Back Issue Box: Supergirl #18

I have been thinking a lot about Argo City in recent times given the reconfiguring of Supergirl's origin in the current Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow mini-series. I have definitely looked at the city's history in the past on this site. 

Today I thought I would showcase one of the weirder wrinkles in the city's history, perhaps one best left unremembered. Supergirl #18 has our hero facing off against the Kraken ... a blackmailer, a sorcerer, a pilgrim looking for enlightenment, a scientist ... all in one?

I don't know if writer Paul Kupperberg remembers writing this particular issue. It is a little all over the place. I don't know if it 100% makes any sense. But there is a lot to think about that's for sure. The one thing that I do love about this issue is that is shows the best parts of these Bronze Age comics - subplots and supporting casts. This issue is as much about Linda Danvers and her love life as it is the Kraken. 

The art is by Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner and they bring some great visuals here. Again, the Linda stuff is the highlight for me. But I also love the innovative panel layouts. Great stuff. And I love the cover  by Howard Bender and Dick Giordano!

On to the specifics!

Review: Supergirl #15

Today I complete my look at the three part Blackstarr story which took place in the (Daring New Adventures of) Supergirl #13-15.

Supergirl #15 is the conclusion of this arc which has pitted Kara against an immensely powerful super-villain in Blackstarr as well as the evil of prejudice. We have a story which has both intense personal level events (Mrs. Berkowitz, a concentration camp survivor dealing with her daughter being alive and a Nazi) as well as super-heroic events of Supergirl battling someone with the entire universe's energies in their arsenal.

By flipping back and forth, from the planet-level threat to the personal emotional trauma, writer Paul Kupperberg is able to weave a solid story. It is easy for Supergirl to fight someone throwing energy blasts. It is harder for Supergirl to fight racism. You can't punch that as a whole. But we know how Supergirl feels. We know she will battle prejudice in all forms. And for that alone I love this story. It does wrap up a bit easily but it is satisfying.

The art by Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner is once again up to the task here, mixing in civilian scenes of Linda Danvers with impressive scenes of elaborate galactic level energy. I can remember disliking Infantino's work on this when I first read it as a kid. But as a 'grown up', I have really come to appreciate it.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #14

Supergirl #14 continues the Blackstarr storyline mixing incredible super-heroics with the backdrop of racism and prejudice. Feels like a good time in America to review this story.

Writer Paul Kupperberg focuses on Nazis and anti-semitism but the truth is any organized and systemic prejudice is villainous and this is just one example. and Kupperberg has a very goo approach. There are basically three levels to this story. One is the story of the Nazi party organizing in Chicago and how the city is responding. There is the superhero story of Supergirl fighting the immensely powerful Blackstarr, the leader of the Nazis. And then there is the personal story, how this is effecting Kara's landlord, Mrs. Berkowitz who survived the camps in Nazi Germany. By giving us all these perspectives, we get a full and enriching story.

The art is by Carmin Infantino and Bob Oksner who continue to bring their style to the affairs. They need to show their chops given the story layers as well. You need to convey crazy powers on top of personal scenes. These guys are legends so it flows seamlessly. But the show stopper is the Gil Kane cover which dazzles. I am not a Gil Kane fan usually but this one feels dynamic. Kara looks like she is feeling that blast.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: (Daring New) Supergirl #13

One of the decisions I made when I set up this site was that I didn't want it to be a sort of index show where I would review Supergirl's stories in order. Instead, I have tried my best to review older issues which somehow reference current comic or world events.

Once more in the United States, we are divided. Protests over racial inequalities have erupted around the country. And once more I simply worry about the future of this great nation. We just can't seem to get together over basic concepts as life, liberty, and equality.

With that in mind, I decided to look at 1983's Supergirl #13. With this 'anniversary' issue, the title sheds the 'Daring New Adventures Of ..." part of title. We get a new costume for Kara and this rather patriotic cover by Ed Hannigan.

And this is an interesting issue because it has two very different tones in these 22 pages. The front half of this issue is a sort of celebration of Supergirl, recently victorious from a near fatal battle, she is entering a new chapter of her life.

