Supergirl 1- La Derniere Fille de Krypton

When you are an avid comic book fan who also happens to be friends with people who do a lot of traveling, you often get cool gifts and souvenirs.

A very good friend of mine was recently in Paris and noticed a comic book store just a few blocks from his hotel. He went in and saw this trade - Supergirl, La Derniere Fille de Krypton - and knew he had to grab it for me.

I am a sucker for stuff like this. I have a fun side collection of foreign copies of Supergirl and Superman books. This one is quite slick.

For one, I love the 'non 3D' Supergirl logo. There is something clean about this. Perhaps it being black on the yellow background helps.

And the back cover also is sharp with the black background.

The text I can muddle through with my high school French and deductive skills. It says she comes to Earth to find Superman is not a baby and she has to decide if she will embrace humanity (or something like that).

Sales Review: September 2011

I have been waiting eagerly for the sales number for the DC Relaunch to be released. All along I thought that DC would get a major bump from the publicity from this massive creative event. Of course, I was most interested in how the new Supergirl comic would fare amongst the 'New 52'.

ICv2 has done it's usual great job breaking down the sales number of last month. DC won the market share for September, sales were up profoundly from the month prior and the prior September. And Batman #1 sold over 188,000 copies. Here is the link for ICv2's coverage: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/21220.html

Now sales for this month have to be taken with a grain of salt. Many of DC's comics were returnable. The speculator market was probably out in full tilt. Even I bought comics that I doubted I would like but was curious about. Will this momentum be sustained over the long haul? Obviously, only time will tell.

As for Supergirl #1, sales were brisk. The title came in at #31 overall and sold 54,052 (that is with a correction factor for returned books factored in).

More more interesting in my mind is that fact that Supergirl came in 21st out of the 52 DC titles that were released. That is pretty encouraging to me. It makes me think that a lot of people think that Supergirl as a character and a concept is worth purchasing and reading. The title did better than 60% of the other titles released.

The question is why did it sell so well? Sure part of it has to be the newness of the relaunch. But that doesn't explain why the book sold so well in contrast to other DC books. I'd like to think that more people are interested in the character. Or it might be that all the pre-release information about the alienated Supergirl with no affection for humanity was intriguing enough to bring people in. Or maybe Mahmud Asrar's tremendous art brought in people. Or some combination of all of them. We won't ever really know.

I will be following sales here. Let's hope more than simple curiosity brought people to Supergirl. Let's hope sales stay as high as this.

I used to follow sales of R.E.B.E.L.S. in this monthly sales review here as well, my 'underdog' title to follow along. With R.E.B.E.L.S. retired, I thought that Hawk & Dove would be a nice title to follow in the 'underdog' status.

I have thought this has been a pretty fun comic so far with over the top action with a bubbling undercurrent about the avatars slowly being revealed here.

Hawk & Dove #1 came in at #68, shipping 38,065 issues, a very healthy number in the usual market. Again, it will be interesting to see just what happens to this title once the fervor of the relaunch dies down. I hope that sales remain strong here because I like the characters, the creators, and the story so far.

Mahmud Asrar Interview

Mahmud Asrar recently was interviewed on the Back to the Past website. The interview is mostly about his work on Supergirl and is well worth reading in its entirety although I have included some blurbs and commentary here. Here is the link: http://www.backtothepast.tv/mahmud-asrar-supergirl-interview/

Back To The Past: How did you happen to get to working on Supergirl? Did you lobby for this one, or did editorial come to you?

Mahmud A. Asrar: It started out with Wil Moss and Matt Idelson asking me if I’d be interested in doing some covers for Supergirl. I jumped on and soon they started to mention stuff about me drawing Supergirl, possibly ongoing. The proposal was pretty vague at the beginning and I didn’t know much starting off. After signing an NDA [non-disclosure agreement] I was filled out on most of the details and things started rolling.

I really liked Asrar's covers in the 'Good Looking Corpse' arc especially this one. The composition of Triplexx holding the heroes in the palm of his hand really pops. I'm not surprised if his work on these got him noticed by the Super-book higher-ups.

I do think it is interesting that he didn't have much info about the tone of the book initially.

