A good friend was in Greece recently and sent me two Supergirl books, one of which I will share today. From Anubis Publishing, I present their presentation of Supergirl #6 from the Loeb era of the character. This was on the shelves in the states way back in 2006!
This Greek edition is more than just a reprint of the issue though which is why I thought it might be fun to share here. Check out below.
(Now I will say that I don't speak Greek but if one of you out there does ...)
There is a five page text piece which looks like a primer on the Supergirl character.
I can't read this. But littered through are issue numbers (252, 285, an Adventure comic) as well as creator names like Peter David. I even see event names like Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis.
Five pages!
So maybe this was supposed to be a sort of gateway into the character.
But if true, what a completely odd issue to pick to try to entice people to read more! This is Supergirl and Power Girl in Kandor!. She isn't even in costume!
Anyways, I'd love to know what it all says. Perhaps some day.
Thanks again to my friend for sending me this!
15 comments:
Hey Anj i am from Greece and a long time fan of supergirl and your site.
So basically that 5 pages are from the editorial and they give a brief synopsis of supergirl history, nothing detail mind you just enough so you can familiarized with the characther.
Anubis had a deal with DC to publish some of their titles and one of them was superman /batman so the audience was already familiar with her current iteration, in fact after that first appearance of her they publish the first 6 issues of supergirl in a monthly magazine dub DC universe where it feature many dc heros that where not widely known to the greek audience.
Those issues where popular enough that they decide to print her own series starting from issue 6, that's the reason they starting from there is that they already publish the montly issues she appears elsewhere.
I myself still have many of their books artrough i don't remebar if i had the supergirl ones since by then i was collecting comics from the internet, i still have my supergirl power and candor graphic novels in english.
Anyway i don't now what else to say to you if you have any other questions you can ask here and i see if i can rember anyting else.
πολλεσ ευχες απο ελλαδα, ελπιζω να συνεχισεις για πολλα χρονια ακομα.
Wow!
I cannot thank you enough for that shared information! Incredible ...
There might be another Greek book I'll need your help with soon (as friend got another gift to share with me)
Glad that i could help and i be more than happy to do it again if i can so don't be hesitant to ask me.
I pasted the full-size scan into ChatGPT and it translated them. I skimmed it, and the translation looks like it would be perfect, and the history looks correct as well, but perhaps you'll spot some areas that are wrong. Looks like I have to break this down into 5 pages, because when I try to publish, the overall thing gets an error that it is too long.
-- T.N.
The Fearless Kara Zor-El in New Adventures
(Translated from Greek Anubis Comics back matter)
Page 1
---------
The steel girl of the DC Universe, Supergirl, has often appeared in issues of Anubis Comics. How could it be otherwise, when we’re talking about one of the most important heroines of DC Comics? On the occasion of the new volume "Supergirl: Candor", we have prepared for you a feature dedicated to the accomplishments of Superman’s legendary cousin.
The story of the Kryptonian girl is long and multifaceted. Using the new edition you hold in your hands as a starting point, we will review the main points of the heroine’s history — the one we know as Kara Zor-El — though in the past various incarnations of Supergirl have appeared with different names, origins, and purposes.
The first appearance of a female Superman took place in Action Comics #60 (1943). There, Lois Lane was hospitalized and dreamed that she had gained superpowers after receiving Superman’s blood transfusion. Superwoman reappeared in Action Comics #156 (1951), again when Lois gained superpowers after an accident caused by Lex Luthor. However, when Lois tried to fight crime, she soon lost her powers, only to regain them again later, as... Supergirl! That’s how the story of Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, and her long mythological course began.
Page 2
---------
In Superman #123 (1958), Jimmy Olsen makes a wish on a magical totem for the existence of a “super-girl” to help Superman. The wish comes true, and a Super-Girl suddenly appears before him. However, she soon dies while saving Superman. Jimmy decides it’s better that his wish never came true.
DC used that story as a test to gauge readers’ reactions — to see if the public truly wanted to see a female Superman become part of the DC Universe. As we know, the answer was yes.