The back half is a solemn story about antisemitism and prejudice and how the fringes of hate can suddenly become mainstream. It is oddly prescient. This issue would be relevant today, 37 years after it was published. In fact, given the rise of white nationalism and the further divide in our country, this feels even more relevant today.

Kudos to writer Paul Kupperberg  (who autographed my copy, seen above). This issue shows us the pain of prejudice on a very individual level. This was a time when you could look at superheroes as pure role models. I learned the concepts of right and wrong from comics.  No big surprise, Supergirl hates Nazis.

Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner bring their usual great art here. The villain of the piece has a sort of Gene Colan feel to her. And overall, as usual, there is a high polish to the Linda Danvers pages here.

On to the story.

A Little Bit Of Kandor: Candor Prologue

Okay folks, settle in.

Because of the lack of new books coming out and an utter wasteland of news about Supergirl in the current DCU post-cancellation, I have been combing the backs issues for suitable reviews. And I have been focusing a little bit on Kandor given the recent storyling in Batman/Superman.

That has led me to this Candor storyline and I feel it needs to be reviewed even if I honestly say that I detest it.

But it certainly fits the bill for a decent deep dive for a number of reasons.

First off, it definitely involves Kandor, the post-Crisis city which in this storyline is a mishmash of alien beings and Kryptonian survivors. (I think the city was re-established as a Kryptonian city in Superman Birthright ... perhaps another review idea.)

But more importantly, it shows just how wrong DC can get Supergirl. Remember, right now in the DCU Supergirl has been on a downward path of being rage-fueled and then rage-infected. The book is very dark. And that doesn't work for Supergirl.

Unfortunately, DC never seems to learn the lesson. And so we have storylines like this one, early on Supergirl's reboot. You will see as this story unfolds how they make Kara very angry, actually murderous, and not exactly heroic. You will also see how DC hyper-sexualized her despite saying she was a 16 year old girl, something which is totally cringe-worthy. Perhaps worst of all, this is smack dab in the middle of the 'my destiny is to kill Kal-El, my father is mad Zor-El' nonsense.

Yes, just about everything is wrong here. And Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle's salvation was about 2.5 years in the future.

Still, this was very early. I think people were still a bit giddy that we had a Kryptonian cousin around and were still willing to give this a fair shake.

To put in context, Candor happens right after Supergirl #5 in which we see Jeph Loeb (the architect of the Kryptonian Kara reboot). And that isn't a winner either. Nude Kara prancing around her father while saying she'll kill Kal. Dark Kara coming out of her and being generally evil. And a rather inscrutable ending.

Well, we go from inscrutable to impenetrable ...

Brian Ching's Psi Design

Over in Twitter, as I had in my review, I noted that the new Psi costume was reminiscent of the original version. That the expanse of white, sort of a negative space, was evocative of the vast amount of skin that the original Psi showed in the Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.

Brian Ching saw the tweet and then shared his design sketch for the new Psi and thought I should share it here for those who missed it.

You really can see how much of a feel for the original when you put them side by side. Unclear if Ching was trying to ape the Who's Who page, but it works for the comparison.

I've always been a fan of Psi, in all her incarnations, so glad to see her back.

Here is the actual tweet!

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #20

My copy autographed by Paul Kupperberg

The Supergirl Season Two premiere is behind us and it was great to see Superman and Supergirl working together! But before that, given the team-up nature of the super-cousins on the show, I thought I would finish my look at one of their final team-ups in the pre-Crisis era, a celebration of Supergirl's 25th anniversary in comics. I covered the first part in Action Comics #555 last week. Today I'll cover 1984's  Supergirl #20.

Much like Action Comics #555, this is a 'sort of' team up. The cousins only get together at the end of the issue. But the stories are closely linked as the villainous Parasite is coordinating a simultaneous two pronged attack on Superman and Supergirl. In my review of the first part, I talked about how confusing the Parasite's plan was. It didn't make much sense to me then and I hoped it would be better explained here.