BTTP: How does it feel to not only be working on a high-profile character like Supergirl, but to do so when the spotlights are brightest on the character in the midst of this relaunch?

MAA: It’s intoxicating! Before I got asked to do this assignment what I was personally looking to do next on my career was an ongoing book about a solo female character. So the stars couldn’t have aligned more accurately. Not only was I going to work on Supergirl as an ongoing artist but I was going to be a part of this huge relaunch event. The realization came slowly though, I have to admit. I realized how big this was for me as the release date drew closer in.

I do wonder if the nature of the DC relaunch had a similar effect on other creators. Or if this was just another month of life in comics for the more veteran staff. Of course, it is great to hear the excitement in this response as that usually equates with great work.

BTTP: What’s the biggest visual difference you are bringing to this title than your previous work? Something looks dynamically different, and I’m thinking it might be washes, but given the digital nature of things, I’m not completely certain what’s changed. So, what has changed?

MAA: DC wanted me to do this with my marker style, which I use on private illustrations and commissions. I was encouraged to use that style even though I was slightly anxious about it as I have not used that type of rendering for a page before. I started out with the covers and it worked. Then gave a shot to the pages and it turned out nicely. In fact I am so happy about it as I am almost in complete control of how the page looks like from start to finish. The process is much more enjoyable as it’s more like actual painting than just slaving on autopilot with pencils.

However, the schedule on first issues was pretty tight so we opted to get Dan Green and Bill Reinhold on board for inks. The first few pages of the first issue are done in this style and I’ll be returning to it fully on issue 4.

I am a sucker for comic process discussions. So I loved when I got to see these marker pages first, then colored in the issues. These pieces (and other commissions of Asrar's I have seen done in the same style) have such nuance and depth that I am interested in seeing what a whole issue of this style as the bedrock of the art is going to look like.

BTTP: Did you have much say in the design process for Supergirl and her supporting cast?

MAA: For Kara herself I’ve done quite a bit of design work. Not too refined but a bunch of concepts to start us off. Later Jim Lee stepped in with a new design. I’ve done some rather small tweaks on it here and there which ended up being the look you see in the book. Except for Supergirl, I’m doing all the design work that appears in this series.

So we keep hearing about a supporting cast ... but we haven't heard who yet. This Supergirl remains pretty much still a mystery. If anything, supporting characters means she can't be too much of a loner, too isolated.

BTTP: What do we have to look forward to in Supergirl?

MAA: I’m not good with teasing things but I can tell you this: you’ll love this Kara. She’s full of personality and attitude. We want to read fun and entertaining comics with soul and that’s what we’re trying to give the reader. Visually, I have outstanding collaborators that will please your eyes. As for me I think this will be some of my most bold work yet.

Full of personality ... fun and entertaining ... all that sounds very good. And Asrar's art is just fantastic.

With a decent opening issue and more and more optimistic statements coming from the creators, I am feeling better about this version of Supergirl.

Interview With Michael Green And Mike Johnson On IGN.Com

A hat tip to blog friend Valerie who pointed me to a Mike Johnson and Michael Green interview over on IGN. I know it is from last week so this may be covering old news. Here is the link to the whole interview:
http://comics.ign.com/articles/119/1196328p1.html It is well worth reading in its entirety. 

I thought Supergirl #1 was a very good opening chapter. And while this interview is a bit vague as the writers try not to tip their hat about future stories, I got some optimism from the answers here. There isn't an overt 'Hell on Wheels' flavor to their responses. Whil Green and Johnson play up how Supergirl is new to Earth and might have a hard time adapting, they don't imply a lot of negativity to the character and if there is any it sounds like it might not be ongoing.

Here are the questions that got my attention and the usual commentary afterwards.

IGN Comics: Over the last few years, Supergirl had grown a lot in terms of her supporting cast and secret identity, something she hasn't enjoyed much in the modern era. What opportunities do the blank slate of the new DC Universe allow for? Will an Earth identity be something she strives for?

Michael Green and Mike Johnson: We are definitely embracing the blank slate presented by the New 52, and that extends to Supergirl's supporting cast and secret identity. Our first story arc focuses on Kara coming to grips with what happened to Krypton, and the mystery of how and why she arrived on Earth. We are saving her supporting cast for subsequent stories as she adjusts to her new status quo, and the same is true of a secret identity for her. She doesn't speak the language, she doesn't understand the customs… could she even pull off a secret identity successfully? Hmmm….

