Best Of 2017:Top Ten Supergirl Moments in Comics - #5 - #1

First I covered the non-comic Best of 2017 for Supergirl.

Then I covered the Best of 2017 Supergirl Comic Moments, Honorable Mentions and #10-#6.

So there's nothing left but to cover the top 5.

But before I get there, allow me a little space to comment on the main Supergirl title. One thing that I have appreciated from writer Steve Orlando (and now Jody Houser) is how he has really leaned into DC history and all Supergirl incarnations to make this new Rebirth book. So we get Psi from the Bronze age. We get Selena the Sorceress from the movie. We get Jeremiah, Eliza, and the DEO from the show. We get Belinda Zee from Cosmic Adventures. We get a connection to the Legion. We get a friendship with Batgirl. We get Strange Visitor and Our World At War. This is the sort of lush loam that great books grow from. I have loved all this and I have liked that recently we have a more streamlined feel to the book.

Back to the year in review, as I said earlier, this has been a very good year for Supergirl on all fronts. As I reviewed the year, I picked about 50 very good moments which needed to be boiled down to these five. And there is a sort of running theme through most of these top moments. It is about Supergirl being a hero. She's part of a family. She's sort of a kid still. She is ready to jump into battle if she has to. And she is there to protect everyone.

This is another year where the top ten is filled with these moments. And that makes me happy.

And all of these panels made me stop and pause. And when there is a pause moment for a grizzled comic reader like me, it means the creators have succeeded. These are massive moments that deserve accolades.

Here are the Supergirl Top Five Comic Moments of 2017.

Best Of 2017:Top Ten Supergirl Moments in Comics - Honorable Mentions & #10-#6

With the Best of 2017: Non-Comic Stuff behind us, it is time to look at how Supergirl fared on the printed page over the course of the year.

As has been the case, this has turned out to be a very good year for the character of Supergirl as she has appeared in a number of titles and in a number of incarnations. The main Supergirl book made its way through the end of the Cyborg Superman opening arc, into the Phantom Zone with Batgirl to fight a new Psi, and then battling a new Fatal Five. In the end, we were on new grounds with Supergirl out of the DEO, on the run, and trying to get settled in school.

We also had Supergirl Being Super, a sort of Elseworlds look at the struggles of balancing a super-powers and an alien heritage while dealing with high school. It was prestige format with great art by Joelle Jones and pulled all the YA heart strings.

This year wrapped up the first volume of DC Bombshells in a Supergirl-centric arc. Supergirl appeared in Injustice. We saw her play crucial roles in one-shot silliness like a Snickers mini-comic and Bugs Bunny meets the Legion of Super-Heroes. We even got to see the JLA 3001 Kara one last time. And I'm not even mentioning books I have passed on like the digital DC Superhero Girls and Garage Girls. She is a big part of both of those books.

You can imagine with this many credits, it was hard to pick the top ten, so indulge me three honorable mentions.

And so I give you The Best of 2017: The Top Ten Supergirl Moments in Comics, Honorable Mentions and #10-#6.

Best Of 2017: Non-Comic Stuff

2017 was certainly another good year in a string of good years for the character of Supergirl. I am still amazed at how much this character has shone over the last handful of years. I am always reminded that I started this site because I wanted to showcase how great the (then) underappreciated Supergirl was. Now she is everywhere and really trumpeted as a the wonderful character she is.

So over the next three days I'll be reviewing 2017 and Supergirl. And, as usual, I'll devote a little more time to the comic. The schedule will be as follows:

12/27 (today): Best of Supergirl Non-Comic Stuff
12/28: Best of Supergirl Comic Stuff: Honorable mention and moments #10-#6
12/29: Best of Supergirl Comic Stuff: #5-#1

This is my non-comic year in review. As always, I love to hear the things Supergirl fans loved about the year. So feel free to chime in.

On to the best of the year!!!

Review: Super Sons #11

Super Sons #11 came out last week, part two of Super Sons of Tomorrow, a story in which a possible future Tim Drake comes to the past to kill Superboy so some cataclysm will be averted. I wasn't as thrilled with the opening chapter as I hoped to be. This second chapter kicked things up a notch and definitely had a cliffhanger which thrilled me and had me heading to the back issue boxes. That's always a good sign.

