Wicked Comic Con Next Weekend

Wicked Comic Con Boston is happening next weekend!

I didn't think I would be able to get to this convention because I was working a later shift on Saturday the 10th,  making neither weekend day easy to attend. As luck would have it a friend needed a switch and I was able to move to an early shift on Saturday.

While it meant a Saturday con visit was out of the question, it opened up Sunday! 

So I'll be heading to the con! An extra summer treat for me!

I am glad my town has a good comic con. Wicked is young, this being it's third year in it's third venue. But each year they bring in a solid guest list and this year is no different. There are plenty of creators I am looking forward to meeting. Hopefully some of you are heading there too!

Here is a link to the con site: https://www.wickedcomiccon.com/

I don't know if I'll be able to get any commissions given I will only be there Sunday. But I hope I am able to get one from Tom Reilly .

Reilly drew Knight Terrors Superman which included that great Supergirl plot where she was haunted by older versions of herself. Reilly basically had to draw all the big Supergirl costumes in that story (albeit on zombified Supergirls). 

Reilly feels like an up and comer so I hope there is a spot on his sketch list.

But there is more!

Review: Superboy #7

Superboy #7 came out this week and was another fantastic issue. This series has been a wonderful surprise for me, an odd mix of Silver Age and Vertigo wrapped in an S-shield. Amazingly, writer Jeff Lemire is really able to blend these different ingredients into a smooth story. We have seen a little bit of everything in these 7 issues but there is definitely a dark undercurrent bubbling beneath the sunny streets of Smallville. It also shows that despite his brave exterior, Conner still has some deep-seeded worries about who he is.

This issue in some ways felt like a rest issue, a separate story that didn't touch upon some of the bigger plots that have been chugging along. We don't get any Hollow Men here or hear about their plot. What we do get is Superboy thwarting another threat, a threat that might be part of this bigger whole. I also think Lemire needed to pause for a second knowing that Superboy is involved in the Doomsday storyline (which we learn runs until Action Comics #704 in an editorial blurb in this issue). If that storyline's finale is 4 months away, it might be hard to jibe Conner's continuity. But this sort of 'done in one' story buys us some time.

Lastly I have to comment on the art in the book. Marco Rudy and Kevin HDR split the work here. I think Rudy does the pieces of the story that happen now while HDR does the feverish splotchy fever dream portions seen in the future. Those future segments are really slick, the splotchy red-soaked images adding to the mystery and misery we are being shown.

And new cover artist Karl Kerschl complements the internal art with this orange-drenched demonic looking Superboy image.  Very nice!

The issue flips back and forth between Superboy and Psionic Lad on a mission in space now and flash forwards to the future. It is interesting to see this interaction between Superboy and Psionic Lad. We know that Psionic Lad has some ulterior motive, saying he will kill 'the target'. Back then in Superboy #4 I thought he was talking about Superboy. But now I don't think so.

The two heroes are called upon by the JLA to investigate a spaceship listing in Earth's orbit. As I said before, Lemire likes to bring a sort of Silver Age feeling to the book at times, I think to make the more horrific moments stand out even more in contrast. This panel composition just reminded me of those Silver Age issues, inset close-ups of the heroes faces smiling and winking at each other as they approach a probable threat.

This book really does a fabulous job with page composition and panel construction.

Psionic Lad senses two lifeforms on board but something isn't right about them; they feel 'alive but not quite'. The two decide to investigate further and the only way in is for Conner to break in.

Again, so much of this book is learning about who Superboy is and who he thinks he is. I liked this panel of him saying 'caution's my middle name' as we see him smashing his way into an unknown and probably hostile situation. I don't think he was being ironic. I think he really felt like he was being cautious.

Here is where the book kind of kicks things up a notch.

Superboy wakes up at some undetermined point in the future to discover that the Smallville and the world has been razed. The place looks more like Apokolips than Smallville. When Superboy goes to investigate, he discovers that the only living being around is Lori Luthor. Lori, dressed a bit like Tank Girl, spits venom at Superboy, blaming him for the destruction and carnage around them.

