DC Superhero Girls #Supersleeper

DC Superhero Girls has been a highly lucrative and rather wide-reaching format since its inception. I have to say I was pretty shocked by how far this property went. From cartoons to clothes to school supplies to Hallmark Christmas ornaments, the Shea Fontana led DC Superhero Girls was a phenomenon.

I have to say that as the seasons of shorts moved forward, the stories became a bit more saccharine. The super-heroics were still present. But it was clear there were messages to the episodes. This was a way to discuss bullying, loneliness, missing people, and even therapy. Obviously I am not the target audience but there was a gentleness to the format that made it less adventurous than I am used to in my super-hero tales.

A while back it was leaked that producer Lauren Faust was taking over DCSHG. Faust had done a semi-version of the concept way back in Super Best Friends Forever. But Faust's take on Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl was a bit more physical comedy and a bit more snark than Fontana's. They 'feel' very different. Faust made My Little Pony a huge hit. And those early MLP shows had a mix of message and slapstick that just clicked.

So it seemed a bit strange to me that DC would jump rails from a creative standpoint. This is like taking characters from multiple seasons of After School Specials and putting them in Looney Tunes. Even the opening group shot seems a bit more aimed at action than ethics.

I wonder if there is room for two versions of DC Superhero Girls ...

The first DC Superhero Girls episode under Faust was just released on Youtube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuex1QPFTlI

There is another short, The Late Batsby, but that is just a retread of an SBFF short so I can't think of it as new.

And so we have #SuperSleeper .

Convention Season - Other People's Commissions

Boston Comic-Con is 2 months away and I am champing at the bit. When life gets hectic and my stress rises, I look to comics for help. And when life gets really hectic and my stress really rises, I need a convention to wallow in my hobby and decompress.

Unfortunately, Boston Comic-Con is 2 months away! Two months!! And trust me ... stress has been at '11' for a while now.

Luckily, I can head to Twitter and other sites to whet my appetite. And part of that is looking at the great commissions and Supergirl art pieces that creators are putting together.

We'll start with Yildiray Cinar! I saw this commission when I saw this tweet by @ArnoKikoo.

Best thing about this commission? That Arnaud asked for Supergirl. But not an angry one! Fantastic!

Next I saw into this fantastic interpretation of Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever by My Little Pony and Gronk creator Katie Cook.

I am going to be able to see Cook in the summer in Boston. We'll have to see if I can get something from her.

Why hasn't there been more Super Best Friends Forever??

I posted Mike Maihack's warm-up for his All Ages Awesomeness just last week. He posted a bunch of pieces he did including an enchanting Black Cat.

But he also did this Supergirl which I think is lovely.

I really love the head band/hair back in Maihack's Supergirl.

But the piece that grabbed me the most was this work in progress by Daniel Govar.

Govar is drawing a 70's Supergirl, in hot pants and ballerina slippers riding Comet The Super-Horse.

I cannot wait to see the final product. This looks fantastic.

I know how detailed Govar's completed commissions are. A buddy of mine got a Destiny from him a few years ago.

So this Supergirl piece is going to mind-blowing!

As for me, I will have to suffer through a couple of more months until my personal con season starts with Boston. I have a commission wish-list for that convention forming. We'll see how successful I am!

More Early Christmas: Super Best Friends Forever Supergirl

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Lauren Faust Super Best Friends Forever DC Collectible figurines came out this week. That makes it an early Christmas gift for myself as well as leaves me plenty of time to wrap up the ones the Supergirls at home wanted (oldest wanted Supergirl too, younger two both wanted Batgirl).

This is one of those fun collectibles, a statue and a small treasure box at the same time. It also came with three faces which can be put on the body so you can mix things up as much as you want. I opted for the more fierce looking expression because that embodied what this Supergirl was in the show.

And, of course, this is as close to the Matrix Costume as you can get complete with red skirt and pointy belt. That is my favorite costume.

Here is the figure from the back, nice solid construction with a nice cape.

