Back Issue Review: Adventure Comics #391

This was one of those weird weeks were no comic that I review came out. That meant I suddenly had an opening in my schedule for a Friday review slot.

And given that Supergirl in non-comics media is dominating the discussion around the character, I thought I would go into the long boxes for an oldie but a goody.  In the Silver Age, there were plenty of stories where someone is making a Supergirl movie or show and somehow the real Supergirl gets involved.

We also have read a lot of interviews where Melissa Benoist talks about her wire work, how could I resist Adventure Comics #391 where Linda is doing stunts!

The cover is credited to the dream team of Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Swanderson brings us a nice dynamic cover showing 'that actress playing Supergirl' falling to her death when the wire breaks. But, as this is Supergirl she'll be unharmed when she hits, thus exposing her secret identity.

Surprisingly, this scene actually happens (in a way) in the story.

"Linda Danvers, Super-Star" was written by Robert Kanigher and drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Schaffenberger took over the Supergirl character after Jim Mooney left and really is one of the signature artists for the Silver Age Kara.

This opening page sets the stage for what we should expect. There is a Supergirl movie being made and somehow Linda Danvers has been cast to be the star. Thus, Supergirl is playing Supergirl in the movie.

For me, the craziest part of this page is that third tiny panel. The wardrobe woman is making Linda look like Supergirl for the part. That includes putting on a blond wig. That means, in the subsequent panels, Linda is a blond girl wearing a brunette wig, wearing a blond wig. Insanity.

The  story opens at Stanhope College where Linda is a student. In class, Professor Vizhago unveils his new computer which is programmed to measure aptitudes and predict the perfect profession for his students.

Linda Danvers and Eve Emerson both get actress as their probable occupation. While most students are happy and intrigued with their choices, Eve's boyfriend Vic Tane, the 'grooviest boy on campus', decides he will promote Eve's skills by belittling Linda's.

He calls Linda a mud turtle, destined to be an understudy.

This computer is so renowned that it attracts John Harris, a famous Hollywood director. He is making a Supergirl movie and looking for the next new starlet. Given the computer results, Harris wants Eve and Linda to try out.

Harris big test is to see which one can cry on command, a way to show they can convey any emotion asked for. The screen test is being shot in front of the student body and Vic, ever the charmer, says Linda has the emotional chops of a statue. Everyone laughs at Linda.

And, as this is the Silver Age, Linda could be brought to tears pretty quickly. Vic's callous comments make her cry. You can see that even Eve feels bad.

You would think that Linda might want to avoid playing Supergirl. Sounds like a recipe for disaster if you want to keep your secret identity.

Things get a little nutty once shooting starts. In the first stunt, Linda is suspended by wires to fly when the gear breaks. This doesn't seem to be the safest workplace environment. Linda was suspended over a moutain without any extra precautions. She plummets to what would be a sure death for a human.

But Linda is able to use her powers slyly such that it seems okay for her to have lived. She uses her cape to slow herself down, fakes a wind to billow herself up, and then hits a tree branch to soften the blow. Everyone feels she is supremely lucky.

I like that Linda uses her head here, thinking quickly and not giving anything away.

The plot thickens as several people have motives to try to off Linda.

Is it Vic, trying to get Eve the part?
Is it Harris, trying to resurrect his career after 3 flops in a row? Any publicity is good publicity?
Or is it Nicky, the man in the plaid jacket? He's the studio press agent and also would like the movie to succeed. And this sort of accident will put the movie into the news.

I love Schaffenberger's panel here, with Kara twirling her head trying to figure it all out!

The accident continues to plague the set, always with Linda in the middle.

In this scene, she is riding a giant balloon whale when it pops, throwing her into shark-infested waters. Again, I have to question the safety of this set. Why film in shark-infested waters? Seems like a disaster waiting to happen ... and indeed it does happen!

This time Linda uses her heat vision to scare the sharks away. If they attack her and she comes out of the water unharmed, there will be too many questions. She explains an undersea volcano scared them away. And, somehow, the crew believes that. Ahhh ... the Silver Age.

But the same people are still there, still with their motives.

