Review: The Death Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special, Pt 2

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special came out last week and it was chock full of great stuff. I covered the Dan Jurgens story earlier this week. That was a solid tale, a flashback to a time when Jon was still a tweener and learning about the famous Death story. Baked within that was a bunch of homage panels as Jurgens introduces the story to a whole new generation of fans.

What I love about the rest of this book is that it also looks backwards but now to the actual time of the Death of Superman. And it also brings back a bunch of the major creators of the time, allowing them another swing. Even better, it has those creators once more writing some of the characters they are best known for. As an old time fan, and in particular a fan of this classic arc, this was just wonderful.

Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett give us a story focusing on the Kents. Ma and Pa are witnessing the Doomsday fight and reminisce on a little known aspect of Clark's heroism.

Roger Stern and Jackson Guice give us a Guardian, Dubbilex, and Metropolis SCU story. I didn't know I needed another Guardian and Dubbilex story. I did know I needed to see more Guice art.

Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove give us a deeper look into John Henry Irons origin and how he always has had the art of the hero. 

And if that wasn't enough, we get a bunch of pin-ups, including one I'll highlight below. 

It is a hefty $10.99. But you know what? It was worth it.

On to the book. 

Back Issue Box: Guy Gardner Warrior #24

 Death Metal has happened and the DCU has been re-written. We are in a Future State. But as far as I can tell, Supergirl didn't have much to do with the victory over the Batman Who Laughs.

It got me thinking about Supergirl's place in other mega-events. Obviously, she played a huge part in Crisis on Infinite Earths. But otherwise? 

In 1994, DC rewrote the timeline again in Zero Hour. This time instead of Kara Zor-El heading into battle, it was Matrix Supergirl. And instead of a major role, this Supergirl was only seen in background shots of the main title. In fact the biggest role she had to play was in Guy Gardner #24, a Zero Hour crossover issue. And even in this, she is but one of many,

And remember, this is an odd time in Guy Gardner's history. He is a true warrior now, with Vulderian shape-shifting powers, making him a living weapon. The issue is written by Beau Smith, the main writer on the title. Art is by a smorgasbord of artists, many of whom are favorites of mine - layouts by Jackson Guice with pencils by Phil Jimenez, Howard Porter, and Mike Parobeck among those listed.

How does Matrix fare in a battle against time despot Extant? Well, let's take a quick good at the extent of her fight against Extant.

Review: Supergirl #4 (1994 miniseries)

And so Matrix Monday reaches Supergirl #4 from the 1994 mini-series, the finale. Finally, we get a Supergirl who is her own woman, free from the influence of those who wish to use her. Finally, we got a Supergirl that old-school Supergirl fans could get behind.

Of course, it was also the 90's, so we need to get there with leg bands and spikes. But that's okay.

As I have said many times in the past, The Death of Superman, Funeral for a Friend, and Reign of the Supermen were all sort of catalysts for the Matrix Supergirl character. With Superman gone, she seemed to step up. She wanted to fill his void as a hero for Metropolis. And she wasn't going to sit by when his body disappeared or when newcomers tried to claim his name.

In the aftermath of those mega-selling books, we got a Superboy book and a Steel book. At least Supergirl got this mini-series. And writer Roger Stern took all the progress we saw in the character in those earlier arcs to its logical conclusion. Supergirl was finally going to see Luthor for the manipulative villain he was and strike out on her own.

It would have been easy to make her *extreme* !!! It was the 90's after all. And we do see elements of that here. She initially is a destructive force, lashing out at Luthor, and almost (as we'll see) killing him. Thankfully, Stern back pedals a bit keeping the more innocent and optimistic side of Supergirl dominant.

The art by June Brigman and Jackson Guice is as solid as it has been in the series. But with the darker turn in plot, they employ more moody settings and shadows. It all blends nicely.

I wonder how many people go to Roger Stern at a convention with all four issues of this mini-series to get signed. I should have asked him.

