Supergirl Episode 10: Childish Things

Supergirl Episode 10, titled 'Childish Things' aired this week and was the equivalent of a break issue in a comic run. Yes, the long-running plots of Hank being J'Onn and Maxwell Lord's villainy continued to move forward. But the bulk of this episode focused on Winn Schott and his father the Toyman. While this plot wasn't crucial for the overall arcs of the season, it did add some significant depth to Winn, the one character who still seemed a bit too two-dimensional for me. This was an episode where Justin Jordan got to shine. And his scenes with Melissa Benoist were wonderful.

Now to get this story out, Supergirl has to overcome some rather mundane threats from the Toyman. In fact, she should have easily handled these threats. But I need to look over these action scene quibbles because I felt the character bits of this episode were really strong.

I'll concentrate on the Winn/Kara plot and touch on the Hank/Alex/Max stuff here as well. There is a Lucy/James plot I'll touch on at the end.

The episode starts with the Toyman breaking out of jail, killing his security guards ruthlessly with a yo-yo armed with a circular saw blade. This was a pretty grim scene and nicely set up how crazy Toyman, played brilliantly by Henry Czerny, would be in the episode.

This horror scene was countered nicely with the publicized scene of Kara and J'onn flying. We learn that J'onn is reluctant to show who he is or openly use his powers. Earth won't accept him because he is a monster. Kara's response resonates far beyond commenting on J'onn and his powers. She talks about how after she  'came out' and 'embraced who she was meant to be' that she has never been happier. That can be an empowering statement about anyone who feels they are hiding a part of themselves out of fear.

The FBI and agent Cameron Chase come to CatCo to question Winn about his father. It is only then that the staff, including Kara, learn that Winn's father is the Toyman. (You would think that Cat would know given background checks. I mean, here he is Winn Schott Jr.!)

Winn lets it be known how much he hates his father. Winn loved his dad, a person similar in personality, until his life changed when his father murdered 6 people. Toyman wanted to kill his old boss Dunnholtz, who stole Schott's toy designs. (This mirrors the John Byrne origin.) Unfortunately, the Toyman bomb killed Dunnholz assistant and some co-workers. Jordan plays Winn's emotions well, showing the hate he has while trying to keep it controlled.

I have to say, I love the Toyman Easter Eggs, riffing on both the Super Friends version and the Superman:The Animated Series one.

 The Toyman doll leads Winn to a boardwalk arcade, complete with creepy dolls, robotic stuffed animals, and a feel of antiquated grime to feel creepy. Toyman is there and tells Winn that they share a genius which lesser people call madness. Brrrr ...

The FBI storms the arcade and open fires on Winn Sr. Unfortunately, this isn't the real Toyman but some simulacrum which triggers a counterattack of poison gas. This seemed like a pretty quick use of force.

Kara flies in as Supergirl and takes in all the gas with vacuum breath and disperses it in the sky. Hey, any time a new power is used, I'm happy.

This scene ends with Kara telling Winn how much she needs him in her life. She can see how Winn's past could make him feel isolated and alone (much as she sometimes feels), but they can help each other move beyond that.

 Meanwhile, Alex bullies Hank into using his Martian powers to infiltrate Lord Industries and Room 52. She'll keep the real Max Lord away by wining and dining him. I like that Lord has Alex in his speed dial as 'Mata Hari'. Alex admits that her organization has a partnership with Supergirl.

Lord is pure Lex here, talking about how Alex has accomplished all she has through hard work and grit, not because of alien physiology.

 Meanwhile, Hank has shapeshifted into Hank and walks through Lord's compound. He has some fun with an administrator, stating that his (that is Lord's) 'narcissism and unkempt facial hair' cut his date off with Alex early.

Inside room 52 Hank sees BizarroGirl, basically braindead and being infused with some chemical concoction.

Unfortunately, a security guard comes in, questions Hank/Lord about 'Codename Phoenix' forcing J'onn to mindwipe the guard. He robs the guard of years of memory. Later, Hank is curt with Alex, saying she made him do something he vowed he would never do again. I am calling it now, he mindwiped the real Hank who is still alive in South America.

