The news of the DC Relaunch has been coming fast and furious and I am trying to remain upbeat and optimistic about the whole thing. Heck, I have lived through a lot of DC reboots before, although nothing this dramatic. But that optimism isn't easy to maintain.
Yesterday the DC Source Blog began posting the official solicits for September. Here is the link to the Super titles: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/06/13/septembers-superman-solicits/
And in particular, here is the Supergirl solicit. I am trying desperately to be positive during this change over, but this solicit isn't making it easy. In fact, this solicit doesn't sit very well with me at all.
SUPERGIRL #1Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Meet Supergirl. She’s got the unpredictable behavior of a teenager, the same powers as Superman – and none of his affection for the people of Earth. So don’t piss her off!
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Meet Supergirl. She’s got the unpredictable behavior of a teenager, the same powers as Superman – and none of his affection for the people of Earth. So don’t piss her off!
Now, of course, we still have to read the stories. The book might be fantastic. There might be a long term plan about character development. But three pieces of this solicit were chilling. So chilling, that right now I could care less about kneeless boots (and that's saying something). But let's break down that short solicit into its parts. Separately, they might be able to be explained away. But together ...
So the 'unpredictable behavior of a teenager' makes Supergirl sound like she might be treated as impulsive, or moody, or immature, or all of the above. Are we going to again see a Supergirl rave dancing while the city is attacked again? A Supergirl lying her way into a bar because of her 'tight shirt'? Someone erratic? Irrational? Angry?
This didn't say, 'she is a typical teenager finding her way in the world' ... they said 'unpredictable behavior'. That could mean she's like The Hulk.
Now on its own, unpredictable behavior might not be bad. Is Supergirl is going to moody and sullen. Or introverted and shy. Or intelligent but unassuming. All of those are teenage behaviors. Maybe she just is a growing up, emotionally labile. Taking a step back, PAD's Linda Danvers certainly showed unpredictable behavior. And I loved those stories. Even the nervous, shy Linda Lee from Cosmic Adventures showed unpredictable behavior, her moods swinging from sorrow about not seeing her family, to joy of having friends, to irritable when provoked by Belinda Zee. Even Gates' Supergirl was prone to crying, then being angry, then being heroic. So we have to wait and see. Alone, that phrase might be fine ... if there is still a hero struggling with that.
But you also have to pair that behavior piece of the solicit with saying that she has no 'affection for the people of Earth'. What does that mean? How can you be a hero if you don't care for the people that she would be protecting. Is she going to take a viewpoint that she is above humanity? Superior? Will she dole out Kryptonian level justice since humans are below her? Will she be uncaring? Will she be a sort of Eradicator style Kryptonian? Or worse ... will she be apathetic, oblivious to everything happening around her, aloof, instead living her life regardless of the mayhem around her, not acting the part of the hero? Why bother with the 'ants'?
This didn't say 'she is struggling to find her way in an alien world' or 'she is a Kryptonian lost on Earth' ... it said she has no 'affection for the people of Earth'. Makes it more cutting don't you think? Makes her less likely to be a hero. And I want my Supergirl to be a hero.
And then the 'Don't piss her off' part. That doesn't make me think this is going to be a mature look at her struggles. Makes me think she is going to be angry, the dreaded 'edgy', a 'bad girl', more like the Dark Supergirl we all have been bemoaning about here. If DC wants a bad girl comic, that's fine. But that isn't Supergirl.
To be honest, this solicit worries me deeply. We finally got to a point in the current Supergirl book where she is feeling good about herself and her place in the world, where she wants to be a hero and is a hero, where she has family and friends. To lose all that hero's journey for an 'unpredicatable' Kara with no 'affection for the people of Earth' just seems wrong. 'Don't piss her off' ... really? DC really felt they had to add that to the solicit?? Is that supposed to bring in readers? Make people like Supergirl?
Again, I am not damning this book before I read it. You know I will be there. But that two sentence solicit sounds much more like the Supergirl in the first 19 issues of the current title, a book and a version of Supergirl I didn't like very much. It sounds like a book that I would not buy if it weren't Supergirl. If it was just the first two components, I could be optimistic and hope that this could be a 'Stranger in a Strange Land' take, where Kara is trying to acclimate herself in a world she simply doesn't understand. But 'Don't piss her off'?
