More Channel 52 Misinformation

After reading Supergirl #19 I was thrilled that Supergirl and Power Girl worked together to fight a common enemy and help each other. It was a welcome change from the usual darker stuff we have seen in the New 52.

Then I read the Channel 52 promotion at the end of the issue and discovered that DC still doesn't know how to market this book. Or care to market it correctly.

You might recall I had a hard time with a prior Channel 52 which talked about Supergirl as being a furious and out of control. Now this week it talks about Supergirl 'battling' another Supergirl.

So despite not one punch being thrown at each other, DC wants to market this issue as having a fight between Supergirl and Power Girl ... a fight I might add that many were happy not to see.

It once again shows that DC doesn't want to trust what its creators are doing. Or doesn't know how it wants to present Supergirl. They still keep shoving that angry isolated girl in our face even when stories don't hold it up.

Also, while I love Freddie Williams III art, the Power Girl costume he drew never even made it into the first issue of Worlds' Finest. That's the original Perez design that was scrapped.

I do like Vartox' character and his obsession with Power Girl as a running gag.

Anyways, for anyone who read this promotional piece and thought there would be a fight, I am sure they were disappointed. And for me, I read the issue and was glad there wasn't a fight but then read this and was disappointed.

2011 In Review: Part One - What Might Have Been

Let's face it, 2011 was a crazy year for comics in general and DC Comics in particular.With sales down and cries of gloom and doom for in the industry echoing, DC gambled, blowing up the DCU, relaunching the DCnU, and churning up the mainstream publicity machine. And so far that gamble has been a win.

With that much upheaval as well as with all the great stuff that happened this year, there was simply too many Supergirl moments to have only one 'year in review' post. So this year I'll have three.

Today I'll review what I call the 'what might have been' moments of 2011, things that were hinted at or discussed ... things that might have come to pass with Supergirl if things had happened differently.

We'll start off with the appearances of future Supergirls in variant costumes in comics. So techinically these 'did' happen. They are just things that some day might have been.

First off, JSA All-Stars #17 we saw an alternate timeline were a super-hero named Regal eliminated evil from the Earth and led a massive Justice Guild to patrol the planet. One of those guild members was this snazzily dressed Supergirl, complete in a one piece blue dress. I loved Freddie Williams' art on this book and thought this was slick.

At around the same time, in Red Robin #19, Tim Drake set up a virtual future Justice League to safeguard the Unternet, the criminal internet world. This was the current Titans and next generation heroes as the League and front and center is Supergirl, again wearing a more classic one piece all blue uniform. I don't think it is coincidence that Kara is in front. She would lead that team.

The variant costume, some version of an all blue dress has popped up now and then, usually as a colorist or artist error.

But the DCnU relaunch put an end to those storylines. And it also put an end to the future plans that some creators had for their books. These may have been throw away ideas but they might have been real arcs planned.

James Robinson had put together a very enjoyable run on Justice League of America with his unique team of legacy heroes and other versions of the Big 7. That run came to an end with the old DCU and in JLA #60 Robinson teased some of the future stories he might have had in mind for the team.

Robinson always had his League fighting the most monumental of threats and these glimpses of what he had planned next were of the same caliber. In this one, Supergirl saves the day, stopping The Construct from firing off all the Fortress' weapons leading to a robot Armageddon. While this page showcased Supergirl, the other teases (fighting Martians, fighting Dark Opal) were just as interesting.

While the relaunch affected Robinson's JLA, it basically erased Steph Brown's career as Batgirl. And that is a shame because Bryan Q. Miller's book was a pure joy, a book I looked forward to month in month out.

Much like Robinson, Miller gave us some glimpses of his future arc ideas in Batgirl #24, the last issue of that book. This one looked great, the young female heroes of the DCU cast as Disney-style Princesses in the Queen of Fables world. Check out Kara as Cinderella. How I wish this one actually happened.

I miss this book.

But the 'New 52' happened and with it all the changes to the DCU.

Other creators on-line had their own ideas about what should be in the DCnU. Mike Maihack designed this Supergirl/Batgirl cover for the 'DC Fifty-Too', a site devoted to 'might have been' books for the new DCU. Maihack's cover got such buzz that he has since written and drawn a couple of well-received web comics with Batgirl and Supergirl. This is a 'sort of might have been' book because future strips still might happen!

