Review: Power Girl #7

Power Girl #7 came out last week, another cutesy, disjointed take on 'Paige', a character that is supposed to be the Power Girl I have known and love for most of my life.

Last issue, writer Leah Williams brought Power Girl and Supergirl to Ferimbia, a mystical fairy tale land in another dimension. That was something of an issue with some fun potential that was wasted. Thankfully, this arc is only two issues, the story wrapping up here.

Here is what I'll say. If you have a long, solid run on a book with a good interpretation of the character, I am more apt to tolerate a two issue cutesy storyline. Just like if you have a solid run with a good interpretation of the character, I am more apt to tolerate a 'silent', 'through the eyes of the pet' cutesy issue as well.

The problem is that this is not a solid run with a good interpretation, And only 7 issues in we have had a silent 'through the eyes of a pet' issue AND a two part cutesy, other world story. That is three off-brand issues out of seven. Too much, too soon, not earned.

This issue also has similar problems that I have had with prior ones on this run. There are too many silly moments about food. There is an insert character who basically saves the day instead of the heroes. (In this case, since Omen isn't around to bail out the title character, we get a new 'Omen' instead.) Even though we are in a fantasy world, there are too many forced 'slice of life' moments. And what could have been an interesting focus of the story (comparing and contrasting Kara from 'Paige') is given exactly one moment.

As I said before, this whole thing reads like Williams wanted to do a Ferimbia story and shoved Power Girl and Supergirl into it.

Marguerite Sauvage is on art here but we aren't treated to her usual style. Since we are in a fantastic, silly fairy tale world, Sauvage gives her art a more cartoony polish. 

But here is the worst thing about this issue. I thought it was going to be my last. But the upcoming issues are tie-ins to House of Brainiac. So looks like I am going to stick around for a bit more. Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in.

Look, this comic is going to get a bad grade. But if you want to see particulars of the issue, read on.

Review: Power Girl #6

Power Girl #6 came out this week and was just another example of this series not understanding who the title character is and what this book should be about. Last issue was a silent pet issue, too cute and too early for a series trying to find it's legs. This issue, while starring Supergirl, is more of a twee fantasy tale. There actually is some potential in this book, some moments that could have led somewhere interesting. But it abandons them.

Writer Leah Williams continues to make Power Girl a side character in her own book. Yes, Supergirl is a guest star and seeing Kara and 'Paige' team up is usually good fodder for stories, even if to contrast them. But the most action is delivered by ... you guessed it ... Omen, who has become the 'how do I get out of this situation' tool for the writer. She can do it all. Second, it is clear that Williams wanted to write a story of people stuck in a fantasy world and so we rush our characters to get there. And lastly, the heroes are powerless in this fantasy land which means it could have been any characters who end up there - human or Kryptonian. Substitute Spoiler and Batgirl here and the story still works. It makes me think Williams wrote this story and then forced Power Girl and Supergirl into it. 

Marguerite Sauvage is a solid artist and I think her work on this title actually works well. She switches to a more cartoonish version of her art when the story switches to the fantasy world. And the one part of the story which seems perfect to let Sauvage run wild, a scene on a college campus, is left too soon. I do love the Amy Reeder cover.

But I would avoid this issue and this series. If you are a fan of Power Girl (her character, her history, etc.) you aren't going to get that here at all.

On to the specifics.

Review: Action Comics #1059

Action Comics #1059 came out this week and was another fascinating chapter in Phillip Kennedy Johnson's last storyline. The secret of Norah Stone is revealed and alas, this time I was wrong. My guess that Norah Stone was a Warworld refugee and relative of Otho-Ra was incorrect.

Stone and her now super-powered Blue Earth are starting a smear campaign against the Super-family as well as bringing a new brand of vigilante justice to Metropolis. While that is happening, the plot to recruit Otho-Ra to the dark side goes into full swing. For me, Otho is the most interesting character of the issue as we see her struggling to decide which road she will go down in life. In a wonderfully subtle moment, you see how she looks to Kara as a role model. But we are heading to a showdown. Which side will Otho be on?