And then another accident happens. A gun which is supposed to only have blanks is fired at Linda. Of course, it was actually loaded. This time, Supergirl snaps her fingers so loud they make a sonic boom, effecting the path of the bullet so it misses her. And people assume the loud noise was the bullet echoing.

Realizing she needs to leave the set so she can actively investigate as Supergirl, Linda runs off the set hysterical. I love that first panel! So wonderful.

Eve is more than eager to jump into the role. Maybe Vic is behind it?
Harris seems resolved to close the set. So I don't think it is him.
And Nicky continues to think that Harris is doing it for publicity.

But Eve isn't safe either. Chained with faux Kryptonite to temple columns (how Samson), Eve is ready to be a star. The columns begin to topple in pieces. And since she is chained, she cannot escape. She will be crushed by the boulders.

But the real Supergirl is on the job. She flies in the 'change the script' and bashes the pieces away.

Supergirl saves Supergirl!

In a weird panel, and really a panel I should have posted, Supergirl demands to sniff everybody's hands. Bizarre!

It turns out that Nicky has the scent of corrosive acid on his hands. He used it to weaken the pillars foundation. Presumably, he did the same to the wire.

And his motive? Harris married an actress that jilted Nicky. Enraged, he would frame Harris for murder. Luckily, Supergirl looked to the gossip columns to find a true motive.

With the set safe, you would think that Harris would hire Eve or Linda. Instead, Eve bows out saying Supergirl should play Supergirl. If Harris will donate a percentage of the proceeds to charity, Kara will do it.

And so, Supergirl does indeed end up playing Supergirl.

Okay, this is a silly story. But can't you see a future episode where Kara is asked to enter a Supergirl lookalike contest, or something as silly.

These stories are dated and ludicrous. I love them. I love Supergirl thinking quickly and saving people. I like her being a little emotionally vulnerable at this time in her life. And the art is so perfect for the story.

I don't think this is a key issue for Supergirl fans. But it is fun and more and more I am seeing these issues in $2 boxes at conventions. And this was a point in Supergirl's career where she was sort of turning a corner. Soon Mike Sekowsky will come on board and try to modernize her a bit. A second story in this issue, by Cary Bates and Win Mortimer, is a bit more sci-fi/political and less sugary than this one. If you are looking for a nice issue showing the change Supergirl was going through, this is a decent one.

Overall grade: B+

Supergirl Digital Comic By Sterling Gates Announced! Bengal On Art!

Well the wait if finally over! On IGN, we finally have confirmation of a digital first show tie-in Supergirl comic. This had been rumored for some time so it is great to get some concrete news. And there is a lot to love about this announcement. Here is the link:http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/12/15/dc-swoops-in-with-adventures-of-supergirl-digital-comic

And here are a couple of blurbs:

TV show will be happy to hear that they can see more heroic exploits of the Girl of Steel in DC’s new Digital First series called Adventures of Supergirl. Veteran Supergirl writer Sterling Gates will be penning the new title, which will be drawn by a cast of rotating artists including Bengal, Jonboy Meyers, Emanuela Lupacchino, and Emma Vieceli. Bengal will be penciling, inking, and coloring the first three chapters. 

Now the first thing that jumped out at me was the creative team.

Folks who come here should know that I love Sterling Gates writing the character. His run remains one of the most influential on the character in her long history and definitely a consistent high point in recent times. He seemed to understand the layers of the character and made her grow. I cannot wait to read him writing her character again.

As for the art, what a wonderful group. I love Bengal's energy. He brings a certain amount of Burnside sensibility to the page. Emma Vieceli is killing it on Jem recently. And everyone remembers how great Emanuela Lupacchino was on the book. Meyer has a nice slick style but I hope he doesn't veer too close to cheesecake.

I even like the title of Adventures of Supergirl, a link to the digital Adventures of Superman and also a unique title for the character.

 This 13-chapter, bi-weekly comic will release on Mondays, which just happens to be the same day the show airs on CBS. It won’t directly tie into the show, but will tell stories in that universe with Supergirl teaming with the DEO to protect National City while also working a job at CatCo as Kara Danvers. DC also told us that she will take on classic villains like Rampage, Vril Dox, and Psi.