 Winn figures out his father is probably holed up in his old factory. Supergirl heads over and confronts the Toyman. Somehow she is trapped in thermite quicksand hidden in a giant building block. She is being sucked down to her death. Meanwhile, as another distraction, the Toyman has put a child in a steamer trunk headed towards an industrial shredder.

This seems like a simple trap for Supergirl to have avoided let alone escape. Using her super-breath for the second time this episode, she freezes the sand and shatters it.

 The 'child' in the trunk is a Supergirl doll. In fact, Toyman used creepy Supergirl toys in this scene twice. I said it before, Czerny's understated acting, playing this as if he is perfectly normal to feel the way he does, is chilling.

 Back at Kara's apartment, Winn talks about how he worries that he will snap one day like his father. He was so like his dad that he thinks his genes are time bombs.

I like Kara's response, saying that Winn's dad killing those people is similar to her losing all of Krypton. Both of their lives ended that day. But rather than giving in to rage and hate, they both strive to give back.

Kara didn't let Krypton's destruction make her wallow in hate and rage. DO YOU HEAR THAT JEPH LOEB, JOE KELLY, and SCOTT LOBDELL???!!!!

Unfortunately, Winn thinks is the right moment to lean in and try to kiss Kara, a kiss she recoils from.

#PoorWinn

 Embarassed, sad, or both, Winn leaves only to be kidnapped by his father. Toyman Sr.has come up with a truly insane plan. He knows that Dunnholtz will be at a Toy Convention. Toyman has planted 10 bombs around the convention floor. Unless Winn goes and kills Dunnholtz, Toyman will detonate the bombs killing hundreds. It is up to Winn. That is madness!

Perhaps more chilling is that Toyman says that this murder by Winn will bring them closer together. In fact, throughout the episode Toyman talks about how Winn is 'the best thing he ever made'. Could Winn be a robot???

Winn refuses to kill Dunnholtz. Toyman activates the bombs, a move which would kill Winn as well. But Supergirl girl arrives. She activates the sprinklers in the convention center and uses her super-breath (again) to freeze an ice wall between the crowd and the bombs. That's using her brains!

Just like that the Toyman is captured.

 But the relationship between Winn and Kara is damaged.

He finally confesses his love for her (how could she not know??). And he can't be with her when it hurts him to bottle up his feelings. It was his father bottling up his feelings that turned him into the Toyman.

Is it a little immature of Winn? Yeah. But this is the first time he is dealing with this stuff openly. I suspect he'll come back a wiser and more mature friend after.

The episode really sticks the landing though.

Alex and Kara share TV night where they talk about how the Danvers sisters should 'come with a warning'. Kara has hurt Winn and she can't live with herself. Alex pressured Hank into doing something terrible. At least they have each other.

They also have Maxwell Lord who planted a camera on Alex's purse. Now Max knows Supergirl is Alex sister. Brilliant turn.

Also, Cat and Lucy continue to be catty about Lois. Cat says Lucy is too smart to pine away for James without an identity. Lucy is hired as Cat's lawyer. And James initially seems cool to the whole thing but it has nothing to do with not wanting Lucy around and everything about him wanting to be Mr. Action and not an art director behind a desk.

There are a lot of nice little moments in this episode. But this is really Jeremy Jordan's show. His scenes with Henry Czerny are tense and gut-wrenching. His scenes with Melissa Benoist are compelling and tear-inducing. I don't have words to convey how I thought those scenes shined. They were the highlight, surpassing super-breath and creepy dolls.

I don't think this was any where near the best episode of this series. But it made Winn something more and did keep things moving forward. Plus, Toyman Easter Eggs!! And two new Anj theories. The real Hank is mindwiped and alive in South America. And Winn could be an automaton.