But the big thing here is the change in art. For the bulk of these future fever dreams, the art (I assume this is Kevin HDR) switches to this water color more chaotic appearing art. The art palette is mostly reds and oranges and purples adding to the feeling of this Hellish environment. I thought this really worked, drawing me into the story.

Even here, when Tim Drake and the 'New Titans' show up to battle Conner, the art mirrors the feeling perfectly. The blotchy background of purples and magentas really gives the feeling of a nightmare.

These Titans have one mission in mind, to kill Superboy for all the evils he has done. They say that Superboy killed all the other heroes as he marched towards world domination. Given all of Conner's concerns about who he will end up to be, this isn't that unheard of.

In the now, Superboy and Psionic Lad discover the 2 life forms on the ship. Here is the pilot, in a near comatose state, with another set of brain waves completely in synch.

I have talked about the innovative look of this book. On this page and the one adjacent, the middle row of panels are puzzle pieces, as seen above. Again, this mirrored the tone of the scene as the heroes are trying to figure out exactly what is happening on this ship. It is a sort of puzzle. Again, for me, the joy of comics is when words and art just completely mesh, working together to tell a story. Here the very layout of the page helps.

Back in the future, the Titans continue to attack Superboy despite his  pleas that he doesn't remember doing anything, doesn't think he could do the things he is accused of.

In a surprise twist, Simon shows up, armed like Luthor, and proceeds to kill Lori. I have always been concerned that Simon will go the way of the villain. But my concerns have been that he will be a foe of Superboy, not an evil ally.

On these pages, despite being entirely set in this dismal future, the art is split between (I think)Rudy and HDR, the penciled art and the water color. These more refined panels stand out in contrast to the painted ones. In this instance it sort of took away from the story. I almost wish all of this portion of the story was done in the painted style.

Back on the satellite we learn the origin of the '2 life forms', 'synched brain waves' mystery. The pilot has this familiar looking plant on his chest. Yep, that looks a lot like the 'Black Mercy' flower from the famous Alan Moore story 'For the Man who has Everything' from Superman Annual #11.

In an attempt to save the pilot, Superboy rips the Mercy from its victim. He really is overconfident, touting his Kryptonian heritage and wondering what a plant could do to him. Well ... we know how this will turn out ...

So knowing the Mercy has the ability to warp its victim's perceptions, the reader realizes that the 'reality' of this future Hell needs to be called into question.

With death and destruction surrounding him, Conner suddenly is confronted by images of both Ma Kent and Lex Luthor. Both tell Conner to seize his destiny. Luthor tells him that all this devastation is within Conner, represents what is in Conner.

Ma tells him to reject all this nonsense, that Superboy is good and needs to reject this version of himself. It turns out that Ma's voice is actually the voice of Psionic Lad as he tries to convince Superboy to reject the Mercy's powers and telekinetically push the flower off.

It actually is a powerful couple of pages as Superboy really has to come to grips with who he is. He almost succumbs once more to the idea that Luthor is in him and cannot be defeated.

But when Luthor tells Conner to kill Ma Kent, he finally rejects this miserable dream and forces the Mercy off him.

One thing I really liked about this scene is that it is Ma Kent that acts as Conner's surrogate conscience here and not Superman. It means that Conner and Ma have become very close. But it could also mean other things. Does he not regard Superman in that light? Does he think Superman is too distant, too high a goal, to talk warmly like this? It just made me pause and think a little ... why not Superman? I don't know if there is an answer.

It turns out that this flower is a 'red mercy'. Rather than showing the victim's greatest wishes, this showed it's victim's greatest fears.

Now that is really ripe for dissection. That means inside Conner is really worried that he might snap one day and kill everyone. It also means he already has a fear that Simon could become a Luthor-type super-villain. That's a lot for Conner to be carrying around. I really thought that was fascinating.