I hope that this is simply a 'Season One' for the series. 13 chapters is a nice start and probably accomodates an overall arc for the book.

And Rampage, Vril Dox, and Psi! All have a history with some incarnation of the character so glad to see Gates dipping into DC's mythology. Psi!

However, unlike those comics, Supergirl’s series will not be printed and shipped as a monthly comic. The title will instead be collected and printed as a graphic novel, skipping the floppies entirely.

 Adventures of Supergirl will debut on January 25, 2016.

One thing I don't like is the lack of floppy. I am an old-timer, married to print. Looks like I'll have to actually get a digital account now!

Anyways, this is a very nice Christmas gift for Supergirl fans all around the world. Everything about this announcement makes me optimistic!

Supergirl Episode 8: Hostile Takeover

On Monday, CBS aired the 'winter finale' of Supergirl. Episode 8, titled 'Hostile Takeover', did a great job of building tension in Kara's two worlds - CatCo and the DEO - and ends with two fantastic cliffhangers. If the creators were hoping to leave me wanting more, they succeeded spectacularly. This is would have been an excellent season finale. I can't believe we have 13 more episodes to go!

As always, the strength of this show begins with Melissa Benoist and her performance as Kara. Like many of the prior episodes, Benoist has to run the emotional gamut here, from happiness to sadness to anger. There is another moment which is emotionally heart-wrenching and had me gripping my seat and feeling all the feelings. But the rest of the cast shines here as well. Calista Flockhart shows some vulnerability but continues to be prickly when needed. Jeremy Jordan gives Winn some edge here. David Harewood shows some wry humor behind the gruff Henshaw exterior. Chyler Leigh continues to make Alex a powerful agent. And Laura Benanti also show some range, playing the icy Alura and the passionate Astra. But Astra isn't a one-note serial villain. She also is given a sympathetic back story.

I can't believe I have to wait a month to see the next episode!

The episode starts with Astra holding Supergirl at bay. Astra has a Kryptonite-neutralizing armor now, so she can wield Hank's knife against Kara without fear. Astra is impressed with Kara, saying she has the heart of a hero, and wanting Supergirl to join her.

But Supergirl has nothing but contempt for her aunt. She is able to escape and flee to the DEO and fill in Hank and Alex. We get some back story from Kara who had investigated her aunt's crimes. It sounds as if Astra was something of a terrorist, blowing up government buildings, and being on the run. It is clear that Kara has no love left for her aunt.

Meanwhile, back at her lair, Astra's lieutenant Non asks her if she could kill Kara if she had to. Astra, who we learn is a General, says she won't let another world die. She feels that Kara will join them.

With the fear that Astra and her super-powered army will strike soon, Alex recommends more training with Kara.

Back in the K-room, we see that Supergirl has clearly been a fast learner. She holds her own against Alex including doing a modified Frankensteiner which makes a young Anj very happy.

In a nice mirror moment, Kara is asked by her sister if she could kill Astra if she had to. Supergirl's immediate response is 'Superman doesn't kill', the implication being she won't either. For folks like me, who like a classic Superman and don't like the Man of Steel movie, that line was perfect.

This battle has Kara again reflect back to her time on Krypton where we learn more about Astra. Astra knows that Krypton is nearing an explosion because of the ecological ravages the people have done to the planet. She is trying to save everyone, even if her means are at times unsavory. But we see how much she loves Kara, hugging her young niece and saying she couldn't love anyone more. She is doing what she is doing to save Kara. Sympathy for the villain!

Meanwhile, CatCo has been hacked and embarrassing emails by Cat are flooding social media. Cat needs to figure out how it happened and what else might get leaked. So she asks Kara, along with James and Winn (who Cat calls the 'handsome hobbit with more cardigans' than Kara) to try to track everything down.

While the three try to get ahead of things, the CatCo board tells Cat they may be forced to ask her to step down. Using her super-hearing, Kara overhears that the head of the board, Dirk Armstrong, is responsible for the release of information in an attempt to take over the company. Cat calls him 'the walking personification of white male privilege'.