I keep waiting to hear that Faust is going to be back to make more of these episodes. This was 5 shorts, around 3 minutes each, last seen new a year ago. And yet we have fan clamor for more and merchandise being produced.

Come DC Entertainment! Do the right thing!

This is a very nice addition to the shrine and a nice early holiday gift to keep me going!

The New And Awful Super Best Friends Forever

I suppose I should no longer be surprised when DC Comics or DC Licensing does something idiotic.

I have disappointed lately in the comics and in the movies. So why not the toys?

And so I provide this link to The Outhousers and there story covering a new look at the Super Best Friends Forever: http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/123360-dc-shocker-wb-merchandising-ruins-super-best-friends-forever.html

And the above picture is that new promotion for the characters.

The horror. The horror.

Did we really need to morph the BFFs into Bratz-style girls? Giant eyes. Microscopic waists. Smothered in pink. Donna's jumpsuit becomes a mini-dress.And Batgirl looks like she is leaning against a stripper pole.

It is the most generic and most depressing interpretation there could be.

What is this for? Dolls? Party favors? A new cartoon series (shudder).

I hope they aren't calling them the Super Best Friends Forever. Because this look is about as far away from that interpretation of the characters as possible.

It just doesn't make sense.

Especially when Lauren Faust's real Super Best Friends Forever is out there. It was wildly popular. People are clamoring for more. And we have a variety of body types and not a drop of pink. It has a more classic interpretation of the characters' costumes.

And we have seen these characters in stories. In five brief shorts, we got to know their personalities.

Why not leverage the popularity of this existing interpretation? It is beloved.

Smack that face into your palm SBFF Supergirl!

You wouldn't be happy seeing that first picture either!

San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives Include SBFFs!

Heading to the San Diego Comic-Con is sort of a bucket list event for me. I just can't imagine ever having the free time or liquid cash to be able to do such a thing.

If I could ever do it, it would be this year because of this DC exclusive just revealed: a three-pack of Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever. Here is a link of all the exclusives:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/05/20/dc-comics-comic-con-exclusives/2325889/

It is hard to get any sense of the size of these things. I can't tell if they are plastic or more like statues. What we do know is the three-pack costs $49.99. So I would hope they aren't 2 inch plastic things.

Regardless, I want these badly but will have to wait for someone to put them on an internet auction site.

Let's face it, Super Best Friends Forever was a great series of shorts in the DC Nation block and I can only hope that at some point Warner Brother and DC Entertainment will do the right thing and let Lauren Faust make more of these cartoons.

2012 Supergirl Year In Review: Non-Comic Stuff And Best Moments: Honorable Mentions

Welcome to the first day of a three day wrap-up of Supergirl in the year 2012! It has been a pretty hectic year with Supergirl growing in her own book, the Earth 2 Supergirl becoming Power Girl on Earth 1, a variety of non-comic stuff, and ... as usual ... a couple of perplexing moments of continuity.

The schedule for this wrap-up trilogy will be as follows:
Today: Non-comic stuff and the Honorable Mentions for the year's Best Supergirl Moments.
Tomorrow: The Top Ten Supergirl Moments of 2012
The Following Day: The Top Three Supergirl Face Palm Moments of 2012

I have done the year wrap-ups for a while now and the Face Palm Moments is a new category. And I didn't know if I should start with the face palms or end with them. I think I made the right decision.

What I would like to do is open this up to you all as well. So feel free to post/email any of your favorite or least favorite moments from the year and if I get enough response I'll put together a 4th post, the 2012 readers' wrap-up.

On to the celebration ... beginning with the non-comic stuff.

For me, the biggest non-comic Supergirl news of 2012 was Super Best Friends Forever. The DC Nation block added DC short films between episodes of Green Lantern and Young Justice. They made a brilliant move in having Lauren Faust of My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic fame create 5 Super Best Friends Forever short films. 