Sales Review: December 2015

After a sort of dismal November for DC, the company rallied a bit in December, mostly in market share. The usual coverage is over on ICv2, my favorite site to review this sort of information. Here is the link:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/33439/top-300-comics-actual-december-2015

Despite that bump, it feels like there is the same sort of erosion at the company. Remove things like the Dark Knight miniseries and opaque bagged variants and you are stuck with a company that doesn't seem to have any lasting bright spots, especially with the Super-family.

In fact, maybe in this new year, DC should resolve to shore up this part of their lineup. They need to fix Superman.

We do know that the fiftieth issues of many of the New 52 books will be a turnover point, a place for bold new directions. And solicits show a flying Superman in those issues meaning the powerless Truth must be sprinting to an end.

Superman #47 brought a semi-closure to the Hordr_Root threat as Superman defeated the information terrorist, capturing him in a portable hard drive.

This was something of a climax to the plot running in the Superman book. So how did it sell?

Well, Superman #47 was the best selling of the super-books, coming in at 47K, just above Ms. Marvel and Hellcat #1.

I think part of the problem with The Truth has been the sort of meandering villain plots when I don't quite see the big picture of any of the villains. If this story was more character driven, I might be more invested.

Superman Annual #3 was also released last month. This was a key issue for The Truth as it looked closely at Vandal Savage, the big bad of the whole storyline.

We see that Savage wants to get back in touch with the comet that gave him power.

How that translates into any of the plots before this annual I have no idea. Why the energy drain? Why the nazi gun ship? Why stealing uranium? If he had control of the Stormwatch ship, why attack Earth? Why not just go to the comet?

The annual sold nearly 29000, just under what Action Comics #47 sold.

I have to say, it really pains me to see the Pak/Kuder book down in the weeds here.

It might sound crazy given my general rant about the super-books, but I hope Pak/Kuder get to stay on the book once a sort of status quo is brought back. I think they flourish when not involved in a mega-crossover. That haunted Smallville storyline was phenomenal.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark, the best Superman book out there in my opinion, slipped to 21K, probably why it was truncated to a mini-series. I have to assume that won't be picked up as an ongoing.

And the best Supergirl book on the market ... indeed one of my favorite books overall ... is Justice League 3001 and that book also continues to slip.

Justice League 3001 #7 sold just under 14K. That is pretty dangerous waters to be in.

And it is a shame because there is solid characterization in this book and a brilliant take on a Silver Age Supergirl thrust into a leadership role in a dark future. All Kara fans should be reading this.

Thankfully, the Truth is limping to an end. But it pains me that the higher quality super-books are languishing a bit in sales.

Review: Batman/Superman #28

Remember when Bruce Wayne was Batman, Superman had powers, and the two were colleagues if not outright friends?

Been a while, hasn't it?

Batman/Superman #38 came out last week and was a flashback story to those halcyon days when the might not be best buddies but they respect each other and work well together. The story, called 'Universe's Finest' was written by Tom Taylor and is a very good opening chapter to this story. It has a very decent hook and a grabbing (if maybe overused) cliffhanger. I'll admit I wasn't expecting this from someone writing the Injustice book.

The art is done by penciler Robson Rocha who is inked by a bevy of professionals, Wade Von Grawbadger, Norm Rapmund, and Dexter Vines. I was very impressed by Rocha's work here, especially the splash pages which have the appropriate gravitas for big art.

But the bottom line is that it is good for me to be reading these characters again.

The issue starts with human interest angle. An astronaut is out on a spacewalk from an orbiting station when a large object flies by her, colliding with the moon. The momentum of this object disrupts the astronaut's jaunt such that suddenly her suit is damaged and she is unmoored.

I love this very human moment when this woman gives a message to be given to her partner, a message to keep striving and exploring. This set of panels, the glass of the helmet cracking, was nicely done.

This is a time when Superman is fully powered. He fuses the cracks with heat vision and brings her back to the station. The splash which follows this, where we see the reflection of an iconic Superman on the repaired helmet is wonderful.

