Sterling Gates Interview - Adventures of Supergirl

I really loved the Adventures of Supergirl digital comic which came out over the spring and early summer this last year. Sterling Gates really delivered a solid story which built on the show's plots while still being a successful stand alone story.  With the release of the Adventures of Supergirl trade out this week, I tracked down Gates for one more interview about the series and Supergirl in general. Gates was kind enough to answer. Settle in!

Anj: The digital series has been done for a couple of months which means the scripts were probably finished well before that. Looking back at the series as a whole, did you accomplish what you intended? Was there anything you that didn’t make it into the story that you hoped to squeeze in?

Sterling Gates: I’m exceptionally proud of the story we told in Adventures of Supergirl. We set out to tell an original story set in the show’s continuity. We wanted to dust off and update some old Supergirl villains while introducing a powerful new villain to her mythos. I specifically wanted to create a villain who could only be done within the continuity of the show, someone who came from Fort Rozz and who knew Alura as a judge on Krypton. And that’s how Facet came to life.

I had a lot of questions while watching the pilot about how Fort Rozz was run as a prison, and the Master Jailer episode only got me more intrigued. Who runs that kind of place? How? How firm a hand does a place like that need? Is there a warden? Or are the Kryptonians acting as wardens and the master jailers are their guards? Facet came from me wanting to explore all of that.

Truthfully, I could’ve spent 25 more pages just exploring Facet’s life. She’s been cognizant for a thousand years...what kind of perspective does that give you? What has she endured?

And (SPOILERS) why was she so willing to be locked up under the D.E.O. at the end of the story? Is it a good thing that she’s down there? Time will tell!

As for everything else, the show approved our outline from the start, so everything I wanted to do in this story more or less made it in. My goal was to do story beats that they couldn’t necessarily do on the show, due to stuff like time or budget constraints. I’m not sure you could do that dream sequence with Supergirl fighting other versions of herself on the show. It would probably be confusing for a wide audience, but comic fans know who each of those Supergirls are...and hopefully they’re happy to see ‘em! [laughs]

And while we’re speaking about this, a huge thank you to Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Andrew Kreisberg for asking me to write Adventures of Supergirl. I had a really great time playing in their world and continuity, and am constantly amazed at the wonderful things they’ve accomplished for Supergirl.

Review: Adventures Of Supergirl #5

Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 5 came out this week, the finale of Supergirl's battle with Vril Dox. For me, my biggest questions about this chapter was going to be how it was going to be able to be told from a fresh viewpoint when so much of it seems to happen down the line in the Indigo episode of the aired show. Dox historically is from Colu and is attacking the internet, much as Indigo does on the show. So how could this have happened before but the characters seem surprised by her then.

I shouldn't worry too much. Writer Sterling Gates smoothed over any concerns I had about the plot as well as putting in a nice line which hints about something I criticized in the episode when it aired. As a result, both stories seem better. And, as usual, there are a ton of homages and Easter eggs for those who are looking for them.

This chapter also introduces a new character who I wouldn't mind seeing again either in this book, the #Rebirth book, or the show itself.

Everything is neatly wrapped up at the end of this chapter, making this a faster paced story than Rampage. As a result, much of the fallout is given as exposition at the end. We don't get much Alex here, but that may be on purpose given the semi-falling out the sisters had at the end of Rampage.

The art here is done by Pop Mhan who I know mostly from Spyboy way back in the day. His art is a sort of a more standard house style. After the electric art by Bengal and then Jonboy Meyer, it did make the book feel more classic and less stylized than usual. This felt a little old school in a good way.