Unfortunately, I am still confused. This chapter does explain some of what is happening. But I still don't understand the Parasite's plan, why it needed to happen the way he plans it, and why it ends the way it does.

These books unfold similarly, sometimes with the same scene played out from each character's perspective. People who visit here know I have tremendous respect for writer Paul Kupperberg. And I like the idea of two similar plots unfolding against the heroes at the same time. It is a nice plot idea when you take a step back. But the devil is in the details. I can't think about this too much or it unravels and my headache returns. And, like in the Action chapter, this book has a healthy dollop of supporting cast subplot, something I always enjoy.

The art in the book is done by the standard team for this volume, Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner. I think Oksner softens Infantino's line work nicely. Supergirl looks young, vital, beautiful, and strong.

So happy anniversary Supergirl! On to the story!

Daring New Adventures of Supergirl Streaky

Last week, I covered the origin of Streaky the Super-cat from way back in Action Comics #261. It was a fun review of a time when the super-family had pets that survived!

I was reminded that Streaky the Super-Cat should probably be named Streaky I because back in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #6, Paul Kupperberg introduced us to Streaky II.

Now this isn't a full review of this issue because there is too much fun with Matrix Prime and The Gang. It deserves its own review.

But I am on something of a Streaky high right now so I want to review the introduction of Streaky II.

Waiting For Doom Podcast: Supergirl and Doom Patrol

While Supergirl is my favorite character, there are plenty of other areas of comics that I absolutely love. The Legion of Super-Heroes has been a part of my comic collecting for almost my entire reading life. A

But another team I adore is the Doom Patrol. I have been dabbling in the Patrol in almost all their incarnations (sorry, no Byrne Patrol for me).

As a fan, I love the Waiting For Doom podcast, a show hosted by Paul and Mike and covering all of the Patrol, from the original Drake/Premiani stuff to the present. It is a show that I look forward to listening to each week. You should listen to it too! Here is the link: http://waitingfordoom.podbean.com/e/episode-39-waiting-for-supergirl-with-dr-anj/

This week, I was a guest on the show! The hosts asked me to come on to talk about the times Supergirl and the Doom Patrol teamed up and I was more than happy to join them. Hope you guys like the discussion.

I figured I would post some panels and briefly bullet review the stories for those who can't listen to the show.

It is an odd team-up. Maybe a team-up in name only. Because even though the story runs in three issues of Superman Family, 191-193, Supergirl and the Patrol only meet up in the last pages of the last issue.

The story starts with Supergirl investigating the odd death of a scientist in Florida, where she resided at the time.

Meanwhile, the Patrol happens to be vacationing in London when gravity goes haywire there, with earthquakes and tremors shaking the town apart.

In an almost scripted call to action, the Patrol sheds their civilian clothes to help the citizens.

Meanwhile, the scientist from Florida, someone name Clement seemed to had died in an experiment at his house, emerges as an enraged villain calling himself The Graviton Man!  When Supergirl arrives he attacks and gravity suddenly goes insane with everyone and everything floating into space.

Clement keeps talking about someone named Tain, someone he needs to get revenge on.

In the next issue, Clement takes off to Europe to find Tain. Meanwhile, Supergirl has to anchor everyone in Florida to the ground.

But that is just the beginning. Atmosphere will be ripped away from the world as well.

Meanwhile in Europe, the man named Tain has emerged and he also is in gravity powered armor.

We then get a long long monologue by Tain where he explains that Tain and Clement are related. But their family split in Colonial times. Clement stayed in American and flourished. Tain stayed in England and lost everything. However, oddly enough, now both of the surviving relatives happened to work in gravity experimentation. Now they can kill each other.

This seemed like an overly detailed history for two guys you know would never be heard from again.

Supergirl arrives to Europe and the two dueling cousins decide to eliminate Supergirl together before finishing their fight. Over the ocean they do foolish things like throwing the Titanic and a shark at the Maid of Might.

Eventually, they do get the upper hand, hammering Kara with the gravity energy directly.

Meanwhile, the Patrol, still in London, have discovered Tain's lab. They can shut down Tain's power from there. But they see on a giant monitor that Supergirl is getting crushed. Cliff sends Val and Joshua to aid Supergirl while he and Celsius shut down the gravity power there.

