Happy Valentine's Day for all those out there celebrating romance.
I am always surprised at how much Supergirl showed up on mainstream stuff in the Bronze Age.
Here we see her and her then bestie Batgirl on a Valentine's Day card, talking about what a great team they are together.
I love this version of World's Finest so seeing the two together on something like a school Valentine is fantastic. I can only hope that their friendship, rekindled recently, remains intact and revisited.
As for Supergirl, we know that in the Silver Age, her falling in love ... often with the wrong people ... was well-trod soil. She had her standard beaus - Comet, Jerro, Brainiac 5, and Dick Malverne. And then all the villains, unscrupulous aliens, and criminals who want to marry her.
The current Kara was just on the verge of a romantic relationship with Ben Rubel when that take on the character was shelved for the space-story unfolding now.
Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day!
"I am always surprised at how much Supergirl showed up on mainstream stuff in the Bronze Age."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. They were constantly pumping out Supergirl merchandising, which means the character was profitable regardless how well her strip did. A pity those profits didn't make DC reconsider their anti-Silver Age stance in the 1980's.
"I love this version of World's Finest so seeing the two together on something like a school Valentine is fantastic. I can only hope that their friendship, rekindled recently, remains intact and revisited."
I also love their relationship and I hope we see them together again. Until then, we'll have to settle with DCSHG.
"As for Supergirl, we know that in the Silver Age, her falling in love ... often with the wrong people ... was well-trod soil."
Supergirl's classic plotline (which is a depressing thought). Virtually every Supergirl, including Mae and Linda, have fallen for the wrong person time and again. They have liked/dated idiots, assholes, creeps, villains... Biron, Kimor Dinn, Derek Ames, Lex Luthor, Buzz, Power Boy, H'El...
And unless Paul Kupperberg reveals otherwise, I'll believe Phil Decker's mysterious absences were due to him being secretly a villain.
I enjoyed Action Comics 338 subervting that trope, though.
"The current Kara was just on the verge of a romantic relationship with Ben Rubel when that take on the character was shelved for the space-story unfolding now."
I confess I will not miss Ben. He never got enough development to make me care. I miss Michael Harris, though.
I didn't expect him to be reused by the Titans book, though. I thought he was heading towards comic limbo after SG #20
Did anyone ever outreach to Paul Kupperberg re Phil Decker? Paul is on the convention circuit (I've seen him manning a table and briefly spoke to him)...so maybe we should keep a lookout...
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day
JF
Off-topic, but the DCSHG Street Style short featuring Supergirl is already up:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSb6R4TSIIc&t=0s&list=PLMUrvXfdTR3iRfMbyiYrnBl-OkkdFEx_w&index=7
Ben may have learned Supergirl's secret identity from working with the Titans. If she keeps the Danvers identity when she returns, then being in on her secret, and of significant skill, he could be developed into an asset and/or friend to her more than he was. Of course the Titans kind of dismissed Supergirl the one time he mentioned her, so maybe that attitude rubbed off on him.
ReplyDeleteDid DC have a reason to keep Ben in particular around? Surely they did, and it must be because of his Supergirl connection. Otherwise what a random choice! They didn't need to tap Ben of all people. Still, that doesn't mean they had definite plans or whether they would stick to them. Maybe they thought Kara would eventually join the Titans. Doubt they thought they'd be cancelling Titans.
As for the romance angle? That didn't get far and they can revert to friend zone easily enough. He's "too nice" for the relationships DC likes to get Kara into. Too bad. She could use an Oracle. Like Winn from Season 1.
T.N.