We are just a couple of weeks from the new direction of Supergirl hitting the racks.
We haven't seen much in the way of interviews or sneak peeks. I wonder if that is because it might be too spoiler-y given the impact on the Bendis run. Or if DC is waiting a little bit, getting closer to the release date.
At the very least, this week Supergirl got a push in the form of a house ad in the main DC books. Any publicity is good publicity.
"The last Daughter of Krypton is on the hunt for the monster who destroyed her world!"
Okay, it is a decent if somewhat deceptive tag line. She doesn't have to hunt Zaar. She put him in the Phantom Zone. Really, she is hunting for the truth. She is trying to get to the bottom of Krypton's destruction. But monster hunting is a better hook for the curious fan.
I will always gush about Terry Dodson's art and this image is powerful. But that is one angry looking Supergirl, carrying a giant axe and garbed in darker colors. While this isn't a dark Supergirl, it is a fierce one. I keep hoping that DC will give us an optimistic, inspirational Supergirl for more than 2 years. Hopefully Marc Andreyko doesn't make her lose her way.
But if there is one thing that struck me about this ad which made it work for me was the faces behind Supergirl. At first I thought they might be people she is investigating.
On closer look, there is a very Kryptonian vibe to all these people. Headbands like classic Kryptonians. Black hoods like Byrne-era citizens. Basically, these are the people who Supergirl is trying to avenge. These are the dead, either from Kandor or the planet. But either way, these are the people who deserve the truth to be known, who deserve justice. They are pushing her.
That image of the dead of Krypton spurring her forward is a good one for this direction.
So are people getting more excited? Or approaching with more trepidation?
I am glad DC is giving it some publicity.
"At the very least, this week Supergirl got a push in the form of a house ad in the main DC books. Any publicity is good publicity."
ReplyDeleteYes. When it was the last time she got a house ad? The beginning of the Rebirth run?
"While this isn't a dark Supergirl, it is a fierce one. I keep hoping that DC will give us an optimistic, inspirational Supergirl for more than 2 years. Hopefully Marc Andreyko doesn't make her lose her way."
I'll wait to read the issue first. I don't mind fierce. I'm definitely comfortable with fierce. I don't desire "dark and edgy", and I hope Andreyko is going for that nuance. In spite of DC promoting her as "hell on wheels", "don't piss her off", Mike Johnson and Michael Green SG was nuanced. Full of grief and anger but you could see she was a good person at heart who wanted to hurt nobody, was willing to protect people and was slowly working through her troubles... until that idiotic crossover which I'll not name derailed everything.
I think DC may have finally gotten Supergirl isn't a "dark" and "edgy" character, and turning her into one doesn't work. Comic-book "fans" are often looking for excuses to dismiss -often derivative and/or female- characters, and the Kelly or Nelson's SG interpretations are easier to write off as annoying and unlikable than the Pre-Crisis or Rebirth versions, who are sweethearts with a temper (to the point Earth-One SG bashers are forced to claim she a perfect goody-two shoes with zero depth).
"But if there is one thing that struck me about this ad which made it work for me was the faces behind Supergirl. At first I thought they might be people she is investigating."
The faces are a interesting detail that I noticed, too.
Idle speculation, maybe Rogol Zaar didn't destroy Krypton...regardless of his boasts, maybe Kara develops a new hypothesis during her travels...
ReplyDeleteBlack...Supergirl's worst color (next to pink of course)...
JF
I like the ad, bar the axe, but the Red Lanterns business has made me less quick to judge... I just want a Supergirl comic to read, and as a fan of Maguire and Andreyko, I'm hopeful.
ReplyDeleteBut once more, I want Kara back on Earth.
Thanks for comments.
ReplyDeleteI am assuming that Zaar will turn out not to have been responsible. Krypton did that all on their own.
Yes Mart, every time Supergirl claims Earth as her new home to defend, she gets shunted off by a new direction. Bring her back to National City!
I'm in the excited, no trepidation camp.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed elements of almost all the Supergirl stories since the return in 2004 and then the reboot in 2011, so I guess I've been adaptable to the different visions of Supergirl. This will be another "rebirth" in a way, and I'm looking forward to a change.
I actually had enjoyed New 52 Supergirl more than Rebirth, and this is a chance to change costumes, be off without the adoptive Danvers parents and the DEO, and get into a new phase.
"I've enjoyed elements of almost all the Supergirl stories since the return in 2004 and then the reboot in 2011, so I guess I've been adaptable to the different visions of Supergirl. This will be another "rebirth" in a way, and I'm looking forward to a change."
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you. I wish I was able to appreciate different interpretations of the character, including the darker ones.
Off-topic: Anj, have you watched Teen Titans Go: To the Movies? If so, you'll share your thoughts on the TTG Supergirl and the "The Late Batsby" DCSHG short?
By the way, Supergirl already made a cameo appearance in the Teen Titans Go comics. Concretely, Teen Titans Go Vol 1 #45 (September, 2007). Although that Supergirl was clearly based on Kara In-Ze rather than Kara Zor-El.
Excitement or trepidation? A little of both. I'm going to wait until Supergirl 21 comes out, but overall, I'm optimistic. I expect Kara's space exploits will last six months to a year, enough to fill up a trade paperback or two. I think readers would get frustrated if this quest went on and on and on with no resolution . I hope that, while Kara is away. we catch frequent glimpses of the Danvers and other supporting cast. Kara's "how I spent my summer vacation" essay should be real interesting.
ReplyDeleteAs for Zaar, even if he IS responsible for Krypton's destruction in today's continuity, another writer will probably come along in a few years and change that. There have been so many reasons given for Krypton exploding over the years, this is just the latest.