As someone who thought the earliest issues of the prior Supergirl book suffered from the lack of a secret identity and supporting cast … as someone who thought that one of the strengths of the Sterling Gates’ run was the creation of Linda Lang and the inclusion of a supporting cast … I am glad to hear that Green and Johnson are thinking about both those things. Having a secret identity shows some affection for humanity but I can’t 100% tell if she is going to have one. Or is she going to have one and it will implode like 'Claire Kent'.

So it sounds like we need to get through the ‘mystery’ of her origin, this first arc, to get there and that’s fine.

IGN: Does her introduction to the new DCU come at a time when the Justice League is formed and superheroes are commonplace, or before the public has fully accepted them? Could her appearance sway public opinion one way or the other?

Green and Johnson: We can't say anything about the Justice League yet, but we will say that the idea of a teenage girl who can juggle airplanes and chew steel does not make the majority of humanity feel warm and cuddly.

I guess the question is does humanity feel warm and cuddly about teenage boys who can do the same thing?

I really hope the whole ‘humanity distrusts her’ thing goes away pretty quickly. We read enough of that before in the old Supergirl book. Part of the ‘rehabilitation’ of her character over the last 3 years of that volume was making her likeable and a hero … not only to the readers but to the rest of the DCU. I mean, she was in the JLA!

IGN: The solicitation for issue #1 mentions that Kara lacks affection for the people of Earth. Having not grown up on this world, how does her viewpoint differ from Superman's? Is Earth a new home or a primitive land to be conquered?

Green and Johnson: Great question: if you have the power to rule the world, and you think you know better than that world's natives do… what do you do? That will play out as Kara comes to grips with her new environment. If you had the power, would you be satisfied with just rescuing people from burning buildings? Or would your own opinions begin to affect who/where/how you use that power? These are the questions Kara faces, and the questions that will drive her experiences on Earth.

IGN: We know that Superman's alien side is being explored in Action Comics and Superman, but at least he was still raised by the Kents. Without any sort of human upbringing, how prominent is Kara's alien origins in comparison with her cousin's?

Green and Johnson: We are embracing the fact that Supergirl is an alien. Maybe not as obviously as the one that Ripley blew out the airlock, but alien nonetheless. She doesn't understand human beings: how they talk, what they eat, their priorities, how they treat each other. Superman does. It's going to take time for Kara to speak English (or Italian, or Chinese, or…), time to learn how to control heat vision, time to understand why a world that can be so advanced can also be so backward.

Again, it sounds like both Green and Johnson seem to insinuate an end point to this ‘awkward’ phase of Kara on Earth. And that’s good.

But I have to go back to the essence of the Supergirl character which is always one of hope and compassion, always one where she wants to help people. Not conquer them. I don’t want Supergirl to be written as someone trying to impose her will on the people of Earth … at least not for a prolonged period of time.

And from a sales point of view, I don’t know if writing a book where the lead is always in conflict with humanity and other heroes has any lasting power. I know I wouldn’t want to read that book long term.

IGN: Can we expect (please say yes) an appearance of Streaky at some point?

Green and Johnson: The entire point of the series is to reintroduce Streaky as the most powerful, most important, most loveable Super-Pet in the DC universe. The previous statement may or may not be true. In different ways. Maybe.

A Streaky reference! That’ll always make me happy from a nostalgia perspective. And it shows some working knowledge of Supergirl's history.

IGN: What does Supergirl offer that readers might not be able to find in the other Super-titles?

Green and Johnson: First-person experience. We are in her head. Kara is in the same position as all of the readers of the New 52. What is this place? Who are these people? She's learning about this new world at the same time we are, from the first moment she appears in the book. And she is the most Kryptonian character in the DCU. In her mind, she was just there. It's where she's from, who she is, what she loves. Krypton lives on through her.

Remember that I liked the first issue. And I think a ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ theme can be an interesting one to explore. But if she loves Krypton, you think that at some point she’d want to embrace Superman as family, as another vestige of her home world.