I haven't heard anyone ... anyone ... who read this solicit and said 'FINALLY! This is the Supergirl book I have been waiting to read'. Every Supergirl fan I know who has read the solicit has said 'That doesn't sound like a Supergirl book.' Her fans have said that! This doesn't sound like a reboot or relaunch ... it sounds like a complete recreation.
The unknown is always scary. I am wondering if I am going to look back at the days of Gates/Igle and even Peaty/Chang as 'the good old days', the highpoint of Supergirl. Because I now have a Supergirl solicit that says 'Don't piss her off'. That is the DCnU Supergirl ... and it sounds so wrong.
What do you all think?
Without mincing any words, I think it will be hideous. So will the revamp of Superboy (why is "can a clone find a conscience?" even a bloody question) ...
ReplyDelete... and, for that matter, the overhaul of the entire DCU into a miserable crapsack world.
Reading the solicits is like seeing a wave of misery. Kara is an edgy "bad grrl", Kon is ... soulless, by the look of it; the Teen Titans are "tortured teenagers"; nearly every book solicit features unrelenting sturm und drang, unspeakable violence and evil. Even Superman isn't trusted any more.
It's a greater, wider reboot than DC has ever done, this horrible pan-DCU shift into the grimdark, and I don't like it one bit.
she has no "affection for the people of Earth".
ReplyDeleteWe took her in an orphan from the stars, one with powers and abilities far beyond those of mere mortals....CLEARLY she isn't returning the affection she has been given in abundance.
And why is she so sold on Krypton, if anything she ought to be alienated from her home world has it had the common effrontery to blow up underneath her.
:D
Honestly though, I've looked at the 52 solicitations and easily half of them could easily be cancelled before the spring of 2012.
This really feels like the Twilight of the Goddesses to me.
John Feer
I don't always agree with your views on Supergirl...this one I have to say you hit right on. "Don't piss her off" and lack of affection for people of Earth worry me greatly. I was so upset about Steph Brown being tossed out that I didn't even think that there are worse fates. If this Supergirl is what she seems to be from this then maybe Steph lucked out by being pushed out of Batgirl. I can't imagine an uncaring Supergirl being the hero I've looked up to since I was a kid. I don't want party girl/uncaring supergirl back...and this solicit makes her sound even worse. I was debating my boycott of DCnU books because of my love for Supergirl. This solicit makes it much easier to consider a full on DC boycott. I only hope that DC will realize what a mistake this is and have Flashpoint 2 or something to reverse the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteThe solicitation for "Supergirl" #1 makes me sad. The first issue of "Supergirl" I ever picked up was #34, which was my first exposure to the character. From that point, we have had 30 issues of quality Supergirl stories. I would even argue that the Supergirl for these last 30 issues is more "Super" than her cousin. Think about it: a depressed, mopey Superman leaves his wife to live on New Krypton for a year, followed by 14 agonizing issues of a depressed, mopey Superman roaming the country and behaving like a jerk. Clark Kent has barely appeared. I do not recall one scene between Superman and Ma Kent since the start of New Krypton, back in 2008. Not one scene with Clark at the Daily Planet. These stories are not the ones I want to read.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, Supergirl has been the defender of Metropolis. She has grown emotionally. She has her own Closet of Solitude, a physical history that shows us where she's been and where she's going. She has built up a great supporting cast (Stephanie Brown's Batgirl, Lana Lang, Inspector Henderson, etc.). She actually interacts with Lois Lane, unlike her sullen cousin. She has earned the respect of her fellow young heroes, as a leader, someone to be relied upon.
After all that character growth, all the trials, and tribulations, and triumphs she has had over the last 30 issues, I want to read more about this character on her journey forward. Yes, I said THIS character.
That solicitation is a huge step back. "No affection for the people of Earth?" "Don't piss her off"? "Unpredictable behavior of a teenager"? Yuck.
I agree with everything you said Anj.
ReplyDeleteI am not looking forward to September at all.
Ugh, somebody give me something to get the tast of vomit out of my mouth...
