Review: Supergirl #35

Today I conclude my look at Supergirl fighting the Parasite by taking a deep dive into Supergirl #35, an interesting issue in this title. Last week, I covered the first part.

As I have said in the past, this volume of Supergirl's first fifty issues is basically one longform story of Supergirl/Linda Danvers learning who she is, learning her ties to angelic powers, suffering a lesson in humility, and finally becoming a hero, saving the universe. Fifty issues!

Now that doesn't mean we don't have smaller episodes, like these two issues. But the momentum of the story of Supergirl's confrontation with the evil Carnivean is relentless in this epic.

I love this story but it isn't without it's critics. After all, having Matrix with a very flawed Linda Danvers and ultimately become an angel on Earth isn't going to be for everyone. But I was completely taken in. The problem with such a long and innovative is if you drop into it, let's say at issue #34, you will probably be lost.

And so, writer Peter David gives us this 35th issue which wraps up the Parasite story but really gives us a primer on the issue. David introduces us to the supporting cast individually. He also reviews the angelic arc, rehashing key moments from the beginning of the series. But he also rewards the longtime readers by giving us new information as well as an amazing cliffhanger. So if this issue is new to you, settle in. It is very heavy on the exposition side.

As usual, Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs brings a wonderful panache to the art. A lot of this issue is two people talking. But the action is solid. And the revelations are wonderfully rendered.

On to the book. And, I mean it, settle in.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #34

With the Parasite causing all sorts of mayhem in the Joshua Williamson/Jamal Campbell Superman title, I thought it would be fun to look for times when a Supergirl fought the villain. So let's dive into the back issue box.

Supergirl #34 was written by Peter David with art by Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs. We are about 2/3 of the way through the longform fifty issue story that David was putting together for this book. Supergirl here is the merged Matrix/Linda Danvers. She has learned she has angelic powers and is finally getting comfortable with those powers. And, at least for this brief moment, things are going well for Linda Danvers. She is an artist and her work has caught the eye of the ex-Mrs. Lex Luthor Elizabethe Perske. 

Linda's art is on display in Paris, setting the stage for this two parter. I swear, knowing David, he did this just so he could make the Parasite/Paris site gag.

But I mean it when I say this is a brief respite for the characters. Most of this mega-story is villains trying to break Supergirl down. The Carnivarean is doing his best to make her doubt herself. So heading back to this story, I was struck by this little respite.

Leonard Kirk did the bulk of this series and storyline and I love the consistency of the look. His stuff has an organic fluidity to it that makes everything flow wonderfully.

On to the book.

Review: Supergirl #69

Two weeks ago, in the aftermath the Black Adam movie, I reviewed the Supergirl/Mary Marvel throwdown from Peter David and Leonard Kirk's Supergirl #68 . Given that issue ended on a cliffhanger and with the fervor for the Marvel family still high, I figured I'd cover the next issue.

As I said last time, this is a long arc of a depowered Linda Danvers Supergirl following the Chaos Stream to try and reclaim her Earth Angel powers, stripped from her way back in Supergirl #50 in the aftermath of her fight with the Carnivean.

The villain of this arc was just recently revealed to us here. It is Lilith, the first wife of Adam and a demonic presence. Later we learn she is the mother of the Carnivean and is our for revenge. And using a variety of shape-changing and faerie glamor, she has been manipulating events. 

But the real plot here is Linda recognizing her own worth and shedding her self-loathing. Linda was a problem child before merging with the Matrix Supergirl. She has touched the Angelic. Throughout this story, she keeps putting herself down and wondering if she is worthy. Mary Marvel is a perfect foil for Linda's thoughts. Mary is pure, innocent, good. And Linda can't help but feel flawed in comparison. 

I really loved this book. I loved the journey Linda was on. I feel this second arc wasn't as strong as the first, longform one. But it is a perfect second act for Linda. 

Leonard Kirk remains on art and brings a very fluid, very organic feel style here. I love his depiction of Linda and Mary, young women who look natural and very real. But there is a fantastical element here he also embraces including an amazing splash cliffhanger. 

On to the book.

Review: Supergirl #68

Last week I saw the Black Adam movie, a action filled, special effects fueled extravaganza. It was a pure popcorn movie. Maybe a bit long, maybe too much slo-mo. But it was filled with lots of DC lore and I truly loved the entirety of the JSA. And, of course, there was that mid-credit scene which reintroduced a Henry Cavill Superman to the DCEU. With all that in mind, I thought I'd find a Supergirl/Marvel Family crossover to cover. 

Supergirl #68, written by Peter David with art by Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs, At this time in the series, Supergirl had been stripped of her Angelic presence and powers. Her powers are now similar to the Golden Age Superman, leaping instead of flying, limited invulnerability. She is on a quest to regain that Earth Angel aspect by following the Chaos Stream on Earth. Along the way, she has been tormented by the supernatural, all claiming allegiance to the Demon Mother.

This story arc is solid. Throughout the story, Linda Danvers isn't sure of her worthiness of the powers. The addition of Mary, a glittering example of purity, makes Linda question herself even more.  It all ends well with Supergirl performing the ultimate sacrifice. But we need to get there. And here is where Mary becomes an ongoing supporting cast member. Like many superhero stories, the characters have to fight before they team up.

Leonard Kirk was the main artist on this book for years. He brings a clean style to the book, one greatly appreciated. The characters look young, as they should. The action is slick. There is an element of the fantastical. And the humorous bits are done well.

