Thursday, June 23, 2011

Bullet Review: DC Universe Online Legends #9


A hat tip to blog friend Talos who let me know a while back the Supergirl made an appearance in the DCU Online Legends #9. Knowing that this was Supergirl written by Marv 'Crisis on Infinite Earths #7' Wolfman, I wasn't expecting Kara to be treated right.

I admit I really have no idea what is happening here. I had no interest in this book. But it seems that Luthor and Brainiac have teamed up and have also created some power-draining exobyte robot things that are running rampant throughout the DCU. Also, Luthor has made the Daily Planet and all it's workers (including Lois) disappear. Superman seems on edge as Luthor does some effective psychological warfare without ever tipping his hat that he is involved.

Now this must tie into the DCU online video game. As such, this book might be the entry way for some new readers to come to comics. I can imagine gamers looking for a tip, or eager to read more about the universe they are gaming through picking up this book.

As such, shouldn't this be at least slightly in synch with the comic DCU, at least from a costume and power point of view, so that if the new readers want to branch out they won't be confused?


Not that I am complaining mind you. The DCUO Supergirl is wearing a modified movie/Matrix version of the costume. The full shirt, red skirt look is simply my favorite version of the costume.

In the story, Luthor needs to scan a Kryptonian so he can customize the exobyte to effect Superman. Rather than try to scan Superman, he scans the 'spare' Kryptonian on Earth. While Supergirl might look good in that costume, she is treated pretty shabbily.

Here she appears to be running away from Livewire.


And then she gets taken out by Livewire, knocked unconscious by an electric bolt.



And then scanned so Luthor can develop his evil weapon.

In an interesting moment, after the scan, Brainiac disintegrates Livewire. She served her purpose.


And then, as if being taken out by Livewire wasn't bad enough, she gets taken out by an 'enhanced' Killer Croc.

I guess I shouldn't expect much from Wolfman.

But I have to assume that this is what Supergirl will look like in the Online game. I don't play the game ... can anyone corroborate? I think it is great that the Matrix look continues to show up. I doubt we will see it soon given the relaunch and the new costume Supergirl will be sporting come September.

18 comments:

  1. Wow. I would love to see Supergirl switched into this exact costume. This is what Supergirl looks like. It's a shame they seem to have made her a complete punching bag, but the costume is dead on perfect.

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  2. Why does Marv Wolfman hate Supergirl?

    Love her costume though...

    Gene

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  3. Ah Marv Wolfman, you have to give him credit, he has the courage of his restrictions. Since he couldn't kill off Supergirl again he contented himself with humiliating the character and jobbing her out to some C-List mooks.
    I think he resents the fact that one of his first paying jobs at DC was a script for the old Supergirl in Adventure Comics feature...thats why he hates Kara.
    Oh and "The Spare Kryptonian", subtle Marv, real subtle.

    John Feer

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Wauuuu!!! The new supergil's uniforms is beautiful, perfect the girl steel.

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  6. Supergirl new uniform approved!!!

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  7. Wow...way to under use the girl of steel. Passive agressive much Wolfman? Sigh. Anyway, yes, Kara's costume in the game is a cross of this and her current costume. It's a red skirt, blue shirt, mid-drift showing.

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  8. Hi!!! Is nice the new costumes of supergirl, good uniform.

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  9. Thanks for all the comments.

    I don't know why Wolfman treats the Supergirl character the way he does. Even in that B&B Raven team-up from a couple of years back, she is treated lousy.

    And thanks for letting me know what she looks like on DCUO Priscilla! Glad the skirt is red!

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  10. I play the game regularly, and these exobites are not to be taken lightly. They're what give YOU your powers, after all.

    The Exobites are a Braniac creation, the endless data of every hero he's ever destroyed, killed and assimilated. I completely agree that Kara got wronged here, for sure. But the big hook about the exobites is that you have all the powers of the hero or villain you've adapted, with NONE of the weaknesses. It feels very mary sue, but it makes for a fun game. You're not the loser here, you're a hero. You're THE hero. And quite frankly, I appreciate that in a game, because I'm looking for escapism when I play. Hell, you save Supermans life, it felt heroic and epic.

    That, and its good to note that the storyline for the game goes off in a completely different direction then the comics. You resolve a few plotlines that you've read in the past personally, turning them on their head completely (specially if you play a villain, some classic tails end up with the villains winning now, and vice verse, some terrible fates change as you play the roll of the heroes.)

    Kara has her moments of shining in the game, though she sports the belly shirt in game.

    Personally, the game is fantastic. But the comic? Man, the comics don't even line up with the story of the game itself. If you're going with DCU online story? Don't treat the comic cannon, it contradicts a lot of in-game things, and if they want to enhance my gameplay then they should get the game lore right. They're not, they're getting the in-game lore wrong, which renders them useless to me. No offense, I love Matrix Kara, but its doing a good job of A: Citing facts that don't have any proof of ever happening in game, and in fact gets it wrong, and B: muddling up continuity for it.

    P.S. Turns out you do fight Supergirl as a villain, and she sports a very interesting mechanic of being completely damageable. You need to trap her in a red-sun cage and get the hell out before she squishes your head in. Sucks to see her lose like that, but have to take into consideration that you're the player, and it'd suck to have the player get his ass kicked, you don't want to play the game as a little chump.

    Anyway, that's it for my gigantic rant, feel free to email me if you want to know anything else about the game, its lore, and its correlation with the comic.

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  11. Hah, woops! My autospell turned Undamagable to damageable. Kara CANNOT be hurt in the fight against her, only slowed down momentarily. It makes for a pretty heart pounding fight, cause if you mess up she'll beat you into paste.

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  12. Jobbed out to a pair of mooks and all the palaver is about her costume. I think COIE #7 might of been reversed much much sooner if she'd a died wearing overalls and a do-rag instead of the pleated miniskirt.

    Just sayin'

    John Feer

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  13. Anj said...

    I don't know why Wolfman treats the Supergirl character the way he does. Even in that B&B Raven team-up from a couple of years back, she is treated lousy.


    Maybe it's because Wolfman is from a era of DC Comics where getting a Supergirl assignment was socially (within their circle) considered getting a dummy job for a idiot?

    If you look at her history before Crisis, you see have very uneven the quality of stories and personality Kara had back then. It seems almost every writer had her falling in love with a crook, alien, a loser out to con her or impossible for her to get.

    Before the Crisis there were several "imaginary" stories of Superman getting married and having a family with different women but next to nothing for Supergirl. I get a feeling Supergirl wasn't positively viewed in the inner circle of DC Comics by editors and writers. Those who loved was the exception and not the rule.

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  14. Thanks for all the comments.

    Azaketh, thanks for the info. I have since found pictures and clips from the game on line! I guess it is pretty cool that Supergirl is a tough mini-boss even if the goal of the game is to defeat her.

    And yes John, I understand I focused on her costume here despite her being trounced by some lightweights. But as I said, I didn't expect anything else from Wolfman.

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  15. Love the costume. Don't understand why Wolfman's knocking Supergirl around via Livewire...

    Maybe it's an in-joke from the "Girls Night Out" episode from The Superman/Batman animated series back in the 90's? :-/

    Just guessing... -ealperin

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  17. Probably some strong blonde girl rejected Wolfman in the past, so this is his way of getting back. Ah insecurity.

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