Here we go!
SUPERGIRL #38
Written by Sterling Gates
Cover by Joshua Middleton
Art by Jamal Igle & Keith Champagne
"Who is Superwoman?" part 2! The mystery of the year continues! Supergirl uncovers a vital clue to Superwoman's identity, but the Woman of Steel is more than willing to fight to protect her secrets! Plus, just what is Reactron up to – and what does a certain Metropolis police inspector have to do with it?
There has been talk about bringing back Inspector Henderson to the Superman Family, so I wonder if that is the identity of the mystery police officer. Plus another visit from Reactron.
But the big story is obviously Superwoman. On close inspection, her eye color here seems greenish (albeit in shadows). But her body habitus seems more girlish to me ... fairly similar to Kara's. Am I searching for anything to bolster my 'Superwoman is a Kara clone' theory? You betcha!
As usual, that is a pretty stunning cover from Middleton.
SUPERGIRL: COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE EIGHTH GRADE #3
Written by Landry Q. Walker
Art and cover by Eric Jones
As if being an 8th grader wasn't hard enough, a meteor strikes and makes all of the students at Stanhope Boarding School really super. And why is Belinda Zee suddenly being so nice?
Hmmm, the cover makes me think the meteorite is red kryptonite, probably explaining the change of heart in Belinda Zee.
But how great is it that Linda's school is the Stanhope Boarding School. Stanhope, of course, being the college Linda Lee Danvers attended in the Silver Age.
R.E.B.E.L.S. #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art and cover by Andy Clarke
Variant cover by Andy Clarke
The future is now in this all-new monthly series! Brainiac 2 is a hunted man. His cosmic police force safeguarded over 80 worlds until a mysterious adversary suddenly seized control. Now Vril Dox must recruit a new team to win back his command and free countless billions. But this time, he's basing his new group on the greatest heroes and villains of the 31st Century!Guest-starring Supergirl and The Legion of Super-Heroes!
Continuing the everything old is new again motif of the DCU recently, we have the new series R.E.B.E.L.S. To be honest, this was the first time I heard they were resurrecting the L.E.G.I.O.N. characters. This issue guest stars Supergirl, and I actually liked the early L.E.G.I.O.N. issues way back in 1989, so I will pick this up. It is written by Tony Bedard, who I think did a fine job in his fill-in issues of Supergirl, despite being associated with Countdown and Amazons Attack. And a team based on 31st century characters including a baby Validus and a Widfire guy (Wildfire is my favorite Legionnaire). Interesting.
Of course one book I was expecting to see was still not listed.
We have heard about James Robinson's pro-active Justice League comic featuring Supergirl for a while now ... at least since May. My guess is the formation of the team is somehow linked to the ending of Final Crisis, so we need Final Crisis to wrap up before we can release titles which spring forth from it.
Then I read these absolute bombshells from CBR's Lying in the Gutter (link:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18852 )
A familiar source known collectively as "New York comics industry employees talking in bars" tells me that the last issue of "Final Crisis" is further delayed as it is suffering from serious rewrites. It appears that DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio was unhappy with the way the story concluded and the implications for the DC Universe for a while and had ordered changes from a, naturally, rather unhappy Grant Morrison. Considering this is the way he wrote the pitch for the book.
Morrison is not the only person having difficulties with DiDio's direction. I understand that James Robinson and Dan had a stand up argument that led to Robinson quitting the Superman books and the DCU in general.
Both are listed as 'yellow light' rumors meaning probably true. So we have Didio ticking off two of the better creators in the DC stable right now. I will freely admit I am a Morrison fan and love most of his work. I would hate to see him leave the DCU over this.
But re-writes of Final Crisis? Now!? Didn't everyone know how it was going to end before it got started? Isn't that what the editor in chief supposed to do - accept major storylines prior to their final issue being due? I am as big a DC fan as anyone and even I have to say that Final Crisis has been an absolute disaster - late, befuddling at times, art changes, and now re-writes. Mind-boggling. Disappointing.
Of course, since Final Crisis isn't over, the new Justice League that springs from Final Crisis can't come out. And now Robinson may have quit DC? Just when the Superman titles were becoming relevant again with a stream-lined creative team approach.
I have never been one of those calling for Dan Didio's head, but if these rumors are true I might grab my pitchfork and torch and join the unruly mob!
I hadn't heard those rumors yet, so I'm still a little stunned. Wow...if even half of the stuff turns out to be true, that's very disturbing indeed. We can only hope that the key players can suck it up and be professional, but at this point that sounds as likely as unscrambling eggs.
ReplyDeleteYES! Supergirl #35, Superman/Supergirl:Maelstrom #2, and Tiny Titans #10 all coming out this week! W00T!!! :D
ReplyDeleteMan DC's official Feb 09 solicitations for Supergirl are really looking darn sweet at that here! (As well as that of both Superman and Action!)