I also think that Johnson must realize his time on Action Comics is indeed coming to a close. So why not put in all the cool things he has dreamed about in the past. Johnson has talked about his love of Superman Annual #10, so why not have Superman wield a sword during his run!

Rafa Sandoval has the month off but Eddy Barrows comes in and brings a very slick issue. Some very powerful moments here. I usually think of Barrows as the artist I'd want for a super-powered brawl. Here, the moments of Otho-Ra battling on a mental landscape really stand out. Strong stuff. 

As for the back-ups, the New Super-Man story by Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic really crackles. It explains why Kenan is on the team now and not in China. It includes a moment which, I think, is a reference to the Jean Claude Van Damme movie Bloodsport. Big win. The Jon Kent story, written by Dan Parent with art by Marguerite Sauvage, is a little too precious and too light on action for me to like. Someone along the way must have felt we needed a romance comic story here.

I don't quite know why Johnson is leaving Action Comics. He will be missed. On to the book.

Bullet Review: Power Girl Special #1

Last week, the Power Girl Special #1 came out and it took me a couple of days to wrap my head around it. Thus, the review is up today on Monday instead of last Friday. 

I was pretty unimpressed with the Power Girl story which unfolded in the recent Action Comics. In that story, writer Leah Williams changed Karen to Paige, changed her from a physical, confident, brash hero to a psychologically damage, isolate, psionic. It just didn't read like the Power Girl I have known for the last 40 years. Whether it was the original in All-Star or the JLE hero or JSA All-Stars leader or the Palmiotti/Conner version, they all felt recognizable. This version by Williams just didn't. Marguerite Sauvage was on art and I think her style is a 'love it or hate it' one but I love it. And her pastel pastiche does work well with psychic landscapes.

That story ended with Johnny Sorrow arriving. 

Anyways, all that meant I went into this special with almost no expectations. Like zero. 

So when I read this special the first time, I actually thought to myself 'hey, that wasn't that bad'. A lot of that was built on a couple of Supergirl moments where Kara is portrayed very well. And hey, Streaky is back. Sauvage's art is very good if you like it. I even tweeted that I thought it was better than I anticipated.

But then, when going back into the book to try and get this review ready, I realized it isn't really a good Power Girl book. Because, once again, this isn't the PG, the Karen, that I know. For a second, I thought much of the new stuff here would be swept under the rug. Throw in some other moments that don't make sense and I think in the end, this isn't a very good story. The art is wonderful.

Now if you have no sense of PG history, you might love this. And I honestly wonder what long time PG fans think. 

On to some moments.

Review: Action Comics #1053

Action Comics #1053 came out last week and was another crackling issue ... well mostly crackling, This is an anthology book so there are three individual stories present here. No surprise, I liked some more than others. 

There is the main story, the Superman Family story with Superman fighting Metallo. This is an excellent story. This Metallo is creepy but also sympathetic. The actions and interactions of the super-family are wonderful. In particular, two moments - one between Kal and Kenan, and one between Jon and Osul - are emotional and powerful. Rafa Sandavol's art feels a little raw but that adds energy to the proceedings. Nothing wrong here.

The Dan Jurgens/Lee Weeks flashback story to an untold tale of young Jon is a solid storyline. There are two plots proceeding at pace here. One is Jon befriending an alien Princess in peril. I think this is a 'don't judge a book by its cover' moment for Jon. There is the Doombreaker plot with Doombreaker looking for the Doomsday spike which created him in the first place.