Over the ocean, Josh blasts Clement's armor to bits eliminating his threat.

Just like that, everything is normal.

I suppose there is some unseen introductions. But basically the team up of the whole Patrol and Supergirl is this last panel where Supergirl says goodbye.

I find it odd that the gravity villains are marched through town naked. Weird.

And yes, that blob of energy was pulling the strings all along. We know that blob is eventually revealed to be Lesla Lar!

The Daring New Adventures issues 8 and 9 are also covered on the show. This was a more classic crossover and also was the first appearance of Reactron!

I have covered those issues here and here.

Please listen to the show and give it some feedback. I love the Patrol and this show is the place for Doom Patrol fans to go!

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #16

The Convergence event for DC Comics is about a half a year away and one of the solicits that caught my attention was the Keith Giffen written issue starring  Matrix and Ambush Bug . I have some concerns about Giffen's approach to Supergirl and I know his love of Ambush Bug might make Supergirl the butt of any number of jokes and ploys.

But this won't be the first time Supergirl met Ambush Bug! They met way back in late 1983 in Supergirl #16.Writer Paul Kupperberg does his best to keep this a light-hearted story with Ambush Bug providing some yuks along the way. But also in this issue is one of the most bizarre villain plots I have read.

This is early Ambush Bug though, back when he was labeled a super-villain. Here he feels more like his daffy current self, trying to be a hero and generally annoying all who cross his path. It also is a time when his teleportation powers were limited by having a remote 'insect' drones somewhere to act as a receiver.

The art is done by the usual team on this book of penciller Carmine Infantino and inker Bob Oksner. I think Oksner cleans up this late Infantino work very well. But what intrigued me more is the cover by Giffen and Oksner. Giffen created Ambush Bug and so it is appropriate for his art here. But it is the pictures of Superman and Supergirl around Bug that grabbed my attention. They look like the character design art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, or at least Giffen's version of them. Certainly the two of the 'floor' of the cover look very familiar.

"Bug-Out" starts with an elevated train derailing in Chicago forcing Supergirl to jump to the rescue.

I included this opening splash because I think the design is interesting. Supergirl is really a small element in this page, streaking in on the left side. The bulk of the page is the huge train plummeting onto tiny people and cars.

I think by positioning everything like this it makes the threat feel bigger. We know that Kryptonians are more powerful than a locomotive. But by keeping Supergirl small and by putting so many potential victims in the picture, the drama is ratcheted up a notch.

Throughout this book, initially Daring New Adventures of Supergirl and then just Supergirl, Paul Kupperberg has written Kara as being a bit more mature, a bit more assured of herself. We have seen her tell Superman that she is stepping out from his shadow. We have seen her be proactive, taking on Reactron and Blackstarr with confidence and maybe even an edge.

So it was weird to read this internal monologue here, Supergirl saying she is surprised sometimes at what she can do. That inside she still feels like 15 year old Kara on Argo City. Odd.

Maybe she is talking more about her personality or humility.

But if there is one thing I always applaud Kupperberg for it is setting up a true supporting cast in this book. And using them!

Here is a whole scene with Linda Danvers having lunch with her current beau (and Chicago Philharmonic conductor) Phil Decker. Supergirl ... in her secret identity ... having a conversation with a non-super human ... about everyday stuff. It is refreshing. These scenes make all the characters more three-dimensional and helped build up this relationship.

I don't need a whole issue of small talk. But this is great.

But wait ... doesn't this issue guest star Ambush Bug? Isn't he supposed to bug Supergirl?

Well, in a scene I don't cover, we see Ambush Bug escape from a prison transport. I think that might be one of the few times we see Bug without his costume. And using his tech, he blips to Chicago where he decides he'll stick around after he sees Supergirl fly by.

Of course, this being a slapstick issue, we see things such as pratfalls off skyscrapers.

And the Bug decides to turn over a new leaf and become a super-hero.

But rather than take on the big foes, he decides to start small with civic minor offenses.