Writers Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason bring a bit more whimsy to this chapter. There is a lot of fun Titans stuff in the middle which lightened the mood a little. Because the bookend Tim Drake moments are definitely a bit darker. This isn't the Tim I loved reading in Red Robin or even in the post-Rebirth early Detective. This is a driven killer. And that's a bummer.

The art is by Ryan Benjamin, a name I don't know. His art strikes me a little like Jonboy Meyers. That works with these characters, bringing just a hint of anime to the proceedings. And I definitely love this moody Dustin Nguyen cover. That's striking.

But once again, I am left feeling a little wanting. I am hoping the excitement I felt at the cliffhanger means this story is going to kick things up a notch.

On to the book.

Merry Christmas!

Totally chilling out on Christmas Day ... family, good will, and lots and lots of egg nog!

The presents under the tree were well protected by the Super-Cousins!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday season.

See you here tomorrow with the usual content!

Review: Superman #37 [REVISED]

Superman #37 came out this week, the first part of a crossover arc titled Super Sons of Tomorrow and involving a time displaced Tim Drake trying to stop a future disaster in the present. And while the premise is interesting to me, mostly because of other characters promised to appear later on, I wasn't exactly hooked by this first issue.

That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I did. But I always hope a first chapter is really going to set the table and leave me clamoring for more. And my response here was a bit more tepid.

For one, the first half of the book is really a Batman book. And the book is Superman. I know, this is the first half of the first part of a story that will crossover into multiple titles. And the opening scene is important for the set-up. But still ...

Next, I'm not quite sure about some of the characterization as portrayed in the issue. Is Batman still the paranoid plotter with secret anti-hero plans? Did that change? Is Superman really the sort of person to say he is going to teach a 'lesson in pain' while having angry red eyes?

But lastly, I just read a story in Detective of a time displaced Tim Drake trying to stop a future disaster by manipulating the present. Did the two offices know about the similar plots? At least it is mentioned here.

The art is done by Jorge Jimenez who brings the usual slick style I love. His action sequences flow well. No complaints there.

On to the book.

Review: New Super-Man #18

New Super-Man #18 came out this week, a book with the cover dress of 'End of an Era!' And it sure felt like it. Reading between the lines on Twitter, writer Gene Luen Yang hinted that this was supposed to be the last issue of this book. Next issue it is called New Super-Man and Justice League China, in theory a new book. And this issue also tied up almost all the plotlines which have been bubbling in this book since the beginning. End of an era? Maybe?

The truth is the Batman and Wonder Woman of China have been crucial parts of this book since they were introduced early on. Kenan has been the straw that stirs the drink for sure. But this has read something like a team book. So the title might change but my guess is the feeling of the book won't.

Is it the end of the I Ching/All-Yang storyline? Yes. Is it a pause on the Freedom Fighters and the Ministry of Self-Reliance? Yep. Is it the realization of New Super-Man as a true, fully powered hero? Yep.So perhaps next issue having a 'bold new direction' banner would be appropriate.

Brent Peeples is back on art and continues to grow into the being the main artist. There are a couple of panels here which really grabbed me and I'll make sure I point them out.

I'm just glad I get to read a little bit more. I went into issue #1 of this book figuring I'd give it a shot but already thinking that I would drop it somewhere between #3 and $4. And yet, the book grabbed me. The young bully turned into a hero. His tragic background. The Western hero analogs. The infusion of Asian culture. It all worked, the perfect blend of super-heroics, teen angst, new characters, and philosophy .

Review: Supergirl Age of Atlantis

It took a little bit of time but I finally finished Supergirl Age of Atlantis, the YA novel which is to tie-in to the show. The book was written by Jo Whittemore and she does a great job capturing the voices of the characters. This is clearly a season two story as Kara and Mon-El are still dating, Alex and Maggie are still together, and Snapper Carr is still a big part of the CatCo magazine.

I definitely enjoyed the book as a fun little side adventure for the crew as they deal with normal folks in National City suddenly gaining super-powers. Some decide to use these new powers for good. Others for more nefarious purposes. The whole crew needs to work together with a new friend from Atlantis (the source of the power-up metal) to get things under control. But not before the usual missteps and intrigue.