Moreover, this ship ... filled with red mercies and other weapons ... to Smallville. Something big is about to go down.

And given the lengths that Psionic Lad went through to save Superboy, it is clear that Conner isn't the 'target'. If his mission was to destroy Superboy, what better way than to make Conner live in his worst nightmare. So maybe the 'target' is Simon, as someone here suggested a while back.

This comic is really something of a delight. I think it is really a nicely layered and complex sort of book, more than the average super-hero book on the shelf. Add to that the little flourishes of art and page composition and this book is really more than I expected. I really look forward to this book.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superboy #6

Superboy #6 was released last week, another chapter in the Reign of Doomsday story arc which is weaving it's way through the super-books. So far Jeff Lemire has done a great job on this book, dealing with eerie horror elements, fantastic time travel stories, and very solid characterization. With Doomsday plodding into the title, I didn't expect to see too much movement on these fronts. We have been through this drill before in Steel, the Outsiders, and Justice League. I was expecting to see Doomsday fight Conner, absorb and use Conner's powers against him, and eventually defeat Superboy in battle. I got what I was expecting.

I also got continued solid characterization.

I also got innovative and solid art composition, something which has become something of a staple of the book. I love it when art and words mesh in comics and we see a lot of that here.

And I feel I owe Marco Rudy something of an apology. I was less than thrilled with the work he did on the Supergirl Annual #2 or Action Comics Annual #13. But here, his art isn't as chaotic as it was in those books. In fact, in a couple of places it reminded me of some masters. Better to discuss that with the appropriate panels.

The book starts out with a conversation between Conner and Tim while sitting on the roof of Titans' tower.

I was never a big fan of Conner's before. But the struggle he has been going through to find himself has been very interesting to read. From Geoff John's early Adventure Comics issues into this book, we have seen Superboy trying to come to grips with who he is and where he fits in the world.

Here I liked that he wonders of Smallville is too ... well ... too small for him. Sure, he went there to try to emulate Superman and get some grounding (I guess the S-shield group needs to be grounded a lot). But he is someone on the verge of adulthood. He wonders if it is time to go out on his own. It seems very natural for Superboy to question if he is following too closely in Superman's path. Is that who he is?

Drake's response is the right one. Conner is comfortable now and seems at ease with himself. He should stay.

Here is a good example of Marco's art on this issue. The second panel reminds me a bit of Steve Bisette's early Swamp Thing stuff, with numerous lines used to convey contours. That is high praise.

Something else I enjoyed in this conversation was an acknowledgment of Conner's earlier and more cocky days in Hawaii. Nice for Drake to jab him about the sunglasses and fade haircut. That's what friends do.

These early pages use a 12 panel grid. It's a nice contrast to the big panels during the Doomsday fight, showing small quiet moments vs. big loud ones.

Meanwhile, Ray Palmer is meeting with Simon, trying to convince the Smallville whiz kid to join him at University to study 'advanced meta-science studies'.

This is one of those words/art moments I love. Here, as Simon talks about working alone, his face is cast half in shadow, a way to show that Simon has a darker side. I have been calling him 'Luthor in waiting' for a while.

But more than just shadow half his face, the panel construction splits him, half-light, half-dark. It makes it much more visually compelling. That is comic book art and story at their best. This was my second favorite art moment in the book.

Palmer must sense the dark side because he says part of his desire in making the studies was to keep young brilliant scientists on the right path.

As expected, Superboy is attacked by Doomsday as he is heading home to Smallville. Here their battle leads them into an underground tunnel connecting Detroit and Canada. With the walls breached, water from the Great Lakes begins flooding the tunnel. Suddenly Conner has to deal with Doomsday and save the people.

I suppose this carries a little more gravitas than the punch-em-up in Outsiders. But doesn't meet the emotional depth of the Supergirl moments in the recent Superman/Batman Annual.