With no hesitation I'll say I love this volume of Supergirl. This Supergirl/Linda was complicated, flawed, but learning and trying to be a hero.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #20

DC is in the midst of Metal, an event I am not reading after slogging through the very long convoluted Justice League lead-up. I have no idea what truly is going on there. But at the very least I know it is a big crossover with heroes fighting giant unworldly beings to save the world.

I honestly don't even know if Supergirl is in Metal ...

But it jogged my mind to see if there were any mega-events that Supergirl took part in that I haven't covered here. So today I'll review Supergirl #21 from the Peter David run which was part of the Millennium Giants crossover.

This is a pretty decent 'done in one' crossover with Supergirl clearly the star. At this time in the series, Supergirl's flame wings had just started to manifest. She had heard the words 'earth born angel' but had no idea what that meant. She had just revealed she was the Matrix/Linda Danvers amalgam to her parents, driving her mother back into alcoholism. And Superman was split between Red and Blue!

So a lot of backstory in this 50 issue mega-arc is starting to swirl here and David uses this issue, an event crossover, to nudge those things forward. And, as usual, there is a heavy emphasis on struggling to do what is right, faith, and belief mixed through this. I appreciate that effort making this still feel like a Supergirl issue despite the trappings.

Leonard Kirk is the penciller and had an impressive run on this book. His style suits the action nicely as he switches from scenes of ordinary folks and then gigantic monsters stomping through the ocean.

On to the book!

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #58

This week in Superman #23, the Man of Steel calls upon Dr. Fate for a mystical checkup.

With that guest spot happening, I thought I would take a look back at Supergirl's interactions with the good doctor. Now a comic with a version of Fate helping Kara with here psychiatric issues occurred in the excellent Superman/Batman Annual #5 from way back in 2011. But I covered that way back when!

So instead I thought I'd dip into the Peter David run on the title again and look at Supergirl #58 in which Linda calls upon Fate to help her with Buzz.

Okay, a little background. At this point in the book, Linda has been stripped of the Earth Angel aspect of Supergirl and basically has the powers of the 1938 Superman (jump far, relatively invulnerable, relatively superstrong). She is following a chaos stream to try and reunite with the angelic spirit. And Buzz, a demon who has vexed her throughout the book, is now human, mentally tethered to her, and her guide. He senses the stream and finds the path.

In the issue before, Buzz was poisoned by his daughter, also a demon. He is dying. And if Linda wants to become the Earth Angel Supergirl again, she needs Buzz to live. Enter Dr. Fate.

This is an interesting issue because it gives Buzz a sympathetic back story. Before, he was all Constantine-cool with his evil intentions. Here we see how he fell and became lost. In many ways, this second long arc in this volume is a redemption story not only for Linda (again) but for Buzz.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #32

My copy autographed by Peter David, Sean Phillips, and Leonard Kirk

I have been thinking a lot about Supergirl's legacy lately.  Who is this character in DC Comics right now? If you started reading comics 10 years ago, do you have an coherent sense of who Supergirl is and what she means? Do you find her heroic? Inspirational? Do you even like her?

This line of thoughts reminded me of one of my favorite issues in the Peter David run, Supergirl #32. By this time in the comic, Supergirl was embracing her 'Earth Angel' persona. She was looked on as a hero. And she was starting to inspire people.

Pride cometh before the fall. This confidence in Supergirl in her new role needed to be broken by The Carnivean, a demon trying to take over heaven and the universe. And the best way to do that was by perverting Supergirl's legacy and make her doubt herself. Of course, this comes to fruition in the classic Supergirl #48. But we needed to see that erosion of Supergirl's self-worth. Some of that comes with a tarnishing of her legacy.

Peter David had the long game in mind with this book and this issue is an interesting stand alone chapter. The story here, of Supergirl freeing young girls from self-trafficking is wonderful and timely. However, you can see how even the best of intentions and lessons can be perverted.

Perhaps the best thing about this issue is the art. The cover, by then regular artist Leonard Kirk, tips off the them of the story, a backlit Supergirl, in shadows from her flame wings and sporting the red anger eyes, is being led by a band of young armed girls. It is the internal art that makes me giddy. It is drawn by one of my favorite artists Sean Phillips. The fact that I get Sean Phillips drawing Supergirl in one of my cherished runs still amazes me.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #48

With Supergirl currently infected by the Batman Who Laughs and thinking she knows what is best for humanity, I decided to comb through the back issues find a similar tale from the past.

Amazingly, despite having blogged about Supergirl for nearly 12 years, I hadn't covered Supergirl #48 by Peter David and Leonard Kirk. This is one of my absolute favorite issues of this run so I can't believe I haven't reviewed it before.

The first 50 issues of David's run is a compelling story of faith, sin, humanity, religion, and redemption. And at this point, Supergirl, an Earth Angel, was feeling pretty good about herself. She was comfortable with her powers. She was accepted as a hero ... even worshiped by a group of people who recognized her as a true angel. And she was heading home after an adventure to get reacquainted with her boyfriend Dick Malverne.

Of course, it is when people are at their zenith that they are brought down to their lowesr. And this is that point. This Supergirl learns a lesson in pride and humility. And it almost brings a Hell on Earth.

This story is incredibly powerful. It starts with this powerful cover of a grieving Supergirl, small and faceless, nearly engulfed by the empty space.

But for me, the big point of the issue is that Supergirl immediately understands that her haughty position is wrong. The problem is she loses hope. And that can't happen. Let's get into the story.