For those looking to relieve the feel of Season Two or want something to carry them over during the winter hiatus, or are just big fans, I would recommend the book. It is a breezy, easy read and certainly a perfect thing to give the younger fan of the show.

On to some specifics.

Review: Superwoman #17

Superwoman is ending. Superwoman #17 is the penultimate issue and came out last week. And it seems we are heading for a dramatic conclusion of some sort. There are a lot of ominous goodbyes in this issue which makes me think that the whole idea of Superwoman might be coming to end.

And it is a shame. K. Perkins has elevated this book from the early mess it was. And there are moments in her run that really captivate me. Indeed, in this one, there is a dreamish sequence that stuck with me long after I read it. My guess is she'll bring this to some hopeful ending but I'm feeling a twinge of tragedy will be there too.

The art on the issue is by Federico Dallocchio and there is a nice style to the art here. I wish I could elegantly explain it. But there is a freshness and clean feel to to the art that really clicked for me.

It is a shame that this book never really exploded. I think, in the end, it was something of a noble experiment. But the 'Lois is/isn't the star', the convoluted early arc by Phil Jimenez, the Superman Reborn story demolishing the star's origin, and the inability for a dedicated reader like me to explain the character's backstory or powers easily left this on shaky ground. I suppose I should be impressed we made it this far.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #993

Action Comics #993 came out last week, the second part of an arc where Superman goes back in time to investigate Krypton's destruction and the first part of the story 'Booster Shot' guest starring Booster Gold. After all, who messed with time to pluck Mr. Oz/Jor-El away?

I have never been a huge fan of Booster Gold. And I have never really been a huge fan of stories where Superman visits Krypton before its destruction. There are always too many questions that need to be answered. Does he lose his powers immediately? Or do they gradually wear off? How does he get off Krypton if he is powerless? And what is he hoping to get out of such a visit?

And so I enter this story already a bit on edge. At the very least, this Superman is only hoping to get a peek at Krypton's destruction from afar and only ends up on the ground because of a glitch.

But to add to the mix, there is a continuity error in this book which I feel is almost unforgivable. And that also sort of soured me. Writer Dan Jurgens should know better. But the editor should definitely know better. It may end up being that 'Rebirth' or 'Reborn' has changed things. Or maybe some of the anomalies we see here are new truths. But if it has no one but DC knows it.

Jurgens is also on art with Joe Prado inking which gives this issue a very classic feel to it.

There is a long way to go in this arc and maybe it'll grab me a bit more moving forward.

Review: Supergirl #16

Supergirl #16 came out this last week and was a very fast moving issue focusing on Supergirl's continued problems with the DEO. I was impressed with the pace of this chapter giving us both superhero action as well as continued deepening of Kara's civilian life.

For me, the human scenes and the supporting cast are crucial elements in all comics, not just Supergirl. I need to see more than the earth-shattering punches (although I do love those). And I need to see the character interacting with those around them. So the scenes that writers Steve Orlando and Jody Houser give us of Kara with her parents and Kara and her school friends are so important to me. It gives us the chance to learn about who Kara is in noncombat situations. We get to see the viewpoints of those around her and how they effect Supergirl. So I am tickled that we have been getting more of that these last few months and definitely in this issue.

Add to that the bigger action sequences of Kara fighting Strange Visitor in this issue, the introduction of villain Deceilia, seeing how vindictive Mr. Bones is, the influence of Mokkari, and you get a very satisfying superhero story.

But writing is only half of this medium. And Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, and Michael Atiyeh really shine here. First off, the action scenes with the lightning effects of Strange Visitor are gorgeous and flow beautifully. Visitor is drawn with a lot of cheekiness. But it is again those personal scenes where I think we see their efforts sparkle. There is a lot of expressive work here which completely sell the scenes.

Enough preamble. Onto the issue!

More Alex Toth Supergirl

One of my all time favorite artists in comics is Alex Toth.

Literal books have been written describing his genius so I won't try to encapsulate it here. But his dynamic and economical style was brilliant. Everything is just incredible.