In fact, I hope I do run into him again at a convention so I can ask about this story. At Terrificon, there was a line waiting behind me to meet him so I was brief in my interaction.

Matrix Monday: Supergirl #3 (1994 mini-series)

We are into the back half of the 1994 Supergirl mini-series, a story our Matrix realizes that Lex Luthor has been using and manipulating her. For two straight issues we have seen LexCorp test her physically and mentally. It is time to break free.

In Supergirl #3, Supergirl comes face to face with Luthor's ultimate goal regarding all those tests. He wants a new body. His own cloned body is dying. And he also wants an army of Supergirls to control. Writer Roger Stern does a great job of showing us how the truth slowly sinks into our innocent heroine's mind. She has been looking for love and purpose and Lex gave her both. Now she knows that was all a ruse.

Stern also does a wonderful job leaning into this Supergirl's short history in the DCU. All the major events are brought up here, showing us the highlights. Moreover, Stern shows how all of this has been building up for a couple of years. The seeds were planted, the lines laden with foreshadowing said. It shows a sort of respect for a character that could have been a joke. Kudos to Stern for treating Supergirl well.

The art here is by the usual team of June Brigman and Jackson Guice. The art this issue feels a little looser than the prior two. Some of that might come from the major action sequence which the book revolves around. This approach works for Supergirl given the mayhem and destruction happening around her.

Lastly, this does what a penultimate issue should do. We are brought to a point were we can see the climax coming up. I also feel like the story is at a place where a satisfactory ending is within the reach of one issue's pages.

And yes, I got this issue signed by Stern last year at Terrificon.

On to the story.

Matrix Monday: Action Comics #676

I have been enjoying my look back at the early days of the Matrix Supergirl these last few months. From the early appearances to The Supergirl Saga to her self-exile, it has been interesting to see just how low her character went at points only to emerge from the other side.

I am halfway through the 1994 Supergirl series and yet her I am taking a break in the middle to review the last few pages of Action Comics #676 by writer Roger Stern and the series new artist Jackson Guice. To place this issue in the timeline, this is the first issue after Panic In The Sky. I mean, check out the UPC box text. "After Panic In The Sky, Thing get back to normal in Metropolis - NOT!"

Why pump the breaks on the mini-series reviews? Well, in the review of Supergirl #1, there was a panel of Matrix meeting Lex Luthor II for the first time. I loved this Sistine Chapel like look at their meeting. And I realized, given that the Matrix/Luthor romance is a key part of that mini-series that I should look at their first meeting.

Now understand that the majority of this issue is Luthor II being introduced to Metropolis and Superman fighting the Hellgrammite. But I am not covering those pages.

Instead I am covering the last few. Here we go!

Matrix Monday: Supergirl #2 (1994 mini-series)

Supergirl #2, the second issue in the Matrix mini-series from 1994, playfully has the word Supergirls as it's trade dress, showcasing last issue's reveal that Luthor is creating a clone army of his innocent girlfriend. There are a lot of Supergirls in a lot of bubbles. If this doesn't grab your eye, not much will.

The truth is we don't see much of this part of the story in this very good issue. Instead, we have Supergirl finally realizing just how much of a toxic relationship she is in with Lex. For months she has been creating excuses for Lex for his poor behavior. She has accepted his apologies and inane rationalizations for his actions at face value, always leaning on her belief that Lex is ultimately a good man. Even hearing from trusted sources like Clark and the Kents has done little to dissuade her.

In this issue, Supergirl finally listens to herself and realizes that Lex is mistreating her. She hears others say how she is being used and abused. And maybe because she hears it not from the viewpoint of Lex being evil but from the angle that she is complicit in her own abuse does she shake away the cobwebs. It's about time.

Writer Roger Stern does a great job in these first two issues showing us just how terrible Lex is. And he does a very good job in showing us just how slowly Supergirl comes to seeing through the lies.

The art by June Brigman and Jackson Guice also is strong here. We get action sequences in the book. We get to see how graceful Supergirl can be even while fighting. And we see some quieter, more civilian moments, reminding is that she is a young woman as well.

