Agent Liberty Coming To The Supergirl Show

Continuing my coverage of the upcoming Supergirl Season 4, I thought I'd do a quick review of Agent Liberty.

The announcement about Liberty's inclusion on the show was announced a week ago, naming Smallville alum Sam Witmer as playing the part. Here is a link and a blurb.

http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/17/smallville-sam-witwer-supergirl-season-4-agent-liberty/

In the show’s interpretation on the character, Agent Liberty is the ruthless and terrifying founder and figurehead of Children of Liberty, a hate group that supports a human-first world order. According to a description from the show’s producers, he’s “a brilliant orator in the guise of a family man” and the scariest thing about him is how easily he can convince people that he’s right. Given that Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the DEO tend to be pro-alien integration, it’s definitely fair to assume they won’t get along with Agent Liberty and his Children of Liberty.

As I said in earlier posts and reviews, political stories are often delivered in a ham-fisted way on the show. So it is a shame that Agent Liberty, a star-spangled hero, is the terrifying founder of a hate group. I'm not denying the existence of hate groups. I am not saying that some of these groups hide behind patriotic iconography. I'm just saying that I wish that shows wouldn't add to that twisting.

Supergirl and Superman fight for truth, justice, and the American Way. They defend the flag and its ideals. I don't want kids to be watching a show and learning to hate the flag and America. Hopefully, the writers and Supergirl will present a solid counterpoint. That the Children of Liberty aren't representatives of what America means. Give me one shot of Supergirl standing hands on hips with the American Flag flapping in the wind behind her ... pretty please?

Anyways, onto the DC character.

Review: Wonder Woman #48

Wonder Woman #48 came out last week, an issue in which Diana appears on exactly one page. Critics (including me) have bristled a bit about Wonder Woman's secondary role in her own book since James Robinson took over and this issue is probably the strongest evidence of that. In reality, this should be called DC Comics Presents: Jason and Supergirl.

But as a fan of Robinson, in particular his run on Justice League of America - a team where Kara was the muscle, I enjoyed this issue. This read a lot like one of those JLA issues. I don't know if that is praise for the story or criticism for the complete lack of Wonder Woman in her own book. The super-powerful villains of the piece just disappear in the middle so heroes can talk a lot. But if comics are supposed to entertain me, this one did. Your mileage may vary but this is a Supergirl blog and this was a Supergirl heavy issue.

Jesus Merino is on art and I've always liked his style, thin-lined and precise. There's a lot of 'standing around chatting' in this book but he brings some character and expression to the proceedings. And this Jenny Frison variant of an all-female hero group is just gorgeous. I very much like how Supergirl looks younger here, appropriately.

On to the issue.

Review: Wonder Woman #47

Wonder Woman #47 came out this week, the only book on the shelf this month to feature Supergirl as we await her 'bold new direction' in August. So even though Kara is out of her mind in the issue, I have to be happy she is somewhere.

I have been collecting Wonder Woman since the Rebirth reboot. I found the Rucka run to be good enough, especially the early issues resolving some of the New 52 snags. Recently James Robinson has come on board and his time has been a bit more hit or miss. At times Diana seems like an after thought in her own book.

This issue seems to underscore that a bit. The first half is a fight with Supergirl in which we get some good insight into Diana and some wonderful art by Stephen Segovia. But this fight, in the end, is sort of meaningless and ends with a whimper. The second half is dedicated to Diana's long lost brother Jason, a character who has dominated the book a bit too much. I don't read the book for him; I read it for Wonder Woman.

The overall story here is about Dark Gods coming to Earth which seems a bit badly timed given that we also have Omega Titans coming in No Justice. I thought this was a tie-in to that book but it turns out the Dark Gods are their own entities.

I'll stress again that Segovia really crushes it this issue. His visual storytelling is superb. On to the book.

Supergirl Quick Hits

 Hey all, just a couple of unexpected Kara moments cropped up this week at the comic store which I thought were worth mentioning here. One is current. One is pure Bronze Age joy.