Officially, the character of Supergirl was introduced in Action Comics #252 (1959), under the name Kara Zor-El. Kara was Superman’s cousin — the daughter of Zor-El and Alura. When Krypton was destroyed, a large fragment of it, Argo City, survived and drifted through space. Kara was sent to Earth in a rocket, with the mission of being raised under Superman’s protection. Her parents gave her a costume similar to his, so her identity would be clear.
The creators of this first “Supergirl” were Otto Binder (writer) and Al Plastino (artist). Upon her arrival, Kara developed powers identical to those of her cousin. When Superman met her and confirmed her origins, he decided to take her under his protection and advised her to keep her identity secret under the name Linda Lee.
Her adventures initially continued in Action Comics, where she acted as a secondary character alongside Superman. Soon, however, her stories took on independent plots, often involving the rescue of children from orphanages — since she too lived in one and sometimes faced dangers threatening the entire world. Her battles alongside Superman against formidable enemies were infrequent but memorable, and she later earned her place among the Legion of Super-Heroes. A milestone issue was Action Comics #285 (1962), where Superman officially introduced her to the world as Supergirl.
Page 3
---------
Linda graduated from high school in 1964 and left home to study at Stanhope College. As Supergirl, she gained a starring role in Adventure Comics, from issue #381 (1969) onward. During that time, her adventures diversified greatly, and she maintained a very close relationship with her cousin — though their joint appearances became increasingly rare.
Even though she was already very popular with readers, Supergirl earned her own self-titled series in 1972. During the 1970s, her stories reflected her double life — as superheroine and as everyday woman. As a civilian, she became a journalist and television reporter, later a guidance counselor and teacher, and even starred in a TV soap opera called Secret Hearts.
Unfortunately, her solo adventures were short-lived — lasting only ten issues. The title was then merged with Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane into a combined anthology series titled Superman Family.
The new series The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl (later shortened to Supergirl) debuted in 1982 and gave the heroine a new, distinct origin. Kara was now an 18-year-old student attending Lake Shore University in Chicago. By 1984, 23 issues had been published when the series ended, as DC’s entire universe was about to experience the consequences of a massive crisis.
The Crisis and the Death
In the epic Crisis on Infinite Earths (April 1985 – March 1986), DC Comics sought to reset its continuity and the tangled origins and histories of its heroes. During this cosmic war, many heroes perished.
Supergirl was among them, sacrificing her life to save Superman from the Anti-Monitor. Her death was so impactful that, after Crisis, DC decided to remove Supergirl from existence entirely — as if she had never existed in the unified DC continuity.
After the Crisis, the authentic Supergirl remained absent for many years.
In April 1988, a new, completely reimagined Supergirl appeared — an artificial lifeform created by Lex Luthor. Besides her well-known powers, this new Supergirl also had shapeshifting abilities. This “protoplasmic” Supergirl (known as Matrix) was later merged by writer Peter David with a young woman from Virginia named Linda Danvers. His stories explored religious and philosophical themes and are now considered a major milestone in Supergirl’s history.
Page 4
---------
The Fearless Kara Zor-El in New Adventures: A New Beginning
Supergirl’s dramatic return to DC Comics came through Superman/Batman #8 (2004). Batman discovered a crashed Kryptonian ship in Gotham Bay containing Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. Superman took her under his protection, and Wonder Woman brought her to Themyscira for Amazon training.
However, the immense power she possessed, in the hands of an inexperienced young girl, could prove catastrophic. Everything seemed calm until Darkseid decided that Kara was the perfect candidate to lead his Female Furies — an elite team made up entirely of female warriors. He kidnapped her and brainwashed her into serving him.
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman traveled to Apokolips to rescue Kara. Upon returning to Earth, they tricked Darkseid into believing Kara was dead, forcing him to retreat.
After this epic battle, Superman hurled Darkseid into the Source Wall, the cosmic boundary at the edge of the universe. The success of that story arc led to a new monthly Supergirl series.
In its first six issues, Kara met many DCU heroes, exploring her first steps, her doubts, and how other heroes viewed her. The story included Lex Luthor, now wielding a nanotech armor that gave him immense power. With the help of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, Kara overcame her inner darkness and found herself again.