All in all, this is a great second issue as it pushes the plot forward but in a more character-driven way.

On to the book.

Matrix Monday: Supergirl #1 (1994 mini-series)

The Matrix Monday sometimes series rolls on this month with a look at the 1994 Supergirl solo mini-series written by Roger Stern with internal art by June Brigman and Jackson Guice and covers by Kerry Gammill. Supergirl #1 had a cover date of February 1994, a busy month in the Superman Family for DC Comics. Coming off the wildly successful Death of Superman , Funeral for a Friend, and Reign of the Superman story arcs, DC decided to showcase some of the heroes who emerged from that historic arc. That month there wasn't just a Supergirl first issue. Steel #1 and Superboy #1 were also on the shelves.

During the Death/Funeral/Reign arcs, the Matrix Supergirl character took some big leaps in character growth. She started to act independently, thinking like a hero, and embracing her role in the Superman family. She even started to recognize that maybe Lex Luthor wasn't the purest of hearts. At times, in those stories, she defied him.

This mini-series marks a major turning point for the Matrix character. Finally she sees Luthor for the evil person he is. She finally breaks away from him. She starts out on her own with a new mentor. I know ... spoiler alert. But I am giving away the ending just so that you can see how profound that turnaround is given how she acts here.

The art in this is also stunning. I am used to Guice inking his own pencils. Here, his lines over Brigman have a nice synergy.

I had the luck of meeting Roger Stern at last year's Terrificon and got him to sign these issues.

On to the book.

Matrix Monday: Action Comics #678 Review

With last week being a 'no new comic to review' week, I thought I'd continue my Matrix Monday theme.  And I thought that Matrix's early stories are still important in laying down the foundation of the 'new' Supergirl who was going to stick around in the Superman books.

Action Comics #678 carries the cover blurb 'They Saved Luthor's Brain!' and is a wonderful issue in setting up major changes for the landscape of the Superman family. Seriously, when I reread this issue for this review, I was impressed at how this really is a seed for major upcoming plots.

Action Comics #677, review on this site way back in late 2011 (!), showed just how smitten Matrix was with the son of Lex Luthor. She was so taken with him that she was willing to fight Superman! Here, the mystery of Luthor's son is solved. But further shenanigans with Cadmus, Dabney Donovan, and yes Matrix Supergirl all play into the deep plot. Writer Roger Stern really lays down a ton of plot with threads coming off of the main idea that would spread throughout the titles for the next couple of years. I have come to recognize how great Stern's work was on the Superman books, especially picking up the pieces post Byrne.

Jackson Guice is on art and I have gushed about his art in the past. Here he does a great job with angles and shadows, especially in the second half, to give this book a sort of Film Noir feel.

And there is no denying how fantastic this cover by Art Thibert is. What a great shot of Supergirl, flying in front of bullets aimed at Luthor. She is stunning. But the big win is the white surprint of the central nervous system overlying the young Luthor's body. Hmmm ...

Seriously, how could you pass by that cover on the rack and not want to buy it?

 And you might have missed it but I got this issue signed by Stern at last year's Terrificon. I was happy to thank him for his work on the Super-books.

On to the book!

Return Of Superman Cards!

Hat tip to my blog friend @FKAJason (who runs the excellent Captain Atom Blog Splitting Atoms)  for sharing the Supergirl relevant cards from The Return of Superman card set from 1993.

As I have said in the past, the Matrix Supergirl prior to the Reign of the Supermen storyline was something of a muddle, a being totally being used in all ways by Lex Luthor. Prior to that she had been insane, wandering the cosmos, and then finally a slave of Brainiac.

But once Superman died and Funeral For a Friend and Reign of the Supermen happened, Matrix started to turn more towards the light. She started to question Lex's motives. She totally realized the hero that Superman was. She decided she would become the hero and defender of Metropolis. And she followed him into the battle against the Cyborg Superman.

This card has a great art by Jackson Guice. I love ... and I mean love ... Guice's take on Matrix. Just great.