Matrix Monday - 90s House Ads

I am taking a small break from Matrix comic reviews this week to post some Matrix House Ads that I stumbled across this last week.

Supergirl was prominently displayed in two house ads from a comic cover dated April 1998. Supergirl #20, a Millenium Giants crossover of all things, was on the shelves. She was two issues out from sprouting her flame wings and really exploring the angelic aspect, something which had been hinted at throughout the initial issues.

I know how big my love of Supergirl is. And I know how fascinated I was with the Peter David series in the late 90s, a semi-Vertigo spin on the character with tons of references to her prior incarnation.

But what I don't know is how she was being accepted by the comic community at large. And I don't know how embraced this new concept of Earth Angel was either.

Still, I think it is encouraging to think DC thought well enough of her character to have her on the subscription ad. (Remember those days when comics were mailed to people!) Yes it is a double play on words on how hot the deal is. One, I suppose there are people who think Supergirl is 'hot'. Two, fire is a big part of the art here (replicating the cover from Supergirl #14).

Still, they could have come up with any other quip - 'super' deals, deals 'as good as Gold', etc.

Instead they chose Supergirl!

But there was another!

June 2018 Solicits

The June solioits for DC Comics have been released and it is a big month for Superman fans. Finally the Bendis era takes over. Here is a link to all the solicits:
https://www.newsarama.com/39119-dc-comics-june-2018-solicitations.html

I just don't know what to think about this whole upheaval of Superman. I suppose this is what I was feeling in 1987 when Byrne completely uprooted and replanted the entire mythos. In the end, I was pretty happy with Byrne reinvigorating the property. But much of that was I felt the stories had become tepid before he took over. Right now I feel we are in a Renaissance for the Superman and his family.  So now seems like an odd time to blow things up. And this is my biggest concern. After years of suffering, we finally had a Superman I could read and enjoy. Will this be a step back?

Review: Supergirl #44

Tonight on the CW, the Supergirl show will air an episode titled 'The Faithful' about a cult of people in National City who begin to worship Supergirl as a deity.

This isn't the first time that Supers being viewed as new Gods has happened. From Countdown to the DCEU to innumerable other examples, superheroes being looked upon as the holy is well trod ground. And, in fact, it has happened in the past for Supergirl.

Peter David's Supergirl run (in Supergirl volume 4) had faith and religion and sin and redemption as major themes running through the book. Frankly, those concepts made up the bulk of the first 50 issues, a long form run on comics that I hold up there with the best comics can offer. Now much of that had to do with the redemption of Linda Danvers, the angelic nature of this new Supergirl being, her own hubris leading to a downfall, and then her ultimate self-forgiveness.

But given the fact that this Supergirl said she was an angel, it wasn't surprising that a Supergirl religion would arise. In fact, this faith impacted her greatly, making her wonder about who she was and what her place was in the world. It turns out, it impacted her negatively, another way to try to break her spirit.

I have praised this run throughout this blog's lifecycle, but Supergirl #44, Shadows of a Doubt, is definitely a strong issue with powerful moments. David, and long time art team of Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs, bring all the power to bear, giving us character moments, soulful moments, and even a super-powered brawl.

But it all revolves around this Supergirl cult, perfectly captured on that cover with a deified statue of Supergirl being praised by the congregation.

On to the book.

September 2017 Solicits

The September solicits for DC Comics were recently revealed and there is a lot of stuff that grabbed my attention. For me, the Supergirl, Superwoman, and Action Comics solicits are very interesting. And there are some trades being released that make me think I need to save my pennies.

To review the entire DC solicits, here is a link to Newsarama:
https://www.newsarama.com/34984-dc-comics-september-2017-solicitations.html

And on to the Super-titles:

SUPERGIRL #13
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art and cover by ROBSON ROCHA and DANIEL HENRIQUES
Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
“EMERALD ERADICATION” finale! It’s the final showdown between Supergirl and Emerald Empress. Supergirl’s life has been torn asunder and she’s not going to let Emerald Empress get away with it. But is it too late to repair the damage and remain the hero she’s built herself to be?

Okay, let's get started. First off, that is a crazy cover with a fierce Supergirl ripping apart the Emerald Eye! That is a great image! And Artgerm on the variant should be beautiful (although I will miss Bengal). 

And then the solicit about Supergirl trying to remain above the fray after having her life destroyed grabbed me. Steve Orlando has really made Kara a hero, helping people and being optimistic. So we'll see if personal problems make her backtrack.

30th Anniversary:Crisis On Infinite Earths #7 - Fallout In Future Incarnations

We are nearing the end of July 2015 and my 30th anniversary review of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.

One of the things I have discussed over this month has been how I am conflicted about this issue.

On the one hand, DC felt that Supergirl was something of a superfluous character, someone which could be easily erased from continuity without too many people being upset. It was a slap in the face to Supergirl fans who loved her and grew with her.

On the other hand, it is a huge moment in comics. It is a great heroic death for the character, saving the universe and inspiring others. The cover of this issue is the image for the Crisis, the series which forever rewrote DC continuity. There is no doubt that this story gave Supergirl something of a legacy which could be built on, even in other incarnations!

In the end, especially given the return of Supergirl a couple of times, I have definitely fallen into the latter disposition. This was a huge moment for comics. And it is Supergirl's moment. This happened 30 years ago and people still talk about it.

Unfortunately, one of the problems with the Crisis is that once the multiverse was reborn as a true universe, once Supergirl got erased from history, then no one remembered her sacrifice. No one remembered she even existed. It was this fallout that led to Alan Brennert's famous Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot story. She saved worlds, the universe, but no one knows.