But it is the last story, the Power Girl story, by Leah Williams and Marguerite Sauvage that I find lacking. Sauvage's art is beautiful in its pastel glory. But the story, a complete demolition of Power Girl, feels wrong. Power Girl has had a solid characterization and a strong foundation for decades. She doesn't need fixing. Here, Williams decides to torpedo everything we know about Power Girl. I don't recognize a Power Girl feeling alone, anonymous, rudderless. If anything, it just makes me want to re-read the Palmiotti/Conner run to read Peeg done right. This feels like another creator coming up with an idea and bolting it onto a pre-existing character. I have got behind new interpretations of characters before and I have given this story some time to see if it would work. For me, it just doesn't.

On to the particulars.

Review: Action Comics #1052 - Power Girl Feature

Settle in. Because I will open up this review with a lengthy preamble. But grant me this introduction because it speaks about a problem I see that is pervasive in comics these days.

Action Comics #1052 came out this week. The book is now an anthology with a main Superman story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Rafa Sandoval as well as a Lois/Clark/Young Jon story by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks. As a fan of the old Superman Family anthology I was pretty happy about this new format.

And with writers Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Joshua Williamson (over on the Superman book), there really has been a feeling of family. Everyone has been treated well and with respect. Even this variant cover by Rafa Sandoval shows that closeness. In particular, and given the focus of this site, Supergirl has been treated well by those writers. I'll add Mark Waid over in World's Finest has also been giving us great Kara content recently.

That isn't to say that things have been great for Supergirl recently. Her own book ended 3 years ago after she left Earth (again) and turned dark (again). She was treated as a glum loner in Future State, living an isolated life on the moon with Krypto as her hero. And of course, she was a drunk, sad, angry, traumatized character in Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow. Suffice it to say, things have been rough for Supergirl lately as time and again she was given to creators who don't understand her character or her history or simply don't care about it.

All of this leads to the third feature in Action Comics #1052. There is a Power Girl story written by Leah Williams with art by Marguerite Sauvage. I love the art. 

But the story does not work for me. 

Williams has taken Power Girl, one of the most physical and confident characters, a leader and powerhouse, and made her into a telepathic psychiatrist. She has taken away the physicality of Karen and given her this passive power. And worse, in this story, she has taken away that confidence. Here is Karen, the former chairperson of the JSA, the CEO of a tech company, and made her feel shunned by the super-family and diminished in her own mind in comparison to Supergirl. 

Even worse, Williams has taken Supergirl and made her a sort of narcissist. Someone who puts on airs of perfection. Someone who imagines herself in princess gowns. And also someone who isn't the brightest bulb.

So who is the real Supergirl? The hero with the penchant to go dark? The sad loner on the moon? The drunk, angry, traumatized survivor? Or the narcissist? Or is she the mature, optimistic, bright young hero in World's Finest? Why can't DC figure it out?

And who is the real Power Girl? The one from the popular Palmiotti/Conner run? Smart, sassy, brash? Physical bruiser? Or this one, suddenly someone who is a therapist?

Honestly, this feels like Leah Williams had a story to tell of a hero becoming a counselor for other heroes and decided to bolt that onto Power Girl. Like Tom King bolting suicidality on Mister Miracle. And Tom King bolting depression and anger on Kara. Like Tom King bolting genocidal selfishness on Adam Strange. I have seen it so much lately ... an author bending a character out of shape to fit a narrative instead of writing a narrative for the character.

This isn't how I think Power Girl or Supergirl would act. But here we are. As always, your mileage may vary. On to the story.

Review: Action Comics #1051

Action Comics #1051 came out this last week, the opening chapter to the next era of the Superman family. In a classic comic trick, DC slapped a big #1 on the cover to try and drum up support. But this book is great enough that it should be selling on its own merits and not because of cover tricks. 

For me, this is the epitome of Superman family. This is an anthology book like the old Superman Family dollar comic. The main story, the Superman-centric one, involves the extended Superman family. It has scenes of the characters acting like a family. And there is this feeling of hope, an essential ingredient in the super books. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Rafa Sandoval bring it and bring it hard. I loved this story.