In short, they were spectacular. A wildly manic and optimistic Batgirl, a hotheaded Supergirl, and an older, slightly more mature Wonder Girl teaming up as the Suh-Buffs, taking down the bad guys and relying on each other. They were action filled and laugh out loud funny. Each member got a short where they were in the spotlight and then there were 2 of them as a legit team.

I gushed over them when they aired. The supergirls at home loved them and have asked when they will get more. Unfortunately, Faust said there will be no SBFF in the upcoming season of the DC Nation block.

I truly hope they weren't a brilliant flash in the pan, here and gone before we knew it. There needs to be more! It seems like such a no-brainer, tapping into to multiple markets and opening up wild licensing opportunities.

Of course, we all wailed and gnashed out teeth for more Cosmic Adventures too. And that seemed like a similar no-brainer.

Bring back the SBFFs!!

Continuing the multi-media portion of the wrap-up, we learned in July that a DC Animated movie was being made of Geoff Johns' Brainiac storyline. And Supergirl's voice will be done by Castle actress Molly Quinn.

Blog friend Gene, who usually has his finger on the pulse of these things, thinks the movie will be out around June to coincide with the Man of Steel big screen feature.

Brainiac occurred just as Sterling Gates took over Supergirl. Johns really had a handle on what Supergirl should be like. In fact, Supergirl saving the Earth from Brainiac's solar aggressor was the number one Supergirl moment from 2008. I look forward to seeing this movie and another animated Supergirl feature.

As for merchandise, the New 52 Supergirl was one of the first characters to get a statue bust. This statue just came out and looks wonderful. It also is bigger and wider than prior DC Collectible busts. It is pretty impressive. 

And as recently seen on this blog, Hot Wheels came out with a Supergirl version of the 1938 Dodge Airflow mini-tanker.

I am glad that DC continues to market the more classic versions of Supergirl's statue on these ancillary memorabilia items. This car is just fantastic. I mean ... who would ever think there would be a Supergirl toy car?

And now, on to the Best Supergirl Comic Moments of 2012. As always, a lot happened over the course of the year. In her own title, the year started with Kara still lost and wondering if Krypton still existed. She had to learn the hard way that there is tragedy in her life, that she is on a new world she needs to make her home, and that she is also has the ability to help people. I feel like her character has slowly started to turn the corner in the book. It has felt like this Supergirl now realizes this is her home and it is time to make it feel like one.

On top of her own title, she has appeared in the main Superman title a couple of times, had a powerful and revealing encounter with Superboy in his title, and is one of the family in the Superman Family Adventures. And, we currently are blessed ... sort of ... with 2 Supergirls because Power Girl in Worlds' Finest was once Supergirl on Earth 2 and we have seen some of those adventures.

One thing to note ... there hasn't been an 'event' comic since the New 52 came about as the characters are still getting settled. I, for one, applaud it.

With that much happening, limiting myself to ten 'best' moments was too hard. And so here are the 5 'almost in' moments, the Honorable Mentions, counting down.

Number five honorable mention: The Corona Wave (Supergirl #7)
When we first read Michael Green and Mike Johnson's ideas on this new Supergirl, part of what they said was that she would have some different powers than Superman. I will admit that initially I was against this. But the instances of these new powers have been limited.

The Corona Wave (my name for it) ... or fireball effect ... or whatever you have named it is an interesting new power. I think Supergirl has a sort of automatic defensive mode with her powers. One is a sort of super-intuition, an activation of her super-senses when something is about to happen. And then this one, a sort of concussive blinding blast of her absorbed sun power when she is in extreme danger.

I still don't know how I feel about it but one thing for sure, it is a new wrinkle for the character and worth mentioning.

Number four honorable mention: The Costume (Supergirl #0)
There hasn't been many truly joyous moments in this book for Kara as she struggles on Earth.

So the glimpse we had of her on Krypton, caring for baby Kal and having some nice father/daughter discussions with her father, showed us the heart of who she is.