ReplyDeleteI'm still having trouble with the idea that this was green-lit, given then every part of that solicit was completely unlikable. And, while trying to be diplomatic and give the book a chance is all well and good, that wording is going for a very specific feel, one that we've all accurately registered, and is giving us shudders.
This whole reboot is an awful idea. I don't need my comics to be an angst-fest. I don't need characters that I like to be overhauled into brooding or apathetic, 2-dimensional anti-heroes. I'm sick of the characters that I like being tossed aside or retconned out.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the number of comics in my pullbox every week is getting smaller and smaller...
I think it's too early to jump the gun in any direction yet. Overall, this I like most of what I'm hearing/seeing about this change.
ReplyDelete"She’s got the unpredictable behavior of a teenager,"
I like this. She has not felt like a teenager in awhile ( she has felt like part very little girl and part older woman, but not teenager). Also, under Gates and others, she lacked depth. Perhaps this could give her some of the depth that Linda and Loeb's Kara had.
"the same powers as Superman – and none of his affection for the people of Earth."
This is the toughest line. While I would prefer her to be "edgy," I want her to be essentially good and care about mankind. If here she attempts to deal with some of man's greatest faults and struggles to understand us, it could work. Some of the other wrtiers have tried to deal with this angle, but never very well. I'll wait and see.
"So don’t piss her off!"
I actually like this line. I prefer her to be "edgy," more powerful, and not obsequious, lacking voice, and capable of only tears and giggles. I loved the way the teen (who lost a parent figure also) behaved in the remake of True Grit. She was strong willed, spoke her mind, brave, intelligent, stood up to men and society, and really kicked some butt. I'd like to see a Supergirl like that.
I truly mean no disrespect but with all due respect to a majority of my fellow posters on here i think y'all are blowing this WAY out of proportion.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone bothered to give the thought that maybe the info supplied in the solicitation itself is all in relation to upon her very own arrival on DCNu's Earth her possibly having been horrified upon having had observed the way that the residents of this planet supposedly turn on her cousin (as described in SUPERMAN #1 even) their so called 'first Superhero' thus wanting to understandably give her pause on any desire of wanting to truly be around these aliens at any time when apparently from what she's seen so far they're so ready to praise her cousin (i.e. a fellow Kryptonian just like her) on this planet one minute then just as equally ready to demonize him the next, so what's to make her think that she'd then be treated any different inturn? We all have to view Supergirl's case as being that she wont be found by a 'Ma and Pa Kent' who can show her that there truly are actual decent residents on this Earth who would love her unconditionally like as well as guide her along her making a life for herself on this planet so of course she's going to be looking at humanity (especially after the way they treat her very own cousin) in an extremely overly cautious like manner at the end of the day. It makes total sense to me.
Sincerely awaiting in much anticipation for SUPERGIRL #1 to come out this Sep as well as following DCnU main continuity Supergirl's further ventures in the process! B-D
I agree with TalOs and the previous poster and I also think Supergirl needs our support.
ReplyDeleteThis event seems like a Hail Mary from DC. Marvel routinely destroys them in sales. DC's sales, both on Supergirl and on the majority of their titles, has not been strong recently. Have we ever stopped to think that, perhaps, the print version of DC may be in jeopardy? I know print forms of numerous other publications seem to be going away or cutting staff and lowering wages. We should be thrilled that DC saved this character and title.
Also, I know the majority of internet chatter on DC books seems controlled by conservative, older fans, who like simplistic characters, lighthearted stories, and something very familiar to what they read when they were young. This is not a sustainable demographic for DC to continuously reach out to. Supergirl lost a ton of readers when her direction was changed. In online polling, two of Loeb's arcs finished in the top 10 of best Supergirl stories ever told. It is obvious that quite a few readers preferred that Supergirl or Linda to the more recent issues of Supergirl (which sell around 80,000 less than Loeb's). This would likely be a younger audience and an audience that DC is trying to connect with. They prefer more complex heroes who deal with a world where everything isn't good/evil and black/white. They find Batman, Watchmen, etc. much more interesting than Superman. I wish DC good luck in reconnecting with these readers.
If this "finding her way" Supergirl reminds me of Puckett, Palmiotti, or the Kandor arc, I might not be that interested. If it is like Loeb, David, or some of Kelly's better moments, I'm fine with that... just no Crystal powers.