But the most important thing is going to be having a Supergirl that is likeable, that ends up a hero, that is someone the readers can relate to. I have to say that my gut tells me that Green and Johnson are going to get her there.

I am optimistic.

Poll Result: Supergirl #1 Grades

Well there is no doubt that the DC Relaunch did just what DC was hoping it would, get people to buy comics, talk about comics, and read comics. But there needed to be more than a one month publicity stunt for this to work. The product had to be good. Good stories trump everything. And while I have liked a lot of what I have read, there have been some clunkers in the DCnU.

As for me, I kept wondering just what Supergirl  would be like. Vowing to go in with an open mind despite some worrisome pre-release comments, I thought the issue was a good opening volley. We got a smidge of origin, a lot of action, some plot threads teased, and a nice cliff hanger. We didn't get a great sense of who Supergirl was but that added a bit to the mystery. I gave the issue a 'B'.

But what did everybody else think. I figured a poll would give me a nice lay of the land.

Thanks to everyone who voted. There was a good turnout to this poll with 78 people voting. And while that is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the tens of thousands of issues sold, I think that is a pretty good number maybe giving a sense of the public's feelings. (And yes I know it isn't powered enough to be significant.)

It looks like most people felt the same way I did, with a healthy majority voting either an 'A' or a 'B'. For a new comic trying to get people to come back, this is a pretty good breakdown. My guess is those people are coming back for more.

Around a quarter of the people voted 'C' but that isn't necessarily a fail.

There were a couple of  'F's mixed in there too.

Still, the creative team should be happy with the buzz of this first issue as it seemed well received around the internet and on this fan poll. I still am waiting to see just who this Supergirl is but there were some hints in this issue that made me hopeful.

Review: Supergirl #1

Well, Supergirl #1 finally arrived yesterday, re-introducing Kara Zor-El to the DCnU. There has been a ton of promotional information about the book, much of which I found disheartening. And I think I have covered much of that uneasy feeling here.

But one thing I promised myself about this book was that I would read it with an open mind. The last three years of Supergirl has been one of the creative high water marks for her character in my mind. I am sad to see that Supergirl erased from continuity. But I owe it to the character and the writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson as well as artist Mahmud Asrar to judge the book on its own merits.

And, I have to admit, for a first issue, Supergirl #1 was a decent introduction to this version of the character, starting right at the beginning, with Kara crash landing on Earth. We get a lot of hints about her background and who she is. And I didn't see any of the 'edgy' Supergirl that we have heard a lot about, the character with no affection for humanity.

We don't see that characterization because this issue really has a confused Supergirl reacting to what is happening around her. So the true make-up of who this Kara is will happen in future issues when she has a second to breathe and be herself.

Still, my template for a first issue- decent action, some piece of an origin story, some future plot threads teased at, and a good cliffhanger to hook me in - were all met here. And for that, I have to be happy.

The book opens with Supergirl falling to earth. Much like the last version of her origin, it appears that her rocket has somehow been embedded within some of the planetary residue of Krypton. It looks more like a meteor than a sleek alien rocket ship.

But the more interesting part of this initial fall is that she starts out landing in Kansas, not far from (I presume) Superman's landing site. That can't be coincidence. Whoever rocketed her there, presumably Zor-El, wanted her to end up where Superman ended up.

The bigger question that still needs to be answered is when was she rocketed. Was she supposed to land when Superman landed, sent from the planet Krypton as it exploded (as in the Loeb version). Or was she sent from Argo City (like the original origin and Geoff Johns' New Krypton revision)?

The rocket's momentum unfortunately allows it to burrow through the Earth so that it ends up surfacing on the other side of the Earth in Siberia. The military people tracking her arrival send out an intercept force to bring her in.

In the meantime, Supergirl awakens and crawls from the wreckage. She is immediately confused and wonders if she is still in a dream. I have some theories on this.

Allow me to start complimenting Mahmud Asrar's art here. This is just a great splash page, a nice first reveal of the character. You can feel her confusion and sense of disconnect from her expression.

That is ... nice except for that awful lower portion of the costume with its crazy corners and ludicrously high cut.

 We learn a bit more about her background as she acclimates herself.