I love how this card stresses the fact that Supergirl has become Metropolis' new defender.

And I also love that they simply say 'born in a lab on a faraway planet' instead of trying to explain the Pocket Universe in the small amount of text space they were given.

"Her brillian psionic powers make her a formidable opponent for any who cross her path!" Nice.

And there is this card titled 'Boy Meets Girl!' which uses the cover art of Adventures of Superman #502.

This was something of a high water mark for the Superman books. Guice was on Action. Here we see Tom Grummett's work on Adventures. And the running arc of the four supposed replacement Supermen was a done very well.

The idea that one of the replacements was actually Superman in some way was a very good mystery.

And given the unclear future for Superboy given his impetuous nature, this card correctly states these two could be enemies, friends, or something more.

Thanks again to @FKAJason for sharing these! And I am glad that Supergirl got some mention in this card set!

Supergirl Saves A Secret Identity, Sort Of Like The Show

On last week's episode 'Blood Bonds', J'onn J'onzz shape shifted into Supergirl so Kara and the Maid of Might could be seen together, thus squelching Cat Grant's suspicions that the two were the same.

The stand-in is a tried and true comic cliche. Whether it's Superman subbing for Batman, a Superman robot subbing for the real thing, or Dick Grayson dressing like Batgirl while Commissioner and Barbara Gordon look on, secret identities have been protected like this for decades.

But had Supergirl ever done a favor for someone like this?

Would I ask the question if the answer wasn't 'yes'?

Action Comics #692 came out in September 1993 and was a sort of epilogue the the Reign of the Superman mega-arc in which Superman returned from the dead to defeat the Cyborg Superman.

There were a lot of loose ends to wrap up after such a huge story which impacted both the Superman universe and the DCU as a whole.

One of the biggest threads was how to explain where Clark Kent was during this whole story. How could the secret identity of Superman be saved? And how could there be any sort of rational explanation of where Clark had been during all this time?

"And who, disguised as Clark Kent' was written by Roger Stern with art by Butch Guice, Denis Rodier, and Glenn Whitmore. And, as I have said elsewhere, I love Butch Guice's version of Supergirl. She is willowy, lovely, strong.

The issue starts with Superman scouring Metropolis for any survivors still caught in the wreckage and debris of the Doomsday brawl. Amazingly, he is able to uncover Clark Kent, apparently alive and well after being caught alone in civil bunker during the fight. Thus, Clark was buried alive but with supplies to live relatively normally.

Lois leaps into her husband's arms, thrilled to see him again. And then Jimmy decides to capture the moment by taking a picture of Superman, Lois, and Clark all together.

How is that possible?

Well remember this is the time period where Supergirl was Matrix. This is the pre-Linda Danvers merge Matrix so she had all of her powers, including shape-changing.

When Clark, Superman, and Lois all in the Kent's apartment, we see that Clark isn't really Clark. Clark is Matrix. She subbed in for her friend to keep this secret identity protected.

Nice middle panel set there with the eye changing to let us, as readers, know that the whole body is morphing. A lot is happening to get from Clark to Mae but much is unseen. Nicely done.

We again learn that shape-changing into something larger or more massive is a strain. But she was glad to do it for her friends. She can only hope that Clark and Lois will be as happy as she and Lex are.

Despite that smiling second panel, you can sense that thing aren't perfect between Matrix and Lex. There are things she'll need to work out. The Supergirl mini-series is only 2 months away which will end that dysfunctional romance.

Lois thanks Supergirl as she flies off. And Supergirl wishes that the all live happily ever after. Which, of course, doesn't happen.

Anyways, the idea of someone standing in for a super-hero to keep a secret identity safe is a tried and true trope. I thought I would share this particular story where Supergirl helped out Superman. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw J'onn helping Kara out in the show.

Repeat Review: Supergirl and Team Luthor

How do you know you have been blogging about a character for a long time? When you realize you want to revisit an issue that you have already covered.