But what else might have been in 2011?

Well way back in Superman #700 (June 2010), Sterling Gates reviewed his 2011 plans for Supergirl on a preview page he got to write about the book. While we got to see some of those stories, we missed out on a lot. Gates planned on sending Linda Lang to college. There was going to be another showdown with Superwoman. And it sounds like there was going to be a massive brawl with all Supergirl's rogues. But more importantly, it sounds like Gates was going to give us a happy Supergirl, stronger for all the lessons she learned in New Krypton.

Despite this long term plan and the printing of this page, Gates was taken off the book a short while later. I would have loved to see these stories as it would have really been the next phase in Supergirl's heroic journey. This is no knock to either James Peaty or Kelly Sue DeConnick, both of whom wrote arcs I thoroughly enjoyed. But it seems like Gates had a long term plan until he was presumably bumped for Nick Spencer, who lasted 15 pages. Ahh ... what might have been!

And, as if being denied those Gates' stories was tough, in 2011 we also saw some glimpses of what might have been if DC had given the green light for a Cosmic Adventures in the Ninth Grade. Landry Walker had a lot planned for their Kara and had some concept pictures to share. A team up with Batman?? The Locker of Solitude??

The first Cosmic book was near perfect. These glimpses of a potential Ninth Grade book only make me want to see a sequel even more! While this is a 'might have been', it really should be a 'make it happen'!

And so those are the 'what might have been' moments on 2011, a crazy year in comics as it was reflected by Supergirl.

Tomorrow, the honorable mentions for the Top Supergirl Moments of 2011.

The Rest Of My DCnU Week Three Purchases

Three weeks in and things are starting to sort themselves out in the DCnU and my pull list. And, because of some impulse buys, I bought more of the 'New 52' this week than I anticipated. Here are some quick thoughts and where the land on the 'long term', 'short haul', 'better grab me', and 'done in one' scale.

Wonder Woman - I have always been a Diana fan and have sporadically collected her title depending on the strength of the stories or who the creative team was. I am always hoping that I will read an excellent Wonder Woman book.

When I heard that the creative team for the DCnU Wonder Woman was Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang I had very high hopes. And when Azzarello said that the tone of the book would be more horror based, I felt even better.

My instincts were right as the book really crackled. Diana is called upon to protect a mortal carrying Zeus' baby. And it is clear that the gods have deciding to once again intervene in the world of men. Apollo, Mercury, and (maybe) Argus are all seen here, toying and playing with lives here.

Chiang's art has evolved over time and is a bit scratchier than stuff from a couple of years ago. But it works well here. And Diana is just as she should be, confident, strong, a warrior and a defender of the helpless. This could be a big win.

Initial rank: 'Long term'
Verdict: 'Long term'

DC Universe Presents Deadman - Much like the 'Classified' titles, this Showcase-like book will be on my pull list depending on the characters and the creative teams. DC Universe Presents opens out of the gates with two of my favorite creators: writer Paul Jenkins and artist Bernard Chang. Those two were enough to let me overlook that the star of the book is Deadman, a character I have never been keen on.

There is a bit more of a redemption theme in this story. Turns out Boston Brand was a bit of a jerk when he was alive and needs to make amends for that. To become the man he should be, that good man, he needs to cross this gulf. The only way to get there is to help people in their lives.

Perhaps what I liked best here is that Deadman ends up hopping into the lives of 'normal' people. It isn't all team-ups with Batman. It is being a death row prisoner, a stripper, a wheelchair-bound war veteran. Can these ordinary stories be compelling in comics? We'll see. This was a solid opening chapter and Bernard Chang just brings it. Wonderful stuff whether it be the mundane or the fantastic.

Initial rank: 'Short term' (this arc)
Verdict: 'Short term' (this arc, but definitely in)

The comic I was most unsure about was Captain Atom. Written by JT Krul and drawn by Freddie Williams III (a favorite of mine), the book had some creative clout. But I really don't know too much of Krul and the Captain hasn't been a favorite of mine.

Williams has changed up his style for the book, giving it a softer, pencilled feel. Some things are also a bit more warped or stylized than his prior stuff. Williams was the main reason for me to get the book and I don't know if this new look has grabbed me.