Of course, we know that Superboy is going to lose because we know that there is a reckoning awaiting in Action Comics. So the real challenge for Lemire and Rudy is to keep readers who know the end of the story engaged and happy.

One way to do that is to invoke Jim Steranko during battle scenes. Just a great Steranko-esque panel there.

Another is to continue to build the mystery of just who is this Doomsday. As Conner can tell, he is more calculating than the force of nature we are used to seeing.

And as expected, Doomsday does eventually develop and use Conner's tactile TK.

I don't think I can express just how great I think Rudy's art works here, in contrast to the rougher images in Supergirl Annual #2 and too trippy layouts in the Action Comics Annual #13. You can the Conner's confusion on Conner's face.

Another recurring theme in the Doomsday arc has been the surrogate Supermen knowing that death appears imminent and wondering if Clark felt the same way as he was about to die at the hands of this monster. Cyborg Superman said it a couple of weeks ago. Conner says it here.

Again, the blood soaked images here reminded me of Steve Bissette drawing Matt Cable in his car wreck from way back in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing.

The outcome was known from the beginning. In a two page spread, so different from the dialogue filled small panels from the beginning, we see Doomsday defeat Conner.

Again that difference in page layout only added to the power of this moment.

But this is my favorite moment from the book.

Sure we have seen a number of homages of the classic shot from Superman #75, the torn cape resting on a pole after Superman died at the hands of Doomsday. Here Lemire and Rudy tweak it just enough to make it completely fresh. Conner's S-shield is fluttering, a clear sign he is defeated. But here, it floats between panels, the panel separation looking like a pole from which it flutters.

I don't know if I read into these things too much. But this worked.

With Superboy defeated, Doomsday activates some sort of teleporter and takes Conner to a ship in space. So who is controlling Doomsday?

Overall, I think these Doomsday issues could have been sort of a Michael Bay movie ... a lot of explosions and action with little story, a lot of sizzle with no steak. But the Superman/Batman Annual and Superboy #6 added enough character points and plot progressions (as well as stunning art) to keep me interested enough to not simply skim. That isn't easy when I know before I buy the book how it is going to end.

Superboy as a title really has been an unexpected treat. I'll be glad when we get back to Smallville and see what is going on there.

Overall grade: B+/B

Review: Action Comics Annual #13

I have settled into enjoying Paul Cornell and Pete Wood's Luthor-driven run on Action Comics, as each issue walks the tightrope, balancing action, intrigue, and humor. Given that I went into the run lamenting the lack of Superman in the title, it is no small feat that I am happy that this story is being told. Unfortunately, Action Comics Annual #13 didn't live up to the monthly chapters.

In the annual Cornell tells two stories of Luthor's distant past, a well-coiffed Luthor just starting out. This Luthor ends up running into Darkseid and Ra's Al Ghul  in two stories and I don't know if these wrinkles in Luthor's history are worth it.

Last review of the main title had Vandal Savage awaiting the arrival of Luthor for centuries. As I said then, I worry when writers dip into a character's distant past knowing that it will color every story thereafter. While Cornell was able to navigate that problem deftly with Savage, he isn't as smooth here in the Annual. These are sort of spanners thrown into the gears of continuity. In the end, I had to ask myself 'did these semi-origin stories add or detract from Luthor's character?' We'll see.

The first story is wildly drawn by Marco Rudy, last seen in Supergirl Annual #2. His work is very trippy in this story, innovative but sometimes detracting. Take this panel with Luthor hanging out in a nightclub. Sure the background adds to a alcohol-fueled environment, but it in other places, it was hard to follow the action. Comics work best when words and art work together. Here, the art often distracted.

The young Luthor is destitute in Metropolis and heads to the clubs to try to figure out a way to make money. There he runs into a young Perry White, undercover in the bar, trying to worm his way into the seedy background of the place.