The second story is a flashback story to a time before Jon was aged. Given the creative team of Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks, it seems to spring from the 'Convergence' era Earth-1 Superman although that muddy history is wiped away. The Kents are in California, working remotely, in the aftermath of the Doombreaker story in the Death of Superman anniversary. Heck Clark is wearing the black suit. I like young Jon so this also worked well for me. 

The last story is the Power Girl arc by the creative team of Leah Williams and Marguerite Sauvage. The art is great. But this is a pretty big change for Power Girl, one where she has a psychic link to Omen (Lilith) and the two want to use this telepathic connection to help people in psychological pain. Peeg has her powers and uses her powers in the dreamscape. But a psychologist Karen, using her powers within the mind? It is a bold new direction for someone who's bold old direction I loved. Will I love it? I guess I have to wait. The opening chapter just opens the door.

Still, wonderful book overall! On to the details.

Review: Lazarus Planet: Assault On Krypton

Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 was a brilliant opening to the latest DC event. The story had legitimate stakes, moved at a brisk pace, showcased some of my favorite characters, and had beautiful art. 

Now the aftermath of the Lazarus volcano are being felt throughout the DC Universe. We'll see this in one-shots and mini-series, setting up the next year of stories. Today it is Lazarus Planet:Assault on Krypton. Really it should have been called Assault on the Super-Family. This book takes a peek at Dreamer, Jon Kent, Mercy, and Power Girl, all characters with connections to Superman. 

Each character gets their own story in the anthology. We know Jon and Power Girl will be getting their own stories, in the Adventures of Superman and Action Comics anthology respectively. I don't know where Dreamer and Mercy will end up, although the Lex-centric new Superman book is a good place for the latter. 

The stories themselves are quite solid, each ending on a sort of cliffhanger to get us interested in reading more. The Jon story was probably the best of the bunch, introducing a new villain, charming and irreverent. 

The art includes stories by veterans like Scott Godlewski,Sami Basri, and Marguerite Sauvage. Skylar Partridge pencils the Dreamer story and is a new name for me. Her work is stylish enough to work in the dreamscape. Partridge draws a pretty good Supergirl to boot.

If you're a fan of the Super-Family, I'd say this is worth the $4.99. On to the stories.

Wicked Comic Con Wrap-Up and Ben Templesmith Commission

This last Saturday I went to the inaugural Wicked Comic Con at the Westin Seaport in Boston.

I had a blast.

This show was put together by some of the organizers of the original Boston Comic Con and definitely had a 'primarily a comic show' feel to it. As such, I felt completely at home. I went armed with a heavy backpack filled with books to be signed by the great creative roster at the show and with the hopes of maybe landing a commission or a key book. 

I definitely had a budget I had to keep to and I had not set up any commission beforehand. So this was something of an old-fashioned crap shoot with me heading to the tables of creators I was hoping to get a sketch from without knowing if they were sketching or how much one would cost. 

But I don't want to underplay just how great it was to head to a comic show, meet some creators and talk about their works, and just browse. I'm very thankful.

On to some of the specifics!

Review: Future State Kara Zor-El Superwoman #2

Future State Kara Zor-El Superwoman #2 came out this week and I did not enjoy it. Not at all.

I know I should probably stop there. I usually want to praise comics, not bury them. 

But there is a lot not too like here.

Let's start with the basics. This isn't a Kara Zor-El book. It is a Lynari book. It is a book made to promote the new character that the writer has created. Kara isn't the star here. She doesn't end the conflict. She doesn't grow. She doesn't say a word after the middle page of the book. Not one word.

Next, this is the usual crime of a creator not understanding the basics of the character they are writing. Last issue, Supergirl was a passive, unloved drone. Here she is an angry, hate-filled lunatic. She is a self-proclaimed 'villain to loathe, a tyrant queen'. Sorry, that's not Supergirl.

