Happy Anniversary! Top Ten List of Top Supergirl Moments of the Last 10 Years

It is absolute insanity to realize that I have been blogging about Supergirl for ten years now. I hope I have maintained the passion for her and DC in the entries that made me think of starting a site to begin with.

One of my favorite posts to do each year is my 'Best Moments' of the year. I review all of the comics Supergirl appeared in, I make a file of all the biggest moments from those reviews. I then prune what is usually a big folder of 30-40 moments down to something like 12-15 of the best. And then from there, I pick honorable mentions and rank a top ten.

With my tenth year anniversary approaching, I realized I had done ten "end of the year" 'Best Moments' posts. And that means I had my ten #1 Supergirl moments for the past decade.

So I thought, as a celebration of my anniversary, I would look at the #1 Supergirl moments for the last ten years and then rank them, making a Top Ten of the Top Ten list. This would therefore create an ultimate #1 Supergirl moment for the last decade!

A couple of caveats. One, I limited this to the actual #1 moments I picked each year. With the passage of time, I don't know if I would rank them as a #1 now. But I have to keep them. Two, I not only ranked them based on overall importance to the character but also my personal reaction to the moment. If this floored me but now is forgotten, it still might rank high.

So settle in for the Top Ten Supergirl moments of the last decade, based on my #1 Supergirl moments for each of the last 10 years. And settle in ... because I discuss each moment!

A History Of Recent Supergirl Cancellations - Always At The Wrong Time

It was recently revealed that Supergirl #20 would be the last issue of the current title.

The book, like Super Sons, has been cancelled, one of the casualties of Brian Michael Bendis taking over the Superman books. Much like John Byrne, Bendis was taking the reins, wresting control away from the current creators, and breaking away to a new direction.

For fans of the current creative teams and the super-books, which is a fair number of us given sales numbers, this has been a lamentable decision.

DC's Clark Bull came out to reassure fans of these books that plans are in place and to be patient.

But I have to tell you, this makes zero sense to me. Because the Supergirl book has finally found its groove. The book has been excellent over the last several months, after writers Steve Orlando and Jody Houser tightened things up.

The book initially was trying to be all things to all people. Supergirl as DEO agent, as student, as adopted daughter of Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers, as CatCo employee. There were too many ingredients and not enough 'egg' to hold the comic omelette together. Moreover, the first arc involved the Cyborg Superman and seemed like a step backwards. And the Phantom King arc was a bit too confusing for me.

But with these in the past, Orlando and Houser concentrated on student Kara and inspirational Supergirl. She chooses Earth to inspire people and to be inspired. She'll always continue to help.

It finally was all clicking!

So of course the book is cancelled.

History tells me, I shouldn't be surprised.

Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #36

I wrap up my reviews of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes run over on the Legion of Super-Bloggers site.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #36 is the last of the run that includes Supergirl as a member. Here is a link to the review:
http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/10/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_28.html

 The creative team of Tony Bedard and Dennis Calero finish up their brief 6 issue run and need to clear the decks for the upcoming team, writer Jim Shooter (a Legion legend) and artist (and then newcomer) Francis Manapul.

Things happen fast here, as they often do before a creative team change. And Supergirl is sort of whisked out of the book rapidly.

This might be Calero's strongest issue. I like this last look at Kara in the Legion showing how she is an important member of two heroic teams in two times. And I definitely like that she is consider an inspiration for the Legion and so needs to go back in time to fulfill that destiny.

And, I totally liked this Supergirl more than the one that was snarling and snapping her way through her main title at this time.

But with Supergirl gone, these Saturday brief recaps end as well. If you like, I will be continuing my look at this title on Fridays at the main Legion site.

Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #35

I continue my look at the Threeboot Legion of Super-Heroes comic over on the Legion of Super-Bloggers site. I have currently worked my way up to Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #35, the penultimate issue to sport that particular title and co-star Supergirl. To read the full review, head here.

This is the Tony Bedard/Dennis Calero portion of the book. The Quest for Cosmic Boy is the name of this arc and concentrates on three away teams looking for the missing leader. Bedard has done a good job of bringing in some of the old Legion magic, specifically from the Cockrum era while embracing some of the newness of this continuity.

This issue continues the Wildfire storyline on Lallor but focuses mostly on Atom Girl, the Three boot Shrinking Violet who seems like someone who embraces the sensuality of life. Wildfire makes her tingly. Last issue, she looked lustily at Timber Wolf.

The old Vi went from timid wallflower to assertive female and one of the initial gay characters in comic to the battle-scarred stressed out veteran from the Five Years Later book. This cheeky version is certainly new.

Supergirl is barely in the book although the focus shifts back to Earth at the end. Bedard inserts some history into this issue bringing Evolvo Lad into the story.

While these stories have been interesting, we just don't see enough of the Legion to grab me. The world is recovering from the Dominator War and we just don't see any of that. What I would give for a one page peek at the rest of the team helping out!

And Calero's art is just a bit to rough and muddy for my liking on a Legion book.

So overall, in a vacuum, and as a Wildfire fan, this is a good read. Just maybe not a great Legion read.

Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34

I continue my look at the Threeboot Legion over on the Legion of Superbloggers. Here is the link to my review of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34:
http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/10/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super.html

This is a Supergirl book in name only as she only appears in one panel. She only appears in a monitor screen in the background of one page. Otherwise, this is an Atom Girl, Shadow Lass, and Timber Wolf issue.