We'll start off in Wonder Woman #46. 

I must admit, I haven't been too impressed with James Robinson's run as it seems like Wonder Woman is a supporting character in her own book. I will openly admit that I am floored by the tremendous Jenny Frison variant covers that have been on the book.

This issue has Diana battling the Cheetah. Cheetah keeps ranting how the god Urzkartaga, who cursed her with her bestial form, is dead. Dark gods are coming. And this theistic upheaval is enough to enrage and madden the Cheetah who goes on a killing spree.

In fact this seems to be hitting home normal people too. They are questioning their faiths and rioting.

Maybe you can see where this is going given the Supergirl focus of this site.

Review: Superman #41

The Bendis era of Superman is only 4 months away so I am reading all of the remaining Superman stories with a bit of a side-eye as I question if what I am reading will be part of his history or not. I know, it shouldn't matter if the story is good. They all 'matter' that way.

Superman #41, written by James Robinson with art by Ed Benes, is a good story, a riff on Krypton's destruction. Whereas in Action Comics, Superman is debating saving Krypton, here Superman is trying to save another planet. The echoes are pretty obvious from the pair of scientists trying to save their children to the inability for the planet to actually be saved. But into this familiar story is a decent look at religion and hope. Whereas Krypton seemed to 'worship' science, believing their results that the planet was safe, these beings believe their souls are safe.

Into that fervor comes Superman who wants to preserve life to the point of contemplating usurping control of the world. It ends decently enough including an answer to the question 'does Superman believe in God?'

The art is by Ed Benes and without a female character to pose salaciously, Benes is pretty restrained, giving us a nicely rendered alien world.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #40

Superman #40 came out this week, starting a new storyline by writer James Robinson and artist Doug Mahnke. We all have heard the news of Brian Michael Bendis going all-Byrne on us when he joins DC, taking over all the Superman books. Knowing a bold, new direction is just around the corner, I'm not surprised to see a side story in the book. Why would Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason continue to world build if they aren't holding the reins anymore?

And Robinson's story feels quite familiar. There is a Silver Age sentiment to the idea of Superman saving a planet about to suffer the same fate as Krypton. Back in those days, this would be told in 18 pages or so. Now it is an arc. And, as we are now in 2018, I anticipate that it won't be as black and white or cut and dried as those simpler stories. Here there is a clear science vs religion component. And my guess is that the 'protagonist' isn't going to be pure. These are cynical times.

I've talked up Doug Mahnke for years here and have loved his work since first discovering it on Major Bummer. But what I love in this issue is his treatment of Jon. Jon looks like a kid. He's all gangly with limbs all awkward and everywhere. Jon has great kid expressions, from fear to snark. I wouldn't mind seeing Mahnke on a Super Sons issue at some point.

On to the book!

Closing in on the Boston Comic Con

I know that SDCC starts today. But I'm not going to be there. Instead, I am finding it Hard to believe that in just about 3 weeks from now I'll be standing in line to get into the Boston Comic Con. I have been going to this con since its inception and have been impressed with how it has grown.

Over the last couple of years, the con has started to invite some celebrities to the event but the focus is always on the comics. This year they added a tag line espousing that ideal. "True to comics, committed to fans." I like it.

There is the usual glut of fantastic guests coming this year. And so I thought I would present the list of commission hopes. As you know, I try my best to get 4-5 commissions each year from this con. If I get my top two, I'll be thrilled. But as always, there are others I am hopeful for. And, as usual, the Grail piece will be within eyeshot but most like unattainable.

Here are the commission hopes.

Terry Dodson - I have always been impressed with the sheer beauty of Dodson's work. From the first Peter David Supergirl story in Showcase 96 to runs on Daredevil, Xmen, and Wonder Woman, I have always been drawn to his art.