Lastly, there is this odd relationship this version has with Krypto, from saying that the super-dog was the only being in her life who taught her anything (so much for Zor, Alura, Fred, Eliza, Kal, etc) to literally being buried in the backyard next to him (spoiler alert). 

I enjoyed writer Marguerite Bennett's first year on Bombshells but since then not much of hers has grabbed me. I think she wants to be edgy, political, cute, and profound ... and that is simply hard to pull off. 

The one part of the book which I did like is Marguerite Sauvage's art, a sort of ethereal, breezy, fairy tale look to the proceedings. I don't know if the style necessarily works here but it is quite delightful.

On to the book. Read on if you dare.

Review: Future State Kara Zor-El Superwoman #1

Future State: Kara Zor-El Superwoman #1 came out this week and it took me a while to work out my feelings for this book. I suppose any book that has me thinking about it should be looked at as a win these days. Any book that has me re-read it the very day of purchase also should be looked upon as a success. It takes more and more to really hook me in these days.

In the end, I have conflicted feelings. I want a good Supergirl story. But I also, desperately, don't want a bad Supergirl story. And while this book is definitely not the latter, I am not sure it is the former.

Writer Marguerite Bennett at the very least doesn't make Supergirl angry or evil. This isn't the infected Goth Queen. It isn't even the Nirhodium-addled Kara from the FS Superman of Metropolis book. So hooray for that. And this is a Supergirl that seems to know who she is and what she wants. That gives her some agency. So you might think that I liked this book. And, as I said, at the very least it is far removed from takes on Supergirl we have seen too much of and which I definitely don't like. 

But then you realize that instead of angry angsty Supergirl, we have got sad, isolated Kara instead. This is a Kara that feels rejected or even hated by her family and the people of Earth. She is someone who has flown to a safe haven which hasn't exactly embraced her. She is someone who's emotional compass is a dog. And ultimately, she is someone who falls back into rage as a default. 

And all of that flies in the face of everything Brian Michael Bendis gave us in his books. A Kara respected by Kal and Jon. A smart strategic Kara who was a leader. The President of Earth in the future.

So better than her solo book? Yes. A good Supergirl story? Not quite yet.

The art by Marguerite Sauvage is very good. It fits the tone of this story nicely, an issue mostly of Supergirl talking with a new character. The muted color palette also works very well with the art as we get this almost idyllic feel to this haven. 

On to the book.

Black Friday: Future State Magazine

 Yesterday I had some optimism, giving thanks for a couple of new Supergirl trades being released in the summer and hopeful for a new monthly.

Today I talk about my pessimism, specifically about how history seems doomed to repeat itself. Because we hear a little more about the upcoming Future State 2 month event at DC. The company released a promotional magazine found here: https://www.dccomics.com/FutureState 

 Now there is plenty of information in this about all the titles and the Superman books. So it is worth perusing if this intrigues you.

 And we get some nice art including this design pic of Supergirl's (or Superwoman's) future costume by Marguerite Sauvage.

But it was the words of Marguerite Bennett, writer on the Superwoman book that gave me pause. 

February 2021 Solicits

February's DC Solicits were released last week. While there is a glut of Future State books, the second of this two month experiment, there are a few other books out there worth peeking at. But this is a Supergirl blog so here is a link to those books:https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-future-state-superman-family-february-2021-solicitations-and-covers-revealed/ 

Now I don't think I am going much of this side trip to future worlds. In fact I am way more interested in seeing March's solicits. That will be the new norm for DC after the recent layoffs. And looking at the Future State books I do worry that these are books that have agendas. It takes something special to make books with an agenda be story-driven and not agenda-driven.

But here we go.

FUTURE STATE: KARA ZOR-EL, SUPERWOMAN #2

written by MARGUERITE BENNETT

art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE

cover by PAULINA GANUCHEAU

card stock variant cover by ALEX GARNER

The moon colony built around Superwoman's Fortress of Solitude is under siege! Shape-shifting aliens have come to this place of peace in search of Lynari, a refugee from their homeworld. It's a bad move on the part of these intergalactic bad guys: if Kara Zor-El offers you sanctuary, there's no way she's going to let anyone get their monstrous hands on you. Let's just hope this gamble is worth it, because Lynari's secret—the one that got her in trouble in the first place—could mean bad news for everybody!