Realizing they might need to hack the hacker, James, Kara, and Winn bring in their legal counsel. Stressing it is all hypothetical, Lucy says that if it is discovered that Dirk is behind it that he could be incarcerated. But getting caught trying to illegally get the information would be just as bad.

One thing I like about this is that it portrays Lucy as a friend and ally. She isn't the evil girlfriend that the audience loves to hate. She hasn't done anything here that is odious. She is pretty cool and nice. You can't hate her even if you want to root for Kara and Jimmy to get together.

Before things at CatCo can heat up too much, Astra appears over the city. She has no armor, no K-knife, and wants to talk to Kara. Astra calls Alura a liar. Alura imprisoned Astra to cast blame away from herself. But Supergirl won't take for any bad things being said about her mother.

The two brawl in the middle of the city, crashing into buildings, throwing cars, and shooting heat vision. It is very evocative of the Man of Steel end fight. Except in this battle, Supergirl continues to break away from the fight to save everyone from the collateral damage. This, like the 'Superman doesn't kill', is a repudiation of Man of Steel and it's tone.

But the fight ends almost too quickly. While Astra seems to have the upper hand early, she gets pummeled into unconsciousness by Kara at the end.

In the DEO, an imprisoned Astra again confronts Kara. She tells Supergirl that she knew Krypton was going to die and had to do things to try to save the planet. We get a flashback where the sisters face off. Alura has used a signal Kara uses to talk to her aunt to lure Astra there. We hear that Astra is trying to save the world and that her methods resulted in the death of a Government guard. We learn that Astra's husband and lieutenant, Non, is the person who murdered the guard.

But it is too much for Alura. She arrests Astra right there in the family home. Astra insists that doing this is signing Krypton's death warrant.

This is a great scene for Benanti who gets to play two very different characters.

Throughout this show, we have heard Kara talk about Alura with an almost hero worship. Even earlier in this episode she calls Alura 'the best woman that ever lived'. So to hear that Kara was the bait to arrest Alura is a blow to that image. And to hear that Alura learned that Krypton was doomed but she still arrested Astra (who claims she could save the planet) is crushing.

Kara ends up shrieking at the A.I. Alura to try to get more information. And when the program can't answer the questions, we again see emotional agony within Kara. She lashes out at the hologram with her heat vision.

But again it is Benoist who brings the real power here. We see her anger and dismay and distrust build as she interrogates this Alura-bot. We see her be both angry and sad. She still mourns Krypton. By arresting Astra, did Alura doom Kara to this life on Earth where she still is trying to fit in?

There was a lot to love in this episode but this scene was the absolute best. It felt like the strained relationship with Alura I felt was a key part of the Gates/Igle run in the comics.

As for the CatCo issues, the team uncovers that Cat has another son, Adam, older and estranged, and that information could be damning to both Cat and him. She has a heart to heart with Kara about how she fought to keep Adam in her life until she realized maybe he would be better away from her. She is hurt each day by this failure. That sentiment is a nice reflection of what Alura may have been dealing with. I love how the show creators use Cat as an inspiration, a mentor, and a surrogate mother to Kara but also keep her as this prickly, self-absorbed, catty CEO.

Luckily, through some chicanery, the team has uncovered evidence that Armstrong is behind the hack. He is led off in cuffs.

Throughout the episode, Winn has had an edge and been somewhat mean to James and Kara. James finally calls him on it. James can tell Winn loves Kara and advises Winn that he should go for it. Kara is worth it.

Winn says, almost stammers, that 'she's her and I'm me', a way to say that he doesn't think he is in her league. I felt a pang for the guy there having thought similar feelings of insecurity in my own past.

But then we get to the cliffhangers.

Cat corners Kara on the balcony. She wondered how Kara learned about Dirk's scheme, she puts together all the clues from the earlier episodes, and she wonders if Kara is Supergirl. She even calls Kara her 'secret weapon' and her 'guardian angel', pure Easter Egg nomenclature from the comics.