Superman goes to investigate what struck the moon and comes across a dead giant alien in a shattered space suit. Whatever this thing is, it has taken its last moments to draw a Superman/Batman symbol in the dust.

I thought this double page spread was fantastic. It gives and appropriate scope and power to the size of this alien and scene. There was a nice resonance to this dead astronaut and the one saved before.

But this is a big moment, literally, that deserves big art.

With the scrawled message received, Superman heads to Gotham to get Batman's help. After seeing the GCPD and Batman struggle for a couple of pages to stop Clayface, it was sort of amusing to see Superman stop the villain quickly with a blast of super-breath.

For one, this reminded me of the running gag of Mike Maihack's Supergirl/Batgirl strips where Kara ends all threats in a panel, usually offscreen.

Second, the fact that a wounded Batman is upset that Superman interfered. And that Superman knows Batman would never ask for help. These guys know each other.

But Clark knows that Batman is needed sooner rather than later. This giant alien takes precedent.

The two begin to investigate the crime scene on the moon.

There Batman drops standard Batman knowledge. This wasn't an accident. This is a murder. The alien's suit had failsafe devices that should have saved it if they could have activated them. He then tells of his own suit's redundancy, a nice glimpse into Batman's preparation.

But then Batman somehow deduces that whoever killed this thing probably was using the corpse as a ship to get here. While I don't know how he figured that out, I absolutely love the idea. That is a novel concept.

This Batman does have almost omniscience to the point that it reminded me a bit of how uber-prepared he was in the Morrison JLA. Looking at the corpse, Batman sizes it up as a sort of reptile and can tell that the death wasn't asphyxiation. Now how he knows what this dead alien should look like depending on cause of death, I have no idea.  I guess I should be used to this sort of Batman by now.

Even Superman is amazed that Batman knows so much about dead lizards meaning he has performed autopsies on reptiles. Clark knows it is strange.

But it is Batman's response that is the line of the book. Strange is perspective. Dissecting reptiles isn't strange compared to a giant alien murder scene on the moon. Panel of the week!

The two heroes realize that a small spy drone is watching them. And when Clark grabs it, it self-destructs.

The people on the other side of the camera are Lobo and an unnamed alien who has put out a hit on Batman. So this seems like a side story. What I can't tell is if these two are inside the alien as passengers or if they are somewhere else.

I am no fan of Lobo. But an unnamed alien with a grudge against Batman? That is a decent hook.

The story ends with Superman grabbing a device out of the alien's hand which triggers an automatic message ... in Kryptonese. The message includes a map. A map where someone wrote this message. The implication? There is another Kryptonian alive. As this is a flashback, for all I know this occurs before Supergirl arrives on Earth.

Now I have read comics long enough to have seen almost too many Kryptonians survive. Whether it was Kandor in the Silver Age or the entire World of New Krypton or even The Third Kryptonian, I am no longer surprised to hear about another living Kryptonian. But a sort of space adventure to find them is another new wrinkle.

This was a nice issue which I thought was very entertaining. Outside of the highlighted moments there are nice little things sprinkled throughout (Batman's bat-moon boot footprints, Alfred's super-power being the ability to slip someone tea at a moment's notice) that made this feel like a full story and an opening chapter. It is nicely paced with a slow human moment before hitting the gas on adventure the rest of the way. And there are decent hooks to keep me intrigued. Who is the dead alien? Who is the alien with the bat-grudge? Who is writing Kryptonese?

Add to that a more classic representation of these two icons and I was a happy reader. Can't wait to read more.

Overall grade: A

Adventures Of Supergirl #1 Cover

In a week when the Supergirl show dropped a lot of news, we got some news about the upcoming digital comic Adventures of Supergirl over on CBR. Here is the link:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/kara-zor-el-soars-on-adventures-of-supergirl-1-cover-art

To start off, we got a look at the cover of issue one with an absolutely stunning cover by Cat Staggs. There is a ton to love about this image. It is a nice heroic pose, Supergirl streaking from the sky and flying between the buildings of National City and Catco.  I love that smile on her face! A happy, bright Supergirl is always appreciated. I wouldn't mind a poster of that!