So people who litter get throttled.

And people who smoke where it isn't allowed get frightened, battered, and eventually hog-tied.

Eventually the two cross paths ... but by chance.

Supergirl is tracking down her/Linda's missing boyfriend. First one of the philharmonics priceless Stradivarius violins has been stolen (one of many priceless instruments that has been pilfered across the nation). And then Phil has gone missing.

Now Ambush Bug is supposed to be addled and crazy. It is part of his charm. So here he confuses Supergirl with Superman! He assumes somehow that they are the same person and that something nefarious has both changed Superman and wiped his memory. That is crazy ... and maybe a little forced?

I love Supergirl's response here. She is busy. She doesn't have time for nonsense. So she asks him what he wants.

One thing worth mention is that page layouts in this comic are very well done including things like inset panels as seen above.

At least Supergirl remembers who Ambush Bug is. But he is annoying, and what she needs least of right now. In an interesting move, Supergirl decides Bug needs to be her priority. Even though he seems relatively harmless, he is an escaped convict with super-powers. There is more of that maturity.

Now remember way back in the intro of this review when I said there was a bizarre villain plot in this issue? Well here it is revealed.

Phil has been kidnapped by this unnamed man. This criminal has been the person stealing all the valuable and antique instruments all over the country. And here he has set all those instruments up ... in the hands of mannequins ... so he can hear how beautiful they sound. Completely insane!

And any mannequin orchestra needs a conductor to bring out their best and so this man kidnapped Phil. He wants Decker to conduct them ...

Now that is bizarre.

Luckily ... maybe serendipitously ... Ambush Bug leads Supergirl right there. Supergirl has been following the Bug all over town.

Within two panels Supergirl is able to bring this whole crazy adventure to an ends. First she disarms the kidnapper. Then she puts boxing gloves on Ambush Bug, interfering with his ability to move his fingers and activate his teleportation tech.

An mannequin orchestra? Boxing gloves put on at super-speed to stop a villain? This is one loony issue.

As the cops sort out the whole mess, Supergirl leaves and re-arrives as Linda to see that Phil is okay.

But the Bug has the last laugh. He recognizes that Linda is Supergirl! He now sort of knows her secret identity!

By the way, check out the next issue blurb! A new haircut for Supergirl! That's right! Linda's hairstyle remains the same but Supergirl's hair gets downright curly next issue!

Will the Convergence issue be as insane as this? Will Supergirl be portrayed as well as she was here? Time will tell.

Outside of Ambush Bug, there isn't much that makes this a key issue in Supergirl history.

Overall grade: B

Who's Who: Reactron

Folks who come to this blog enough have probably heard me talk about the Fire and Water Podcast a weekly comics podcast run by Rob Kelly of the http://www.aquamanshrine.net/ and the Irredeemable Shag of http://firestormfan.com/

As you can tell by the name and their blogs, the podcast is Aquaman and Firestorm centric although they often cover DC comics in general and other trending news. It is must listening for me on Monday mornings. The two also, as an adjunct, have a Who's Who podcast where they have been reviewing the 1985 DC Who's Who page by page, character by character. It is my favorite of their family of podcasts and are definitely worth listening to. I have promoted it before but I don't mind talking it up again.

And what better reason to do it than on this day when they are reviewing Who's Who The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Volume XIX which includes one of my favorite Supergirl rogues ... Reactron

Now don't ask me why Reactron is spooning with the Reverse Flash on this Ernie Colon cover. That looks like a invasion of personal space although Reactron's smile makes me think he's okay with it.

And here is Reactron's Who's Who entry, a half sheet just above Red Bee.

It is the standard Carmine Infantino pose for most of his Who's Who pages. But the surprint is a nice action shot of Reactron blasting Supergirl. The origin is brief recapping Ben 'Reactron' Krullen obtaining powers after radiation  exposure in Vietnam and then gaining control when he teamed up with The Council. It does ignore his connection to Tempest of the New Doom Patrol. Josh Clay served with Krullen.