We learn that, at least in her mind, her mother and father are alive, alive enough for Supergirl to be talking about them in the present tense.

And the costume is something she shouldn't be wearing now. It is some sort of ceremonial garb only fitting to be worn after some graduation ceremony, something a year away by Kara's calculations.

And snow hasn't fallen on Krypton in over a decade, a small but subtle reference to the planet's instability.

My guess is that this is some sort of citizenship uniform, some way of recognizing the transition to an adult, upon graduating lower school and picking a guild. The 'if I graduate' line is worrisome because I don't think Green/Johnson would make it because she isn't intelligent. My guess is it is more misbehavior that has graduation in jeopardy.

Still uncertain if she is in a dream, Supergirl is confronted by some military mecha, battle suits armed and ready. If this is a dream, Zor-El would like it.

Okay ... here is my guess and I might be stretching it a bit.

Part of Kryptonian education is some in virtual reality, 'dreams' where students encounter things and learn from them. Some of those 'dreams' are also self-defense or game like scenarios (like this military encounter).

Knowing that their planet (or Argo City) is doomed, Zor-El and Alura put Kara into an extended VR/suspended animation where she continues to live life as she normally would. That's why Kara thinks that her folks are alive, that she was just on Krypton, that she shouldn't be feeling snow the way she is. That's why she is in the uniform. He parents had written enough VR to take her to that point of graduation, knowing when Supergirl awoke she would have thought enough time had passed that she had earned the costume.

Unlike other versions of Supergirl's origins where she has always known her planet/city is doomed, always awake to witness the destruction, this one appears oblivious. And that is going to make learning about that tragedy tougher to swallow, more difficult to comprehend.

 Luckily, before the battlesuits can apprehend her, the yellow sun rises and Kara's powers kick in. She can barely control them and doesn't quite know how to use them. She blasts one with heat vision and pummels another, punching it miles away.

Again though, Supergirl thinks she was just with her friends. I suppose that suspended animation would also make time feel off. But my guess is some 'education' was happening during that ride.

 I am going to try to concentrate on the story and the character but I again have to say that the lower costume is just going to distract. We saw a lot of half-butt this issue ... a lot of it. And the extra inguinal skin folds seen around the red crotch shield seem gratuitous. I suppose if the alternative is the treatment we saw of Selina in Catwoman or Kory in Red Hood, I should be thrilled.

Still, this will only pull people out of the story. Some people will love it, I am sure. But I don't think it adds anything to the story.

Supergirl's powers continues to manifest themselves including super-hearing. Overwhelmed by the cacophony of Earth (including some lines from other DC books - nice touch), Supergirl collapses.

And there is the mysterious glowing Flashpoint woman, rearing her head again.

I think the whole scene works well in showing just how disorienting this whole situation would be. Is it a dream? Is it real? Is it snow? Why is she wearing what she is? Why powers? Confused, Supergirl continues to lash out against the people attacking her.

 I always say that when the words and art mesh that comics are at their best. Here is an example of that. In the midst of fighting the soldiers, Kara wonders just where her parents are, where she is. But that forlorn expression, by softening her here for that moment, you know that maybe the realization that her life as she knew it was over is hitting her.

This panel could just as easily shown an angry appearing Supergirl, teeth grit, eyes clenched or smoking. That would have been in line with the angry, 'Hell on Wheels', alienated character we heard in all the publicity blurbs. But we didn't see that. And more than anything, this panel gave me hope.

I also have to add that the warning about Zod is a nice little hook for the entire super-family in the DCnU.

And then the battle is over with a red and blue blur. Superman has arrived. We know by the solicit for next month that the two fight which takes a smidge of the previously earned hope away.

So we have been introduced to Supergirl but I don't know if I would say we have met her. We have scratched the surface of who she is and how she got here. And while we don't know her personality yet, nothing about this issue added to my worries, nothing felt wrong. And there are mysteries here to solve, things to learn. I am not saying I am sold on this new version yet.  But I was worried that I was going to hate this issue and I didn't. I want to read more of this reboot in hopes that it will be a Supergirl that I can like.