White tries to 'save' Luthor by getting him out of the bar figuring something ugly is going to go down. But Luthor wants to stay.

Turns out the club is owned by Bruno Mannheim, crime boss, head of Intergang, and underling of Darkseid.

Luthor talks his way into being employed by Mannheim, much to Luthor's chagrin. Here White (undercover as one of Mannheim's men) sees greatness in Luthor but thinks Lex simply needs a mentor.

While working for Mannheim, Luthor discovers a sort of Boom Tube doorway, which of course leads to Apokolips. Luthor is both shocked and fascinated by this world, realizing that there is more to the world than the veneer. There are deeper threats, weirder places.

Despite the horror around him (including seeing Darkseid immolate a slave), Luthor remains staid. He is trying to absorb all he is seeing. Darkseid puts Luthor to work, having him designing weapons.

After more than a month of servitude, Luthor has had enough and decides to try to wrest control of the place from Darkseid. It is an impressive amount of hubris by this young Luthor.

After a failed assassination attempt on Darkseid by Luthor, Lex runs off and 'luckily' finds a boom tube device to get back home. But he didn't come home with just the experience. He palmed some Apokoliptian technology.

Back home, Luthor uses the tech to make a business killing, applying for patents and making money hand over fist. Despite this wealth, Perry White tries to convince Luthor to join him at the Daily Planet. Remember, White hopes to mentor Luthor into doing the right thing.

Of course, Luthor wants no part of it. Why would he work for someone when he can instead sit in power. The conversation unravels, ending with Luthor swearing he will destroy White.

In the end, Darkseid 'allowed' Luthor to escape because he sensed some 'father-killer' feelings within Lex. Nice pick up, given Lex offed his father to get the traveling money to get to Metropolis.

I do like this ending line by Darkseid. "One day he will take the bait set by a god!" This whole story arc I have been wondering who has been pulling Luthor's strings, who is making him act this way grasping for power. Maybe this line is a clue. Maybe transforming the Black Lantern 'death' energy to White Lantern 'life' energy (pure conjecture on my part) will resurrect Darkseid. Hmmm ...

Despite that little potential hint, I have to say that overall I didn't like the story. Do I need Luthor to have met Perry White in his youth? Do I need White to try to bring Luthor into the fold? Do I need Luthor to have interned for Darkseid? Or to have made his millions off of stolen tech? I don't think so. I don't think these new background threads add to Luthor's history. In fact, I think the millions made from the stolen tech detracts from Lex. Isn't a better story, isn't it more befitting of his hatred of metas, if he made his millions on his own, with his own work, gathering his power one step at a time by his own hands.

It just felt wrong. Luthor works better for me as a self-made man. And the quirky art befuddling me at times didn't help. Again, it is nice to look at, swirling psychedelically off the page, but at time overwhelmed to text.

The second story again looks to the past.

Now it seems that Luthor spent a while interning for Ra's Al Ghul. Don't ask me when this happens ... pre-Metropolis? Early Metropolis time? The problem is it looks like Luthor spends a long time with Al Ghul. It shouldn't be after he has been in Metropolis. But it can't be before since we know Lex went from Smallville straight to the big city.

And I also don't know if Luthor would necessarily work under someone for this length of time.

But Lex does learn from Ra's. He learns about what it takes to try to control this planet.

And Ra's seems to like Luthor. Luthor isn't distracted by Talia. He isn't distracted by Ra's treasure. He just wants to learn. Luthor even spurns Al Ghul's more physical teachings like swordplay.

Throughout his stay though, Luthor wonders if he is learning from the right master. Ra's seems to want to take control of the world through bloodshed, by purging. Luthor wants it all.

Finally, Ra's baits Luthor with his own version of Pandora's box. Ra's tells Luthor that inside the box is a book with the secret of all their questing.

Surprisingly (although he is young), Luthor takes the bait, opening the box and discovering a tome with empty pages.