Reactron is one of the true Supergirl rogues who has had some longevity. After Supergirl was erased from continuity in the Crisis, his history was linked to Power Girl. He then had numerous interactions in the Doom Patrol comic that emerged post-Crisis. Of course, he was then recreated by Sterling Gates around the time of New Krypton, playing a significant role in Supergirl's life ... killing both her parents! You can read my prior posts on Reactron here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/search/label/Reactron

I have not covered Reactron's Doom Patrol appearances. We just finished Psi-sightings. Should we do a run of Reactron Reactions?

Psi Sighting 2: Daring New Adventures Of Supergirl #3

Given her return to the DCU in Forever Evil: ARGUS, I am in the middle of my look back at the Supergirl villain Psi.

Today, that means reviewing Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #3, the last part of Psi's biggest splash in the DCU.  Psi, the mutant psionic powerhouse, has given Supergirl a run for her money on the first two issues of Daring New but it is clear that she is conflicted. Psi might have been raised with with a warped view of life but she seems to know right from wrong. In DNAoS #2, Supergirl basically talked Psi out of laying waste to Chicago. But Psi is also a bit unhinged and seems a bit naive. Last issue ended with her blasting her deluded mentor Mr. Pendergast with her power, inadvertently changing him into the monster Decay.

Powerful, psionic, and just a little unhinged ... no wonder Psi is a great character and rogue for Supergirl.

The art for the book was done by the standard team of Carmine Infantino and Bob Oksner with the usual flair. But for me, the most interesting thing is the cover done by Keith Giffen and Klaus Janson!! There is a sort of early horror comic cover feel to this with the monstrous Decay looming in front of a full moon. I love that he is standing on the word Decay, a bit of Eisner or Steranko. And lastly I love that the word Decay is decaying more under his feet, his own touch eroding the word. Supergirl is almost an afterthought but I love her springing into action.

I have praised this title in the past for portraying a happy, confident Supergirl ... comfortable in her own skin and ready to be the defender of Chicago. And I love that Paul Kupperberg gave Linda's life a big chunk of time in this book as well. She had friends, her schoolwork, and a romantic life as well.

This opening splash page to the issue is a great microcosm of that. We see a smiling Supergirl rushing to get to school on time, happy that she stopped Psi from destroying the city. She even pats herself on the back! 'Way to go, Kara baby!'

And we see more of her life at the University. Linda is majoring in Psychology and is meeting her advisor, Dr. Barry Metzner. Metzner turns out to be something of a disorganized mess, his office a maze of tall stacks of loose papers.

But something about that is endearing to Linda. She even calls him cute! I love that second panel, her finger to her mouth ... a classic Supergirl personality quirk which has carried through from Jim Mooney's Action stories to this day.

In the end Metzner offers Linda a job to be his assistant/secretary, a job she accepts. Metzner continues to putter through the title, eventually becoming a villain!

As for Mr. Pendergast, he has completely embraced his new life as Decay! It is a little weird that he loathed the idea of Decay only to do a complete 180.

It is always interesting to look back at these issues which I read in my youth. I can remember thinking this scene in which Decay basically erodes or digests a homeless alcoholic was absolutely terrifying. In the scene, the man screams until he is nothing but a bunch of bones and rot. Seeing that pile of remains was horrific and pretty graphic for the time. It is somehow sad that this scene would actually be considered understated in this comic world where people get disemboweled, beheaded, etc.

He lumbers through the town, wilting and dissolving everything in his path.

Despite hanging out with her housemate Joan and being 'weighed down' with all her class books, Linda knows what she needs to do. Her super-vision spies Decay and zips on her way.

Again, I have to applaud the great exposure of Linda's life and the interaction between both sides of her persona.

And Decay is pretty vile appearing, like a diarrheal form of Clayface. Yuck!

Remember, this is a Supergirl who is sure of herself, ready to jump into the fray to do what's right. She also is quick with a quip, another sign she feels pretty confident in her capabilities.

So with little delay, she flies up to Decay and takes the fight to him. She has had it with megalomaniacs hoping to rule the world.