I always found it vexing that there just wasn't much Toth Supergirl out there. The most I found was a single panel in the Super Friends Treasury edition. And even then it is of a Supergirl statue.

So imagine my utter joy when this Toth image of Bronze Age Supergirl was forwarded to me.

Talk about hot pants. This is about as cheeky a Kara as you're going to see. But it amazes me just how much Toth is able to convey with his lines. This is just gorgeous.

Northeast Comic Con Review

This last weekend, I went to the Northeast ComicCon, apparently also known as the Boston Southcoast Com!cCon. I went with my youngest daughter and a good friend.

The big draw was Jeremy Jordan as a media guest. Jordan plays Winn Schott on the Supergirl show. I love Winn as a character, thinking he represents the comic demographic. But my daughter loves Jordan not only for Winn but also for Newsies. She keeps hoping Winn will end up with Kara. I don't know I would have gone if Jordan wasn't there as a draw.

Keith Champagne was also there as a guest. Champagne inked the early issues of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle run on Supergirl so I was hoping to meet him and get some signatures. As luck had it, I was able to get a commission as well.

But otherwise, this was something of a sparse show held in an empty department store in a mall.

Strange Visitor - Superman Our Worlds At War Secret Files & Origin

We are a day away from Strange Visitor appearing in the DCU again in Supergirl #16, perhaps as a villain who has been brainwashed or confused by Mr. Bones and the DEO. We know that Strange Visitor has always had a short fuse. So maybe a turn to a mad rage isn't that big a shift in character.

Over the last month, I have been reviewing the history of Strange Visitor, her first arc and her last sacrifice. That last issue in which she is a pivotal part of the defeat of Imperiex in the Our Worlds At War mega-arc was interesting to me for any number of reasons. But her appearance in Superman #173, so crucial to the defeat of Imperiex, seemed to come out of the blue. Now I am really glad I reviewed that issue as it is name dropped here in current continuity!

With that sudden appearance of Strange Visitor and her importance to the ending of Our Worlds At War in mind, I scoured the back issue bins and found her in Superman Our Worlds At War Secret Files and Origins #1. And it is an interesting appearance because it may have spoiled the ending of the story.

Now I will admit, I am missing a few more Strange Visitor books from this time, including the Batman Our Worlds at War Secret Files and Origins book and an Adventures of Superman issue. But this book still intrigued me.

Review: Batman #36

Batman #36 came out last week and frankly I am so blown away by the issue that I wasn't sure if I could honestly review the book. Writer Tom King has been on something of a creative hot streak with his work on Batman, Mister Miracle, and even a brilliant issue of the Kamandi Challenge.

Now I'll admit I don't read Batman but the appearance of Superman drew me in.

To be blunt, this is one of the best comics I have read in a long long time.

You see, the Superman/Batman friendship has been rough for the last 30 years, probably since Frank Miller destroyed it in The Dark Knight Returns. Since then we have had a bristling relationship, a Batman with a kryptonite ring and paranoia, a movie based on the two fighting. And, perhaps even worse, are stories which make them best buddies again, ignoring the last 30 years of rift. I have been looking for some issue, some creator, some story to explain this friendship to me again, to make me understand it, to bring them together while recognizing their differences and the three decades of anger.

This issue does just that. They want to be friends. They respect each other. They're in awe of each other. But they don't know how to reach out. They don't know how to discuss their feelings. They don't want to impose a friendship on the other.

Seriously, I wanted to scan the whole issue to showcase it. Every page is just perfection. And Clay Mann on art is also perfect. The whole layout of the issue, mirrored pages and two running stories of each hero explaining their feelings about the other hero is just spectacular. Just stupendous.

What are you waiting for ... if you are a fan of Superman or Batman or both, run out and buy this issue.

Just a few moments...

Review: Superman #36

Superman #36 was the final part of the Imperius Lex storyline and was a definitely entertaining and interesting ending to this arc. For me, seeing the turmoil on Apokolips in the context of Darkseid being gone has drawn me in. As a Fourth World fan, seeing the members of the court in-fight for power is a new wrinkle to those characters.

I also love seeing the three members of the Lane/Kent family each have moments to shine, showing their strength and character in these harsh environments.