One of the things that I found interesting was seeing how Supergirl writers in the post-Crisis landscape commented on the Crisis and her sacrifice. This was a major comic moment that resonated even into the new DC universes and different Supergirls.

Peter David took over Supergirl in 1996 and created a very weird, almost quasi-Vertigo, super-title. In it, the Matrix Supergirl being merges with a tormented, troubled, young woman named Linda Danvers. This sacrifice by Matrix, saving someone beyond redemption, leads her to become an Earth Angel, walking a sort of mystic, religious line in her adventures.

David really infused this series with a ton of Supergirl Easter Eggs, nods to Supergirl's history in ways that old time fans could appreciate and new time fans might not notice. From the Danvers to Comet to Leesburg to Satan Girl ... there is a lot of Supergirl mythos here.

But in Supergirl #49, we get a bombshell. Written by David and drawn by Leonard Kirk, this issue opens with a despondent Supergirl, beaten down by the events of her life, questioning herself and a bout of hubris which led to a death, imprisoned by her enemy The Carnivore.

Supergirl is really beating herself up here. She basically has imprisoned herself and is wallowing in self-loathing when a vision appears before her to help her recognize herself as a being of goodness.

This being, glowing gold, tells her that she holds herself to a standard that no one can maintain. As Linda nothing was worth anything. As Supergirl, anything is worth everything. No one can be that good.

I love that Supergirl's response is that Clark can. It is a throwback to the old stories where Supergirl was living in the shadow of Superman, constantly trying to be like him, emulate him, be perfect like him.

The S-shield has power, is a symbol of immutable and perfect goodness. One can't look too long at the sun. I love how this being tells Supergirl that even when Linda won, she wondered if she could have done more.

Again, think to those early Action stories where Supergirl is constantly doubting herself, constantly worrying what Superman will think. It is this element of an inferiority complex, that concern that she isn't a real hero, which has been an undercurrent in the character.

This being was unseen in the title before this. Although twice before Supergirl basically prayed for some intervention and it happened. It was this being who did those.

And then we learn about this 'figment of imagination', this 'second thought', this 'guardian angel'.

Her name is Kara!

When I first read this I got chills. When I read it just now to write this post, I got chills.

Even the line of 'guardian angel' is an homage to Action Comics #252 were Supergirl calls herself Midvale's guardian angel.

But an imaginary friend? An invisible playmate? It is a way to discuss the first Supergirl, rewritten forgotten, only part of an imaginary continuity that doesn't exist anymore.

Brilliant use of Kara by David, a way to both honor the first Supergirl and strengthen the current one.

Of course David really delved into the impact of the Crisis in Many Happy Returns but I loved this nuanced look at a Supergirl that no longer existed.

David goes one step further in Supergirl #50, the final chapter of a story which has been working it's way through this title since the first issue. I have said it before ... I will say it again ... I believe the first 50 issues of this title are one of the strongest and best long form stories in comics.

In this book, the Carnivore, the first vampire, has been given the power of God and has rewritten the universe into a dark, evil version of itself. Even heroes like Superman become demonic.

Supergirl, in one of the best and most understated victories, defeats the Carnivore. Without his malevolent desires, the universe reverts to normal.

She saves the universe!

That victory strips the angelic portion of Supergirl from Linda. She has limited powers.

But then David injects some of Crisis into this story. We just saw her save the universe like in Crisis #7.

Now we learn that the world 'knows' that Supergirl 'died in mighty combat against a foe of unimaginable power.' You could use that sentence to describe Crisis #7 without batting an eye.

David hammers home the point just to make sure that it isn't lost. It is an 'inherited, implanted memory', a 'retroactive bit of continuity'.

This is a nod to the crisis without a doubt, giving this Supergirl the recognition for saving the universe that the original didn't get to savor.

Again, brilliant use of the Supergirl mythos put into this version of the character.

But Peter David isn't the only writer of Supergirl who looked back and played on her death in Crisis.

Sterling Gates also looked back. Gates certainly appreciated Supergirl history. We see Gates insert a lot of older Supergirl history into the incarnation he was writing. From her relationship with Brainiac 5 to peek-a-boo shots of The Gang to Satan Girl, Gates honored what came before while making it new and fresh.

Supergirl Annual #2, with art by Matt Camp and Marco Rudy, is a treasure trove of Supergirl and Legion Easter Eggs, definitely worth reading. But there is one moment that really sticks out.

Here Supergirl has been thrown into the 30th century and is working with the Legion.

She heads to the Superman Museum and rushes to the Supergirl wing to learn of her own history.

She learns how she dies.

That second panel, the look of sadness on her face, her hands together in front of her mouth, you can just tell that this wasn't a peaceful death, of natural causes while lying in bed. This is something weighty, maybe horrifying.

The death of Supergirl was basically revisited even without giving us the details. It shows how that legacy of her dying is still part of the character, even two incarnations past the original's death.

We are nearing the end of this month of review of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. I hope I have given this paramount issue the coverage it has deserved.

Supporting Cast

It is hard for me to believe that I have now lived through 4 different incarnations of Supergirl in comics.

Whenever a new creator or a new direction is about to happen, the writers and artists usually say the same thing in regards to Supergirl and her book. One, she needs a rogues' gallery. And two, she needs a supporting cast.

I always chuckle a bit when I read it because if everyone seems to know that those elements are part of a great book, why have so few been able to achieve it with Supergirl?