Well, Superman leaving Action Comics entirely didn't make an iota of sense till I thought that maybe the reason being for this is so to have the title focus on the so called "Superfamily" (Lois, Jimmy, Krypto, Power Girl, Guardian II, Steel, Natasha/Steel II, Supergirl and apparently soon Nightwing Flamebird and Superwoman) while Superman himself will be soley spotlighted in the pages of main Superman title proper at least while having to leave for space in wanting to fulfill his promise in restoring all those other bottle cities captured by Brainiac planets to once again placed back on new planets that have to be similar to the ones they use to know before Brainiac decided to have their suns all go supernova on them and totally annihilate their homes entirely.
And HOORAY! Adventure Comics is finally coming back as yet again being the home to the Legion of Super-Heroes! YES!!!!
As for that bit about Robinson vs. DiDo here, it doesn't surprise me in the least. For it just so happens that over here in my neck of the woods (Australia) among one of our here artists turned pro that has worked for DC themselves has said come their time at DC that others fellow co workers were apparently warning him not to pimp something out to DiDio if it's something you really believe in because all he'd do is try to take total control over your idea and change it till it becomes that of his own instead, and that it's best waiting for him to leave DC all together at this stage but in the mean time just to pitch him stuff that is so so to you personally. Apparently this came from some of the biggest names at DC at that! So I think that this might be what happened here between Robinson and DiDio for him to want to leave both the title and the company all together.
P.S. Anj you still convinced that Superwoman will actually turn out to be this adult aged clone of Kara herself eh? ;)
Since Superwoman hasn't shown yet, we are only assuming that she's kriptonian. If she's not, she could be PAD's Linda.. a friend of the house of El.
ReplyDeleteOr.. after reading the preview for Supergirl #35, she could be.. Alura..
trying to make Supergirl give up her role.
I hadn't heard those rumors yet, so I'm still a little stunned. Wow...if even half of the stuff turns out to be true, that's very disturbing indeed. We can only hope that the key players can suck it up and be professional, but at this point that sounds as likely as unscrambling eggs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. You're right about with your 'half' comment. A delayed Crisis is bad. Losing Robinson is bad. Both happening ... disastrous.
Especially since my guess is Morrison would not be happy about rewriting his opus and would probably jump ship too.
I can only hope they are rumors ...
Well, Superman leaving Action Comics entirely didn't make an iota of sense till I thought that maybe the reason being for this is so to have the title focus on the so called "Superfamily" (Lois, Jimmy, Krypto, Power Girl, Guardian II, Steel, Natasha/Steel II, Supergirl and apparently soon Nightwing Flamebird and Superwoman) while Superman himself will be soley spotlighted in the pages of main Superman title proper
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post as always.
I think it is weird timing that they would have Superman leave Action just as it is gaining in popularity with New Krypton. The 'Family' idea isn't bad.
P.S. Anj you still convinced that Superwoman will actually turn out to be this adult aged clone of Kara herself eh? ;)
Hey ... I have to dream right?
Since Superwoman hasn't shown yet, we are only assuming that she's kriptonian. If she's not, she could be PAD's Linda.. a friend of the house of El.
ReplyDeleteOr.. after reading the preview for Supergirl #35, she could be.. Alura..
trying to make Supergirl give up her role.
Thanks for the post.
Linda is always an interesting thought for this comic. I still worry as Superwoman is sort of being cast as a villain and I would hate to see Linda become one.
Alura on the other hand ... compelling thought.
Action Comics has been the most consistent seller at my store - we can't keep the Brainiac storyline issues in stock, and had the same problem with the Legion storyline. If Superman will no longer be featured in the book (which is new to me, I hadn't heard that), I expect that to change. It's our only DC title that sells week after week like that; the others that perform that way are all Marvel titles. Which has problems of their own, but producing books that people want to read isn't one of them.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, there are no good ideas at DC that can't be ruined by editorial. Best hope for getting rid of Didio would be if he alienates Geoff Johns.
So how long before the next creative team/direction for Supergirl is announced? Place your bets.
The Supermanhomepage.com is discounting the whole "Robinson has quit" rumor.
ReplyDeleteAs for turmoil at the top of DC I'm of two minds, having seen the chaos created by Joe Kelly on "Supergirl" I really do think DC's editors could do a better job of saying No to bad ideas...on the other hand it's clear Robinson et al have a good handle on Superman and Supergril et al.
Lets hope everyone can compose their differences and move forward.
John Feeer
The Supermanhomepage.com is discounting the whole "Robinson has quit" rumor.
ReplyDeleteI read that too ... and it was from a reliable source, Matt Adelson, super-titles editor.
Whew!
Anj Adelson? I think you mean Matt Idelson there. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank Rao though that he has gone on record as officially confirming that CBR's "LITG" ("Lying In The Gutters") column about Robinson supposedly leaving main Superman title as well as DC all together as being so not true in the end.
I think we'll see the new Justice League in March. It spins out of Final Crisis and Didio says that Final Crisis' last deadline will allow for a March start in the post crisis DCU. So I'm guessing that we will see the debut of this Justice League and ,as per Newsarama ,The Battle for the Cowl, Batman's final end is to come in the Final Crisis conclusion. I hope that makes sense.
ReplyDelete