Review: Wednesday Comics #11

Wednesday Comics #11 was released yesterday and, as the penultimate issue, most strips cruised towards their finish lines. Also, more than any other week, this Wednesday Comics is loaded with huge panels which really make use of the expanded page space. As a veteran reader, I have been really thrilled to see artists taking advantage of this unique format and creating these massive pieces of beautiful art. Some of the strips this week were really breath-taking.

As for the Supergirl strip, things are shaping up for an explosive ending ... but we have to get there first.

This week's opening emotional panel shows Supergirl as 'irritated', looking out from under her bangs, and indignantly holding up a 'no littering' sign.

It is a perfectly adorable panel showing a cute and strong Supergirl. It is no easy feat to convey both of those characteristics in a picture but Amanda Conner continues to shine here.

Much like in Cosmic Adventures, there is definitely a feeling that this is a young Supergirl, with a lot of optimism. It is clear she thinks that once she is able to let these aliens know they are doing some harm to Earth that they will simply stop doing it. I won't say it makes her naive ... more like inexperienced. She seems shocked that the aliens first response is to draw their guns. Shouldn't they want to talk to her first?

It all fits with the whole innocent feel of this strip.

Unfortunately, the aliens react with violence and pummel Supergirl with their rifles, nearly knocking her out.

But just as it appears Kara will be overwhelmed, she spots Krypto and Streaky flying in to the rescue. And they don't look happy to see Supergirl being shot.

I expect this comic to end hilariously and explosively. That ship looks an awful lot like a dog bone!

Anyways, the whole vibe of this strip is of a sweet, innocent, adorable Supergirl and this chapter delivers that wonderfully. Of course the concept of 'shoot first talk later' is going to seem nonsensical to this version of Supergirl. As usual, the art here is top notch especially in the panels where we see Supergirl trying to gesticulate her intentions.

Sadly, there is just one more week ...

As for the rest of Wednesday Comics, there was a lot of newsprinty goodness happening. Batman's strip nears its conclusion by implying that Luna has figured out who is under the cowl. Kamandi has a memorable and sad moment as a cast member meets their fate. Deadman realizes that the innocent women aren't so innocent. And the big bad under Trident's mask is revealed in Teen Titans.

As I mentioned above, there is a lot of super-sized action this week as artists really stretched their muscles with giant panels. Wonder Woman, which had suffered from a microscopic layout earlier in the series, has a spectacular vertical panel which dominates the page. Green Lantern also has a massive panel of Hal in a space battle while smaller panels flank him. Korgo ends up on display in a museum in Strange Adventures in a panel that takes up a third of the page. And Hawkman continues to show just how small the hero is when compared to a dinosaur.

I went into Wednesday Comics excited for the Simonson/Stelfreeze Catwoman/Demon strip which has been serviceable but not overly memorable. This week's bonus panel comes from that strip as Stelfreeze gets to dazzle by showing just how big a gout of hellfire Etrigan can belch.

One more week. While I haven't loved every title in Wednesday Comics, I have loved the project as a whole and hope to see some reincarnation of it next summer. It was perfect beach reading. With sales hovering the thirty thousand range I wonder if the book was financially successful enough for DC to consider doing it again.

Overall grade: A