Back in 2008, I reviewed the stand-alone issue Supergirl and Team Luthor. It was my 12th post ever. That is a long time ago. The review was brief and too the point.

With recent announcements of supporting characters and super-villains coming to the Supergirl show I thought I would dig up a back issue that highlighted one of the guest reveals. I have already covered a lot (if not all) of Reactron's appearances. I already covered all the recent Lucy and General Lane stuff. I even have highlighted some old Lucy Lane. That left Livewire and Hellgrammite.

Now neither have had any major interaction with Supergirl but Hellgrammite comes the closest. With that in mind I thought I would look back at Supergirl and Team Luthor and review the longest story in the issue a bit more closely.

"The Future of Metropolis!" was written by Roger Stern with pencils by June Brigman. Brigman's art is inked by Butch Guice and Dennis Janke.

This feels more like a Luthor story than a Supergirl one. This is a dense read at times of Luthor's state of mind. From corporate espionage to Lexcorp's entertainment division's annual projections to his dealing with own sense of immortality now that he is in a younger body, we really get a lot of Lex. There are pages of what read like business meetings which, while giving me a very good sense of Lex, are at times ponderous. Luckily, those pages are split up with some action sequences with the Matrix Supergirl.

This story takes place right after the death of Superman storyline. Superman has died at the hands of Doomsday and Metropolis is still recovering, both physically and emotionally. And Lex Luthor II, the cloned young version of Lex, isn't going to let a moment like that pass without taking advantage.

The first advantage Lex will press is replacing the presence of Superman with Supergirl and a Team Luthor security squad. The opening pages are a propaganda piece about Supergirl where Lex co-opts some of the most famous Superman beats, making them Supergirl descriptors. Now it is she who is faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive.

And Lex pours on the sentiment, showing Matrix not only saving lives, helping with fires, but even saving kittens. It is an almost perfect rewriting of the Superman legend, substituting Supergirl into the mix.

And so we see him unveil the titular group of Supergirl and Team Luthor, a sort of Red Rocket squadron or phalanx of low-level Iron Man analogs who will protect the city in this time of crisis.

You can see how Lex is using the Crisis to further insinuate himself into the workings of the city. He is showing this movie to the city council and mayor. He wants to suddenly be part of the inner workings of the city. I am sure this isn't all magnanimous.

I thought this promotional video was a great opening sequence. We see how heroic Supergirl can be. We sense how earnest she is in wanting to help people. But we almost immediately get the sense that she is being used by Lex.

While Luthor does dominate much of this story, there are some great Supergirl moments which are worth reviewing.

This story is in the immediate aftermath of Doomsday's attack. There are demolished buildings in the streets. There are people missing. The city is still cleaning up. And Supergirl is helping out as much as she can.

We see her lifting sections of a destroyed building and rescuing a man who has been trapped in the rubble for three days. But this living man rushed away in an ambulance is contrasted by a huge group of shrouded dead, victims of the attack.

Showing the cynical times, reporters swarm Supergirl asking her if she is doing this for glory, to overshadow the hard working police and fire departments. Supergirl simply says she wants to help and that everyone can in many ways.

And then there is a great moment with Lois.

Lois is working the stories. But she is grieving.

In a nice moment of humanity, Supergirl wonders if her flying around wearing the S-Shield is appropriate. Does seeing Matrix as Supergirl make Lois hurt more?

I love Lois' response. The city needs someone super. And Matrix is honoring the name.

I had a lot of issues with the early Matrix Supergirl. But I have always felt that it is around this time, especially in Funeral For A Friend, she sort of turns it around, becoming an independent hero.

But Anj, wasn't this supposed to be some sort of look at Supergirl and Hellgrammite?

Hellgrammite is Roderick Rose, an entomologist who mutated himself into a bug-like monster. He has super-strength, jumping ability, and the ability to make webs/cocoons. He also was hired by a LexCorp manager Markham to kill Luthor and ended up being imprisoned in S.T.A.R. Labs.

And here he is, trapped at STAR in a rather public cell.