This is the first time that I'll be seeing Dodson at a convention and so I'll be running to his table first in hopes of getting a Supergirl from him. I am leaning towards the Matrix style costume for Dodson although I might ask him if he'd be interested in doing the 70s version I have become just as fond of.

Jae Lee - My second commission hope is Jae Lee. Lee's stuff is just breath taking. I gushed about his work on Batman/Superman. I especially like the way he draws women. His Huntress, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Lois were all just gorgeous. Like Dodson, I haven't seen Lee at other conventions I have been to so I am hoping to get on the list.

If I'm able to get these two and nothing else I will be thrilled. I love both their styles. Fingers crossed. But on to the others.

Convergence

News of DC's Convergence has spread like wildfire throughout the internet and I will begrudgingly admit to being interested in some of what is happening.

Here are links from the usual sites to discuss.

http://www.comicvine.com/articles/dc-announces-10-convergence-titles-featuring-steph/1100-150368/

http://comicsalliance.com/dc-comics-announces-its-2015-event-convergence-but-what-does-it-mean-for-the-dcu/

http://www.newsarama.com/22683-dc-s-convergence-week-one-donna-troy-oracle-married-superman-montoya-question-more.html
 
For someone like me who simply hasn't fully embraced the New 52 universe, who miss the original Wally, and Donna Troy, and the Steph Brown Batgirl, and the Supergirl of Sterling Gates and James Peaty, this Convergence stunt is a little balm.

It's not that I like all the universes they are bringing back (Flashpoint? Really?). But seeing the Silver Age Charlton heroes, old school JSA, a true Marvel Family, and Freedom Fighters is great.

And now they have announced some of the titles happening over those 2 months. Here are the ones that grabbed me.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Vicente Cifuentes
When Supergirl, Zatanna, and Jade went to Jessie Quick's baby shower, they didn't expect to be taken to another planet for a year, or to be attacked by Flashpoint Aquaman.

This is a riff on James Robinson's Justice League. This was the 'legacy' League with Dick Graysonas Batman, Superman, Jade, Donna Troy, and Jessie Quick. (It also had Congorilla and Starman.) So I will happily revisit this group. I miss all those characters.

Too bad we couldn't get Stering Gates or Robinson (currently at Marvel) to handle these issues. I guess one of these blondes is Kara and the other is Jessie.

I think I liked that run more than many. Kara was the muscle and her relationship with Batman was great. And Donna was just fierce.

SUPERMAN
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist Lee Weeks and Dan Jurgens/Norm Rapmund
Superman and Lois deal with the impending birth of their child as he is called in to protect the city.

Don't like Superman being with Diana? Wish he was still married to Lois? Wish Dan Jurgens was still on the super-books? Like Lee Weeks' art on the recent Sand Superman crossover in Futures End?

Well this book is for you! And for me! Huzzah!


BATGIRL
Writer: Alisa Kwitney
Artist: Rick Leonardi and Mark Pennington
After a year in the dome, Stephanie Brown is not sure she wants to be Batgirl again. But when Flashpoint Catman attacks, Red Robin and Black Bat call her back into service.

I miss the Steph Brown Batgirl book so much. So I am happy to see that she is coming back albeit briefly. And Black Bat and Red Robin are there as well! Too fantastic.

Nothing against Alisa Kwitney but how can you do a Steph Brown Batgirl book and not have Bryan Q. Miller write it??

So despite snubbing my nose at the idea when it first was announced, DC has sprinkled enough old glory out there to make me interested.

Insane.

Supergirl And The Emotional Spectrum

I have talked about my unease with Supergirl upcoming donning of a Red Lantern ring in the coming months to the point that I don't think I need to reiterate my concerns.

But I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at Supergirl's interactions with the emotional spectrum in the past. I know that this is a different Supergirl in essentially a different universe. But it isn't like that last Kara had an easy life with no concerns. She had just as many bad turns in life if not more. And yet somehow, after some rehab with Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle, and despite ongoing tragedy, she never succumbed to the dark path of rage.

