Bits Of Supergirl Business

I have been unbelievably busy at work and so felt I need to clean the deck with all the great stuff recently revealed on the web about the future of the Super-titles. Some of these may have warranted a post all on their own, but I am drowning a bit so everything gets shoved in here.

On to the links! As always, the entire links are great reads and I advise going to them for the full story, but I have pulled a quite here or there that I really liked. Lots of links ... so this is a long post.


First off , Comic Book Resources has two interviews with James Robinson and Sterling Gates regarding Superman:Last Stand of New Krypton. There is some interesting chatter about General Zod and how he compares to both Superman and Brainiac, about what is happening in the book, about the Legion, and of course about Supergirl.

Here is the link to part one and my favorite part of the interview:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25173


From the solicitations and what's been building all along, the Legion of Super-Heroes plays a role, as well, in "Last Stand of New Krypton." The team is massive. Do you focus on a core few?

SG: It's funny, but I never really liked Tellus and Quislet. They were Legionnaires I just never really got into. Which is fine, that's one of the brilliant things about the Legion, there are so many characters to like, there are bound to be a couple you don't like.

When we sat down to figure out this story, I looked at the fact that James and Geoff had been using Tellus a lot - whether it was "Adventure Comics" or "Superman" or "Guardian Special" - and I set out to use Tellus in such a way that would make me like him. And I wanted to use Quislet in such a way that would get me to enjoy Quislet, so that was my goal.

Between the scenes I did with Tellus in "Adventure Comics" #9 and the scene I did with Quislet in "Adventure Comics" #10, I really grew to enjoy those two, and now I want to use those characters even more.

Brainiac 5 was another character that I was very interested in, but very nervous to write. He's a character that whoever writes him falls in love with writing him, and with good reason. He's a blast to write. He's an extremely smart man, and his snide, know-it-all attitude sings out from the page. I've known some exceptionally smart people in my life, and all of them struggled with their emotions from time to time, so that's how I'm approaching Brainiac 5. Especially in regards to how he is around Supergirl in "Supergirl" #52.

Fans of Supergirl and fans of the Legion know there's something there between them, and it's gonna be a lot of fun to see the rapport between those two. We're not reestablishing their relationship that issue, per se, but instead, we're going to...

JR: You're giving too much away.
SG: Oh. Yeah, you're probably right. Well, uh, Supergirl/Brainiac 5 fans, give "Supergirl" #52 a read!

I can remember that 'admission class' to the Legion. Five new members joined, Sensor Girl, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Tellus, and Quislet. I think there was a push to get away from 'humanoid' members only on the book. I never quite enjoyed Tellus either. In some ways he was stepping into Saturn Girl's spot and he was never going to win me over. So I look forward to seeing what Gates does with him.

And, of course, I am very interested in seeing the Brainy/Supergirl storyline as well!


The second part of the interview has lots of interesting info as well, but refreshingly there is a lot of Supergirl talk in it. Here is the link:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25193

And I guess with Superman, Supergirl and Superboy facing off against Zod, Ursa and Non, not to mention another 100,000 revved up Kryptonians, there is not going to be a lot of time for quiet moments and pages and pages of solitary self-reflection?

James Robinson: Well, it's war. There are emotional beats to be had, absolutely, in terms of loss and humanity. But the fact is, with it being a 100-minute war and the reason why this works so well, is that if it were a monthly book, it would be a terrible thing. You'd have too much time between issues. So for May, there is no "Superman," there is no "Supergirl," there's no "Action," there is just this book, every week. So there is a momentum that we can establish so quickly that you don't have time for walks on the beach of New Krypton.

SG: And where some of the power of the story comes from is its immediacy. War is hell. This story is brutal, and it's savage and it's war - all-out war - in a way that the DCU hasn't seen before. That's what I think is so cool about this story. We've never seen Earth go to war with Krypton like this in the history of the DCU, so for me, that's what makes the story exciting. Making it a weekly story makes it feel huge. Every week you're going to get slammed upside the head with 25 minutes of hell.

JR: And plus the one thing, as Sterling said earlier, we've planning for this war for two years. So we're trying to set thing ups with General Lane and the 7734 and the Human Defense Corps so that, although it is 100 minutes, it isn't like Earth is without the ways and means to combat Kryptonians. It's a real battle. It's not just the Kryptonians overwhelming Earth. There will be battles won and lost on both sides in the course of 100 minutes.

SG: And I also want to take this opportunity to emphasize the fact that everything we've done has been part of a grander plan. As you're starting to see pieces in "Last Stand" fall into place, know that nothing we've done has been random or without forethought. Everything has been
building towards the story. So people that have stuck with us all along, it's going to pay out in a big way for them.