STAR is taken over by a terrorist cell who wants to steal the lab's body armor prototypes and destroying all electronic copies of the IP. And Hellgrammite is there to witness it.

Within moments of this attack, LexCorp gets wind of it and so in comes the cavalry. Supergirl and Team Luthor swoop in and save the day. But in this attack, Lex is injured, his leg broken by falling debris.

We learn however that Lex actually arranged the terrorist attack so that Team Luthor could swoop in for the rescue. Lex was hoping that such a show would convince the city council to put Team Luthor on the payroll. As Lex says, he wants Team Luthor to be the security of the city working with his 'own super-hero, a gorgeous young Supergirl who worships the ground he walks on!'

Lex makes it so easy to hate him!

As I said, these early Matrix stories are hard to read. And as a Supergirl fan, this was a tough time. She had gone crazy. She had banished herself to space. She had become a Brainiac slave. And now she is in this weird relationship with Lex.

In a scene that gets played out a couple of times, we see her change shapes to try to please him. Lucille Ball? Princess Leia?? Bettie Page???

It is creepy. And it shows just how little this Supergirl thought of herself.

But with Lex it is all about control. He will 'mold' Supergirl. He will control her. She will follow his agendas.

At the very least, despite all this, Stern continues to show that, at least for now, Supergirl still has her heart in the right place. We see her doing what is right, earning the respect of the other Team Luthor members, and acting as a leader.

Finally we get to the Supergirl/Hellgrammite part of the story.

It seems Hellgrammite escaped during the STAR labs attack. And his first stop is the home of George Markham, the Lexcorp employee who hired him to kill Luthor. Hellgrammite wants some of the money Markham promised him. Hellgrammite wants to know if Markham's contract is still valid on killing Luthor II (since the original target Luthor I is 'dead').

Hellgrammite is unbelievably creepy, all tail and clicks and violence.

Markham shouts that yes his contract is still valid. He wants Luthor dead.

Suddenly the lights go on and we see Lex and Team Luthor in the house, taping this admission.

And Hellgrammite?

Well 'he' turns out to be Supergirl. Matrix morphed herself into the shape of Hellgrammite to coax out the confession. But it wasn't easy. It is painful for her to so dramatically change shape. But she so loves Lex she was willing to suffer.

We end with some ominous foreshadowing, a plot thread followed up in the Supergirl mini-series. Lex would love a hundred Supergirls.

Okay, this was a lame excuse of a Supergirl/Hellgrammite issue. But there aren't many (or any) to choose from! And as I said, this as much Lex's story as Supergirl's.

As I said before, this is a good issue to have in a Supergirl collection as it highlights a sort of time where she was changing, becoming a more solid member of the DCU, a hero in her own right. We get two more stories and some pin-ups in the back. And it can be found in $1 boxes if you look hard enough.

Hope you enjoyed this look back at a world without Superman.

Con Prep: Source Material

We are about 6 weeks away from the Boston Comic Con, so I thought I would continue my run of posts talking about my convention preparation.

The first post discussed predominantly commissions, discussing materials and decisions. That can be found here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2015/06/con-prep-commissions-and-decisions.html

I figured I would continue the commission discussion this time focusing on source material.

Source material is art you provide to the artist you are getting the commission from so they have a reference for the character you want.

Now in this era of smartphones and the internet and Google images, where many images of a character are a few keystrokes away, you would think that having source material would be an anachronism but I am here to tell you differently. If you have an image in mind, or a particular costume in mind, you should definitely have something with you that you can give the artist.

And here is why:
1) In this era of multiple costumes, if you have one you prefer, it is better to be exact about things
2) Smartphones run out of power, con centers probably have spots of poor wifi connectivity
3) It provides both you and the artist some assurance that you will be happy with the piece

Source material can me almost anything that conveys the look you want. So if there is an issue that has great art showcasing the character, bring that. Or you can print up a picture from a comic that has the costume you are looking for. On the internet, you can sometimes find style sheets that other artists use. I have made sheets with multiple pictures on it which I tuck into the sketchbooks and bring with me to cons.