So perhaps this is an agenda book about refugees, undocumented aliens, and the need to welcome people running to freedom from oppression.

The question for me is 'will this be a Supergirl story'? Or is this a story about refugees and undocumented people?

We shall see.

Review: DC Bombshells #10

DC Comics Bombshells #10 came out this week and was another wonderful issue in a wonderful title. I started buying this book because a version of Supergirl was a character in the cast. But I have been floored by how entertaining it is. This issue has no Supergirl in it. But I didn't notice or really care. Because the two halves of this book are so strong, that it didn't bother me.

Writer Marguerite Bennett has brought a lot of depth to the characters in this book. Everyone reads as fully-formed and three dimensional. And in this issue, Wonder Woman shines like a star. It has been a while since I have read a Wonder Woman book where I felt inspired and awed. But this Diana gets there.

The second half of the book focuses on Batwoman and it is also poignant and powerful. But I almost wish I had read it at a different sitting than the Wonder Woman scene. Because I was so blown away by Diana that I don't think the emotional weight of the Batwoman segment hit me until I reread it.

The art remains superior on the book. Laura Braga has been handling the Wonder Woman scenes. She brings a nice sharp look to the proceedings. We veer from WWII battle to Lord of the Rings, but it works. And Marguerite Sauvage brings a breezy feel to the heavy Batwoman pages but it has a magical sensibility which works with the plot.

Moving on ...

Review: DC Bombshells #3

Supergirl isn't exactly appearing all over the DCU these days so I head to the titles she is starring in to get my Kara fix. Unfortunately this month, she is absent in both books she is a part of the cast. First JLA 3001 gave us a Flash-centric issue. Now DCU Bombshells #3 concentrates more on the other plots moving forward.

This isn't a knock against the book. I find this title, written by Marguerite Bennett, to be something of a revelation, bringing new and interesting takes on the female heroes of the DCU. Remember, I grew up reading All-Star Squadron. I don't mind seeing the DCU heroes mixing it up in WWII.

And while I am most interested in seeing the character development of this Soviet Supergirl, the Batwoman story runs a close second. Kate really shines in this issue. And the Zatanna storyline and the Wonder Woman/Mera plot both move forward nicely here, mixing action and plot progression.

The art nicely complements the stories as well. Marguerite Sauvage continues to bring a wonderful sense of 40's style to the Batwoman portion of the issue. There is a seductive panache to those pages. Meanwhile, Laura Braga brings an inky eerie feel to the Zatanna pieces, well-suited for the black magic happening there. And Garry Brown brings a sensible house style to the Wonder Woman war piece, a throwback to classic DC.

This won't be a full blown review. So buckle in.

As I said, I can't get enough of the feisty Batwoman in this series.

The opening riff is Batwoman beating up a Nazi who is helping the Reich round up Jewish families.

A lesbian Jew beating up a Nazi with a baseball bat. Love it.

And we get the beginning of the 'League of Batgirl' plot with Harper Row pitching in a bit and becoming inspired.

And the Kate/Maggie relationship is just great. I thought this was a touching page with Maggie breaking down as Kate is sent to the front.

This I thought was a great page, sort of evocative of war movies from the 40's. Love the window progression in the upper panels.

Kate gets brought by Amanda Waller to a sub where the Bombshells will be brought to the front.

And we meet two more team mates.

I like Dr. Light as the techrat of the team.

But I love the Barda design, especially that crazy hat! When do I get to see this Barda in action??

Kate's next mission, to find Catwoman. I wonder if there will be some romantic sparks there?