Knowing now that Luthor can't be trusted, isn't the son and heir he is looking for, Ra's actually kills Luthor. He then dumps Luthor's body into a Lazarus pit bringing him back.

Ra's feels that for Lex a life after a defeat is a worse punishment than death. But I think that Ra's would recognize that Luthor is a potential rival, maybe someone who would want revenge. My gut tells me that Ra's would have left Luthor dead.

While I don't mind this story's impact on Luthor's history as much as I did the first, I don't know if this added much. Have Lex and Ra's interacted ever? Has he run into Talia? Because this story would mean they would not only have met before, but lived together and worked together for some time. Did this story add or detract from Luthor's origins. I guess I am neutral.

I thought the method of telling the story, as though it were a fable, or pulled from Ra's biography was a nice touch although sometimes a bit heavy-handed.

Ed Benes' does understated work here. It looks as though it was only pencilled and looks nice if unspectacular.

So neither of these stories blew me away. Nor did they add much to the history of Lex. I'll be happy to get back to the current storyline.

Overall grade: C

Review: Supergirl Annual #2

In what has been a highly anticipated book by me for some time, Supergirl Annual #2 did not fail to please. Written by Sterling Gates, the book re-introduces Supergirl to the Legion in a way that both looks back at the Silver Age and looks forward to the upcoming history of this incarnation of Kara Zor-El. As a long time fan, I am thrilled that the Legion aspect of Supergirl's mythos has been brought back; it was such an important part of her pre-Crisis history. We had been given a few hints about this back in Supergirl #52, the Last Stand crossover, so it was good to see those threads brought to fruition here.

As I said, this issue also is a nice look back into the Silver Age Supergirl/Legion stories. Sterling Gates obviously has a respect for those stories to include some hints of them here. The main antagonist here is Satan Girl, a riff on the villain from way back in Adventure Comics #313 (and don't worry I'll head to the back issue box to review that one soon). But even beyond that, there are a lot of Easter Eggs sprinkled through this book (and don't worry, like with Cosmic Adventures, I'll have an Easter Egg post of this issue). For old-timers and diehard Supergirl fans, these nods to her past are very appreciated.

It is clear that Gates has a solid understanding of Supergirl's history and her fans concerns ... it's all in this book. But for me, it was especially nice to see the rekindling of the Supergirl/Brainy romance.

The book sports a wonderful and dreamy cover by Amy Reeder. I like that Brainy and Supergirl are in a time bubble, a wink at their star-crossed and time-crossed relationship. The internal art is mostly done by Supergirl pinch hitter extraordinaire Matt Camp. His stuff is so incredible; I think he does a near perfect rendition of Supergirl. There are some pages done by Marco Rudy as well.

There really is a Silver Age magical feel to the story too, some things happen almost too easily or inexplicably, but I think that it worked given the tone of this book. This book also includes one of the best Supergirl scenes in all of Gates' run.

The book starts with Supergirl and the Legion saving Metropolis from a falling satellite. It is clearly an early version of the Legion given their members and their costumes. As such, I thought the very old Legion logo on the cover was more appropriate than the more modern one seen here.

Still, it was fun to see Supergirl and this young Legion team-up to avert this disaster. It really is all hands on deck as multiple Legionnaires are needed to slow the descent and save the nearby populace.

The satellite is some sort of orbiting lab of Brainiac 5's. He has been doing experiments on a 'Brocian hunting statue' that has been rumored to have magical properties.

In standard Brainiac 5 fashion, he has been a bit too caught up in his experiments to think of the downside. So he did not think about the potential adverse outcomes of bombarding the statue with chronon energy, he just did it. Unfortunately, it did result in this disaster. And worse, the statue becomes a 'magical time bomb', exploding right in the faces of Supergirl and Brainy.

That thirst for knowledge despite the potential pitfalls sounds like a young Brainiac 5.

That explosion reminds Supergirl of how she got to the future. The rocketship bringing her to Earth from Bizarro World also exploded mid-trip. The resulting explosion somehow flings Supergirl into the 30th century.