The most we have seen of Supergirl and the emotional spectrum was in the Blackest Night:Superman mini-series, written by James Robinson and drawn by Eddy Barrows. I reviewed these issues when they came out but that was over 4 years ago. I hope this doesn't feel like a retread. You can look at late 2009 to see those reviews.

Given the upcoming change, I thought it would be worth revisiting.

So in 2009, the Black Lanterns were threatening the entire DCU, raising the dead to become an army for Nekron.

But there was a slight problem. You see concurrently, DC was also doing a long arc in the super-books where a New Krypton was in our solar system, on the opposite side of the sun, and filled with the citizens of Kandor.

A city filled with super-powered Kryptonians would be a bit of a wild card in the Blackest Night story arc. Wouldn't thousands of Superman-equivalents impact the threat. They needed to be dealt with and Blackest Night:Superman is where that happened.

There were 2 plot lines in the series. In one, Superman and Superboy (Conner) battle the pre-Crisis Earth-2 Kal-L and Lois (both of who died in Infinite Crisis).

In the other, Zor-El rises from the dead on New Krypton and battles Alura and Kara. Remember, these aren't loving zombies. They are vicious and this Zor-El attacks his family both physically and psychologically.

Let's see how Kara deals with facing her loving father in a cruel undead form.

First a wild conglomeration of feelings.

Fear of this creature.
Hope she can return her father to normal.
Love for her father.
Compassion for what has happened to him.

Zor-El unloads with a string of insults about how Kara has disappointed him, a pathetic creature.

And then the realization by Kara that while this might be her father's remains, it isn't her father.

I loved this panel back then and I love it now. Kara an even mix of rage for this desecration and will to battle him.

I have said before that Kara can be fierce in her desire to do what is right.

And then that continued mix of will to weather the mental and physical barrage by Zor-El and rage for this indignation.

Yes there can be rage. But always tempered by a strong will, a control.

This Supergirl had a rough early history on Earth - brainwashed by Darkseid, split into Dark Supergirl, failing in the phony Kandor when she was seduced by Pru-El. Then she dismissed a life of heroism, went rave dancing, got duped and abused by Power Boy, bled crystals, and tried to kill Superman.

Yep ... DC loves piling tragedy and angst onto Supergirl. Don't you think that this Supergirl could have given into rage and joined the Red Lanterns?

And yet with strong writers and a rehabilitation of sorts, she didn't. Instead she tried to deal with her life, to better herself, to help others. And even after that rehabilitation, when it looked like life had dealt her a bad hand again (here, the death of Alura and the destruction of New Krypton, survivor's guilt), she still strove to do what was right.

See DC! The right writers can bring her there. You don't necessarily need to go darker before turning to the light.

Now maybe Tony Bedard and Charles Soule are planning this redemption. But it is still nice to see that this Supergirl didn't succumb to mindless anger.

As for DC, the took New Krypton off the board of Blackest Night. A force field was erected around the planet, trapping the Kryptonians on New Krypton, negating Nekron's ability to raise the dead and keeping the zombies out.

Personally, I still think Kara would be an Indigo Lantern before she would be a Red.

Bullet Review: Earth 2 #0

I suppose that DC's Zero Month accomplished one of its goals when I picked up Earth 2 #0 this week. The purpose of the month is to provide a jumping on point for readers, an origin story of sorts to drum up some sales. I don't plan on grabbing as many zero issues as I did first issues of the DCnU but I was intrigued enough by Earth 2 and the idea of seeing that world's Superman again to pick this issue up.

Did it interest me enough to get me to go back and grab the issues I missed? To add the book to my pull list?

Written by James Robinson with art by Tomas Giorello, the issue tells the origin of "Mr. 8", the eighth Wonder (or super-hero) on the planet. Templated from another famous Earth 2 hero, Mr. 8 turns out to be the perfect representative of the DCnU, a dark persona who thinks himself a hero, who is willing to kill if he must.