We had learned early on that the Supergirl costume had some sort of ritual significance on Krypton. Here, just prior to the destruction of Krypton and the trip to Earth, Zor-El had Kara try it on. I loved this happy panel of Kara, a sort of normal adolescent modeling new formal wear and asking her father for his opinion. There is a sort of innocence here ... and joy.

I keep hoping we will see some of these emotion on Earth.

Number three honorable mention: Silent Scream (Supergirl #5)
I thought this panel was a powerful one. Amidst the ruins of Argo City, Supergirl has no choice but to accept the sad truth. Krypton is gone.

It loudly echoes the silent scream panel of from Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle when Kara is holding Zor-El's body.

I have always said that Supergirl's story is about the journey, is about the becoming of a hero. The last incarnation, the Sterling Gates Supergirl, felt like a journey of maturation, of overcoming snap judgments and poor decisions to become a better hero.

This Supergirl seems like a journey through sadness. This Kara has a very different feel. She grieves for her loss and has to overcome it. It is that acceptance of her tragic past and the ability to still do good, to still do what is right despite a heavy heart that seems to be the undercurrent of this Kara. And this panel says that best.

Number two honorable mention: Save the World (Worlds' Finest #1)
We haven't seen much of the Earth 2 Supergirl instead seeing her Power Girl adventures. But the glimpses show just what a great and sort of throwback character she was. We will see a couple more moments in the actual Top Ten list.

Here, in Worlds' Finest #1, we see the event that led her to be marooned on Earth 1. After the Trinity has been killed, Supergirl and Robin try to end the war in one swoop, flying into the boom tube to battle (they think) Steppenwolf.

There is such a look of determination on Supergirl here as she hurtles towards this fight. This guy just killed Superman. He isn't a pushover. But nevertheless, there is Supergirl ... doing the right thing and carrying on, being a hero.

Number one honorable mention: I Remember Now
Maybe the biggest ongoing storyline in Supergirl, part of the initial hook of this new incarnation, was the mystery behind Kara's origin. She didn't remember how she got into the costume, into the pod, rocketed from her doomed planet. Part of her inability to grasp her new life is it that came as a complete shock. Even time made no sense. How could baby Kal be a man?

In Supergirl #13, all those lost memories flood back into her consciousness. Being experimented on by World Killer scientist Zor-El. Drugged and put into a rocket. Alura shooting Zor-El with a stunner. While Supergirl had mostly accepted the loss of Krypton, these new details ... the bizarre way Zor showed his love for his daughter, that her parents are really dead, that time has passed without her ... are horrific. It again shows that this is a journey of grief. There are some elements of Peter David's story here. And there is some of Sterling Gates' here as well.  But it is the core of the character, to continue to see the best no matter what happens, to continue to do what's right no matter what, that is the essence of Supergirl. She has some answers here now ... but it isn't the end of this journey; it's the beginning.

And so that wraps up the first part of the Review and the Honorable Mentions of the Top Supergirl Moments of 2012. Tomorrow ... the top ten!

Super Best Friends ... Forever?

One of the true pleasure of this last year were the DC Nation shorts that accompanied the Green Lantern/Young Justice block on Cartoon Network.

And one of (if not the) best short series was Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever. The five shorts were so wonderful. It was a perfect mix of silliness and action. Each of the characters had a distinct personality. There was a short that showcased each of them and a couple to show the team dynamic. And there was a lot of laugh out loud moments. That can't be easy to do in 1 1/4 minute piece.

Yet, creator/producer Lauren Faust pulled it off. In particular, this quick-tempered mischievous Supergirl was a joy to behold.

With a new season coming up, Faust tweeted that she had been missing the Suh-buffs (as well as posting this pic).

Sue from DC Women Kicking Ass asked the obvious follow-up question. How many new shorts will we be seeing in the new season?

Faust unfortunately said that there will be no new shorts.

In a subsequent tweet, Faust said that she wasn't available to do more when the time came for shorts to be produced. I can (hopefully) infer from that tweet that DC and WB wanted more but Faust couldn't make them. That would be more palatable than simple rejection as it would mean the WB recognized the quality of the shorts and hoped to have further SBFF shorts.