But the big thing for me was the denouement of the Lex Luthor arc. The title of this issue is 'Liberation' and that works for both the Apokolips arc as well as Lex's character. For the longest time I have questioned Lex's motives, wondering if the old evil Lex was just under the surface. Finally, at the beginning of this arc, I had come to realize that maybe Lex had indeed turned the corner and become a true hero. And then, like the best of stories, the ending threw me for a loop and made perfect sense. It is a great ending and brings a new sort of Rebirth to the Luthor name.

So story-tellers Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason really clicked on this arc. And Doug Mahnke shines here. I love his take on the Kirby characters. This whole thing crackles. The cover by Patrick Gleason is the first with the new print dress and DC symbol. Gone is the Rebirth banner. And Superman on the throne of Apokolips is a stark image.

On to the book.

Supergirl On Justice League Action: The Goddess Must Be Crazy [REVISED]

A while back I posted about how it was clear that Supergirl would be coming to the always excellent Justice League Action cartoon.

Well it looks like we finally got there. Over on the Cartoon Network app, you can watch Justice League Action shorts and earlier this week I heard that Supergirl (voiced by Joanne Spracklen) finally made an appearance!!! Yay!!

I am thrilled Supergirl is in another show. I love her look, a sort of take on her show costume. And I liked this plot.

Initially I could only get images from a wonky way of screen capping the Cartoon Network App but the short is now on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJWjCSM_zdg

The Goddess Must Be Crazy starts with a sparring session between Supergirl and Wonder Woman in the skies above Themyscira. In some ways, it reminded me of the Loeb/Turner Kara who spent some time training with the Amazons before revealing herself.

During the brawl we are reminded that Hippolyta has bolstered the defenses of the island with an anti-male spell.

Supergirl Episode 309: Reign

Supergirl episode 309, titled 'Reign' represented the midseason finale and was one of the best episodes of what has been a spectacular season so far. I have been so impressed with this show this year as it really does a fine job of having relatively deep character plots playing out slowly. It is clear that this season's theme is Kara dealing with sadness, trying to shield herself from emotional harm, becoming a girl of steel, an alien. And throughout the episodes so far, we have seen that played out as her being trumpeted as a god. We have seen here embrace her humanity in her youth. We have seen her face off against Overgirl, a dark reflection of herself. And now we have her battling Reign, another Kryptonian super woman, this time with a very harsh agenda of justice via the lash.

And this felt like something big. This was a 'Death of Superman' style story with a Kryptonian created worldkiller battling and basically defeating the hero. This felt cinematic. This felt electric. This was sit on the edge of your seat time, especially the last 10 minutes. Incredible.

But this wouldn't have been nearly as effective without the small stuff that plays out during the hour. Here we see Sam becoming Reign while still wistfully reminiscing about her more human moments. We see the writers really lean into the history of this show, touching on moments and plots from prior seasons, showing the mythology this show is building. And we have the usual comic and movie flourishes.

I was very impressed. Very.

On to the show.

DC Superhero Girls: Dog Day After School

I haven't reported on DC Superhero Girls cartoon shorts for a long time. It isn't due to lack of interest. They remain a fun little intro to the characters for kid.

But when they are Supergirl-centric and appropriate for the current climate, I feel obliged.

Recently, Supergirl starred in "Dog Day After School" (a nice pun for adults who remember Dog Day Afternoon) and as the name implies it involves a pooch. Given the recent reintroduction of the Super-Pets, I felt covering this now made perfect sense.

We start out with Supergirl flying her version of the super-mobile around the Metropolis skyline.

I have no idea why she would be flying a rocket instead of just flying. Perhaps there is a toy out there?

But the flight is interrupted when her 'Kryptonian proxmity alert' goes off. Is she that worried about other Kryptonians being both alive and around that she wants it available? That also seemed weird.

It turns out she is worried that maybe the alarm means that Kryptonian criminals have escaped the Phantom Zone. As that would be a tremendous disaster, I guess having an early warning alarm makes sense.

Batgirl is able to tell that it wasn't a malfunction. The alert triggered appropriately.