This won't be my typical long review, just some bullets on the key parts of the book.

So this book takes place before the events of Earth 2 #1, so Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are still fighting off Darkseid and his troops.

But this Trinity (or Ternion as Wonder Woman named them) aren't the only heroes on this world. Robin and Supergirl we knew about. (Nice fierce Supergirl by Giorello here.) Catwoman we kind of knew about.

And then there is Mr. 8, Terry Sloan, a government operative.

And a mystery hero ... someone unnamed. I don't know if I should know who this is, if it is something revealed in the issues I missed or if it is a mystery. But things like that grab my attention as a fan. Who is missing from a classic Earth 2 model that doesn't include the 'new heroes' of Green Lanter, Flash, Atom, and Hawkgirl?

Could it be Dr. Fate? The Spectre? The Crimson Avenger? Ma Hunkle??

Now Sloan is of course a riff on the classic take of Mr. Terrific. Of course, the original Sloan believed in Fair Play to the point of putting on fighting togs to right wrongs. What is this Sloan like?

Well, it turns out he is sick of this war mostly because it is a stalemate. He can't deal with simply stemming the tide of Darkseid's siege. He wants to win the war.

And in trying to find a way to boom tube the fight to Apokalips, he instead uncovers the existence of the multiverse. These visions either give him great clarity or make him mad. It is hard to tell.

But there is some interesting stuff in those visions. We see what looks to be the Michael Holt Mr. Terrific holding a gun over a dead body. One looks like Magog swinging an axe. The other looks like three shadows - Magog, Darkseid, Pandora?

So those shapshots also grabbed my interest. I love comic mysteries, or trying to figure out hints of things to come.

A large number of humans on Earth 2 have become basically zombies, mesmerized by the Anti-Life equation into slaves for Darkseid.

Mr. 8 realized the heroes can never win the war if these innocents are on the battlefield. The heroes won't want to hurt them. The heroes' plans will be hindered by these enthralled troops. Seeing those other realities, Sloan knows he has to eliminate them from the scenario. And so he develops 'opal Kryptonite' which temporarily enrages Superman. And while the others try to hold Superman at bay, Sloan detonates a device which razes the enslaved cities from the planet. It was great to see this world's heroes working together, seamless in their victories.

So first off, could Opal Kryptonite have some vague connection to Opal City, where Robinson's Starman was set?

But more importantly, when we saw these flaming pits on the scarred Earth in the first issue, I assumed they were Fire Pits set up by Darkseid. So having them be self-inflicted cautery by one the Earth heroes was a nice twist.Very nice.

We know that Mr. 8 was right. The heroes won the war albeit it at a great cost. But as he broods ... like Ozymandias ... he wonders if he is the hero or the villain.

So three nice plot hooks to grab me ... the eighth hero, the glimpses of futures, and the Fire Pit twist. I suppose that is what a zero issue should do. Grab me.

But Mr. 8 is a mockery of the memory of the Terry Sloan 'Fair Play' Mr. Terrific. He is yet another hero willing to kill ... here mass murder. It was that complete reimagining of beloved characters like Alan Scott and Jay Garrick that made me not pick up Earth 2 past the first issue.That's not what Earth 2 classically means to me.

So will I pick up this title moving forward?

I don't know. I don't think so ... but I never can tell these things until the next issue is in front of me.

Still, James Robinson wrote a compelling issue which has me contemplating buying this title, something I didn't think I would want to do. Kudos to him!

Overall grade: B+

Review: Earth 2 #1

Last week was a heavy review week and I am still catching up with 2 more books to go after today's review of Earth 2 #1.

I don't think that Earth 2 will remain a consistently reviewed book here and to be honest, I am still a bit up in the air as to whether or not I will be collecting the book long term. But as this issue significantly impacts the Superman and Supergirl of Earth 2 as well as the DCU as a whole, I thought I would give my thoughts.