I suppose those that decide to portray her as a bitter, disaffected, angry loner might have a hard time with writing characters that want to hang around Kara.

It seemed like Tony Bedard was working his way towards a supporting cast. And it looks like a school setting will immediately provide K. Perkins and Mike Johnson with supporting characters. And I am hoping that Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler will give Supergirl some interesting characters around her on the show in 2015.

With all this in mind, I thought I would take a look at one of my favorite Supergirl supporting casts, the citizens of Leesburg in Peter David's run.

It all started at home with Fred and Sylvia Danvers.

These were great three-dimensional characters who struggled initially with the Supergirl/Linda fusion but then became 100% supportive.

Sylvia was an extremely devout woman who relied on her faith for guidance. With the religious overtones of the book, she was an interesting sounding board at times. She slips into alcoholism when she learns of the merging of Linda and Matrix but then literally 'sees the light' and stands by her daughter.

Fred started out as a no-nonsense dad struggling with Linda's rebellious ways. Early on he seemed to be a vicious man with a quick temper. But then we see him soften, struggle with his wife's dependency, but then become a rock of the family.

Linda also has friends in town.

Dick Malverne is her boyfriend dealing with health problem that he is hiding from everyone else. Despite coming from tremendous wealth, he is an everyman with an 'aw shucks' quality to him.

Mattie Harcourt is Linda's best friend, a young physician in training, and dealing with some fallout from her brother's death during the Final Night. She remains a good friend to Linda, helping her through issues.

And Cutter Sharp is a reporter for the local newspaper with a sharp tongue. He was investigating Linda's disappearance when it happened and ends up as Supergirl's agent. He often provided the humor of the book and at times seemed to give a 'big picture' speech about the problems people were facing.

And then there was Comet, super-speed cold-powered half-horse mystery man who turns out to be the other identity of Ande Parks, Cutter's ex-wife, lesbian feminist. Ande has a very deep backstory dealing with isolation from her parents because of her orientation and struggling to walk the line between good and evil.

They all had histories, distinct personalities, and seemed so well-rounded for a cast. And I haven't even mentioned Wally and Twilight and the Carnivarean!

This series was so solid.

For those interested, these Who's Who pages are from the Team Superman Secret Files book from 1998. I have divulged more of their histories than what is presented on those pages.

Back Issue Review: Supergirl #13

We recently learned that Supergirl is undergoing a creative change with new writers coming on board in a couple of months.

That led to my looking back at the writers on the last incarnation's  67 issues: Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, Joe Kelly, Tony Bedard, Kelley Puckett, Will Pfeifer, James Peaty, Sterling Gates, Nick Spencer, and Kelly Sue DeConnick. 10 writers in 67 issues!

And now looking at the current incarnations (looking forward to Supergirl #36), here are the writers: Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Frank Hannah, Michael Alan Nelson, Scott Lobdell, Tony Bedard, and now Kate Perkins. 7 writers in 36 issues (and I'm not even counting Justin Jordan's credit on one of the Krypton Returns issues)!

It is an amazing amount of turnover of creators and I think speaks that the current DC management doesn't understand Supergirl or know what long term direction they want her to go down. Will newcomer Kate Perkins and her space school concept last any longer?

And so that brings me to this back issue review: Supergirl #13 from 1997. Why am I reviewing this issue? Because it is written by Darren Vincenzo. It is the only issue of that run's 80 issues (and the 1,000,000 issue) that isn't written by Peter David.

One issue! Out of 81.

You might not like the 'protoplasm from other universe merging with a human girl and gaining angelic powers' idea. But it had legs. And DC trusted Peter David to complete a story arc and idea. As for me ... I loved it.

So I thought looking back at this 'other writer' issue of that volume of Supergirl was worth looking at, if only to contrast it to the merry-go-round of directions the character has been on since Loeb first brought back a true Kara Zor-El.

One thing to note here is that Vincenzo walks in stride with David's vision, enhancing the subplots and characters that David introduced. This wasn't some weird, 'is it in continuity' issue like Wil Pfeifer's 'who the heck is that Zor'El' issue from the last incarnation of Supergirl in issue Supergirl #30. Vincenzo only wrote a handful of issues in his career as a writer but appears to be a pretty prolific comic editor.

And this issue marked the first time Leonard Kirk was artist on the book. He did the bulk of the title up until Ed Benes took over with "Many Happy Returns".

On to the issue.

Now at this time in the book, David had set up Leesburg as a quiet sort of middle America small town. Linda Danvers was a troubled soul who was redeemed/revived by merging with the Matrix Supergirl. And while there were definitely the beginnings of religious overtones (demons, Wally the god-boy was showing up, souls), Supergirl hadn't fully manifested her angelic powers.

So to see a story called Incubus, with an opening image of a ghostly figure caressing a young woman, was sort of par for the course here. Vincenzo is building on the tone of this book already.

But there is definitely a Twin Peaks feel here, this undercurrent of weirdness bubbling beneath the quaint innocent little town. In fact, at this time a 'chaos stream' was flowing beneath the place.

Three young girls in the town have been having the same odd dream. A sweet/creepy suave/scary latin speaking Lothario named Daemon appears in their dreams. It feels oddly pleasant but also draining. The girls are scared and aroused. But they worry what it all means.

Now it feels a bit retro, even for 1997, to think that three high school girls would run to Mrs. Danvers, a religious woman working in the local church, for help. (I never lived in a town like Leesburg so maybe it does happen.)