When Kara removes her glasses, Cat calls her Supergirl and says thank you.

Just incredible ....

At the DEO, Alex realizes that Astra wanted to get caught as a feint. She confronts Astra for information. It is a brief interaction but it is great. Astra acknowledges Alex as the 'one who killed Hellgrammite' and says she likes Alex. Alex says she will go into the DEO cell and beat out information if she has to. I really really like Alex.

It turns out the plan is to attack Lord Industries to defeat Max, 'the world's champion'. The strike force includes Non, two more Kryptonians, a guy who can split in two (a version of Duplicate Boy), and a woman with poison breath (a version of Gas Girl)?

Between the DEO and Lord's Security, it is a decent fight. Hank even uses some Martian powers to defeat a Kryptonian. The show ends with Kara squaring off against Non, telling him he is going to wish that all the women from the House of El had died.

Whew!

That is a lot to stuff to into one episode. But unlike the pilot, I felt this all unwound nicely. Things felt pressured but nothing felt rushed. All the information to get through these beats were presented. And so much is revealed earlier in the season than I would anticipate. I thought Hank's reveal would be later. I thought Cat figuring things out would be in the season finale. The pace is unheralded!

And there are the usual flourishes in this episode which make it feel real. Cat has M&M's in an ice bucket so she doesn't always go for booze when troubled. While she supports other women, she continues to take pop shots at Lois. Armstrong has a Maserati, the perfect car for a weasel like him. Hank misses his Kryptonite knife that Astra stole. Winn says James abs wouldn't understand Winn's insecurities.

But it is the main storyline of Astra, who seems like a misguided eco-terrorist like Ra's Al Ghul, trying to shake Kara's confidence that is the meat of this episode. Between the flashbacks and the interrogation and the confrontation with the computerized Alura, this was just wonderful.

Silver Banshee Who's Who

Silver Banshee is scheduled to be in the Supergirl show and I couldn't be happier. I have covered the Banshee a lot on this site over the years but I realized I never posted her Who's Who entries. For those who don't know her, these pages are excellent primers!

First up, from the Who's Who 1988 Update, is a page lovingly drawn by the all-star art team Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell. Unreal art team there! The image is perfectly eerie for the character. She is horrific, wailing, in tattered clothes which look like smoke or flame. Her pose is appropriately defiant. And the surprint with a barrel chested Superman squaring off against her and the ancient Scots adds a lot.

The history recaps the Banshee's first two adventures without giving us too much of her background. We know she wants a particular book. We know she has supernatural powers. But otherwise we don't know much else.

In the 1990's, DC put out the 'loose leaf' Who's Who which allowed fans to catalog the pages however they chose.

Here is the Silver Banshee page from that compendium. I don't like this art as much as the prior. The Silver Banshee logo is rather bland. Artists Dusty Abell and Terry Austin really play up the sort of sexiness the Banshee can have. That is one prominent backside we are seeing. Because of this pose, we barely see the Banshee's face.

The text page is much better. I like the close up of the Banshee's face. I love Superman trying to mute the Banshee's scream by covering her mouth.

The origin story is much more complete, reviewing the clan McDougal curse, Siobhan's desire to run the clan, and the Crone saving her from Hell.

I can't believe that I live in a world where Supergirl is a live action show and that Kara will be fighting Silver Banshee. Unbelievable!

Review: DC Comics Bombshells #6

DC Comics Bombshells #6 came out last week and was another fabulous issue in what has been a fantastic run. I have said all along that this Elseworlds look has been surprisingly engaging and interesting. In this issue, writer Marguerite Bennett continues to give us a nice mix of action, humor, historical significance, and randy fun.

But for me, the best part of this issue is that it feels like the characters are finally starting to move in a way that will bring them all together soon. While I like hopping from one character's story to another (the diverse locales and characters are a strength of the book), I am eagerly awaiting the 'Justice League' moment when they are united against a common foe.

The art in this issue really sparkles. Ming Doyle continues to give us a noirish look at Batwoman's adventures in Germany. That style complements the story very well. The rest of the issue is drawn by Maria Laura Sanopo and Sandy Jarrell. They both bring a very clean style to the page. All of the characters are just beautiful. The style is so lovely that I wouldn't mind seeing either doing all the pages of an issue!