All along, writer James Robinson has said that Earth 2 as a book is about world building, about creating something new and different from the classic E-2 heroes. The publicity pieces and pre-release interviews all made this world sound like an extremely dark place. 'Lois is dead ... what will make Superman cross the line and kill ...' etc., etc. It seems as though all of comics is in a dark place now. I don't know if DC needed a new world for dark stories when the E-1 world seems pretty dark enough. The question really is do I want to read a radically new version of Earth 2, and that is the million dollar question.

As usually, I wonder if those publicity pieces did the world a disservice. Sure, Earth 2 starts in a very dark place as played out here. But what is going to grow from that despair could be bright. I will admit all this 'Superman driven to kill' stuff almost made me shy away from buying the book. I was only lured in to see the set-up to Worlds' Finest. I have seen Dark Robinson in Cry for Justice. I have seen not dark, almost Silver Age reverence stuff in his later JLA books. So who knows which direction E2 is headed.

One thing I will say, Nicola Scott is wonderful on art, bring a clean sensibility to the pages even at their most action packed and war-like. She really does wonderful stuff here.

So what would drive Superman to kill? How about a full blown invasion from Apokalips.

The issue starts with the world at war, with parademons flooding the skies and Earth's military forces and heroes desperately trying to stay at a stalemate.

The problem here is that Earth 2 only has a handful of super-heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Robin. It is pretty amazing that there was a world with only 5 heroes and Supergirl was one of them. But things have not gone well for them.

All of Themyscira has been slaughtered sending Wonder Woman into a 'kill first, ask questions later' battle frenzy. I really don't like when the warrior aspect of Wonder Woman's persona is the only one we see.

Superman has lost Lois to the war and is wondering just how far this battle is going to push his ethics.

In fact, the only one of the Trinity who seems least emotionally distraught is Batman. He has figured out a way to reverse the effects of all the large Boom Tube generating towers on the planet, saving the day. He just needs to get inside. So Superman and Wonder Woman and Robin flying the batplane are all running interference. Robinson does a nice job in quickly showing how close Bruce and Helena are. I like that the proud papa says 'good girl' as she guns down parademons trying to get to him.

But this is a dark world, it's terrain damaged and looking more like trench warfare fields than a paradise.

As for the other hero on the table, Supergirl is overseeing plan B. If Batman's computer virus doesn't shut down the towers, the armies of the world are getting into position to nuke them all. And Kara is riding shotgun over many of them to make sure the bombs are not destroyed.

We have only met this Kara a little bit but I have to say I like her. And Scott draws her beautifully.

Robinson does a good job of setting the table with familiar names of classic Earth 2 characters that I am sure will ended up being a new hero comprising a new JSA at some point.

For example, guarding one of the nukes Sergeant Al Pratt, a brusque mission leader who is teased for being short. I guess he will reprise his role as the E2 Atom.

And the world isn't completely without super-beings. For one, we knew there were Amazons who have been killed. Here we see Mercury arrive saying the gods are also fighting the Apokaliptian forces but will most likely fall. Mercury has arrived to say that Diana's efforts have impressed the god enough to have him have faith in us as a race. Interesting ... and a foreshadow.

If Robinson is going to build a new world, he has to deal with the old world first. And it looks like it is going to be a tabula rasa for him to scrawl on.

Wonder Woman dies, impaled on the sword of Steppenwolf.

This is what seems to drive Superman 'to kill' as he screams 'I'll kill you'. Luckily (??) we don't know if he would cross that line because he also dies, immolated by some Apokalips tech.

In two panels, two of the Trinity are killed.

And Batman doesn't fare much better. He is successful in loading the virus into the tower but it triggered a self-destruction protocol. The virus will spread and shut down the towers but it will cost Batman his life.