Linda overhears them talking to Sylvia and decides to follow them and ask them some questions.

She knows about Daemon. In this flashback to her pre-Matrix days, hanging out with Buzz and his devil cult, she saw Buzz call for Daemon. Linda saw the succubus/incubus swirl around this namely girl and feed on her psychic energy.

These flashbacks are key to building up who Linda was, how flawed and quasi-evil she lived. It makes her redemption by Supergirl that much more powerful. It makes her turn to heroism and optimism that much more significant.

We don't see too much of these pre-Matrix days. So seeing this adds substance to Linda, even in this rest issue.

Daemon's powers are relatively vague. But one thing we know is that he can induce sleep. This is actually a dream sequence with Linda bewitched and sleeping under a tree. Within those dreams, Daemon can be throttled. But he also can shapeshift, become smoke, etc.

Here he tells Supergirl to stay out of his business or he'll harm her family.

This also is significant. We have learned that the pre-Matrix Linda had a very rocky relationship with her parents. For this to be a threat she needs to care, a moment of growth in the character that we had seen growing in the earlier issues of this book.

We do get a very nice conversation between Linda and Sylvia in the middle of the book. Sylvia has some working knowledge of demons, gleaned from the bible. She wants to help and isn't sure how. She turns to prayer.

And Linda is supportive of her mother. Sylvia is a bit 2-dimensional here but we know that David has her as a complex character in the book, dealing with addiction, crises of faith, and anger.

But Linda doesn't want to leave things just up to prayer. She wants to help. You could say this is a foreshadowing of her angelic state.

This scene smacked a bit too much like early episodes of Buffy with Linda hitting the local collection of occult books and doing some research. Would a place like Leesburg actually support McGavin's Occult Books? A place with skulls and tarot cards?

But McGavin seems like a nice guy, allowing Linda to borrow the books rather than buying them. He knows she is using them for good. We never see him again and in some ways I'm happy. A local repository of occult facts might be too easy of an deus ex machina.

And so Linda researches and reads and learns some things before falling asleep.

I used to love these scenes in this title. Remember, Linda 'becomes' Supergirl, a taller, blonder, more curvy and adult appearing person. (There is a running gag later in the series where Linda is simply Supergirl and people are wondering why she isn't as 'chesty'.)

There are a handful of scenes where we see Linda in the Supergirl costume, the shirt loose and hanging on her. It is a subtle way to highlight the physical differences.

I really miss Linda.

It turns out that Linda/Supergirl figured out Daemon's weakness. And so she lured him into this dream-trap.

Within Linda's dreams, Linda controls things. And so she tells Daemon to be quiet and hold still. And then she says the sprinklers in her dreams spew holy water.

And that is the end of Daemon.

I suppose it is an easy sort of answer but it does show a thinking Supergirl. She didn't outpunch this demon, she trapped him with her smarts.

So, despite, being the one issue on this title by a writer not named Peter David, this 'rest issue' slips into the mix nicely, bolstering a lot of what we were learning about the town and characters while having Linda be a hero once more. For that I give kudos to Darren Vincenzo.

And Kirk's work is beautiful here. While I missed Gary Frank's work on the title, Kirk was great on the book.

For Supergirl collectors, outside of this being Kirk's first issue, this is of pretty low importance. But I appreciated it for what it was ... a rest issue that didn't upset the apple cart and flowed nicely with the tone of the book.

If only DC would run with a Supergirl idea for a long enough time for the readers to feel comfortable. Even long term fans of the character are starting to get twitchy. Why should we care when things are only going to be different in half a year.

Overall grade: B

Back Issue Box: Supergirl #16 - Supergirl Meets Power Girl

With World's Finest #1 only a couple of weeks away, I thought I would take a look back at some of Power Girl's history, specifically her interactions with Supergirl.

Now Power Girl has always been an interesting character for me. She was Kara Zor-L, the Earth 2 Supergirl. But she was never Supergirl before. She never used that name. She appeared for the first time as Power Girl, confident and her own person, ready right from the start to distance herself from her super-cousin. She was tough, determined, and maybe a little bit edgy ... something which distanced her from her Earth-1 cohort. While I consider myself a Power Girl fan, she has always been a seperate character from Supergirl in my mind. They have felt only distantly connected.

After the original Crisis, Power Girl went through the ringer a bit as DC struggled to explain who she was in the DCU. She couldn't be Superman's cousin anymore. She had some relationship to him, maybe as an 'adopted' cousin. But who was she? Finally, DC decided she was the great-grand daughter (maybe a few more greats need to be in their) of Arion.

With that brief background, I thought I would review Supergirl #16, from Peter David's run. This is the Matrix Supergirl, and relatively early in this run. She hasn't quite manifested her angel powers yet. She just told the Danvers that she merged with Linda. And she is just starting a romance with Dick Malverne. As always, David knew Supergirl history inside and out and infused as much of her mythology into this completely new take on the character ... something I always have appreciated. That included acknowledging Power Girl somehow. I have said it before ... I love this run, especially the first 50 issues.

Leonard Kirk took over on art after Gary Frank left the title and is still finding his feet here.

The story actually begins in Supergirl #15 in which a villain known as Twilight (who played a very big role in the 51-74 story arc of this book) animates wax dummies of the super-villain group the Extremists and sends them out to destroy Charlotte North Carolina. Now Charlotte might not sound like a hotbed of super-villain activities, but it just so happens that Linda, in an attempt to get away from the familial heartaches she is suffering from in Leesburg, is in Charlotte. It is a romantic getaway weekend with Mr. Malverne and a chance for her to meet Dick's family.