I hope that the bloom doesn't fall off the rose of SBFF and we will see more in the future. If not, this was a brilliant if short-lived short series. It would be a shame if it stopped here.

2012 Jack O' Lanterns

One of my favorite parts of Halloween is carving jack o'lanterns.

Now I have done years with themes and years without themes and I thought this was a themeless year.

But taking a step back, I guess I have to say this was a Faustian year for my pumpkins.

First off, after years of carving, I finally decided to try to do a Supergirl jack o'lantern. And the Super Best Friends Forever Supergirl seemed a perfect choice. I am pretty happy the way this turned out. I knew it would be challenging to pull off and it was. It looks better in person than this picture shows; you can barely see the cape in this pic. Of course, this Supergirl is the brain child of Lauren Faust.

Last year I did Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The MLP fever remains strong in my house and so I thought I would do another pony as a jack o'lantern. So this is Pinkie Pie. Again, I think this one came out okay. And, much like Supergirl, this version of Pinkie Pie is the creation of Lauren Faust.

This year, the oldest Supergirl at home and I teamed up to carve a Princess Luna jack o'lantern. Looks like she is a chip of the old block, even if I did the exacto-knife work. And of course, Princess Luna is part of the Lauren Faust MLP empire.

Thus three Faustian jack o'lanterns were in front of my house last night.

A last minute addition to the jack o'lanterns was this Mockingjay symbol from the Hunger Games. The oldest supergirl at home loved this series so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Of all the pumpkins I carved this year, I think this one is my favorite.

I also had the time to carve one for a family member who is a huge Bruins fan. I like this one a lot too.

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!

Super Best Friends Forever Short #5

 Sometimes you don't know how good something is until it is gone.

Sometimes you know right away how great something is and can only watch as it slips away.

The fifth and final Super Best Friends Forever DC Nation short aired Saturday and, as always, it was fantastic. It was bittersweet. Because as fantastic as it was ... it was the final episode.From the first episode, I think everyone fell in love with these versions of these characters: the hotheaded Supergirl, the serious Wonder Girl, and the excitable Batgirl.

'No Fight Girls' has the team face off against Solomon Grundy. Well, trying to face off with him. Grundy is either a sexist or a chivalrous. Because he simply keeps saying 'Grundy no fight girls!'. Here is a link to short in its entirety on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CKhcHhsRzpw

Seriously, I love the team pose above, especially Batgirl trying to strike fear into the hearts of men.

But despite trying to fight him, Grundy no fight girls.

When he tries to walk away, the SBFFs try to insult him into a battle. They each say a line in a zombie like drawl ... even Wonder Girl. it's a little sign of her lightening up.

Here Batgirl is wondering if it might 'rraaaaaainnnn'.

But even with those barbs, Grundy won't fight.

The dialogue here is hilarious as the SBFFs try to convince him to fight. Supergirl says it'll be fun. Wonder Girl promises that they'll let him almost win. They even throw themselves literally around his leg to beg him for a brawl.

But Grundy is stubborn and sheds them with his mantra that he 'no fight girls'.

Of course, it doesn't matter if he won't fight them.

They are 'equal opportunity butt kickers'. And so we get a great montage of action shot in which they defeat Grundy making him reconsider his views.

Now I know I tend to overanalyze things but even though this was 5 shorts at just over a minute each, I think I have seen some progression of characterization here. It is clear that Wonder Girl is still the most serious of the group but she is cracking jokes here. Supergirl still has a temper but merely facepalms at being called the 'suh-buffs' rather than berating her friends. I really like all these characters, especially Supergirl.

I just can't believe given the quality of these cartoons, the buzz around these shorts, the cred that Lauren Faust brings to the table, the power of the Brony/Pony audience, and the licensing opportunities that this is the last SBFFs cartoon.

 The last that is, unless DCE decides to do the right thing and greenlight more.