It is a short but powerful scene with Batman telling Helena how proud he is and how she needs to live on for him. And Helena cries crying out 'daddy'. This is a different Helena than the tough one we have seen in the Huntress mini-series and over in Worlds' Finest so this must have toughened her up and made her bury these feelings. This is her Crime Alley, seeing her parents die. I wonder just how Batman-like she will end up. I thought these were the best panels of the book.

Hearing Superman's death cry got Kara's attention and so Supergirl sped to the scene. Here we see a reverse angle take on her and Helena flying into the exploding boom tube tower which ends up taking them to E1.

The war might be over, the Apokalips forces might have been teleported away with no way back, but the victory is a bittersweet one. This Earth has lost all its heroes. All of them. And this issue takes place 5 years ago!

Well we met Al Pratt already.

Now we learn the narrator much of this issue is Alan Scott putting together a broadcast commerating the event. It is hard to get a great feel for Alan Scott in this brief scene but he comes across as a bit smarmy and cocky, almost a Tony Stark sort of personality. I read the DC Archives of the classic GL stories a while ago. I don't think this is an homage to his origins.

And Mercury appears again. This time he tells a slacker Jay Garrick, a kid fresh from college with no direction, a guy just dumped by his girlfriend for not growing up, that the world needs a hero.

Jay as a directionless slacker trying to find his way? Hey, don't get me wrong, I love 'the hero's journey' as a character path. But Jay Garrick?

I know ... I know. I am an older guy who has read comics for over 3 decades. Maybe my time is up and the world is ready for a new Jay Garrick. And it was getting tougher and tougher to explain how that generation fought the Nazis and were still active.

But I don't know if this is a rebirth for these characters? Or an undermining of what they have been for so long? As I say, good stories trump everything so I guess we'll see. If I could accept a holy angel protoplasm/toubled youth as Supergirl, surely I can accept a young Jay Garrick ... assuming the quality is there.

And for a first issue, this wasn't bad, doing what it needed to do. It set the table. This is a world without heroes still recovering from the horrors of this interdimensional war. The world is a pock-mocked mess. What is coming that will spur the birth of a new generation of heroes? But as I said above, the million dollar question is are readers interested in a young and untested JSA nouveau. I wonder ...

I suppose that I will get the next issue to see just where this is all going. Certainly, Nicola Scott's art is engaging enough to warrant another issue.

Overall grade: B

Earth 2 Supergirl

The character designs for Earth 2 have been slowly being released over on the DC Source Blog. Yesterday we got a sneak peek at the Earth 2 Supergirl design by Kevin Maguire. You can see the post in its entirety here. As always, it is well worth reading the whole post. But here are my thoughts.

So first off, this looks to be similar to the Earth 2 Robin design we saw at the Source last week. Maguire acknowledged that that was a sketch and not a 'finished' piece of art. This has that same feel to it.

Secondly, I like the big S-shield as part of the shoulders and cape look. It is evocative of the headband uniform and sort of sleek. I think the gloves and belt might take some getting used to but overall a nice clean design.

On Twitter, when asked if he designed Supergirl's costume he said "Yeah, that was me. It was just a variation on the Earth-2 Superman design." Here is the cover to Earth Two #1 including that Superman.

Now initially I was somewhat taken aback by there being an Earth 2 Supergirl as that Kara has always been Power Girl, leaving Supergirl and here similar but always different.

But then I read what Earth 2 writer James Robinson had to say about that Supergirl:

“Superman’s cousin loves her adopted world with a passion, seeing how the people of Earth have adopted her and taken her to their hearts,” said EARTH 2 writer James Robinson. “She is the definitely brightest light among this first group of Earth 2 heroes.”

Boy, that just sounds like Supergirl doesn't it?

Loves Earth with a passion!

People have taken Supergirl into their hearts!

She is the brightest light of the heroes!

That just sounds like the core of the character. Like 'Classic Kara'. I shouldn't be surprised given how well Robinson handled Supergirl in the JLA series. So maybe I am going to be okay with Power Girl having once worn the blue and red and rocked the S-shield. I guess I'll see in May.

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

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!