But here is the most important thing, this also means that you need to have an idea of the character you want to have source material ready. And that doesn't always work out. I'll talk about this a bit more in the next post, which talks about artist decisions. If you aren't certain, at least have a vague idea in mind so you can guide an internet search or rummage through a dollar box to buy an issue at the con for source. (For example, you might say 'Mike Kaluta Madame Xanadu' or 'Guy Davis Sandman' or 'Chris Bachalo Shade the Changing Man' all of which are different than Amy Reeder, Alex Saviuk, and Steve Ditko respectively.)

And remember, this is reference material. The artist has the license to embellish, accentuate, deviate.

This is my source sheet for my main Supergirl sketchbook and the Matrix version of the costume. For me, key portions of the costume are the pointy sleeves, the pointed belt, and the 'full shirt'. So this sheet, with poses from Gary Frank, Jackson Guice, and Art Thibert highlight those. And I will point out the small things I like to the artist. I could just as easily brought an early issue of the PAD Supergirl for source as well. But this has worked nicely for me.

I recently have started to branch out a bit and I have got a couple of more 70's style Supergirl commissions with the hot pants and puffy sleeves. The first time I decided to get one ... you guessed it ... I didn't have source material. Since she wore that costume for a decade, it was pretty easy to head to a quarter box at the convention and buy an early issue of Daring New Adventures to give the artist.

I have since made this reference sheet and will bring it to Boston. Here we have Rich Buckler, Dick Dillin, and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez shots. For me, the key thing is the boots and shorts since earlier versions of this costume had elf slippers and shorts with beaded edges.

But as I said, style guides are out there as well. Here is the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez style guide for that very same costume.

If Garcia-Lopez is sketching at the convention, I might try to get a 'head band' Supergirl from him and would probably use his own style guide as source material for him!

But to reiterate the importance of source material, if you asked an artist to do a commission of Jean Grey, they might as which one ...

So better to be prepared!

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #706

The Matrix Supergirl has been in the news recently with the Convergence:Supergirl mini-series and the possibility of her being a member in the Justice League 3001 book.

I have talked in broad strokes about the growth of the Matrix character from perennial dupe to independent hero. But I realize it has been a while since I reviewed one of her adventures. And while I could mirror the feel of the Convergence book, finding an issue where Mae was in thrall of the Lex. But I thought I would have more fun reviewing something right after she dropped him and started feeling like an individual.

The easiest way to do that would be to review the 1994 mini-series. But I feel that deserves a true issue by issue review, like a month of Mondays, and I have a bit too much on my plate right now. So instead I thought I would take a look at Action Comics #706, a book where Supergirl stole the cover copy from Superman, a solo adventure that led to her truly striking out on her own.

The issue was written by Superman scribe Roger Stern with art by Jackson Guice and inker Denis Rodier. Stern does a good job of giving Mae some moments in the story to express her new confidence even if the plot is somewhat cliched. And Guice is one of my all around favorite Matrix artists, drawing her during the heyday of the 90s.

I like the cover as a showcase for Supergirl but her expression is a bit flat. Something more dynamic might have jumped off the rack a bit.

'Saved by the Belle' is a great title for someone like me who thinks wordplay is a sign of high intelligence.

And we start out with some action. The Smallville county fair is opening and one of the rides is being erected by a lazy fair worker who isn't paying attention to details. As a result, the Hog Heaven ride flies apart during a trial run. Luckily Supergirl happened to be flying nearby to keep the damage to a minimum and the injuries at zero.

Nice opening panels here, a two page sort of splash of Matrix in flying in. And it showcases Guice's style with her as a lithe, leggy, athletic Supergirl.

Turns out Mae was heading back to Smallville to visit the Kents and spend some quality time with them. After all that time in Metropolis with Lex, she needed to reconnect with her loved ones and family.

I loved this simple exchange with Mae saying she will gladly take Kent hugs, anytime anywhere.