The book opens with several gorgeous pages of Mera stopping some Nazi U-boats which are manned by the Tenebrau inky zombies we have seen cropping up in the last few issues.

Mera is one of my favorite characters in the book. She is fun and fresh and just seems to love life. While just as driven as the other Bombshells, Mera also seems to enjoy what she does. It doesn't hurt that she sings to gain access to her powers.

Here, called Aquawoman (love it!), she boards an American destroyer, bringing cheer and hope to the crew. They all love her but more importantly respect her. They don't hit on her, despite her summery outfit, instead showing her pictures of the significant others they have left behind.

Again, Jarrell really shines here. This page is just eye-melting gorgeous. There is something akin to Darwyn Cooke in that first panel.

The R&R on the cruiser is interrupted by the arrival of Stargirl and Supergirl whose path for defecting takes them right over the fleet. Mera skirmishes with the two Russians and briefly gains the upper hand. But before Mera can further pound on Kara, Stargirl steps in the middle. She won't let anyone hurt her sister.

Despite that breezy exterior, we know that Mera is hiding something from her past. In silhouette, we see someone about to get run through with a spear. My guess is that Bennett is going to bring in Siren, Mera's sister, and have her be killed. Who could be the killer? Arthur? Orm?

But adding this deeper background to the 'fun one' ramps up my interest in the character. Is she ignoring that event? Is the fun personality a facade?

Meanwhile, in Germany, Kate has decided to don the Batwoman outfit and go out adventuring. I thought this was supposed to be an undercover mission? It seems odd that she would want to do anything out in the open which might jeopardize the bigger strategy.

While in the Batwoman gear, she disables some tanks. She then runs into some resistance fighters who play in a band including the Huntress. This Helena plays the cello, shoots a crossbow, and is a German opposed to Nazi rule. Kate loves her spirit and decides to take her on as an ally/sidekick only if Huntress will be trained. I like the addition of Huntress but I would have liked it more if she was an Italian opposed to Mussolini, leaning on her traditional origin.

It might be an overread, but the panel focusing on Kate's shoes as she talks about the Holocaust was quietly powerful. The image of piles of shoes is so evocative of this tragedy that showing us Kate's shoes and knowing she is Jewish, all while she talks about the horror in Germany at the time was a gut punch.

But after that heaviness, Bennett gives us a little laugh.

Selina and Lex arrive in their motor car to whisk both Kate and Huntress away.

As a joke, Kate asks if it is a rescue or an invite for a menage a trois. The panels of Lex and Selina considering it are perfect. Kate may have been going for a laugh but they're into it! In particular, Lex's look in the second panel is perfect.

Like I said above, there is some bawdy fun in this book.

And then we get game changer. Lex has some Kryptonite. He wants this to be a human war.

I still don't know if I can count Lex amongst the good guys.

The rest of the issue is Bennett and Jarrell moving the pieces on the chess board, bringing everybody together a bit closer.

On the cruiser, Supergirl and Stargirl join the Bombshells and agree to work for Amanda Waller to defend their country. They won't don the stars and stripes though. They are loyal to Russia. They will change their colors though, aligning themselves more with the Allies.

I love that smiling Supergirl.

Meanwhile, Diana and Steve Trevor have been arrested for mutiny after they ignored General Lane's orders to kill the prisoners of war.

Deciding she can no longer follow Lane, Diana uses her powers to break out. Diana is something of a wild card now. She'll need to link up with the Bombshells soon.

And Harley and Ivy are racing through France towards Germany, killing any Nazi they have the luck of running across (or over).

Everyone seems to be on the move towards the front. It can only be a matter of time before they all get together.

The last part of the book focuses on Zatanna. I get a complete kick out of Rabbit John Constantine. (Who rolls those tiny cigarettes for him?).

John tries to inspire Zatanna to break away from the Joker's Daughter. Zatanna has been blackmailed and forced to work for the Nazis because she fears for her life and her family's. But John tells her that her magic dwarfs what the Joker's Daughter can do.