Add to that, Atom goes from simple energy blaster to have some more Firestorm-like abilities such as unraveling atoms. He also seems a bit more disconnected, a nudge more like Dr. Manhatten.

I don't know if I like these changes to a character I already don't like that much. So this one is on a short leash.

Initial rank: "Better grab me"
Verdict: "Better grab me next issue or I am out"

Green Lantern Corps: As I said in prior posts, I have been wondering when the Green Lantern books were going to hit the wall. I had collected the GLC book before the relaunch when the focus was Kyle. I do like Guy. I decided that GLC would be my second GL book for the first month mostly because I was a bit exhausted with the Spectrum Corps.

This issue didn't do much to grab me. The opening parts show how Guy and John Stewart are trying to fit into normal Earth life, applying for jobs, etc. They don't have much success. As a result they leave Earth a bit perturbed. Meanwhile, on Oa, an unseen threat kills some new Lanterns and then massacres a whole planet.

It might just be that my GL battery is on empty. But nothing really grabbed me in this issue.

Initial rank: "Short term"
Short term: "One and done"

Supergirl Sighting In JSA All-Stars #17; Variant Costume

One of the fistful of comics I currently collect nearing cancellation is JSA All-Stars.

All-Stars has always been a sort of fringe title for me, one that I enjoy just enough to keep buying. I definitely like Power Girl, Star Girl, and Cyclone as characters. But I could not care less for Wildcat 2, Citizen Steel, or King Chimera. On the JSA side, I love Wildcat, Jay Garrick, and Dr. Fate.

Matt Sturges has concocted some fun stories for the All-Stars and I have enjoyed the down time scenes he has written for the team such as sparring, training, and having strategy meetings. But the big draw for me on the title and really the reason why I have stuck around has been Freddie Williams III's art. I just think it is great, stylish and energetic.

So how could I not post about a brief Supergirl sighting in JSA All-Stars #17?

In the issue, a super-being called The Prince tries to convince Power Girl that he comes from an alternate timeline. In the other timeline, the greatest hero was someone named Regal who led the Justice Guild and made a perfect world. A villain named Dr. Hate, the Prince's mother and Regal's mortal enemy and lover, has changed history such that Regal never existed, the Guild never eradicated evil, etc.

The Prince is sad because he is stuck in this absolutely flawed world when he knew the paradise of the Regal-led world. In that timeline, he and Power Girl were friends, he was married to Judomaster, and everyone was on this massive super-hero team that looks like a mix of the JLA, JSA, Titans, and a couple of others. It is nice that most of his discussion about his predicament is with Power Girl who actually might understand his feelings and simply wants the Prince to relax so they can talk.

Anyways, Freddie Williams III gives us this great double page spread of this mega-team. Just spectacular stuff. And look on the top left.

Yep, that's Supergirl on the team! And in a different costume. It is a sort of mix of Silver Age (blue dress) and Matrix (pointy belt). One thing I do know, if I ever run into Freddie Williams III at a convention, I am definitely getting a commission.

And as a fan of the Matrix costume and the red dress, I actually thought this looked very nice.

Another thing that I think is interesting is how this costume (full shirt and blue dress) or some close version of it keeps popping up here and there. Could the belly shirt be on the way out?

Just a couple of months ago I showed this panel from Red Robin #19 where Marcus To had the Supergirl avatar in the UnterNet leading an future JLA and dressed like this.

Or this one I posted from Titans #30 by Fabrizio Fiorentino? This is, in theory, in continuity.

And then there was this version from Supergirl #32 by Ron Randall ... again, a Supergirl from the future.Yes, there is no belt here and the cape is different, clasping on to the S-shield but the full blue dress is similar.

And while those are all timeline twisted or future versions of Supergirl sporting the full shirt and blue dress, the current Kara has at least thought about it. Remember this great panel from Final Crisis #3 where we got a look into Supergirl's apartment. Here she seems to be designing new versions of the costume.

There in the lower left is a very rough sketch of the solid blue dress.

I doubt that any costume change is going to happen any time soon. But it is interesting that we keep seeing this particular motif pop up every so often. After being a staunch supporter of the red skirt, I have to say the blue skirt look is growing on me.