And this panel progression is nice as you fill in the action in your mind, Supergirl swooping down in the first panel and making a hairpin turn to fly into Decay in the second.

But this is a Psi-sighting post ... isn't it?

Since Psi's power created Decay, she is linked to him. As I said, at times seems innocent, like a sheltered girl not exposed to the horrors of the world, or even the trials of every day life. Last issue, she seemed to feel pain from the destruction she was causing ... almost like an empath.

And here she feels mental agony from the devastation that Decay is causing. She is the cause of it. And she needs to end it.

I have to admit I also liked this little sequence, showing just how powerful Psi is. She doesn't fly through the window, shattering it. Instead she 'unmakes it', flies through, and then remakes it in her wake. Interesting.

The Decay fight with Supergirl is actually a decent brawl with Supergirl bashing him with cars, concrete walls, construction beams, and her fists. But everything just disintegrates in his grasp.

And here, his touch is sizzling even to Supergirl!

Psi finally shows up and decides to end things.

If she created Decay, she certainly can destroy him, even kill him.

But that doesn't happen. Instead of outright killing Pendergast, she simply strips him of his Decay form, returning him to normal.

And, like last issue, Psi is gone before the dust settles. So is Psi the hero of the piece, saving the day? Or is she a villain? I think she is a little bit of both. Psi seems like there is a good core somewhere in her. But she is clearly an addled young woman, prone to outbursts with her fantastic powers. It isn't a temper ... it is more like a hair trigger. I don't think Psi knows who she is herself. And that makes her scary.

As for Supergirl, she is almost a nonfactor in her own book. While it is great that she flies right into combat, she isn't exactly effective. Direct physical attacks were found to be useless early on. Why not try heat vision, freeze breath, or some other attack?


Psi truly disappeared after this issue, not being seen again in the DCU for 5 years. That means there will be another Psi-sighting in the near future.

As for me, the Supergirl/Decay throwdown was pretty standard superhero fare. What I liked best were the Linda scenes, a great part of this series.

Overall grade: B/B-

Psi Sighting 1: Daring New Adventures Of Supergirl #2

I am simultaneously running through two back issues themes on the blog so you have to bear with me. I am in the middle of a look at times Supergirl met Supergirl. But I am also running through a look back at the Supergirl rogue Psi since she returned to the New 52 DCU in Forever Evil: ARGUS. (You can read my first part here.)

Back in 1983, Daring New Adventures of Supergirl came out with the creative team of writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Carmine Infantino. The title opens up with a three part story with Supergirl fighting Psi and her mentor Mr. Pendergast. These early issues of Supergirl have the lead stories lasting 2/3 of the pages with a Lois Lane story by Tamsyn O'Flynn and Bob Oksner. So this three parter feels more like a two-parter in length.

One thing I like about Psi is that she seems to be bullied into being a villain. She herself seems innocent, led down an evil path by someone she thinks loves her. She also seems to have a mean streak in her, maybe because she is so abused that there is some wrinkle of retribution built into her. And she has powers enough to challenge Supergirl. It is a shame that her costume is so bad.

Rich Buckler does the cover here, a nice action shot. I will say that Supergirl escaping a pink energy silhouette of herself is a bit bizarre without knowing the story. The first year of this  book has a revolving door on cover artists. Buckler does the first two issues. Keith Giffen does the next cover. And then we have Ed Hannigan, Mike DeCarlo, Gil Kane, and Paris Cullins!

Onto Psi!

Last issue ended with Psi trashing Supergirl, leaving her unconscious, floating in a cocoon of psionic energy.

Remember, Psi is doing the bidding of her mentor/father figure Mr. Pendergast. And Pendergast is clearly insane, worried about the erosion of society at the hands of Decay. And Pendergast thinks the best way to eradicate this decay of civilization is to send Psi out as a weapon to level the city.

In some ways, it reminds me of Ra's Al Ghul's sentiment in the movie Batman Begins. When the decadence of society makes it lose its moral compass, only destruction will set things to right. Bizarre.