I love the worried look on Supergirl's face when hearing the news. She is sort of worried about the criminals. Maybe there is a back story there? Or are they simply like the boogey men of Krypton in her mind?

A team of heroes - Supergirl, Hawkgirl, and Beast Boy - head out to try to track down whatever triggered the alarm.

A quick loop of the city finds a number of fire hydrants knocked over.

And then a huge number of cats come scurrying around a corner as if being chased by something or someone. Luckily Catwoman arrives with her Cat-van to shelter them.

If you take a step back, you'll realize the team has an animal theme to it - Hawkgirl, Catwoman, and Beast Boy. Hmmm ...

Then the coffee shop run by Steve Trevor gets torn apart by something moving so fast that it is just a white blur.

There are just too many yummy treats in there for this thing to resist.

Ultimately, the team corners the perpetrator in the alley behind the store. It has the 'angry red eyes of anger'. Catwoman readies her whip. Beast Boy becomes a bear. It looks like it might come down to a 'tooth and claw' battle.

But then who comes bounding out and jumps into Kara's arms? Krypto!

And in this universe, Krypto is her dog. (I'm not even sure. Do Superman and Batman exist in this universe?) She is thrilled to have another piece of home and normalcy here on Earth now. And it is apparent that the schoolgrounds will have a new pet.

As usual, this is a fun little episode. There is something of a nice depth to Kara here, from her fear of the Phantom Zone criminals to her love of Krypto. As usual, Beast Boy is a comic relief character, trying to 'meow' some sense of calm into the cat crowd who simply ignore him.

And I haven't seen too much of Catwoman before so she was a nice addition.

I love DC Superhero Girls.

Review: Super Sons Annual #1

Super-Sons Annual #1 came out last week but really was more of a Super-Pets one shot with a dash of of our main characters. Jon and Damian appear in a framework sort of style, giving us some interaction at the beginning and end of the tale. But everything in the middle is all super-pets.

As these are animals, writer Peter Tomasi tells the tale with almost no dialogue. We get growls, meows, and coos. And so, as is sometimes the case with comics, the art really has to carry the story. Artist Paul Pelletier has to rely on the emotive expressions and body language of the pets to get across the vibe of the animal-only scene. Pelletier does an amazing job as I had no problem intuiting what each of the pets was thinking. And, in fact, at times, Pelletier seems to be drawing like Patrick Gleason or Jorge Jimenez, leaning into those artists' styles and giving this a very Super Sons feel.

For a long time Supergirl fan though, the biggest revelation of this issue was that Streaky the Super-Cat is back in continuity. Now historically, Streaky is a tomcat and belongs to Supergirl. He also had powers because of exposure to X-Kryptonite. Here, Streaky is a female cat. And how she got her powers remains a mystery. I hope that she isn't from Krypton. I also hope that eventually she will find her way in to Kara's life.

So this was a lot of fun. Glad I got it. On to the book.

Crisis On Earth X Review: Parts 2,3, & 4

The Crisis on Earth X CW crossover ended earlier this week and I have been trying to put together coherent thoughts on it. For one, I decided early on that I would tackle all the remaining parts in one swoop in this post which meant I would need to only hit the high marks. But that has proved to be a bit of a harder task as there was so much goodness in this crossover that I may end up hitting only the high points so that I can also put in some of the geeks moments that made me happy.

But as I said in the Supergirl episode review post, this was everything a 'company wide' comic crossover should be. Heroes coming together to fight a major threat, tons of nods to continuity, and major changes for those involved. This felt like a Crisis and I mean that in the very best sense of the word (in comic context).

While I will be commenting on all the characters, this is a Supergirl blog. So let me say a few things up front. I was thrilled to see Alex featured in these episodes as prominently as she was. There is something about seeing Alex looked upon at the same level as these super-heroes that made me beam. She is brutally efficient in her work as we see her gunning down Nazis at point blank range with head and neck shots. Her arc about again working her way through life post-Maggie made sense. And as usual, her chemistry with Melissa Benoist is perfect.

Kara herself is depowered for most of these episodes but it allows us to further delve into the alien/human character plot she has happening this season. And when she finally is repowered she has the best line in the whole crossover. Fantastic.

On to the crossover.