And here is a quote from Sterling Gates from the article:
"Fans of the show can expect to see all their favorite Supergirl characters play a role in our massively action-packed thirteen-part story exploring the various facets of Supergirl's life," promises Gates. "My editors have assembled a wildly talented group of artists -- including Bengal, Jonboy Meyers, Emanuela Lupacchino, Emma Viscelli, and the brilliant cover artist, Cat Staggs -- and our goal is to knock your super-socks off every two weeks across 2016."

The lineup of artists is just impressive! 

We are 10 days away from the release of the premiere issue! 

Review: Action Comics #48

Action Comics #48 came out last week, another chapter in The Truth, another issue closer to the end of this mega-arc, another chapter that I feel like I don't understand exactly what is going on, why it is going on, and why I am supposed to care.

Maybe I am just so fatigued about this arc that I am not invested.

And it is a shame, because like many of the Greg Pak/Aaron Kuder Action Comic issues, there are some things to like. In particular, it was great to see Kuder back on pencils for most of the issue. His stuff is really visually engaging, quirky and hypnotic.

But I can't get over the fact that I still don't understand the motivations of Vandal Savage, the 'big bad' of this mega-arc. What is he trying to accomplish? How does he think he is going to do it? Why was draining Superman so key? And why does he need his kids?

In the Superman Annual, Savage had taken over the Stormwatch satellite and has returned to Earth, crashing it into the JLA watchtower and suddenly in orbit.

Why?

We learned in the Annual that Savage is trying desperately trying to get back in contact with the Kryptonian Comet. He now has control of a massive mobile space fortress. Why come to Earth? Why fight the JLA? Why not just use this ship to find the comet and get the power?

Unless that isn't what he is trying to accomplish? But then what is he trying to accomplish? World domination? Then why bring up the comet at all? I'm confused.

One thing I do like is that Superman, still on the ground, is trying to save as many people from the destruction of this Savage attack as possible. That sounds like Superman.

We never learn just how Savage got control of the Stormwatch ship? Did he defeat them?

And somehow, almost off screen, Savage and his kids are able to defeat the entire JLA, hooking them up to energy draining devices. Savage, Frankenstein, Hordr, Wrath, and troops defeat Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and the Flash.

Savage then says he wants to change the world for the better, something Superman should be doing if he was a hero.

But how is Savage going to save the world.

One of the ways seems to be firing Black Mass bombs into the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Superman is on the ground stopping buses from falling off bridges and grabbing people in danger of dying. Luckily, another League is around to help out, the recently cancelled Justice League United.

I include this panel just to showcase how great Kuder draws a team shot. Great stuff.

The League, Superman, and Steel decide to hole up and think out a plan.

The transformation of Lana from action hero to angry ex to loving ex continues. When she sees Clark, she runs into his arms. She thoughts he had died.

I can remember gushing about how Lana was portrayed when Pak first reintroduced her waayyyy back in the Subterranea storyline. I had an idea of who she was as a character then. Now, she has been through a bit of a blender of emotions such that I don't know what to expect anymore.

While together, Steel reveals plans for a new super-armor, based on original Metallo armor and powered by Kryptonite. With no other choice, Superman decides to don it, though it may kill him, so he can help out more.

And then for the absolute oddest twist in the story for me. So I am hoping someone can explain it to me.

The Black Mass bombs are killing people, making them wrathful. Suddenly Wrath is upset at Savage's tactics with her black power. She didn't think it was a killing device. She suddenly has some ethics and her father wants nothing to do with that. He wants to kill off people so only the Savage bloodline will persist.

So first off, when did Wrath become good. Remember her first appearances, grinning seductively in the mayor office as she sends monsters to attack neighborhoods. She was all about wrath and anger and destruction. She was not into saving people or finding survivors. So this makes no sense to me ... none.

Second, didn't Savage suck all the shadow out of his daughter and everyone and tuck it back into the box just a couple of issues ago??