The Zatanna and Joker's Daughter segment is pretty creepy. Using Zatanna's magic, Hitler is able to summon some sort of inky demon who will help the Reich.

I think Zatanna is a reluctant assistant here. We know the Joker's Daughter has a hold over her.

Braga's art is just perfect for this section.

Lastly, the Wonder Woman and Mera portion is a nice segment, split in two parts. One is a discussion between Diana and Mera about Diana's attraction to Steve.

Mera is a bit hardcore here, advising that they should kill the injure Trevor, put him out of his misery. But Diana talks of compassion, differentiating herself from the gods and her mother. This is Diana, an ambassador of peace and love first, a warrior second.

The sword is sheathed.

But then when they make land, Diana and Mera encounter a Nazi patrol and just pummel the Germans, destroying tanks and bashing the troops.

Diana might be an ambassador of peace, but she is also an Amazonian warrior when she needs to be.

Right behind the German patrol are Americans led by General Sam Lane. He knows a Bombshell when he sees one.

I am really enjoying this comic. I am not always a fan of Elseworlds but this one seems to be a complete universe with a great set of unique characters. The different artists work for the different arcs. And Batwoman is too fantastic.

Overall grade: A

Bullet Review: DC Bombshells #1

DC Comics Bombshells #1, a digital first comic based on the popular merchandise line, came out in print this week and that meant that I finally got a chance to read this book that has been lauded on-line.

I was not disappointed! What a fun book!

The book is placed in the forties, during WW2, and looks at the adventures of the female super-heroes of the time. While the merchandise line seems to lean on a sort of Vargas pinup girl or air force bomber iconography, this is not a cheesecake book. The entire book revolves around these women as heroes, not eye candy. And with this period piece feel, and on the heels of the show Agent Carter, this was entertaining and engaging.

Writer Marguerite Bennett introduces us to Batwoman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Stargirl in this issue. And we see the struggles these characters are having in their personal and private lives, all while the omen of war looms over the world.

And artist Marguerite Sauvage really dives into the material. I felt like I was watching something on Turner Classic Movies. That is about the highest compliment I can give.

Kate Kane is Batwoman in this book, living with Maggie Sawyer, and somewhat unhappy in her life. We learn that Kate has always been a freedom fighter, acting as a soldier in the Spanish Revolution.

Now she is the vigilante Batwoman who also is a pro baseball player in the Woman's pro league (like in League of Their Own). But stopping petty crime and hitting home runs isn't enough. And that saddens Maggie who was hoping their love would be enough meaning.

Maybe things will be shaken up because Amanda Waller arrives to recruit Kate into the war.

This was my favorite chapter for a number of reasons. The first time we see Kate, she is apparently saving the Waynes from being murdered. Then we learn all the women ball players wear masks during games to keep their identity hidden from those who hate a women's league (thus explaining the look of the statue). And lastly, set in Gotham, this chapter gives Sauvage some latitude to show the style of the time.

The middle chapter retells the Wonder Woman origin. We see Steve Trevor crash onto Paradise Island. Injured and confused, Steve talks about the ongoing war, the battle against fascism, and what he is fighting for. This felt very familiar, really echoing the original origin.

While we don't get to see the 'We can do it' Bombshell Wonder Woman here, we do get Sauvage's take on the Amazons which was beautiful.

While I loved the Batwoman chapter most, the Supergirl/Stargirl chapter is the one which fascinated me the most. Here we see Kara and Kortni living in a dorm, training to be 'Night Witches', the famous women flyers in the Soviet Air Force.

I have to say that I was hoping for a more classic riff on Superman/Supergirl in this book. Wouldn't it have been novel to have Kara simply step into the classic Siegel/Shuster Superman origin. I can picture the famous panels of standing by gravestones and telling a doc to try to vaccinate her again but with Kara in there instead.

So this Soviet take sort of took me by surprise. I wasn't happy ... initially.