That said, the zero issue on Free Comic Book Day is still a really clean place to come on board. We tried really to make the zero issue an easily accessible story that sets up our main players and gets people interested right off the bat and sets the story in motion. And it has some phenomenal art. Eddy Barrows is drawing the main story and he's phenomenal, and there are a whole slew of amazing artists are drawing the backup story.

One thing I really hope is going to happen is that all the threads over the last 2 years are going to come together in this book. And that is a daunting task given that they have 4 issues and '100 minutes' to wrap it all up. So I hope to see all of Lane's tricks, some Mirabai back story, what are the silver pelts on New Krypton, Atlas, the Guardian, Zatara, etc etc etc. Most of what I have read about this comic sounds like the creative team has everything lined up just right. I have confidence that they mean it when they say 'everything will fall into place'.

Sterling, you're sticking around with "Supergirl," and I understand there is some big news coming this weekend out of Emerald City Con, but James, you're leaving "Superman" after #700, handing off to JMS. I know you are a huge fan of the Man of Steel - is it difficult to be leaving?

JR: I'm very excited he's coming on. I'm sure he'll do a great job. And I can't wait to be a fan and a reader of "Superman" again and not the writer.

It's strange for me that I'm the writer that never really wrote Superman for any length of time and I'm more known as the writer of Mon-El. But I think history will show that's kind of a cool thing. I was always completely into the idea of Mon-El, and with "Adventure" #11, we'll see the end of it. And hopefully, the readers and the fans will appreciate everything that I've done.

I'll still be staying in the world of Super-characters as Supergirl will be the Super-character in "Justice League of America" for the foreseeable future.

I wasn't sure if Supergirl was only a guest star or an ongoing member in the book. So it looks like I will be collecting JLA in the near future. Hmmm ... so what book should I drop?

And Sterling, anything else for you beyond "Supergirl"?

SG: There are, but unfortunately I can't say anything. If you like what I've done on "Supergirl," you'll be interested in what I do next. I'll tell you that.

JR: I know what Sterling has planned for Supergirl after "War of the Supermen" and I think, as good as it has been so far, he and Jamal are going to make it 100 times better."Supergirl" is the DC book of 2010 going into 2011.

SG: Wow.

Now that sound great! I can't wait to see what happens post New Krypton in the main book. Despite last month's ending, I hope Lana remains a big part of the book.


Over on the DC Source blog, we are treated to the first 5 pages of Supergirl #51. Here is the link:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/03/10/the-last-stand-of-new-krypton-continues-in-supergirl-51/

How absolutely phenomenal is it to see Supergirl just laying waste to Brainiac probes! I also like the opening few pages, bringing a touch of humanity to the action scenes as a young Kryptonian deals with the horror of war. As I said in my Last Stand review, small moments amidst the action resonate and add depth to stories.

And Jamal Igle just continues to rock on this book.


Also on the DC blog, it was announced that Pete Woods is the new artist on Action Comics when Marc Guggenheim takes over. Here is that link:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/03/11/new-action-art-team-in-june-woods-on-interiors-finch-on-covers/

And, starting in June, Mr. Woods will be joining new writer Marc Guggenheim as the regular artist on ACTION COMICS. Pete’s done a spectacular job chronicling Kal-El’s adventures on New Krypton, so it was a no-brainer to have him swing on over to one of the ongoing titles. But what does he have to say about it all? Take it away, Pete:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Marc on Action Comics. I also feel incredibly blessed to have David Finch doing covers- I have been a fan for years. Marc and I have some fun plans for this book and intend for it to live up to it’s name!”

We are treated with a great page from Superman:Last Stand of New Krypton, a nice splash page of Supergirl leading the Legion into battle.

I have said all along I like Woods' style and I am glad he is sticking around. He does a great Superman and a great Supergirl.

And David Finch on covers! That alone will probably boost sales. There better be one with the cousins on it. I want to see Finch's take on Kara ... hoping it won't veer towards the Psylocke/Aphrodite IX end of the spectrum.



Last on this links tour is an interview with both Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle on the Adam DeChanel blog. Here is the link:
http://adamdechanel.blogspot.com/2010/03/interview-with-supergirl-team-sterling.html

Conner has Krypto, Kara has Streaky, but the little kitty is powerless... Wednesday's Comics teased us with the Powerful Pets...She'll be able to give Krypto a run for his money right?

SG: Oh, man. I have a killer Streaky story to tell. Maybe someday. Maybe someday.
JI: I think it could be fun, actually.

It's clear that DeChanel is a Supergirl fan as he asks about Linda Danvers, Xenon, Ariella, and even Streaky. I'd love to see Streaky come back.

I also love the behind the scenes stuff from comics, so to see this concept art of the Lana Insect Queen was a real treat.