When the Extremists arrive, Supergirl engages and unfortunately gets a bit of a rude welcome. Luckily Power Girl is there to help. This is the last page of Supergirl #15, a nice dramatic splash/cliffhanger. Note Power Girl's costume here ... solid white shirt, Arion magic symbol belt buckle.

But, as is often the case in comics, Supergirl 'mistakes' Power Girl for an enemy and lashes out.

Luckily, just about immediately, Supergirl realizes her mistake and apologizes profusely.

I do find it interesting that there are so many instances of the incarnations of these characters fighting each other.

Once united in their cause, the super women go about trying to stop Twilight and the Extremists.

While Power Girl tries to square off against the villains, Supergirl tries to help those hurt in the attacks. One of those people is Dick Malverne's mother.

This version of Malverne went through the mill. Peter David had him get possessed, get cancer, get cured by being possessed again, and ultimately die while being treated by a fraudulent faith healer.

But he loved Linda and those events often stirred the drink of this long opening arc.

As I said before, this issue takes place before Supergirl's angel wings and heavenly powers really manifested. But we saw plenty of evidence early on that they were coming. Those flame eyes sure look like her angelic 'judgment' vision. Here she shows a little of her righteous indignation as she tears the limbs off the villain.

Skulking in the background is Twilight. Throughout the issue we are given snippets of her backstory.

She is quite long- lived having been around during the time of the bubonic plague. But she was granted the great power to heal. She is shown traveling with her sister Jane, saving people  but always while keeping her powers semi-hidden so as not to be branded a witch.

As for Power Girl, she has been injured by the Extremists when she was skewered with a good sharp stick.

Poor Power Girl at this stage of her character; she can be injured by raw, unprocessed material. I suppose that somehow these 'natural' weapons are uneffected by the magical core of her abilities. Still, seems pretty silly.

The Extremists end up being relatively easy to dispatch once the two heroes team up. The Extremists are just robots after all.

But Twilight is a different story. She really can't be harmed and ends up leaving on her own terms. But not until she fills in the rest of her back story, how she went from healer to killer.

It seems while she was busy curing as many plague victims as she could, the disease took Jane's life. The only person she cared for died because she was too busy hurting others. Dealt this hand, she blames God and decides to turn her back on goodness.

These sort of stories were riddled throughout David's run. There were plenty of characters who did evil who were looking for redemption. There were plenty of people like this who did good but then were turned. Even the big bad, The Carnivean, had a bit of duality ... a bit of conflict ... in him.

And, of course, Supergirl herself fell into this category. Linda was no saint. All of these were done to show that from  a great fall can spring a great redemption.

This is perhaps my favorite panel in the book and the reason why I thought reviewing it would be worthwhile. Remember, for a while there was no Supergirl in the DCU. But there was Power Girl ... maybe for no clear reason. And a lot of Supergirl fans resented that Kara having been spared. And then Matrix ... a non-Kara ... showed up.

As I said before, Peter David knows all this history about the character and addresses this issue wonderfully. Power Girl wonders how people could consider her a replacement for Supergirl when there was no Supergirl. "It's complicated."

Yep ... that's an understatement.

And again, we see that theme of redemption played out here. Why would Twilight show that history if she wasn't looking for some compassion, looking for someone to help her deal with her pain.

I won't wax poetic about this series as I have done so countless times. But these first 50 issues were just magical to me, dealing with themes not often seen in 'mainstream' super-hero comics.

I guess I would put any Supergirl/Power Girl team ups as of moderate importance to a Supergirl collection. This issue is really right before this book really veered to the Earth Angel concept so reading it in retrospect and seeing the plotline seeds sprouting make me appreciate it more.

And Leonard Kirk really became the artist for the series. His stuff is solid.

If these issues can be found, they are usually quite cheap.

Overall grade: B

Back Issue: Supergirl #24

Given both characters are being resurrected/rebooted in the DCnu coming in September I thought I would continue my look at the Supergirl/Resurrection Man crossover from the late 1990's with Supergirl #24.

As we learned in part one, Resurrection Man Mitch Shelley has been possessed by an evil spirit from Leesburg (Supergirl's home town). Using his powers, this spirit decides to carve a path of carnage through the town, culminating in the detonation of a hydrogen filled zeppelin over the city's centennial celebration.

As mentioned in my earlier review, this team-up had a lot going for it as both books seemed to dip their toe in themes not typical for standard super-hero comics: sexuality, religion, and ultimate redemption. Both books also had a nice undercurrent of humor in their books, adding some levity to the otherwise heavy material it was dealing with.

The Earth Angel Supergirl certainly wasn't universally accepted but I loved it. Sure, it was a break from the 'Kryptonian cousin of Superman' origin, but the book (specifically the first 50 issues) was innovative and intense. I miss this version of the character and reread the run regularly. This issue takes place early on in the manifestation of Linda's angelic powers as she just starts to understand her place in the grand scheme of things. Peter David clearly had a love of the original Supergirl, infusing some Easter eggs of Supergirl continuity into this version - Dick Malverne, Stanhope University, Comet, and Satan Girl to name a just a few. But this book mostly deals with the redemption of Linda Danvers and Supergirl in a wonderful way.

Leonard Kirk had the unenviable task of picking up the book after Gary Frank's initial run on the book. I really thought Kirk was solid on this book. He really drew a lovely, graceful, and powerful Supergirl. I would love to get a Supergirl commission from him at some point.

