing them both anyways. Laughing maniacally, Sulphur leaves for the safety of the 'briny deep'.

Why not just shoot Batman? Anyways, even without his utility belt, Batman is able to lasso a heavy chair to take put on the plate allowing him to free Fred and escape.

Supergirl returns having realized that the plane was a decoy drone. Knowing her father is safe, she and Batman give chase, realizing the 'briny deep' must mean Sulphur is in a submarine.

I thought this was another nice scene, Supergirl first shaking the sub like a rattle and then bringing it out of the sea. And Batman being in the view of the periscope is precious.

And once again showing the differences between her and her cousin, Supergirl lays out the helpless Sulphur, punishing him for kidnapping her father. That sort of emotion is what is so great about Kara. And Aparo renders her so well. I love the steaming Supergirl in the first panel.

And, like many B&B issues, it ends on a high note. Here Batman invites Supergirl and Fred out for a cup of coffee. If this was a sit-com we would freeze frame that shot and the credits would run.

So overall this is a somewhat strained and silly story with a number of clues/events falling into place to help Batman and Supergirl. That said, it is that condensed sort of story that is necessary for a 'one and done' type team-up book. As I said before, it isn't necessarily a plot about a rocket fuel that is the key here. Instead it is the differences between Batman and Supergirl ... the quiet, skulking, controlled loner mode of Batman versus the faster, rush in, emotional tactics of Supergirl. Neither is perfect and that is showcased here. Burkett does a good job of allowing each character to shine here.

I would also add that Aparo is simply a master. And seeing his Supergirl is a treat.

From a Supergirl collection viewpoint, I would say this is of medium importance. It doesn't add much to her overall mythology. But it does allow the spotlight to shine on her, and allows her some alone time with Batman. That makes it a good issue to have. It is these glimpses of Supergirl in the context of the whole DCU that enriches her. This probably can be found for under $5 in stores or at cons.

Overall grade: B/B+

BizarroGirl In Tiny Titans #46

2011-12-02T08:00:00.022-05:00

I have talked about how great Tiny Titans is too many times on this blog to count. It is a great mix of silliness and DC continuity and silliness about DC continuity. As a result I can enjoy it as much as the supergirls at home.

This month's issue, Tiny Titans #46, riffs on the mysterious purple woman appearing throughout the DCU these days. The Source blog has been posting some panels. Here is a link to their discussion: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/11/30/art-baltazar-and-franco-talk-the-mysterious-hooded-woman-in-purple/

And as much as the payoff to the purple lady gag is great, I liked the games page at the end even more.

I don't think I'll be taking away any of the surprise when I say that this connect the dots puzzle ends up being BizarroGirl.

I absolutely loved the BizarroGirl story arc by Gates/Igle/Chang in the Supergirl book. So I am glad to see that she has somehow managed to catch on, even if it isn't in the main DC continuity yet.

For all I know, Bizarros don't exist yet in the DCnU.

While the purple lady is an ongoing gag, the bulk of the issue revolves around the Protector subbing for Robin. Tiny Titans creative team of Franco and Art Baltazar are really kicking over some stones of the old DCU. Here is the 'old' Protector's Whos Who 1987 Update page where we learn he is a 'normal' high school student fighting against drug dealers after losing his brother to addiction.

As I said above, Tiny Titans allows me to introduce some of the DCU concepts to my kids in a friendly, simple, and innocent way. So I really love this book.

Throw in BizarroGirl and I'm tickled pink!