Action Comics #1077 came out last week, the eighth weekly issue during this Mark Waid run.
That also means it is the eighth entry in Mariko Tamaki's Supergirl story which has plodded along in the most dull way. I feel like my reviews have been repetitive. Nothing happens; Supergirl seems ineffective. But wait ... something happens this time.
In fact, something potentially interesting happens this time. I am not saying this is a good chapter. But at least there is some progression. And after 7 chapters of nothing happening, I am nearly giddy that at least we got something.
The prisoner gives us some background on who she is.
Also, Tamaki brings in Tom King's Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow. Is she praising it? Retconning it? I think I know what it happening but I am hoping you all will tell me what you think as well.
Now Supergirl still does nothing in this chapter. This is the prisoner's story, not Kara's.
Meghan Hetrick is back on art and brings an open style to things.
On to the details.
As the prisoner reveals that her partner is 'rage', we see flashbacks to King's Woman of Tomorrow. Moreover, we see Rage actually present while Kara judges Krem.
We learn that the prisoner was one of a duo.
You see her partner? Brother?
He wields a sword and brings war to worlds.
I may actually have to go back and reread this story because I picked up on the shapes on gloves and how one seemed to fit into the other.
So have we been seeing both of these beings along the way? Was one the sword-wielding being in pursuit and I didn't realize it?
And, like some type of apocalyptic Wonder Twins, when they clasp hands, completing the glove symbol, they become 'destroyers of worlds'. They cause planets to explode.
The prisoner then says that she is 'fear'. And her partner is 'rage'. Together they bring war to worlds and then, it seems, blow them up. But with body language you can see this prisoner isn't happy she is doing this.
And then this page ...
For me, this is Tamaki explaining why the Supergirl in King's book acted so differently from the one we have seen in the Bendis, PKJ, and Williamson runs. Is Tamaki saying this Rage being amped up Kara's rage and made her act so addled in that book?
That is how I am reading it. And if somehow DC is trying to retcon Kara's actions in that story away, I am all for it!
Of course, the other way to read it is that this being is somehow drawn to Kara, perhaps because the King Supergirl was all over the map in that story, angry, drunk, alone, angry, depressed ...
And knowing a James Gunn backed movie is coming out based on that story (in some way), would they undo it?
What do you think?
'Fear' doesn't like what she is doing so she kills 'Rage' with his own sword and runs.
But Rage is still around and chasing her.
And so we end this chapter. The prisoner is having a heart to heart with Kara and asks Supergirl to kill her before 'Rage' arrives.
How do you sum up this chapter?
Supergirl is sitting and listening this whole chapter. She has one line. We learn some things about this prisoner but there isn't a lot of background explaining powers, history, etc.
Hetrick's art is solid and she recreates WoT moments nicely.
But really this boils down to that one page. Will Tamaki leave it open-ended forcing the reader to decide? Or is there more to come? At least there is something for me to mull over!
Here we are, chapter 8 of 10 behind us.
Overall grade: C
14 comments:
Thanks for the review. I don't think I agree with your opinion that the scenes depicted indicated that this being's "twin" had some influence over Kara's behavior in Woman of Tomorrow. I think it's more likely that this being and its counterpart simply happened to observe the events of that book and responded to them in accordance with their innate predistortions towards rage or fear. What's more significant to me than the response of this being or their counterpart is the fact that Woman of Tomorrow is being cited in an ostensibly "mainstream" DCU book. Prior to this, I thought that D.C. considered Woman of Tomorrow to be an Elseworlds story. After reading this, I'm convinced that D.C. now considers Woman of Tomorrow to be part of the mainstream canon for Supergirl.
If that's the case, it's a genuine shame that Woman of Tomorrow has become part of the canon for the mainstream DCU. The miserable, misanthropic Kara depicted in that book is a far cry from the most compelling iterations of Kara that other writers have provided. I would say in particular that either PKJ or Mark Waid's portrayal of Kara are far more compelling than Tom King's iteration of Kara. King simply thought that Kara was totally consumed by misery over the loss of her family and Krypton's destruction as well as a sense of inadequacy over some perception that she can't measure up to the standard Clark has set for her. While there's a good case to be made that Kara should have some sadness regarding Krypton's end, the thing Waid and PKJ got which King didn't is that Kara is strong enough to overcome the tragedy of Krypton's end and also doesn't see perceive herself as somehow being perpetually stuck in Clark's shadow. Kara is at her best as a character when writers show how despite all the things that could hold her back, she's become an intelligent, resilient adult who's able to effectively cope with the tragedy of her past and thereby focus on using her powers and strength of character to create a present and future where what's best in her rather than those past setbacks determine the parameters of the world around her.
I don't know what Tamaki has planned for the rest of this series, but I do feel confident saying that if Tamaki's model is King's Kara instead of the better versions of Kara that Waid, PKJ, or Tamaki herself portrayed in Supergirl: Being Super, this series is doomed. This may be a bit presumptuous, but with that said I think it's fair to say that if your whole blog could be distilled down to one point, I think it would be this: dark Kara doesn't work. Kara is at her best as a character when she is a beacon of intelligence and virtue, not when she's mired in misery. There are many reasons why this story has been a failure so far, but I think it's fair to say that one big reason it's failed is that Tamaki hasn't presented anything positive or engaging about Kara in this backup. As long as this story keeps leaning into King's miserabilist depiction of Kara while also hewing to Tamaki's plodding storytelling style, there just isn't a way that this story will be anything other than a failed, dreary attempt to craft a worthwhile Supergirl tale.