The JLU and Superman storm the Stormwatch ship and Superman is able to free Diana.

She notices that his armor is killing him.

Beautiful art here.

Hordr is somehow able to capture all of the JLU and hook them into energy draining machines. That also seems a bit fast, no? If these guys are that tough, that they can defeat two Justice Leagues so easily, how can I ever buy that Superman in armor that's killing him can win?

And, to further be confusing, Wrath turns on her father because he is evil.

This turn also seems odd given how evil Wrath has been this whole time. She hasn't been worried about people or trying to do good ever.

And so there are only two heroes left who can save the day, Superman and Wonder Woman.

But they seem defeated already while Savage prepares his final strike.

Can anyone tell me, succinctly, what Savage's plan is? Get to the comet? Use Black Mass to kill people? Why all the energy draining? Why the Nazi gunship in Batman/Superman? Why Uranium and portable suns when he clearly is powerful enough to capture and drain superpowered beings?

Is all of the Truth and all the arcs in the books supposed to all be tied into Savage? And how am I supposed to rectify all these plots into something cohesive?

Thank goodness Kuder was on art for the bulk of the book. The visuals are the only thing that propped this book up. Because it seems like things are happening fast and loose so this thing can come to an end.

Overall grade: C-

Supergirl Show News From TCA 2016 - Vandervoort! Master Jailer! Alan Moore!

I haven't covered all the news and casting but when it comes as fast and furious as it did 2 days ago, I feel I need to comment. Especially because this news is so fantastic that I felt compelled to discuss it. At the Television Critics Association tour on Monday, the Supergirl show crew announced some bombshells. This Entertainment Weekly article does a good job of recapping them:
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/11/supergirl-laura-vandervoort-indigo-master-jailer

Settle in, there was a lot of news. And of course I have lots of things to say about so many of these. So some blurbs from the article will be followed by my usual banter.

Laura Vandervoort has been signed to star on the show starting in episode 15. She has been cast as Indigo. Indigo was a Titan who started out as an innocent robot but was then revealed to be Brainiac 8, sent back in time to kill Donna Troy. But here is the blurb describing her in the show.

Indigo is described by producers as a living, strong-willed supercomputer who was sentenced to Fort Rozz after turning against the people of Krypton. Now on Earth, Indigo will let nothing stand in her way.

“She’s badass,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says. “She’s going to look awesome. Definitely not going to look just like Laura. Being one aspect of the Brainiac program, she comes in through computers, so Winn is actively involved in that episode. She has a very interesting backstory. She was one of the Fort Rozz prisoners, but how she came to be and how she ended up on the prison, and what she’s been doing on Earth is part of the fun and the surprise of the episode.”

I am pretty pumped to have Vandervoort on the show, continuing the nice sense of legacy in the show. And bringing in a Brainiac derivative is great. Can't wait to see more. But let's be honest. We all know what we want.

We now have the chance to see all three actresses who have played Kara all together in one scene! This better happen!!

In other villain news, soap star Jeff Branson has been cast as the Master Jailer. In the comics, the Jailer was Carl 'Moosey' Draper, a brilliant scientist who grew up in Smallville, insanely jealous of Superboy and obsessed with Lana Lang. Here is the blurb from the article.

Jeff Branson will recur as the forceful and unrelenting jail guard on Fort Rozz who showed no mercy. Now on Earth, he is hellbent on catching all of the Fort Rozz escapees and brutally bringing them to justice.

One thing I like about this is that here he is one of the staff on Fort Rozz. I was wondering if there were any good guys on that prison. It'll be interesting to see if he has been hunting (and maybe executing) the Rozz escapees during all these years. Maybe be will play another ethical foil to Supergirl.