And as I thought all along, Mahmud Asrar's work is very good here. It is rougher in some places that I thought it would be but it works in giving the action scenes a kinetic feel. I do wish that the lower portion of the costume gets some minor revamping. It can be as subtle as when Jamal Igle lengthened the skirt and belly shirt.

I put a poll up to see what grade you all give the issue. Here is mine.

Overall grade: B

Supergirl Sneak Peek On The Source

Over on the Source blog, DC has been posting one panel from their upcoming books, accompanied by a quote from the comic.

Last week, they had their promo post for Supergirl here:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/09/15/teasing-dc-comics-the-new-52-the-dream-isnt-over/

The quote is 'The dream isn't over.'

As many know, I have wavered with my enthusiasm for this title. I have tried to maintain some sense of optimism and hope around this new Supergirl ... optimism in the face of promotional material and interviews which make me think that DC and the current team are going in the wrong creative direction with the character.

I don't think this panel makes me feel better about the book. And most of that unease is about the logistics of the new costume.

I like the idea of a leotard like uniform. And I like the idea of the more regal appearing high collar on the cape.

But all along I have been wary of the shrinking width of the bottom of her outfit. And I have never been a fan of the kneeless boots. And this panel crystalizes my concerns.

It is a nice action-filled panel, a sleek and tough looking Supergirl ripping the head off of a mecha while debris flies everywhere. And that should be the focus of this panel. The action.

But it isn't.

First off, the lack of knees in the boots has always looked a little off to me. This is the first time I have seen what they will look like from the side and they just don't look right. They certainly don't look functional or comfortable. But the boots are just a minor quibble.

It is really the bottom of the leotard, the lack of coverage on this teenage girl, that is simply distracting. How high is the costume going to be cut? How thin is the lower costume from behind? Is it a thong? Is there a reason why the costume is cut like that outside of the prurient delights of some readers?

But the basic question is 'is that consistent with Supergirl?'

Perhaps worst of all is that it is simply distracting. As I said, I should be looking at this battle-ready Supergirl as she destroys the battlesuits that are attacking her. But instead of focusing on the action aspects of the panel (as seen in the cropped panel above), I was immediately drawn to the sheer amount of skin being shown. I keep wondering why Supergirl would be in something like that. Or, more importantly, why DC thinks that she should look like that. And as a result, I am not drawn into the dynamics of the panel. Doesn't this panel bring you in more, the taut arm holding the wreckage, the look of determination on Kara's face.

Comics work best when the story and the art mesh, become a creative 'one' where each complements the other. Here the art is distracting to whatever action tale is being spun. When I saw this panel, I thought of Mike Deodato's run on Wonder Woman where the titillation of the art simply overwhelmed any story that William Messner-Loebs was trying to say.

This isn't Witchblade. This isn't Bomb Queen. This isn't Empowered. This isn't Grimm's Fairy Tales. Or the new Suicide Squad. Or the upcoming Voodoo. Or any of the other titles where this would fit into the story; there are plenty of them. This is Supergirl, about a teenage girl on a hero's journey. The question is do we need Supergirl to be thematically or visually with the books on that list. Or is there room for something else.

And it just makes me wonder if we are going back in time to the earliest issues of the last volume, where style seemed to overwhelm substance, where there seemed to be too much sizzle and not enough steak. When Supergirl was unlikeable and hardly heroic. Remember that? It didn't work.

"The dream isn't over?" You're right. It suddenly feels like a recurring nightmare. I can only hope that the book is better than this PR material is hinting at.

A New Hope: Mike Johnson Tweet

Just last week I posted about how concerned I have become regarding just what sort of Supergirl we are going to be getting in September. In particular, some of the comments made by the higher-ups have been perplexing, making me wonder if they understand the 'core' of the character or if they have even read the book the last couple of years.

Things were starting to look bleak.

And then, as if in answer to my concerns, future Supergirl writer tweeted the tweet above. What could his Supergirl Kryptonspiration be?

Below is the twitpic. Suddenly I feel a bit better about September.

These trades were his inspiration.

Now I am not saying that the current mainstream book should read like the Action Comics stories from the early 1960s as in this Showcase trade. Nor am I saying that the mainstream book should read like Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade. I understand that a mainstream book needs a different tenor.