Minor point: I meant to write "predispositions" not "predistortions." I'm still not quite sure how spell check screwed that up. Regardless, I stand by the rest of what I wrote.
I think this Fear Being witnessed or is aware of Supergirl's rage in Woman of Tomorrow, and concluded that Supergirl is uniquely qualified to murder her.
Woman of Tomorrow is certainly now in continuity. And Tom King is professing it's his greatest achievement. And readers are saying it's the best SG story they've ever read. (Probably because it'll be a movie. And because they are King fans.) Sales were originally so poor DC went straight to softcover TPB, while so many terrible series go to HC first. You see them get solicited each month, and I always shake my head. This series got its hardcover only after the movie was announced.
Forgot to sign that - T.N.
Thanks for comments so far.
First Anon, definitely agree that Dark Kara is never successful. Other King books were labeled Black Label but WoT never was. I hoped it would be forgotten. But it looks like it isn't going to be.
As you say, Tamaki hasn't shown Supergirl in any positive way. So this hasn't been a good showcase for the character in any way.
Thanks for comment!
TN, you are right about a bunch of things. Not only was tWoT not given a hardcover initially but it was shortened from 12 to 8 issues. It certainly bothers me to hear some folks say this is the best Supergirl story. I always want to follow it up with 'what other ones have you read'?
I didn't even think that the alien seeing Kara in WoT means that the prisoner believes Kara would be willing to kill her. Can you imagine if Superman sent Kara out special for this mission because he believes she is a killer??
Thank you for the comment!
Probably on Word Balloon podcast, I heard King say he wanted to do 12, but was told Supergirl never sells so he could only do 8. There's something fishy about that story, though - if it won't sell, why release even 1, let alone 8? So maybe it really did start out as 12, but after a month or two of uninspired sales, it was cut back?
T.N.
I certainly hope DC isn't going to allow lesser talents to retcon King and Evely's brilliant work. That would be a shame. But fortunately the original masterpiece will still be there to savor, and any silly "explanations" for things that need no explaining can safely be ignored as irrelevant margin-scribblings.
I always say that I am always happy to hear that people are enjoying comics. Not ever story is for every person. It's art. I'm just glad there are people out there who still love the medium.
I had a different theory as to what that page means and I will die on that hill…
So if Rage was affecting Kara in SWoT, can we assume that Stupidity was hanging around off panel? More seriously, is Fear affecting Kara here, making her utterly ineffective?
This story exists to make Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow look better… I didn’t like the eight issues, but at least Tom King bothered to write a story.
I really really wish, that Mariko Tomaki put as much effort in her narrative as our host puts into reviewing that sheer inert vacuity that is her current Supergirl storyline. Which is a nice way of saying, that however this story turns out, it'll likely won't make a lick of sense at all. Disappointment now, is only the harbinger of Disappointment Later. In fact, it is too bad we no longer live in the era of magazine criticism, a great and illuminating article could be entitled "Mariko Tomaki: The Vacuum". JF
Since King admits he fits characters to stories he comes up with I just don't get his popularity, especially since having PTSD I don't think it's entertaining to see everyone seem to suffer from it. I like heroic fiction and don't feel like I get it from him as well.
I also find it interesting that even with plot progression, Tamaki manages to still be boring. More than better writers, Supergirl needs better editors. Kara would make a terrible Marvel character because of what they tend to do with Kryptonian types to fit their universe but imagine what a Tom Brevoort would do to shepherd her.
I agree that Brittany Holzherr needs to be replaced as Supergirl editor. Based on the garbage she has authorized for the character, she couldn't successfully edit a grocery list. I am still amazed that the Doomsday Special with its decent and courageous Kara got through to publication. It is past time that her solo appearances became as good as her guest appearances in Superman stories, Anj is right in his complaint that if a Supergirl solo title stinks there really isn't anyplace else to go for good Supergirl while that isn't the case for the big three DC superheroes. Case in point. Tom King is currently destroying the main Wonder Woman title with his usual horrible writing. Do I care? No, because I can read the best Wonder Woman since the great George Perez was writing her in Absolute Wonder Woman. My hope for Supergirl's future is that while Holzherr is using the new movie as an excuse to ruin the main Supergirl with an all new all terrible solo title, we get an Abolute Supergirl title that is everything the character should be. A Kara Zor El who has to learn that the science caste she was born into was an oppressor class whose values she needs to reject and who ultimately chooses to adopt the S as a symbol that she will now join her cousin in fighting for the downtrodden and the oppressed has promise. Of course, it is possible that the reason this Jor El is able to get his son off planet is because his brother Zor El is illegally giving him access to forbidden rocketry technology behind the back of the Science Council. Of course, if Kal is a teenager when he leaves Krypton, Kara would be a grown woman. Maybe she's slipping Jor El the forbidden technology. Or given how little tolerance she has for fools, maybe she gets on the wrong side of the science caste and has to be taken in and raised by her Uncle Jor El when she is reclassified worker caste.
I just thought of an idea myself for Absolute Supergirl: A street level hero from before Krypton's destruction.
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