Do the right thing DCE!

And thank you Lauren Faust!

At Long Last ... More SBFFs!!

After a long hiatus, the Saturday morning Cartoon Network DC Nation block is all new!

And while seeing a CGI Guy Gardner on Green Lantern will be cool, as will the reintroduction of the original Speedy to Young Justice, The thing I am most excited to see is the new episode of the SBFFs 'Don't fight girls.'

Here is the released preview of the episode over on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pOlQ3U4SvBg

There is so much goodness in this short preview. One, I love how the three look like a true team, complete with dramatic poses. In particular, Batgirl, doing her best to seem scary, is fantastic. I also love that Wonder Girl is smiling, a little break from the more serious Donna we have seen early in this series.

But I also love that Wonder Girl still calls the team the 'Suh-beffs'.

And I love Kara's response to that team name. Is there anything better than a Supergirl facepalm?

The release of the preview made the internet rounds yesterday, getting links and love on some of the bigger sites. Everybody seems to love this series and creator/producer Laurne Faust! Let's hope DCE does the right thing and signs on for more episodes in the future. Or better yet, how about a series??

Can't wait to see this!

SBFF Poll On DCNation Site

I have been very impressed with the DCNation block over on the Cartoon Network. Young Justice has always been solid and made the '5 years later' jump smoothly. Green Lantern started slowly but rallied at the end, bringing in lots of GL mythology to the show. And the DC shorts have been, for the most part, fantastic.

No big surprise, Lauren Faust's Super Best Friend Forever has been one of my favorites.

Over on the DC Nation web site, you can now watch a number of the DC Nation shorts, including the first three SBFF episodes as well as all sorts of others; I highly recommend the Catwoman shorts for action and the Animal Man ones for comedy.

Here is the link: http://dcnation.kidswb.com/blog/2012/08/20/watch-dc-nation-season-1-shorts/

The page is also running a poll (over in the right) asking who is your favorite Super Best Friend. Go vote ... because our girl Kara is running a distant distant third.

Regardless of the vote, I love SBFF and keep waiting for the last one to air. And can't believe I see an ad for an animated Supergirl on the top of a web page. These are great times!

Lauren Faust And SBFF

I think I have let my love for Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever be known on this blog. These shorts have been a revelation, a wonderful version of Supergirl, Batgirl, and Wonder Girl infused with fun, magic, and even some life lessons.

I couldn't believe it when I heard there was only one more short on the docket when it seemed like such a big hit ... the perfect blend of DCU and MLP. And this mischievous Supergirl trying to do what's right while dealing with a bit of an attitude has been wonderful.

There had to be more ... right?

Well I took the question to Lauren Faust herself, contacting her via DeviantArt, letting her know how well-received the shorts have been at home and here. And I asked if more SBFF were around the corner. Here was her response!

And in case you can't read the jpeg:

Wow! Thanks for the kind reviews--- I'm so glad you, your kids and your readers are enjoying the shorts. Fingers crossed I'll get to make more--- they were really fun and I have a ton of ideas!

So Lauren Faust thinks the shorts were fun to make and she has a ton of ideas for future ones.

DO THE RIGHT THING DCE! Make more SBFF!

With Teen Titans Go! getting a new lease on life in the DCNation block, I recommend that SBFF become the weekly short associated with that cartoon. Those two would be like chocolate and peanut butter.

Seriously, SBFF is just too awesome to go away forever.

DC Nation Magazine: SBFFs

The DC Nation magazine came out this week and seemed a natural purchase for me.

I have been a fan of Young Justice since it's inception. And even Green Lantern, which at first seemed lackluster, turned it around in the last few weeks with Mogo, St. Walker, and the Violet Lanterns all turning up.

And of course, the DC Nation shorts have been something of a relevation.

There are three comic stories in the book and some other pages promoting the shows. It is a nice colorful format and the supergirl at home liked it.

And there was a 2 page spread promoting the Super Best Friends Forever shorts.