That said, if I wanted a creator to read a couple of trades to 'get' the character, to understand who Supergirl is ... striving to be a hero, trying hard and not always succeeding, always with goodness in her heart ... these would definitely be near the top. Anyways, I hope that Johnson reads these to get the right 'feel' for the Girl of Steel. She doesn't need to be saccharin. She doesn't need to be even-tempered, staid, mature, or even confident all the time. But she has to have that heroic drive shown so wonderfully in these trades.

I also think that any of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle trades would also be good reads as well. Really the one that will best showcase just who Kara Zor-El is will be the upcoming BizarroGirl trade.

Some More Bullet Points

Just some quick observations and links in this heavy week of reviews.

I have added upcoming Supergirl artist Mahmud Asrar's blog in my blog roll. Here is a recent post of the cover to Supergirl #1: http://www.mahmudasrar.com/2011/06/supergirl-1-cover-bw.html

And here is what he had to say about it:

Here's the cover image to Supergirl #1 without the colours. This is my first official marker cover. The whole book will be rendered with this style.

I don't know if that means his art will be pencil and markers rather than more classic pencil/ink.  I still don't know about the boots. But visuals are the least of my concerns here.

This is a sort of old interview on the great Comic Vine website (I love that place). Here are their questions with DC executives Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza:
http://www.comicvine.com/news/bob-harras-eddie-berganza-reveal-the-reason-for-dcs-revamped-titles/143212/

And this question which interested me:

CV: Part of the revamp is giving characters new identities. I know that in the solicit for the upcoming Supergirl series, she seems like a completely different character...

Eddie: Well she's still the same character, we're just going down to her core. Looking at the characters at their core, looking at them in these new situations that we're creating and seeing how they would react to other characters. We're taking everything back to 'who is this character, how would he or she react to certain situations,' and that's really how we developed some of these new directions.

Bob: We've also been very conscious of making this reality for the real world. Like, what would the reaction be of people coming from outer space with these powers? It's not all gonna be welcomed. So that's the challenge these heroes are faced with and the fact that they continue to be here is the story we're striving to tell.

So, according to these people, Supergirl's core is of an unpredictable teen with no affection for humanity?? That is what they think the core of the Supergirl is?? Have they read any of her stories from 1959 until now?

Outside of the first 19 issues of this current title, Supergirl has always been a hero, striving to do good. Now could she be unpredictable ... yes. Did she fail sometimes ... yes. That was part of the appeal of her, that she was still on the journey. But lacking affection for people and the warning to not 'piss her off' is not the Supergirl anyone knows. Thanks to interviewer Sara 'Babs' Lima for actually asking the question that we all have asked ... why does this solicit for Supergirl not sound like Supergirl??

In all of this DC Relaunch stuff,  here is some non-comic Supergirl news. MTV caught up with Laura Vandervoort and asked her about the Smallville finale. Here is the link to the video clip:
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/06/20/smallville-finale-supergirl/

And here is her quote:

"I'm a little upset that Kara did not get to say goodbye to Clark personally. She just kind of watched from afar. But overall, 'Smallville' is fantastic and they did such a great job."

The more I read and see of Vandervoort, the more I get the sense that she loved her time as Supergirl and that she had an understanding of Supergirl's motivations. Much like a Cosmic 9th Grade series, I can only hope that the CW considers doing to Supergirl and the Legion pilot or movie.

Finally, I continue my look at some of the DC 1970s fantasy books over on the DC Bloodlines blog. This week's review is of the entirely insane Beowulf Dragon Slayer #2. Here is the link:
http://dcbloodlines.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-beowulf-2.html

Supergirl #1 Solicitation

The news of the DC Relaunch has been coming fast and furious and I am trying to remain upbeat and optimistic about the whole thing. Heck, I have lived through a lot of DC reboots before, although nothing this dramatic. But that optimism isn't easy to maintain.

Yesterday the DC Source Blog began posting the official solicits for September. Here is the link to the Super titles: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/06/13/septembers-superman-solicits/
And in particular, here is the Supergirl solicit. I am trying desperately to be positive during this change over, but this solicit isn't making it easy. In fact, this solicit doesn't sit very well with me at all.