The opening scene picks up just before when Resurrection Man #16 left off. We are at the Leesburg Centennial celebration. The town is wondering if Wanda Lee, the citizen the city is named after and the longest living citizen will make an appearance. But there seems to be some trepidation about it not only because of her advanced age but also because of some wrong-doing ... some evil ... she had in her past.

On a lighter note, I include these panels to show some of David's humor. Cutter Sharp, a local reporter and comic relief of the book, makes a 'hole in the head' joke to the mayor dressed as Lincoln. Maybe gallows humor, but funny nonetheless.

I also liked this replaying of a scene from Resurrection Man #16. It was interesting to see this scene as well as the explosion of the blimp from a couple of different perspectives, both Mitch's and Linda's. It cemented where we are in the story.

But this divorce is an interesting plot point in the book. The divorce stems from Linda's mother psychological breakdown when she learns Supergirl fused with her daughter. Sylvia slips back into alcoholism and her father can't take it. So much emotional trauma happens to Supergirl throughout the book as the evil in the world conspires to break her spirit. To see her ultimately triumph ... to forgive her transgressors ... was fantastic.

For those who don't know, eventually Sylvia receives a visit from Wally and is 'saved'.

But on to the action. With the zeppelin aflame and about to crash, Supergirl springs into action, using her flame wings to absorb the fire while saving the blimp's occupants.

As I said before, Supergirl is just learning about her angelic powers, unclear what they even mean right now. So I enjoyed this internal monologue where she is both happy and worried about her new powers. I miss those flame wings.

And a replay of a scene from Resurrection Man happens again, this time with us seeing Supergirl lay out the resurrected Shelley after discovering him as the cause of the explosion.

I can never get enough of seeing Supergirl pound people.

Shelley has been possessed by Wanda Lee. She is 'The Rider' who controls others and lives out her sinful desires in them.

But Lee was defeated. That's why her body has been in a coma all these years, lying dormant. She was beaten by the last Earth Angel, the being known as Ember. She also lived in Leesburg in the 19th century.

The story of Ember was covered here in the past when I covered prior incarnations of Satan Girl. But this lineage, this legacy of the Earth Angels, was another piece of this complex world David was creating that I enjoyed.

One of the threads that I will have to investigate (that is remember) more is the notion that Mitch was already resurrecting before the tektite infusion. Here we see a couple more of those lives ... as a knight in Camelot fighting with Etrigan and as a southerner trying to save a slave from being lynched.

Of course, now that he resurrects constantly in this life, there might not be other lives for him to go to in the future.

This last death was a semi-suicide on the part of The Rider as they try to keep upgrading the inherent powers of Resurrection Man. The Rider finally thinks they have the best mix, being able to inhabit the landscape and create a literal man-mountain, all with the hope of getting to that chaos stream.

But this power might lead to some hubris as Mitch/Rider dares Supergirl to do her worst. Using a mix of old/new powers, Supergirl is up to the challenge and end up shattering the monstrosity before it can literally rip open the world to get to the magical waters. Nice to see Supergirl use her brain to come up with an effective attack more than just simply punching.

And finally we get some clues about who The Rider is. It turns out it is Leesburg citizen Wanda Lee. She drank from the chaos stream long ago achieving near immortality and the ability to possess others as the Rider. She then would take over unsuspecting people and lead a life of debauchery through them, ruining those innocents while she remained untouched and unspoiled. Untouched that is until Ember battled her, leaving Lee the comatose patient, her spirit trapped in her aging body.

But the recent swell of power from the stream as well as a well timed defibrillation freed her spirit and she has acted as the Rider since.

I love that the Earth Angel persona has battled Lee in two incarnations.

Resurrected with the power to make things intangible, Mitch/Wanda jumps into the Chaos Stream to try to grab onto even more power.

Luckily, Mitch is at his strongest to wrest control back right after resurrecting. He is able to warn Supergirl that she needs to end the battle now. But how?

As all of this is unfolding, Wanda's body begins to arrest. And before the doctor (Linda's friend Hattie) can resuscitate her, Wanda's care taker assaults her. If the Rider persona is defeated, there won't be a warm body to return to.

Pretty cold blooded but given the evil nature of Wanda, maybe this was the just move?

There isn't much time to figure out what to do, so Supergirl throws herself into the chaos stream hoping her inherent goodness will somehow counteract the chaos stream. The water bursts into flame and the Rider is ripped from Shelley's body. Then Wanda's spirit is immolated in holy fire, the S-symbol scorched onto her chest.

This is not without its consequences. While Wanda seems to be destroyed, Mitch is once again killed in the resulting explosion. And Supergirl suffers significant burns over her body.

I have to say it was a dicey chance by Supergirl here, based solely on her hand being burned when she touched the water earlier in the issue. She could have been killed herself while The Rider could have remained free. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Overall I thought this was another good chapter in this little known cross-over. Clearly, the bulk of this chapter dealt with issues which effected the Supergirl title more than the Resurrection Man book. But the fact that both characters move forward in this story make this more than some forced and foolish team-up. This had implications for these characters.

David clearly was building something here, having Supergirl become more confident and controlled in her angelic powers. And Kirk really shines here both in the battle scenes and the quieter moments.

Again, this isn't of high importance to a Supergirl collection per se. But I would hold the first 50 issues of this book against almost anything for story telling quality.

Final chapter of this arc to be reviewed here soon.

Overall grade: A