Zatanna is the only character who seems to be in the same place at the end of this issue. But that is okay. We get a lot of backstory and character moments for her here.

All these pages are by Maria Laura Sanapo and Marc Deering and everyone is just fresh, strong, and beautiful. The art sings here, working with the words.

So I continue to love this book. It is a guilty pleasure, an Elseworlds based on statues of scantily clad characters. But Bennett brings so much more to the table. This is a nice romp.

Overall grade: A

Review: Batman/Superman #27

Since its inception, I have had worries about The Truth. A depowered Superman story can be interesting. Having Clark be revealed as Superman can be interesting. But most of my concerns about the overall arch has been the coarsening of Superman's character, making him angry, a monster, a loner. It is as if the creators have forgotten that Clark is Clark, the lessons learned from his parents creating the man he is.

I have been saying that this has been going on too long.

Batman/Superman #27 came out this last week and maybe there are signs that The Truth is coming to an end. There are plot points that come to a pretty fast ending in this issue. Almost too fast. Perhaps I am the worst type of comic reader, complaining about pacing being too slow and then too quick? Also, this is clearly a Batman and Superman issue. The Bat-family, featured so prominently in the last issue, are barely seen.

But, to be honest, I was able to look past some of this sprint to the finish in this issue mostly because there is plenty of very good characterization in the issue. In most of the issue, Superman read like Superman, sounded like Superman. Pak uses a flashback told several times through the issue to have the heroes reflect back on who they are and what they represent.

I very much enjoyed the art in this issue. Cliff Richards provides the 'current' art with the heroes fighting Vandal Savage. Richards brings a very clean look to those scenes. I love his interpretation of Batgirl. The flashback scenes are done by Jack Herbert who brings a more thick-lined, rougher feel which works with this being a memory. The cover is done by Yannick Paquette and while beautiful, that scene does not appear anywhere in the book.

The issue starts with Commissioner Gordon remembering a battle that took place in Gotham where Superman and Batman fought the Supremacists. During that fight, Superman flings a doomsday device into space. Unfortunately, at the same time Jimmy Olsen falls off a roof. Superman makes the choice that the good of the many outweigh the good of his Pal. Luckily, Batman is there to save Jimmy.

Gordon can't help but notice that Batman and Superman clearly trust each other implicitly. In the flashback it shows Gordon smiling when he sees Superman in action. That is a far cry from the gruff distrusting man he is now.

The point being that things were better in the past when these heroes were at their best. It is a very nice contrast to where they are today.

Now the plot becomes a bit silly at this point. Batgirl discovers that the Nazi Warship we saw last issue has been rewired so that all power is going to the turrets. It is basically a giant cannon.

So Vandal Savage's incredible plan, requiring massive energy, is to power a 1940's super-gun. That seems almost silly.

After thinking with his fists for a while, Superman decides to plan more. The team has to dismantle the gun. They have to save the miners. They have to capture Savage. Then Batman says there is one more objective - keeping the team alive.

I love Superman's irritated look. That clearly shouldn't need to be said. Of course, Superman wants them to live. That is old school Superman.

That said, we haven't seen that guy in a while. He shouldn't be annoyed when last issue he was ready to storm the camp like an idiot. So I am glad to see this characterization again.

And Superman planning things makes sense too. But we haven't seen that in a while either. Just last issue, Batgirl was the one laying out the strategy.

And so a plan is made. Part of it is Superman and Batman bringing the fight to Savage, even briefly, in order to take out his teleportation device.

Again, Superman can sense that Batman simply doesn't trust him. I have to say, Superman hasn't been acting too trustworthy lately. So I don't see why Superman should be surprised. Superman tells Batman that the two are both human now. They need to work together.

But the words and art work nicely together. That first panel Superman saying that things are not what they used to be while he is holding a rifle. And the second panel with the small space that feels huge as they two seem to size each other up. That is just about perfect complementary comic panels.