Or 'Linda Lang' for that matter. If she's Kara Zor-El of Krypton's Argo City sector then upon her eventual settling into DCnU Earth's culture let her secret identity either be that of 'Kara Kent' (which due to her exposure as well as success on "SMALLVILLE" TV show will probably be the most likely outcome) or 'Linda Lee' instead when not operating as Supergirl please.
ReplyDeleteUm... well, I will probably still buy it and read it, but I am not a fan of this solicit, that's for sure. I just finished reading the "Beautiful Corpse" arc and loved Supergirl as a character even more than I had before, and can't bear to think we are going to a "no affection for the people of Earth." Why does anyone want to read about a superhero with no affection for the people they're fighting for? Is Supergirl the new Lobo or something?
ReplyDeleteSigh.
'Supergirl the new Lobo'? Huh? o_O All due respect Mike, i just don't get the comparison. Lobo willingly killed all of his own people on his planet because he wanted to be it's sole survivor where current main DCU has never had that desire (ok except for the early Loeb-Kelly 'must kill Kal-El!' theme at the time) as well as DCnU continuity Supergirl which both have no desire in wanting to willingly kill her own fellow Kryptonians rather is said to dislike the residents of DCnU's Earth is all instead, so it's like comparing apples to oranges in what you suggested.
ReplyDelete* 'Supergirl the new Lobo'? Huh? o_O All due respect Mike, i just don't get the comparisons. Lobo willingly killed all of his own people on his planet purely because he wanted to be it's sole survivor and if he did kill another alien species it was only cause there was a bounty on their head at the time (he doesn't kill anyone apart from his own people just for the sake of it) where current main DCU Supergirl has never had that desire (ok except for the early Loeb-Kelly 'must kill Kal-El!' theme at the time) noir does it seem DCnU continuity Supergirl at that rather the latter is said to only dislike the residents of DCnU's Earth, not wanting to kill them. So it's like comparing apples to oranges come what you suggested.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for their comments!
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff for me to read as it shows how the simple words of this one sentence solicit can be interpreted so many ways.
I still worry that Supergirl is going to be portrayed as a bitter angry young woman ... and I won't like that.
She has truly been a hero in her own book since 2009. Why stop now?
Anj:
ReplyDeletewith all due respect, look at it this way: if you were Kara and you've just observed a planet's residents treating your relative with praise one minute followed by damnation the next would you be automatically wanting to willingly be their hero or more likely be extremely cautious and weary of these inhabitants instead?
I'm willing to fully bet that that's all PTB at DC meant by the info supplied in their September 'DCnU' SUPERGIRL #1 solicitation at the end of the day. She'll of course be their defender like her cousin but it's going to take some time before she feels comfortable enough in willingly trusting the residents of this strange planet before she adopts the mantle of 'Supergirl'.
I guess we need to see the book and see how it all plays out Talos.
ReplyDeleteI promise you I am going in with an open mind. And I will review accordingly.
Edgy, bad girl, pissed off etc... Yawn. Sounds like it was written by a 13 year old who thinks they're being all growed up ;)
ReplyDeleteIf that's the new target audience then maybe it'll work. Pity about the existing customers etc etc...
I still don't think this whole reboot thing is going to work. DC are obviously getting desperate and this attempt to gain new readers isn't a bad idea in theory, but I think the way they've done it is a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath water.
I remember when they did "The Man of Steel" mini-series years ago and re-invented Superman. It worked well and it wasn't a million miles off the previous origin(s) we'd had before.
This time round they've just tried to change EVERYTHING for no apparent reason. Starting again to encourage new readers to start from scratch isn't a bad idea but, as I've said before, stop with all the crappy crossover/event/buy LOADS of different titles things and you'll keep readers. Not everyone wants to HAVE to buy every issue of these "events" just to work out what the hell's going on. I used to prefer it when you could dip in and out of a title without worrying too much about missing the odd issue. Maybe I'm too old school but I think it's one of the fundamental reasons why "new" readers aren't buying comics like they used to. It's too much of a cliquey thing nowadays and, dare I say it, geeky too. Why would I want to consult a checklist to see if I've missed something?
