Jeff Lemire Describes Supergirl As A 'Bull-headed Loner'; Stargirl Remains Perfect

Every time I think I am feeling some optimism about the DCnU, the New 52, and Supergirl in general, DC pulls the rug out from under me. And now it seems that something I was feeling very optimistic about might end up being something much worse than anticipated ... and from an unlikely source.

Jeff Lemire is a writer whose work I have really loved. I enjoyed his Superboy. I love Animal Man. And I love Green Arrow - high praise from someone who doesn't like Ollie.  So when Lemire was named as the writer for Justice League United, I knew I would be buying. When Supergirl was named as a member ... and in her super costume no less ... I was thrilled. Surely I could trust him to be on board with (hopefully) Tony Bedard in making Supergirl heroic, likable, and optimistic.

Well, Lemire was interviewed over on CBR about JLU on Comic Book Resources here. And almost any optimism I felt for Supergirl's treatment in the book was diminished and greatly. As always, you should read the interview in its entirety to read about his approach to the book in general. But here are the Supergirl specific questions.

CBR: While a pleasant surprise, the inclusion of Green Arrow and Animal Man were not unexpected as you've enjoyed previous success with both characters, but there are others that leaped out at me. Can you talk about the role of Supergirl on the team? She was not a character I was expecting.

JL: I don't really have much history with that character. I hadn't written her before but I always really like her. It's one of those weird things where I don't really know why I like that character so much. I guess when I was a kid, her connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes was pretty cool. I just always liked that character.

And she represents an interesting take on the Superman mythology for me. She is younger and bit more bullheaded than Superman. That's a fun dynamic to add to the team. And of course, just from a pure power level, she's great to have because she is the muscle of the team.

Lemire doesn't have much history with the character but says he likes her, especially her Legion time. So that seems good so far right?

She's younger and more 'bullheaded' than Superman. I would have liked 'brash' or 'strong-willed' more than bullheaded which has a bit more of a negative connotation. It makes her seem stubborn or immutable. 

Hey, as I always say, I like reading a young Supergirl who isn't perfect. I don't want to read her as a just like Superman. I like seeing a Supergirl who tries to do what's right, occasionally fails, but picks herself up and learns. I want her to be passionate. I want her to be optimistic, seeing the best in everyone.  I want her to be fierce in her pursuit of justice. And maybe that is all somehow stuffed into 'bullheaded' .... but I don't think so.

Because then we got this next question:

CBR: And what about Stargirl, again, a character that I wouldn't have pegged for this team based purely on her relatively shorter history within the DCU?

JL:I didn't plan on the bulk of my female characters being teenagers. It just kind of happened but it also created this interesting dynamic between the three of them: Supergirl, Stargirl and the new character that I don't want to talk about too much yet. They are three very different personalities.

And Stargirl and Supergirl, specifically, are almost complete opposites. Stargirl is this optimistic, positive, almost embodiment of youth across the DC Universe and Supergirl is this alienated, headstrong loner. Putting those two together, you get immediate friction and that's really interesting for me.

So now we go from bullheaded to an alienated, headstrong loner. 

Well so much for me hoping she'd be optimistic, fiercely pursuing justice. 

What's worse is that she is the 'opposite' of Stargirl. And what is Stargirl? Optimistic, positive, and the embodiment of youth across the DCU.

So that makes Supergirl pessimistic and negative.

I am so sick of this representation of Supergirl. And yet DC just can't seem to get away from it, trying to shove it down the throats of comic fans. 

Does anyone in DC remember this Supergirl? "A hero through and through", not carrying a moment about herself or her safety. Someone who says 'we fight to live as long as we can, the only way to live and to be able to live with yourself.'

Don't tell me that is the an antiquated notion of Supergirl from 3 decades ago. Because the Peter David Supergirl, while young and brash, had the same optimism, the same need to do what was right. And ignoring the Loeb/Kelly abominable years, we had 3 years of that heroic Supergirl under Sterling Gates, James Peaty, and Kelly Sue DeConnick. We saw her that way when Mark Waid in the Legion. We saw it with Landry Walker's Cosmic Adventures Kara. 

Why does Supergirl now have to be the pessimistic, negative, alienated loner??

Why does all her history have to be flushed away?

And why does she have to be the dark foil to the bright, optimistic, perfect Stargirl? Why does there need to be friction between the two? Why can't they be friends?

Why can't Stargirl be the moody loner and Supergirl be the optimistic positive young hero?

And why does no one seem to complain about Stargirl as a teenage girl not being dark and moody and broody?

More on that later.

Lemire continues:

And Stargirl also creates a link to the Justice League of America, the last incarnation. I thought that it was good to have a couple of members cross over. She has a really great relationship with Martian Manhunter, as well, which Matt Kindt fleshed out in "Justice League of America" these past few months.

She wasn't on my initial roster and then I started reading Matt's stuff and I really liked what he was going for with Manhunter and Stargirl bonding. I felt there was some really rich ground that I could keep exploring with those two as their relationship keeps getting closer and closer. Manhunter almost becomes like a surrogate father to her in a weird way over the course of my arc, as well. That's something I found really endearing and was a lot of fun to write.

Stargirl also looks to the Martian Manhunter as a father and forms a nice relationship with him. Wouldn't he be a good mentor for Supergirl too? A lone survivor who remembers his alien culture and feels alone on Earth???

But Supergirl can't have those positive influences either it seems.

I will say, on Twitter, Lemire said Supergirl and Stargirl will have more than friction and Kara won't just be a brooding loner and her fans should have faith. We'll see.

When I have complained about Supergirl not being more positive and optimistic I have been told by other fans and even creators that it isn't realistic. That all teenage girls are overly emotional, angsty, 'Hell on Wheels', 'more likelu to fight their friends than their enemies'.  Funny how those same people don't complain about Stargirl

Of course, I think the reason that Stargirl is untouchable as a positive young hero is because she has an incredibly powerful advocate. Remember, she was created by Geoff Johns in his first writing gig ... just 15 years ago. Stargirl to him is what Supergirl is to me. If Johns was a Supergirl fan maybe Kara wouldn't be sullied like she is.

Would Johns allow Lobdell to write her as a jaded pessimistic loner? Would Johns kill off Stargirl like he has with other heroes in Infinite Crisis or Forever Evil? Would he let her be a vapid sex kitten working with Red Hood like Starfire is in the New 52? Would he let her become an art thief like Wonder Girl is now? Would he let her rob banks and become an anti-hero like Superboy?

No.

Because it makes no sense for Stargirl to be any of those things.

Well, I and others might also say ...

It makes no sense for Supergirl to be a bullheaded loner or a pessimistic, negative, angst-ridden alien or for her to be a rage-filled Red Lantern either.

I have said it before. I will say it again:

Supergirl fans don't want to see her dark. 

And fans of dark characters don't want to read Supergirl. 

That's why these takes always fail ... ALWAYS. 

I can only hope that Jeff Lemire and Tony Bedard realize this and right the ship.