First off, I love this action pose of the three, Supergirl front and center. I wonder if Donna's 'Suh-beffs' comment is going to be a running punchline, given that she used it in the last episode. And having Batgirl's lines missing spaces between the words nicely conveys her hyper-energized state.

But I don't know if I like Supergirl's comment here. The 'thunder thighs' comment makes it seem as though 1) her body is one that people would tease and 2) she would comment on it - even if it was to rebuff.

One of the things I like about the show is the different body types of the heroes. We don't need to even begin to bring a negative connotation to how Supergirl looks.

There are 'origin' blurbs on each of the SBFF's.

The SBFF Supergirl is sarcastic and has a short temper and is mischievous. This is a two minute short so each character has to have a big, easily defined personality. So this Supergirl is the hothead and the muscle of the group. I'm okay with that.

Because, even with the sort of characterization, we have still seen the 'real' Supergirl come out in these shorts. The one who respects Ma Kent. The one who regrets hurting her friends when she does lose it. And the one who loves her best friends and would do anything for them.

I have to say ... I have gotten a big big kick out of this Supergirl.

But this was the best part of this little 2 page spread.

Is there any doubt that Lauren Faust is one of us?

She relates best to Supergirl. She would love to do an episode with Bizarro Supergirl. Bizarro Supergirl in SBFF?? That would be so fantastic!

Add to that an interest in Harley Quinn or Starfire? Unbelievable!

These shorts have been so great and from a known commodity like Faust (who has a built in faithful audience). It seems premature to pull the plug on this. Time to hear from DCE that they will let Faust make more of these!

Super Best Friends Forever Short #4

The latest (and penultimate?) SBFF DC Nation short was shown this last weekend. And as with all of these shorts, this one was spectacular. After 3 episodes focusing on each of the team members and getting a feeling of their personalities, this one focused on their interactions with each other. As with most things Lauren Faust, there was definitely a major cute factor. But much like her My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic cartoon, there is more under the surface, even in this shortest of shorts.

The episode starts out with a riff on the 'Superman saving a kitten from a tree' trope. Instead, here it is Supergirl uprooting a tree and shaking the Cheetah from it's limbs. Fantastic.

While skirmishing with the villain, Batgirl declares that it is time for the three of them to become 'officially official' with an official team name!

And she has decided on the SBFFS! (Makes sense given the title of these shorts!)

As with most of these shorts, Faust punctuates a big moment with a dramatic wild background (think Donna's star background in the first short). But this one is so befitting of the fangirl Batgirl we have met here. The balloon letters, the heart shaped S-shield, the stars and sparkles. And she seems so proud of her idea.

But the other members aren't so sure.

Wonder Girl wonders what the 'Sa-buffs' are.

Supergirl thinks the name is stupid and she doesn't want the friends to be called that.

It leads to an argument and a tussle amongst the friends. Supergirl calls Batgirl 'Bratgirl'. Batgirl is insulted, calls Supergirl 'Stupidgirl' and asks Supergirl 'How dare you mock the sacred name of the bat!' (the best line of the short).  Wonder Girl has to join in and when she tells Supergirl to stop, Supergirl screams 'Make me!'

She is Supergirl after all, so her tantrum tosses the other heroes aside potentially hurting them. I have to say, I wasn't sure if I would like Supergirl has the hot-head of the group but it has worked.

Here, after seeing she might have hurt her best friends, she is completely remorseful and apologizes for not realizing her own strength and for losing her temper.. We have seen the 'punch first, ask questions later' Supergirl in a number of places including in Gates' work and the DCnU.

With the apology accepted, they clasp hands 'all for one and one for all' style. Supergirl realizes that maybe they are Best Friends Forever ... aaannnddd ... Super.

This whole series has worked. Batgirl as ultra-caffeinated hero having a blast doing her job. Supergirl as mischievous young girl with a temper. And Wonder Girl as mature mentor who is softened by her friends.

There simply needs to be more of these shorts. DO IT DC ENTERTAINMENT!!