The two retrofit the teleporter to bring them to Savage's flying base. It is a hit and run mission with Superman using the gun to disable Savage's guidance systems. Savage himself, much stronger than I remember him being, wades in and basically mops the floor with the two. Nearly defeated, the two heroes slip back through the teleporter to the mining site, destroying it as they leave. Savage can't just blip in to finish the job. He has to fly there.

It is a nice action sequence. Richards does a nice job keeping things lively, changing viewpoints and giving us palpable hits like this one.

Savage arrives and learns that the Batfamily and Superman are hiding miles out of the base. The villain decides he will use his Nazi Super-turret to wipe them off the face of the Earth. But the heroes have rewired the ship. Now all energy goes to the engines. The plan is the ship will head into orbit where Savage can simply be captured. Unwilling to be captured, Savage rips his way out of the ship, destabilizing it such that it explodes. It is assumed Savage escaped.

Okay. So all this energy Savage has been working on for the last year was to be used to power this big gun? That was a stretch. In this issue we learn the Wayne Tech portable sun needed to be fueled by the uranium the miners were harvesting. That doesn't sound like a self-sustaining energy source, like implied when we first learned of this thing. That seems silly.

And now the big gun is destroyed, thus snipping that plot string abruptly. That seems fast.

I don't know ... I should want all this to go away. But this seemed like a poor payoff for all I have had to live through.

What's nice is that the mission has helped close the chasm between Superman and this Batman. They can trust each other. Gordon actually tells Superman his secret identity, the ultimate sign of trust in these circles.

Hooray.

That is my Superman.

The initial flashback battle between the world's finest duo and the Supremacists was revisited in the middle of the issue, showing how Superman respects the original Batman for always being there.

After this new friendship, Superman remembers the fight once more, remembering that despite their differences the two heroes could always count on each other.

I thought this flashback again used art nicely. The two panels commenting on justice and vengeance are inked in a way that it reminds me of Frank Miller. Of course in Miller's view the two fight each other. And yet the next panel is them out of the shadows and back to back showing that the differences don't have to lead to conflict. It can lead to teamwork.

So I am of two minds with this issue. The whole plot is a bit inane and wrapped up too quickly, too neatly. And yet, this issue shows us a Superman who is a hero, who feels he wants to be trusted, who is a planner trying to save people. That characterization does carry the book for me.

But Savage needed a portable sun to power a Nazi gunship? Really?

Overall grade: B

Silver Banshee On The Supergirl Show

I haven't covered every piece of news which has been released about the Supergirl show as there are other sites doing a great job of it. But sometimes the news brings me too much joy. For example, it was announced last week that Silver Banshee is going to be on the show later this season.

Here is the post from IGN: http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/12/04/dc-villain-silver-banshee-coming-to-supergirl

And a blurb:
Siobhan Smythe (aka Silver Banshee) will enter the fray as Cat Grant's latest hire at CatCo. While she starts off a just "a work nemesis for Kara," Smythe eventually proves to be "a more deadly foe for Supergirl" when she becomes Silver Banshee.

One of the things I absolutely love about the show is that it infuses some of Supergirl's comic history into the episodes. There are characters and plots which are solely Kara's and producers Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler are honoring them there. We have seen Reactron. We have seen a manipulative Cart Grant have, at times, a  contentious relationship with Supergirl. We have a military Lucy Lane, working with her father and maybe being less than impressed with the Girl of Steel.

Now we have Silver Banshee. 

I have written a ton about the Banshee on this site. She is one of my favorites!

Sure she started out as a Superman villain. 

But she fought the Linda Danvers/Matrix Supergirl too.

She fought the reestablished Supergirl in the Sterling Gates run, Supergirl 48-49! That two issue story was a great piece of Gates' run.

And she befriended the New 52 Supergirl, walking a fine line between friend and potential foe. She basically appears in the majority of that book.

It was enough of a partnership in the New 52 that they got a teamwork card in the Women Of Legend DC Comics card series.

Suffice it to say, the Banshee has become a Supergirl villain. So hearing that she will be in the series is fantastic. And while I haven't seen anything of this actress before, Italia Ricci certainly looks like she fits the role.

I'll say it again. Fantastic!