They are step-sisters trying to join the war not because they necessarily buy into the Communist Party but more to fight the Nazis.

And you immediately get a sense of the characters. The golden haired Kortni is a rule follower. She is always on time. And she follows the rules, says the right thing. And she wags her finger at Kara when her sister steps out of line.

Meanwhile Kara, the dirtier blonde, flouts the rules a bit. She wakes late. She talks against the party. And when a Russian soldier tries to get handsy with the sister, she throws him into a wall with a flick of the finger.

It is clear the two love each other as family. And we learn that Papa was a scientist (maybe that will explain how Kortni gets a star rod?) while Mama taught them to be good.

But Papa also told them to be careful ... which means Kara hasn't shown her powers.

That changes when Kortni and Kara take planes up on practice runs, trying to prove they should be part of the Night Witches. Unfortunately, Kortni's engine explodes. With no other choice, Kara has to reveal herself. She abandons her plane, flying and saving her sister. And then Kara grabs the two planes and lowes herself to the ground.

Kara is the hero we want her to be.

Now you would think that the Soviets would be thrilled to have such a powerful woman on their side. But instead, the nearby troops call Kara a traitor and open fire on her.

I do have to say, my one quibble about this chapter is that at times I had to look closely at the panel to figure out who was talking. There is a subtle hair color difference, a hair style difference. We see that Kortni has star earrings. But I found myself looking at the panel first to simply identify who was who first, then reading the dialogue. That took me out of the story just a bit.

But otherwise, I thought this was also a fun chapter bringing in the history of the Night Witches and showcasing the military uniforms of the time.

Sadly, I think the Supergirl bombshell design is one of my least favorite of the run. That said, this rule-breaking Kara probably would wear a bustier.

Anyways, this book was a ton of fun. Count me on board!

Overall grade: A

Bombshell Book

I am impressed with DC's attempts to broaden the scope of their comic landscape in this post-Convergence world. We heard of Prez, Bat-Mite, and Black Canary. We heard that good stories will trump continuity. And we have seen books geared for different audience types.

Last week we heard about the latest digital first book, one based on the Bombshell line of merchandise. Here is a link covering the announcement: http://www.comicosity.com/dc-comics-launches-bombshells-title-new-products-this-fall/

And here is the blurb:
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS will join the Digital First comic line-up with a new ongoing series. Digital chapters will be available starting in July with the first print collection available August 12. Written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Marguerite Sauvage, DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1 introduces retro-bombshell versions of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl in an alternate reality where super-powered female heroes are on the front lines in WWII! The full line of Bombshells characters will be introduced as the story unfolds in the months ahead.

We saw DC do something similar with the Ame Comi girls book. I was intrigued by that book and bought it. I think the Bombshell designs are superior to Ame Comi so I am definitely in. I especially like the Wonder Woman and Batwoman designs, so glad they are two of the stars. And while I don't like the Supergirl design, it doesn't hurt that she is one of the headliners.

Add to that a perfect creative team of Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage and how could I say no.

I can only hope that Supergirl gets treated a little better here than she did in the Ame Comi books. I liked that book but poor Supergirl. She was treated pretty shabbily.

And between this and JLA 3001, I wonder if this is what Dan Didio meant when he said there were plans for Supergirl in the summer.

This Bombshell line seems to be a goldmine. Statues, posters, shirts, glasses. And DC is ratcheting up the publicity, doing another month of Bombshell variants the month before the release. Here is a link:
http://www.newsarama.com/24522-dc-s-bombshells-return-for-second-themed-variant-month-in-august-new-series.html 

Interesting that this time it includes some guy characters in zoot suits! Here are a couple that grabbed my attention.

Here is Superman #43 by Des Taylor. Supergirl on a war bond poster! Sold!

And here is a gorgeous cover for Justice League #43 by Emanuela Lupacchino.

That is just beautiful. That needs to be a poster or a shirt. Just stunning.

I'll be in for the print version!