An explosion that catapults Supergirl through time? Sounds a little to easy, too lucky, too deus ex machina to get her into the Legion's time? Certainly that sort of stuff happened all the time in the Silver Age and this future feels like that future so maybe that makes some sort of sense.

One thing I did love was Supergirl's near immediate acknowledgment that this is not the 30th century that she had visited before. So we at least now know that she lived those 'Waid reboot' Legion stories. I don't know if that was ever 100% explained in a satisfying way so I am glad she said it.

I do have to say again (and probably will other places here) that Matt Camp draws a great Kara. That last panel is Supergirl.

The Legion are all too eager to have Supergirl join them for a time ... everyone but Brainy that is. At least here he recognizes the dangers of this 'experiment'. There are too many things that can go wrong with time travel, events that can be altered.

He even mentions some 'historical' events in Supergirl's life, none of which we have seen. Were these future stories that Sterling Gates had in mind before being lifted from the title? They all sound so interesting. 'The Scion of Superwoman'?? 'Lex Luthor's OTHER Son'?? 'The Deadly Day of the Doll-maker'?? Will we ever see those stories? Or will they merely be fodder for fan-fic?

As with Superboy, the Legion majority wins out and Supergirl sticks around having many adventures with them and ending  up joining them as a full-fledged Legionniare, flight ring and all! In other places like the JLU cartoon, Supergirl has felt more at home in the future time of the Legion, so maybe this extended stay is a reference to that.

But also, Supergirl recognizes that this is a more innocent time than her own. This is another chance to give herself some distance from the events in the present. There is no war here, or murder, or New Krypton. It seems almost like a vacation.

There is a great page of her early adventures with the group all of which I will review in the Easter Egg post.

But like many, I absolutely loved this panel, showing Kara's friendship with the other girl Legionnaires. I especially like how Supergirl tells Imra that her pink high-collared bikini is a good look. Could it be Kara is responsible for Saturn Girl wearing the Dave Cockrum costume of the 1970s?

I also like Kara's lounge-wear. The headband and S-shield off to the side evoke other versions of her own costume.

Despite being on this team of equals and the acceptance she feels here though, Supergirl still feels lonesome.

I think Supergirl simply realizes that her destiny is not here; she needs to eventually return to her time. She doesn't belong here.

That second panel is so fantastic, with Kara centered and small. You can almost feel the weight of responsibility on her. Again, how lucky we have been to have had Sterling Gates here for these last couple of years. He understood that there is this hidden aspect inside Supergirl.

I talked earlier about this issue having one of the best scenes from Gates' run and here it is.

While in the future, Supergirl visits the Superman Museum and meets the tour guide, an animatronic Jimmy Olsen who tries to get her to walk through the Hall of 1,000 Olsens. Instead, she walks to the Supergirl Memorial Hall. She hears how Supergirl, "during one of the greatest battles in history ... was killed stopping the worst threat the Earth had ever known, giving her life for her adopted planet." And then she sees how she dies. Look at the horrified look on her face. What a great panel by Camp.

Now the description sounds like her death in the Crisis ... but that has happened already right? And we don't see her death for obvious reasons. I am sure DC doesn't want to be handcuffed to some vision here. But more importantly, since we only see Kara's reaction it is more powerful ... more worrisome.

Since 1986, I think Supergirl fans have some sort of PTSD about her death. I think we are all worried ... always waiting ... for DC to kill her off again. By having Brainy talk about it in Supergirl #52, to address it so clearly here, Gates is poking an exposed nerve. The truth is, how can I not be happy with a creator who understands a character and her fanbase so well. This only adds to my appreciation of his run. I doubt that DC has any plans to off Supergirl again but this kind of picked at a scab and made the wound bleed a little bit again.

I absolutely loved this scene. Loved it. And that's without showing some of the Easter Eggs there as well.