Now this is an odd splash page to begin the issue as both Psi and Supergirl are small components, in the background. Instead the foreground is rocky debris from Psi's attacks which are used to write some exposition. Still, I wonder if this would have worked in the reverse angle, Psi and Supergirl in the foreground with the readers looking over their shoulders down at the carnage below.

Pendergast is psychically linked to Psi as this battle going on. It is clear that Psi is uncertain if what she is doing is right while Pendergast continues to browbeat her into doing his evil work.

One thing that I love about the Kupperberg Supergirl is that she is very confidant and very determined. This is a fully actualized Supergirl, at the end of the journey and a hero.

So when seeing the destruction that Psi is causing, Supergirl struggles against the psionic bonds and smashes her way out. Throughout Daring New, Supergirl is pretty chatty in combat and here she continues (starts?) the trend by talking how she has power. Nice panel.

And then Supergirl tries to talk some sense into Psi.

How can Psi be trying to save the world by destroying it? By killing people??

And then Supergirl tells Psi that others have claimed to be trying to cleanse the world but were really only after power. Insert your genocidal dictator name here.

It is a great scene with Supergirl laying the smack down physically and verbally.

As I said, Psi seems unsure about this whole thing. And after hearing the wisdom of Supergirl's words in one ear and Pendergast's rhetoric in the other, Psi basically becomes unhinged. And with that internal tension, Psi lashes out, blasting Supergirl away from the fight scene and disappearing.

Praise to colorist Ziuko for using a nice palate of pinks and purples when showing Psi's powers.

With the battle over for the time being, Supergirl heads back to her apartment to relax a bit.

And look what we have here!! A supporting cast!!!

We already met housemate Joan Raymond and building ne'er-do-well John Ostrander (!). Now we meet Joan's roommate Cheryl and her boyfriend. This sort of connection to the world is what has been missing in the current title and the first portions of the last incarnation.

And Kupperberg does a nice job of always fitting in some of the more quiet moments in Linda's life. So we see her in class, working as an assistant to a professor, and here collapsing from exhaustion after the fight with Psi.

I think these small moments add such depth to comic characters. It is why I like Clark moments in my Superman. It is why I liked the Wally West Flash so much.

It turns out that Pendergast is more than just a little nutty. He has raised Psi since she was a little girl. She has tremendous power. He has basically brainwashed her into believing his warped view of the world.

But after one failure he decides she isn't worth the time any more. He decides to absolutely berate her, calling her a failure, beneath him, and not worthy to be his agent.

Then he pulls a gun on her!

Seems a bit shortsighted no? First off, Psi just went toe-to-toe with a Kryptonian. One loss doesn't mean she is worthless. Maybe she just needs some more indoctrination into his beliefs. She seems the perfect weapon!

Secondly, she just went toe-to-toe with a Kryptonian? Did he think a pistol will be effective? Did he think she would allow herself to be killed??

As expected, a psionic as powerful and frankly as unhinged as Psi is, isn't going to allow herself to be shot.

She unloads all of her hate and uncertainty and pain into Pendergast. Again, great use of color here. And you really love the art of that second panel. You really feel Pendergast blistering away under Psi's blast.

But, like many times in comics, this doesn't turn out the way Psi anticipated.

That's right! Instead of it killing Pendergast ... it transforms him.

And Pendergast, who has spent his life fighting against Decay, becomes Decay himself!

That is crazy town!

And now that he has power, Decay lashes out against his former protege. The design of Decay works though ... he looks like a gloppy pile of feces. I bet he stinks to high heaven!

I have to say that while these stories feel simpler, my appreciation for them has grown immensely over the years. Supergirl is independent and strong, loves her cousin, has a supporting cast, and a rogues gallery. Kupperberg is able to inject human moments nicely with superhuman.

But the purpose of this post is to discuss Psi and I think this issue shows what she can do nicely, why she made a great villain for Supergirl. She is immensely powerful. Her psionics can be used for physical attacks and mental attacks. And she is just innocent enough and unhinged enough to be dangerous.

I have a couple more Psi sightings to go through, including the finale of this story! Thanks again to Sterling Gates and Neil Edwards for bringing her back.

Overall grade: B+