Review: Supergirl #10 (v8)

Supergirl #10 came out this week, an appropriate release in this week of Valentine's Day as it is a romance heavy issue, very reminscent of her short-lived self-titled seventies title where our heroine fell head over heels in love with a bad actor nearly every month.

Sophie Campbell brings us another interesting issue continuing to weave a variety of plot threads through the book. Who is this mysterious man and why is Supergirl so attracted to him? Is Supergirl still angry at Lena for leading Lesla down a bad path and inadvertantly getting Kara drunk at that party? Will Supergirl ever forgive Lena and be friends again? And why is so much weird stuff, like a love ghost from Krypton, manifesting in the sleepy town of Midvale? But I also am intrigued by the side plot of Lena basically messing around with tech is a way that still feels Lex-like. And this Supergirl feels like the young hero still learning that I like to read, even if it feels like a little step backwards from the 'second in command, mature hero leading the Superman family' we have read in recent years in the Superman books.

I like the world building that is happening in the book. But most of it is of the emotional aspects of Kara's life. I have said the last couple of months how I really could use a supervillain throwdown. While we get a fight with the love ghost, Supergirl struggles and needs a lot of help. This feeds the character plots but it still hasn't scratched my Kara-tharsis itch. Bring on Reactron. 

Joe Quinones continues to show he is the perfect artist pinch hitter on this book. His style is a wonderful fit for this book and is Campbell-adjacent making the feel of the book consistent. Much of this book has Linda Danvers swooning and I love how Quinones conveys it all.

Overall, this is still a great issue building up this new life Supergirl is moving through. On to details.

We learn early on that Linda is out on a date with the 'hot tattooed guy' meaning we still don't know his name.

While on the date, Linda is hanging on his every word, loving everything he is saying, and thinking he is the one. That sort of instant infatuation and need for love reminds me so much of some of those silly Seventies issues.

We get a nice little hint why she is so head over heels by the slight pink tint of her thought balloons. She is under the influence.

She is so smitten that she considers telling him that she is Supergirl.

But even more interesting is that this guy says he was in the orphanage with Linda and always suspected she was Supergirl!

Now that sounds like Dick Malverne!

Have we guessed that yet?

Turns out the insane romantic feelings are from his earring, a pink Kryptonite chunk which brings on those feelings. 

When Lesla and Luna step in, ripping the earring out of Romeo's ear, it erupts with the ghost of a Kryptonian Nela-Nar, a woman pining for her love who died when the planet exploded. She was so in love she bonded to the soil. Her husband was chosen for her by Matricomp, a matchmaking machine. Jor-El destroyed the machine. Since then, she lives vicariously through the love she brings out of people. And now she is happy to bring love to Supergirl, who 'longs to be in love'.

Matricomp is another deep cut from Campbell, going back to Superman #246 (and my knowledge from that story being retold in World of Krypton #1). But Nela-Nar is new to me.

Love the villain's design, a sort of mix of flesh and crystal. The heart shaped Kryptonian symbol is a nice flair. Brrrrr ...

Lena lends a hand giving Supergirl an anti-Kryptonite suit which looks a little like the armor she wore in season 4 of the show. For 3 minutes while the battery is powered, Kara will be safe from Kryptonite, but she needs to pick the color to be protected from.

I like the look, almost Halo-esque.

And I like that Lena is doing all she can to patch up her relationship.

For the next few pages Supergirl fights Nela all while we get a graphic of the battery power dwindling.

The two are evenly matched so the fight is a stalemate.

I do like how Supergirl tries to reason with the love ghost, saying other Nars are still alive on Kandor. I love how Supergirl is always trying to defuse a problem before relying on fisticuffs.

But in the end, she needs even more help from Lena and Luna. Luna is able to use ectoplasmic manifestations of her ESP to help fight. And Lena has a supplu of Lesla's Super-Stuff. Together, all that helps Supergirl encase Nela in a super-stuff globe.

So this is a little out of nowhere and I don't know if always need Supergirl to need help. I'd like her to win her own battle now and then. 

Great art by Quinones here.

The 'hot tattooed guy' fainted in the fight. 

Luna manifests an ectoplasmic Linda so it appears Supergirl and Linda are both present, ending the secret identity crisis.  I love the goofy look on the Linda double, barely held together by Luna.

Still no name though. Who is that guy?

In the end, Lena really seems repentant of what she did, truly hoping Supergirl will forgive her.

I am surprised that Supergirl is still sort of holding a grudge. That sneer in the second panel is really harsh. 

Supergirl holding a grudge like this seems a little out of character. She even wonders if she can ever find love with someone 'normal'. There is a lot on our hero's mind.

But before more can be said ...

Conner shows up. Kandor is in trouble and he needs Supergirl's help.

Nice cliffhanger.

So a couple more thoughts.

While Supergirl is the axle the book is turning on, it feels a little like a team book. So hoping the Kandor trip, away from Lena and Luna, puts the spotlight on our hero. I am ready for an action storyline.

Second, I can't help but point out that a Kryptonian love ghost is a pretty weird event. A lot of strange stuff is happening in Midvale. When do we learn about a Chaos Stream?

And love Joe Quinones on this book. This panel reminded me a little of the commission I got from him a while back.

So another solid character issue with some decent action and some further world-building by Sophie Campbell. 

Overall grade: B