Before Supergirl can process what she has seen, an emergency pops up calling her away.

Brainy's earlier experiment have somehow called S'tanicule Gyrstress ... or Satan Girl ... to Earth. Walking through the dimensional rift, she begins enslaving the population of Earth.

With little chance of defeating her and her minions (which includes some Legionnaires), Brainy activates an escape route device he has been testing, throwing Supergirl and him 4 days into the future. When they arrive, they find Earth aflame and in ruins.

In four short days, Satan Girl has simply taken over the world. Somehow hitting the statue of Satan Girl with time energy called the real thing to Earth. It looks like it is up to Brainy and Supergirl to save the day all by themselves.

As you can see, the pages of this 'Hell on Earth' are done by Marco Rudy who has a rougher style which I guess thematically fits the terrain. His style has a Sean Phillips/Jock vibe to it.

Unfortunately there isn't much time for them to formulate a plan. They are almost immediately attacked by a brainwashed original three Legionnaires. Despite Brainy getting mind-blasted, the two are able to beat a quick retreat.

During the Legion's assault, Saturn Girl, internally fighting Satan Girl's influence, is able to implant a message to Brainy and Supergirl. Satan Girl's 'Crimson Plague' (I love that and it's connection to the original Satan Girl story) spread over the world in a matter of days. Now, she is building a citadel to open up a rift for all her race. Supergirl and Brainiac 5 need to stop it.

To be successful, Supergirl is going to need troops and the only ones available to her are the 1,000 Olsens from the Superman Museum. Suddenly Elastic Boy, Turtle Boy, Porcupine Boy and all the other versions of Jimmy Olsen help Kara break into Satan Girl's fortress. Why the museum would have actually given the robots powers is beyond me.  Again, this is a little bit of Silver Age silliness ... but that's part of the charm here right?

There is a decent brawl between Satan Girl and Supergirl, during which Supergirl actually wields a longsword. Nice!

During this fight, an enraged Phantom Girl wrecks Brainy's force field belt and he gets skewered by Satan Girl. Luckily, before he dies, he is able to save the day. He has cobbled together a device that will siphon of the time energy that they absorbed (remember they were closest to the 'magical time bomb') to shut the rift and revert things to the way they were. Hmmm ... even more Silver Age nuttiness, where answers were easy?

Brainy's device works and the time line is set straight. Suddenly Supergirl and Brainiac are back on the satellite, the Brocian statue is still an intact statue, and no beacon to Satan Girl has been activated. Brainiac 5 no longer has a penetrating abdominal wound. Just like that those days have never happened.

And since we are back to the Utopian future, Matt Camp's clean style resumes.

I love the sly look between Kara and Querl. Perfect.

Well maybe not as perfect as this. The Legion bring Supergirl back to the present and she shares a kiss with Brainy.

Fantastic.

All the knowledge Supergirl gained from her time in the future, specifically how she dies, is mind0wiped by Saturn Girl. After the events on Bizarro World and this diversion to the future, Supergirl looks downright elated. She has been through a lot recently and come out the other side.

Brainiac 5 on the other hand has a much sterner countenance. He vows that he won't let Supergirl die alone like the history books say. Awesome.

There is almost too much that happened here to easily encapsulate at the bottom of this review. I can only commend Sterling Gates for bringing back so much Supergirl/Legion history here. There is more to cover from this book and I promise I'll get to it. But the kiss with Brainy was just a perfect capstone to this issue.

On top of that, Gates also brings back the specter of Supergirl's death, leaving it out there; there is something of a delicious dread with that ...we all fear it might happen again so why not play on that?

And on top of all that you get the nearly perfect art by Matt Camp.

Marco Rudy has a rougher less polished style which might work from a story point of view but when the art changed, it was a bit jarring. And there was that Silver Age simplicity and serendipity with some events here. As a reader, you either recognize that was part of the riff here or it might bother you.

Overall grade: B+