Oh, and also there's the whole digital thing too. They were WAY TOO LATE to the party here. Yeah, I prefer a physical comic/book/CD/DVD over a purely digital one but if it means they get sales and can keep producing the physical products too then why not? It's just a pity they didn't pull their finger out and do something about it earlier rather than have to resort to this disaster waiting to happen tactic instead.
Hi:
ReplyDeleteI´ve been telling you to tray and relax the whole thing off...in seven months DC will reboot back everything aftert sales plummet (again...) and then Bald Dannie, the Mason/Satanist will figure out a new Nightmare for us...which will again be rebooted back in 2013 on...-
Know what your REAL problem with Supergirl is?
1) You love her too much to know that there is some reality in the real life about her existence. Ergo your angst...
2) When told the real story you shrugg it off as lunatic conspiracy stories.
3) You are going to damage your health if you don´t either erase 1) or better still 2).-
It's the H.E.A.T. effect all over again. DC knows they'll keep the grousing faithful, but they want to get the guys back who thought Renato Guedes' Supergirl was "too fat" and really loved Loeb/Turner/Churchill.
ReplyDeleteHI: (cont.)
ReplyDelete...and since I do think you need to lighten up...
Xx
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showpost.php?p=13275749&postcount=35
DAVID (Relax, man. The future belongs to our girl...)
This solictation does not fill me with confidence. Frankly this new Supergirl reminds of certain unpleasant people I have had the misfortune of knowing throughout my life, and honestly that is not the type of superhero I want to read.
ReplyDeleteGENE
Ok, I admit, I don't know much about Lobo other than that he seems (in the few times I've seen him) to have no love for anyone. So maybe a bad example. My point being, the solicit almost makes it sound as though Supergirl is going to be an antihero, and I ain't got much interest in reading her if that proves to be the case.
ReplyDeleteNot for nothing DC has repeatedly attempted to "Marvelize" itself over the past thirty and failed every single time. I see this as yet another attempt to cop some of the House of Ideas attitude and sales...and it will likely fail just like all the others.
ReplyDeleteJohn Feer
Anonymous your link to the CBR forums doesn't work do you have another one for me to try? thanks.
ReplyDeleteKnow what your REAL problem with Supergirl is?
ReplyDelete1) You love her too much to know that there is some reality in the real life about her existence. Ergo your angst...
2) When told the real story you shrugg it off as lunatic conspiracy stories.
3) You are going to damage your health if you don´t either erase 1) or better still 2).-
I don't know if I understand many of your comments. I have no angst. I am relaxed. And I don't espouse lunatic conspiracy theories.
I also know the type of Supergirl stories I like and hope I will see them in this new title.
I plan to buy 4-6 issues to give DC Comics a chance to win me over where it concerns Supergirl. If it's a HUGE disaster I will drop the series and simply admire the concept of the character of Supergirl from a distance like I have done for most of my life.
ReplyDeleteIf I do drop Supergirl I will simply follow Anj's blog on Supergirl and if pick it up again, if it ever gets good again.
HELLO!!! FRIENDS!!! SORRY!!! I NOT LIKE SUPERGIRL'S NEW UNIFORM, THE NEW COSTUMES HORRIBLE.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that Supergirl will become like an angry and jealous Greek godess. Greek dieties have child-like personalities with attention disorders, impatience, and impulsiveness. They are more powerful than they think and they don't always understand that their godly actions have severe earthly consequences. Superman always felt bounded by human morality to do the right thing and he tried to impart this to Supergirl. Be nice, work in teams, and be humble. Now she may be selfish, work solo, and wave her middle finger around. It's going to be a bitchy Supergirl with a new edge. Hotness is out. She's not going to be a pinup girl anymore. Attitude is in. She may even get her butt kicked by the original big S himself.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm kind of looking forward to an angry and conflicted Supergirl.
-- B
-- B
ReplyDeleteSounds like an Image comic from the mid-90's. Maybe they could get Todd McFarlane to work on it.
I am as well not at all happy about the Reboot. On a number of levels honestly and not only about Supergirl.