Lastly, in what I think is a brilliant move, the show will riff on the famous Alan Moore story 'For the Man Who Has Everything" in episode 13. In that story in Superman Annual #11 (a story everyone should read), Superman is given a vision of what Krypton would be like had it not exploded. It isn't all rosy. Kara has a bit part in the story, maybe something for me to highlight later. As for the Supergirl show:

“There was something about that particular story that, to me, was almost even more resonant for her,” Kreisberg said, noting that it’s a good guess that this will be the episode that features young Kal-El. “For Superman, when it happens to him, it’s his wish for something that he never had. But for her, she wants something back that was taken from her. It really is like her stepping into this fantasy of what life would’ve been like if she had never left Krypton and had grown up there, if her parents were still alive, if she had grown into the person and the life that she wanted to lead. Again, because it’s coming at a time where she’s feeling so low about her life on Earth, it becomes that much more potent… She’s actually getting back everything that was taken away from her and the only way out of it is to reject it. Imagine how horrible that’s going to be.”

Everything Kreisberg says makes perfect sense. She remembers Krypton. She would have an understanding of what life would be like. This is something she would truly want, unlike Kal who has no memories of the place. I can't wait to see this. Given how hard it was for Superman to reject the vision in the story, I am sure it is going to rip out Kara's heart. And this gives Melissa Benoist another juicy emotional scene for us to see.This also is a good explanation for the casting of a young Kal-El, news we heard about a while ago.

I don't know if they will do the 'Black Mercy' flower as the explanation for this dream. Could it be a telepath? Coma?

Lastly, we finally get confirmation that the Jane Doe in 'Blood Bonds' is BizarroGirl. Over on CBR, we get news of episode 12 called simply 'Bizarro'. Here is the article:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/kara-battles-a-bizarro-version-of-herself-in-supergirl-episode-12-synopsis

And the blurb:
"Bizarro" – Kara faces off against her mirrorimage when Bizarro (Hope Lauren), a twisted version of Supergirl, sets out to destroy her. Also, Kara grows closer with Cat’s son, Adam (Blake Jenner), on SUPERGIRL, Monday, Feb. 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

I don't know much about Hope Lauren but she certainly looks enough like Melissa Benoist to fool people from a distance. My guess is Max Lord unleashes her to besmirch Supergirl's character. I also bet that she starts out looking normal and slowly 'bizarro-fies' over the episode until she dies at the end. Let's see if I'm right.

Anyways, nothing not to love about any of this news. Laura Vandervoort!!!  

Review: DC Comics Bombshells #8

DC Comics Bombshells #8 came out last week and brought us back to the front of the war after last issue's look at problems on the American shore. Writer Marguerite Bennett continues to weave a great war time story, bringing in heroes from varying backgrounds and uniting them under the Allied cause. One of the things I love about this book is that these characters are recognizable, valid versions of these established characters, but are also fresh in this new environment and world.

This issue we get a deeper look at Supergirl and Stargirl, learning more about their origins and feelings. I will always be more particular about Supergirl so I have to say that I am pretty happy with how Kara is presented in this book. One thing I always say about Supergirl is that she is a pretty complicated character with layers of personality, an optimistic outlook mixed with a ferocity and loyalty. There can be some heaviness in her as well given her losses. Bennett seems to get that and that makes me very happy.

And the art Bomb-cadre continues to sparkle here. Laura Braga brings some nice horror to the Wonder Woman story. And Sandy Jarrell and Laura Sanapo have a wonderfully smooth polished style for the Supergirl/Mera/Stargirl section of the book. It has me hoping one or more of them will make it to the Northeast for a convention in the summer.

The first third of the book is Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor operating in the front in Greece.

I don't know if I totally like Steve Trevor being such a broken person in this book. He is both physically and psychologically destroyed and Diana really needs to watch over him closely. Here she wonders if on some other world their relationship is different, if they are closer and happier. Riffing on other continuities works for me all the time. And it is ironic that, at least in the current DCU, they aren't happier. Still, as she says, all things come back.

Also in this scene, we hear that Diana buried an entire village of innocents slaughtered by the Axis. She knows her role now as a symbol of victory so she did this quietly and unseen so that Americans wouldn't see her burying the dead. That is some heady stuff and it shows how Diana understands her role and her duty.

