Back Issue Box: Superman Adventures #52

What do you do when you run a Supergirl comic blog and Supergirl isn't on the stands? You head to the back issue box!

I decided to review Superman Adventures #52 even though Supergirl, Kara In-Ze from Argo, is a sort of plot device, not a major player. Mark Millar is on writing duties here. Always hard to believe that he started on the all ages books given where he has ended up. And he has been in the news recently for his thoughts on the comic market.

But there are some other pieces of this 'done in one' issue that resonate with an old soul like me and made me think it would be fun to review. The main plot deals with Supergirl dying from an ancient and alien infection. It sort of feels and looks like the old Virus X stories from the seventies. There is a plot point in this which remind me greatly of the Superman III movie. There is a scene that reminds me of a Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen cover from the Silver Age.  Lex teams up with Superman (sort of) which lines up with the current Superman title.  And it ends with a sort of homage to a famous Superman: The Animated Series moment. That's a lot of hooks!

Aluir Amancio provides the art which mirrors the look of S:TAS completely. This could easily have been an episode. And the absolute legend Terry Austin is on inks.

On to the book!

Back Issue Box: Superman Adventures #31

Superman Adventures #31 is the second part of a fun story which includes a dark take on Supergirl, a crazed surviving parent of Supergirl, and perhaps the bleakest ending I have ever seen in an all ages book. I guess is shouldn't be surprised given that Mark Millar of Kick-Ass and Wanted fame is the writer.

The initial impetus to review this story was to once again show that the trope of a Supergirl turned evil had permeated even the all ages continuities. But to be honest, I like how this resonated more with the recent Mr. Oz/evil Jor-El stories that we saw in recent years in the Superman books.

And it is interesting to see all of this Kryptonian fighting Kryptonian given the Zod/Superman fights of recent years as well.

But it is the bonkers ending of this tale that really struck me.

Aluir Amancio is again on art and brings the dynamics of the cartoon series to the page. This is an action heavy issue and despite the 'cartoony' style, Amancio does a good job of showing the destruction that would ensue if Earth had to try and fend off three insane Kryptonians.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Superman Adventures #30

It's been a while since I thumbed through the back issue boxes and looked at an issue from the past which somehow resonates with what is happening in comics now.

Once again we are in the midst of a 'dark Kara' run in the world of Supergirl and so I thought I would take a look at Superman Adventures #30 and #31 for yet another take at an evil Supergirl. But these issues resonate even beyond that initiating fact. There is STAR Labs working with dimensional gate technology that overwhelms them. There is a surviving parent of Kal's who has gone dark (much like Jor-El did recently). There is even some life/death issues with the Kents although I don't know if the resurrection in Doomsday Clock has hit the main DCU.

The issue is written by Mark Millar. This is obviously early Millar, before he hit it big with Wanted, Kick Ass, and every other deconstruction of the superhero genre he has done. It is pretty clear, that at least these days, Millar loathes the concept of hero. Interestingly enough, in this story you see he still believes in the heroic ideal but for a kid's book this story is pretty dark.

The art is done by Aluir Amancio in a very Bruce Timm-esque style including some rather saucy appearing panels for Kara and Lois.

These issues are on the DC Streaming App which made my needing to scan a heck of a lot easier. So enjoy the bright colors.

On to the story.