Supergirl & Infinite Crisis
Soon afterward came Infinite Crisis. During this event, Donna Troy sought Kara’s help in an interstellar mission, and both heroines vanished into space.
The Legion of Super-Heroes comic was retitled Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes, following Kara’s adventures in the 31st century, where she joined forces with that era’s heroes.
Page 5
---------
One year later, in the weekly series 52, Donna Troy sacrificed herself to save Supergirl. In the aftermath, Kara returned to Metropolis, temporarily taking Superman’s place while he recovered his powers. Mysterious events soon transported her to a new setting.
Adventures in Kandor
The next saga, Supergirl: Candor, begins one year after Infinite Crisis. Supergirl travels to the bottle city of Kandor, once stolen by Brainiac and kept in Superman’s Fortress. Now ruled by the sorcerer Tolo and populated by beings from many worlds, Kandor becomes the center of a new struggle.
Alongside her appears Power Girl (Kara Zor-L), her counterpart from Earth-2. Together with Flamebird and Nightwing, they battle a tyrant threatening an entire world of superhumans.
Instead of an Epilogue
As this feature comes to a close, we hope we’ve answered the main questions readers often have when meeting the heroine for the first time. Supergirl’s fascinating saga has just begun anew, promising powerful emotions and surprises.
The DC Universe, still recovering from the aftermath of Infinite Crisis, remains a world filled with classic superheroes striving to overcome its consequences.
In this new world inhabited by beings of incredible power, Kara Zor-El continues her unique adventures — striving to free Kandor from tyranny and to answer her eternal question: Who am I, and where do I belong?
The only thing left is to wish her good luck on her long journey — in the boundless world of the legendary Supergirl.
I wonder if in that last section, "Together with Flamebird and Nightwing, they battle a tyrant threatening an entire world of superhumans" is a mis-translation, a misunderstanding in the text, or a desire to be spoiler-free.
This is a pretty accurate translation although there are parts mising mostly from the last 2 pages, they have a little more history in there but mostly consist a brief mention of the greek magazine run.
Also as you have guessed that last partis indeed a mistranslation, the tyrant part is right but there's no mention of "an entire world of superhumans" instead they allude to his identity spoiler (an evil supeman variant) the exact translation would be "his image resembles another top hero"
Also in the epilogue part the don't wish her good lucky on her journey but rather the readers of the book, the maybe more mistakes like that but if so i didn't catch them.
All in all that was a pretty god translation all things consider, and again i am open to answer if you have any more questions..
Another fun fact the supergirl power versionwas split in 6 parts while candor had 4 issues, was that the same number as the original american puplication?
Can't thank everyone enough for doing the hard work for me and translating the pages. Interesting review of the character!
Glad Greece had such a love of Supergirl!
It was more like a happy coincidence, at that time we had a rise in nerd culture in my country and Anubis was already in that business since they publish magazines that focus on computer games and movies (mostly sci-fi fantasy and horror) so the branch out to comic books.
Funny thing is they didn't just DC but even Marvel if you can believe it and many more, the have titles like star wars and conan (Dark Horse) adaptations of world of warcraft and starcraft (Wildstorm) and many others, they even venture to Manga as well at some point they basically had a monopoly in that space.
As for supergirl as you said she had her big break just a year prior with her return so it was natuarly that they pivot to her comic as well, and i guess there's no surprise that her more sleek modern version resonate with the teenage audience.
"Another fun fact the supergirl power versionwas split in 6 parts while candor had 4 issues, was that the same number as the original american puplication?"
It was 2 issues.
ChatGPT makes mistakes, it's always good to have the human eye review its work.
In this case it had to do optical character recognition first, before the translation.
It's done great things. There was recently a silent story by Taylor and Janin in Detective 1100 with sign language in it, and I gave ChatGPT snapshots of the panels and it gave me a complete breakdown and discussion about how close it was to standard signing.
TN
Two issues ? huh they really milk us lol
Yeah as good as ChatGPT and other translation app's are there still make mistakes and need a human to catch those mistakes.
Post a Comment