But this also shows how human she is getting to be. It makes sense to lean on those who love you after trying times.

At the fair, the Kents and Mae see the 'farm vehicle of the future', the Agro-Wonder, a fully automated rig which will sow, fertilize, reap, cropdust, and do just about anything else at the touch of a button.

It irks Pa Kent who believes in an honest day's work and farming by hand. But Martha knows that keeping things simple will help small town independent farmers like them.

We also get to meet the engineer of this thing. Cheated out of credit and royalty for his designs, he vows revenge. And the fair will make a great setting to discredit the company which is producing them while, in essence, robbing him.

There is nifty little subplot throughout the issue as well. Clark is being asked to cover the Smallville Fair as well. But he can't simply fly home as Superman. Perry is joining him in the field. That means a long airplane flight.

Initially Clark is worried he'll be bored to death by Perry's old war stories. But then, it turns out that Perry tells a good tale. Clark can't get enough.

I'd think Clark would already have a ton of respect for Perry. But I still thought this was a fun little side story.

Meanwhile at the fair, the fully automated farm machine is activated and begins attacking the crowd with high pressured hoses, bull dozing arms, etc.

So once again Supergirl has to make an appearance. (This version of the costume sur looks like the Supergirl in the upcoming JL3001. It's time for a 'Might Morphin' Power Rangerette' to bring this disaster to an end. I both groaned and smiled at the Rangerette comment. Kind of cute if outdated.

Things do get a bit dicey when the Agro-Wonder unleashes highly toxic pesticides onto Supergirl.

This story was done in a time when the best way to show how powerfully something effected Supergirl was to have her revert to her gloopy protoplasmic form. It seemed to happen every big brawl.

And so we see it again. Things look bad!

But luckily a couple of minutes later, she is able to literally pull herself together. A lot of it has to do with her sense of responsibility. If she doesn't regain her form (again both figuratively and literally), people will die. I think this again shows how much she has grown from the timid featureless Mae who lived with the Kents to this true hero.

And let's face it, the Agro-Wonder is basically a souped up tractor. She destroys it easily.

As for the engineer, he gets caught at the airport by Superman. All loose end tied up.

Except one.

With the adventure over, everyone enjoys a nice meal at the Kents. And there, Matrix has a heart to heart with Clark. It is a great moment of maturity and confidence for our young hero.

She has been beating herself up for having been taken in by the clone of Lex. And yet, despite all that, she did do good in Metropolis. She did act the hero. She shouldn't slight herself too badly. She should look at the bright side, accentuate the positive, and chalk this up as a learning moment. In other words, move along the hero's journey.

From here, she moves on to some solo adventures. She becomes part of Team Superman and helps out in multiple stories. And she really lives herself on her own terms.

I really feel like this was the first step of her believing in herself. And it was the first time that she didn't define herself by either Superman or Lex or Brainiac or someone else.

And that makes this a great story to read and own. Even if the big villain is a tractor.

Overall grade: B+

Supergirl Mini-Series Advertisement

With the Convergence Matrix Supergirl mini-series just a day away, I thought I would briefly visit the other Matrix Supergirl mini-series. Amazingly, despite the years I have devoted to this blog, I have never covered this story arc.

Here is the house ad for the 1994 mini-series. It definitely captures the feel of the story. In it, Matrix finally realizes that Lex Luthor has been using her. This is the story where she finally becomes free, acting as an individual and not the dupe of someone else.

It is a striking image by June Brigman and Butch Guice. While it might appear that she is protecting Luthor there is an anger to her face. After reading the story it could easily be interpreted that she is taking the lab apart herself and holding Luthor at bay.

I will definitely need to cover this mini-series ... maybe soon.

But I don't know about the tagline. 'She's mad as hell and she's not going to take it anymore!'

Would the kids of 1994 get this reference?

I mean, would a quote from Network resonate with the comic audience then?

I guess the answer is yes to some portion. I was in my early 20s when the book came out and knew what that line was from