ReplyDeleteWhere the heck is Beastboy and Raven? Has anyone seen them? They are gone! Raven was the character that brought me into Comics, and if she is gone I might just give up. Just write my own DCU.
But back on the subject of Supergirl, I am worried for her. After all the growth that she went through recently might just be thrown away. While I am slightly reminded of what I plan to do with Supergirl in my own story, I will not go and butcher everything that makes Kara herself. Supergirl is the bright and shining star amongst my other favorite character (Raven) dark purple cloud of angst. What will the new DC be like without her clarity and wisdom, and her little bit of youthful optimism?
A much darker and less clear place.
The only titles I am really looking forward to are Legion of Superheroes and Legion Lost. At least they resemble the Legion I know.
Wow. O_O y'know, with all due respect and i truly mean no disrespect here to a majority of my fellow Supergirl kin i'm honestly gobsmacked at amount of you apparently not being willing to give DCnU Supergirl's title a go purely due to the particular info supplied in it's solicitation. Truly? Majority of you are going to give up on our fave girl just because of that (i.e. supplied info) alone? :-/
ReplyDeleteWow ... great discussion here. Thanks all.
ReplyDeleteTalos - I am pretty sure that everyone here will buy the issues. It's just for some of us that solicit reads all wrong. And that is concerning.
I also think that the jarring change in personality after finally having Supergirl acting as a caring hero is offputting to some people.
We'll see in September.
This will be a very different Supergirl, but I have the feeling she won´t be the bratty one from the early issues. I think she will be a sort of intermediate between the angsty one from the very beginning and the Gates´s vision. :3
ReplyDeleteI remain hopeful, probably we will see a very kryptonian Kara, and slowly she will be learning to care about Earth as much as Superman does.
Cheer up! Many things can happen, but most of them will be positive :D
HI:
ReplyDeleteI didn´t say you espoused lunatic conspiracy theories. It is I who do that.-
What I meant to say is you suffer because of the horrible mistreatment of our girl. What I tried to explain is WHY DC has been doing it for four decades.-
1) They are Masons.
2) They are Satanists
3) They intend to protect their false "Spirit of truth" (Wondie) from us (Supergirl=The REAL Spirit of Truth, knowing full well what they are doing (!).-
But you have to believe. I don´t think you do, so what I meant is:
THEN forget there is reality in real life about Supergirl, or you´ll just damage your health.-
Greetings, fellow SG fan.-
DAVID
Oh no, I'm not giving up on Supergirl. No way. I am just pretty worried about what the future may hold. It form strange attachments to the characters that I love, and Kara is one of them. I just hope that she doesn't turn into something I hate.
ReplyDeleteBut here's to hoping that Raven and Beast Boy still exist.
*I form. Gosh. Typos.
ReplyDeleteWell none of that sounds good. First I don't mind a little disconnect between Kara and the people of Earth. She grew up on another planet so there will be a little culture clash and misunderstanding, however not caring about Earth seems wrong. Its the only place she's got left, its where her only family left lives, plus two humans cared for and raised her cousin when they didn't have too.
ReplyDeletePlus the unpredictable nature of a teenager line sounds stupid. Supergirl has powers that demand control. I don't want to see a moody bi-poplar Kara, if I wanted to see that I'd go to a high school. Again Kara should have a few problems, but ones that make sense. Trying to find her place in the world, dealing with the lost of her home, not stupid teenage angst.
I'm glad your open minded Anj because I have no faith now based on the current description.
That solicit really is awful. Thank God solicits are so often a load of hooey. If it turns out to reflect the contents of the new Supergirl #1, I'll not be happy. But yes, it could be that as with JLA, the series kicks off in the past, and after a few issues returns to today.
ReplyDeleteI'd like that, then I could hope for a Kelly Sue DeConnick or Sterling Gates Supergirl at college book.
After all is said and done I might actually pick this issue up to see where the writers take her. I can understand the bitterness of the character though, I mean, her parents WERE killed and her home planet WAS destroyed recently via Mr. Gates and Mr. Igle and collective artists on board...
ReplyDeleteSo, yep, definitely trying this one out.
-ealperin
I like the idea, I think it'll make her seem quite the anti-hero and it'll be a change for someone like that in the series itself.
ReplyDelete