But this was the ka-pow moment. We see the threat of the undead Tenebrau growing, consuming the dead of Allies, Axis soldiers, and any of the dead. And leading this battalion is a name from Wonder Woman's classic past, Baroness Paula Von Gunther. Von Gunther was a major villain in the classic Golden Age Wonder Woman stories so seeing her reimagined here is superb.

Boom!

The rest of the book focuses on Mera, Supergirl, and Stargirl in London.

I would say that Mera is the sauciest of the Bombshells, singing siren songs and charming the men while flouncing around in her beach wear. She seems the happiest of the heroes maybe because it's better down where it's wetter? Under the sea?

Supergirl in this book has been about as far away from Mera's sunny disposition as possible. She has seemed stern and determined, loyal to her family and initially to Mother Russia. She hasn't been cold. She clearly loves her family dearly. But she doesn't suffer fools.

I like how Mera kisses her, comparing her to Diana. And Jarrell says so much with Kara's side-eye and stiff almost bristling body language.

But you sense that there is a sort of sadness in Kara as well. That opening panel, holding herself, in shadows, looking away. It screams sorrow.

She feels that she has let her family down by letting her adoptive father, Ipati Dugin, get kidnapped. (Making Kortni's father be a version of Stripesy is a brilliant stroke.)

But it is clear that Kara loves this man for accepting her and loving her.

We then learn that Dugin isn't Kortni's biological father. Stargirl's mother had a whirlwind romance with an English suitor in Russia and got pregnant. Her mother was cast out into a desolate village where she would have starved had it not been for the love of the animals and forest.

And Dugin, disgraced, found her and they fell in love. We learn that Ipati was able to build the cosmic rod, powered by the stars. But that second panel, with talks of lantern lights and moving planets makes me think that a Star Sapphire or Jade is going to show up soon.

Jarrell shines again here, setting up the pages like tapestries or wood carvings, adding a fairy tale feel to this magical story of nature providing.

Kortni's father is Sam Whitmore, aligning her with her main DC history. She is sent by her mother to engage her father.

Now I'm not always a fan of Kara crying at the drop of a hat but this panel also worked. It makes you understand that Kara really feels alone on this world. Despite being in this family, she has always felt apart. And now she thinks all the bad things that have happened to this family are because of her.

This sort of feeling of 'otherness' isn't always a prominent feature of Kara but it has had its moments in her history. Definitely this sort of sadness and loss is part of it. I thought this gave some depth to Kara, as if that gruff exterior is a sort of emotional armor.

And once more, Jarell's art conveys that so much. You almost feel her recoiling in sadness and sobbing.

Laura Sanapo finishes art in this issue.

Kortni, now Courtney, meets her father and is welcomed with open arms.

But you can see that he is a bit old-fashioned, thinking that girls shouldn't play with war machines. He wants to get her dolls and ponies.

I think we'll see Courtney squelch that pretty quickly. She isn't going to stop being Stargirl, helping the war effort, and putting her life on the line to be a hero.

To be honest, I was glad that this father acted this way. Let's face it, this attitude of a 'woman's place' was probably the norm for the time. I needed to see this voice here if only to be shot down by the more liberated heroes here.

Meanwhile, Mera is called to fight the now undead crew of the U-boats she sank last issue. These water-logged Tenebrau have littered the English seaside with mines. This is something not even Mera can handle alone. Using telepathy (?), she calls on Supergirl for help.

A skirmish unfolds until a Kraken/Elder God shows up to challenge our heroes. It was great to see these two unload, using their powers to blow up the mines and fight the zombies.

I thought this underwater action sequence was drawn brilliantly, and the colors here (J. Nanian and Kelly Fitzpatrick) are murky and dark when needed to convey the environment. Wonderful.

So another great issue in this series. I read comics to escape a bit and to be entertained. This book has continued to do both. Action, characterization, multiple locales, it has it all. This is wonderful, a 'top of the stack' book every time.

Overall grade: A