SUPERGIRL #1Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Meet Supergirl. She’s got the unpredictable behavior of a teenager, the same powers as Superman – and none of his affection for the people of Earth. So don’t piss her off!

Now, of course, we still have to read the stories. The book might be fantastic. There might be a long term plan about character development. But three pieces of this solicit were chilling. So chilling, that right now I could care less about kneeless boots (and that's saying something). But let's break down that short solicit into its parts. Separately, they might be able to be explained away. But together ...

So the 'unpredictable behavior of a teenager' makes Supergirl sound like she might be treated as impulsive, or moody, or immature, or all of the above. Are we going to again see a Supergirl rave dancing while the city is attacked again? A Supergirl lying her way into a bar because of her 'tight shirt'? Someone erratic? Irrational? Angry?

This didn't say, 'she is a typical teenager finding her way in the world' ... they said 'unpredictable behavior'. That could mean she's like The Hulk.

Now on its own, unpredictable behavior might not be bad. Is Supergirl is going to moody and sullen. Or introverted and shy. Or intelligent but unassuming. All of those are teenage behaviors. Maybe she just is a growing up, emotionally labile. Taking a step back, PAD's Linda Danvers certainly showed unpredictable behavior. And I loved those stories. Even the nervous, shy Linda Lee from Cosmic Adventures showed unpredictable behavior, her moods swinging from sorrow about not seeing her family, to joy of having friends, to irritable when provoked by Belinda Zee. Even Gates' Supergirl was prone to crying, then being angry, then being heroic. So we have to wait and see. Alone, that phrase might be fine ... if there is still a hero struggling with that.

But you also have to pair that behavior piece of the solicit with saying that she has no 'affection for the people of Earth'. What does that mean? How can you be a hero if you don't care for the people that she would be protecting. Is she going to take a viewpoint that she is above humanity? Superior? Will she dole out Kryptonian level justice since humans are below her? Will she be uncaring? Will she be a sort of Eradicator style Kryptonian? Or worse ... will she be apathetic, oblivious to everything happening around her, aloof, instead living her life regardless of the mayhem around her, not acting the part of the hero? Why bother with the 'ants'?

This didn't say 'she is struggling to find her way in an alien world' or 'she is a Kryptonian lost on Earth' ... it said she has no 'affection for the people of Earth'. Makes it more cutting don't you think? Makes her less likely to be a hero. And I want my Supergirl to be a hero.

And then the 'Don't piss her off' part. That doesn't make me think this is going to be a mature look at her struggles. Makes me think she is going to be angry, the dreaded 'edgy', a 'bad girl', more like the Dark Supergirl we all have been bemoaning about here. If DC wants a bad girl comic, that's fine. But that isn't Supergirl.

To be honest, this solicit worries me deeply. We finally got to a point in the current Supergirl book where she is feeling good about herself and her place in the world, where she wants to be a hero and is a hero, where she has family and friends. To lose all that hero's journey for an 'unpredicatable' Kara with no 'affection for the people of Earth' just seems wrong. 'Don't piss her off' ... really? DC really felt they had to add that to the solicit?? Is that supposed to bring in readers? Make people like Supergirl?

Again, I am not damning this book before I read it. You know I will be there. But that two sentence solicit sounds much more like the Supergirl in the first 19 issues of the current title, a book and a version of Supergirl I didn't like very much. It sounds like a book that I would not buy if it weren't Supergirl. If it was just the first two components, I could be optimistic and hope that this could be a 'Stranger in a Strange Land' take, where Kara is trying to acclimate herself in a world she simply doesn't understand. But 'Don't piss her off'?

I haven't heard anyone ... anyone ... who read this solicit and said 'FINALLY! This is the Supergirl book  I have been waiting to read'. Every Supergirl fan I know who has read the solicit has said 'That doesn't sound like a Supergirl book.' Her fans have said that! This doesn't sound like a reboot or relaunch ... it sounds like a complete recreation.

The unknown is always scary.  I am wondering if I am going to look back at the days of Gates/Igle and even Peaty/Chang as 'the good old days', the highpoint of Supergirl. Because I now have a Supergirl solicit that says 'Don't piss her off'. That is the DCnU Supergirl ... and it sounds so wrong.

What do you all think?