But someone else arrives too! An old friend.

Writer Tony Bedard reintroduces Wildfire to the Legion. Bedard definitely looks back to the Cockrum Era of the character, riffing on old continuity with added new wrinkles. This is an interesting book for the intermingling of old history and a new direction.

It is a shame the art by Dennis Calero is so muddy!

Hope you enjoy.

Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #33

I continue to review the Threeboot Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes over on the Legion of Superbloggers. I am up to Supergirl and the LSH #33. Here is the link to the full review:
http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/09/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_30.html

This is the third issue of the Tony Bedard era on the title and we are nearing the end of Supergirl's inclusion in the book. Once again, in this issue, we are on Winath with Star Boy, Sun Boy, and Mekt Ranzz investigating the Cult of Validus, the Lightning Lord.

This was a 'new' Legion with less 'hard and fast' continuity. And Tony Bedard, stepping in after Mark Waid, decided to take advantage of that, reimagining the idea of Validus, Tenzil Kem, and the culture of Winath.

But that's not all.

The issue ends with a cliffhanger ... a shot of Wildrfire!

Wildfire hadn't been seen in this Legion. He is my favorite Legionnaire and so I was thrilled to see this.

Still, there was a feeling of unease when I was reading this book when it came out. It felt like DC was trying to be daring here, trying to keep this book alive.

I will sound fatalistic but I think this book was almost destined to fail. One cannot serve two masters. Trying to bring in a new generation of Legion fans with a brand new Legion while also trying to court old fans married to continuity seems like a fool's errand in retrospect.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #32

I continue my look at the Supergirl and Legion of Super-Heroes title over on the Legion of Super-Bloggers. Here is a link to the complete review:
http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/09/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_23.html

The book is transitioning from Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's vision, shifting to the stewardship of writer Tony Bedard and artist Dennis Calero.

Bedard takes full control of the book and the team. He isn't going to coast. He shakes things up. This isn't your father's Legion. The continuity is looser. And writers could scrawl what he wanted onto their history. It is bold, especially given that the book seemed to be struggling to find a mixed audience of old and new readers.

Supergirl is only seen on a monitor in the background of one panel. So don't get this book for her.

But it does give a pretty thorough and fresh look at the planet Winath's culture and Mekt Ranzz's back story. You get new takes on Validus and the Lord of Lightning. And you really sympathize with Mekt who was isolated and rejected by just about everybody. No wonder he loves his team so much!

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that Bedard decided to take the book in a direction he wanted. He helped the New 52 Supergirl find her way back into the fold.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31

Sorry that I forgot to post this yesterday!

I continue my look a the Legion Threeboot series over on the Legion of Superbloggers and have been sharing the link to the Supergirl issues here. Here is a link to my latest review, on Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31:

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/09/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_16.html#more

This issue marks the beginning of the Tony Bedard era on the title. Mark Waid and Barry Kitson finished their run last issue, ending the Dominator War and sending Cosmic Boy into the future to join another team of heroes. But everything isn't rosy!

In this issue, Bedard and artist Kevin Sharpe set the new landscape for the book. Supergirl is elected leader. Their is tremendous unrest in the team with Cos gone. Worst of all, the UP wants to try Cosmic Boy for war crimes. And Supergirl, as leader, is trying to keep everything together. But not everyone is thrilled that a time displaced outsider was elected.

The team is on edge. And new threats are on the periphery, getting ready to strike. 

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29

I continue my review of the Threeboot Legion over on the Legion of Super-Bloggers site. Here is a link of the review: http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/09/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_2.html

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29 is a very interesting issue for this run for a number of reasons.

For one, the creative team are pinch hitters. Writer Tony Bedard (well known to Supergirl fans for several well received runs) steps in for Mark Waid. The art is done by Kevin Sharpe rather than Barry Kitson. And the two deliver an interesting war comic, focusing on the other side.

This issue we see things from the viewpoint of the Dominators, specifically the Dominion scientist who genetically enhanced their shock troopers. This Dominator feels their culture has stagnated. And he will incite war as a way to rock the foundations of their beliefs.

Their isn't much Legion action in this book. Supergirl is only seen in the background.

But if you want to read a comic from the villain's perspective ... if you want to hear someone who looks at his society as holding back the race rather than advancing it ... this issue is a fascinating read. It is probably widely available in buck boxes in comic stores around the country.

It is well worth a $1.

Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #22

I continue my review of Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes over on the Legion of Super-bloggers site. I am currently on number 22. Here is the link for my whole review:http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com/2016/06/threeboot-supergirl-and-legion-of-super_24.html

We're at a time in the series where Waid and Kitson are really kicking things up a notch. There are a lot of plot lines bubbling. There are a few mysteries. For old school Legion fans who liked layers and layers of stories, this was starting to feel like home.

As for Supergirl, we are nearing critical mass on a couple of her plotlines.

One I find interesting is that many of the Legionnaires are completely smitten with her. Cosmic Boy thinks he has a crush on her but it is explained away. Ultra Boy may have a crush on her but it turns out he feels threatened by her power level. And here we see Invisible Kid has something of a creepy shrine for her.

The addition of Supergirl has been a bit unsettling for the Legion. And things are only going to get nuttier.

DC Essential: New 52 Supergirl #1

It was announced yesterday that a Supergirl Essential issue will be released the week before the premiere of the show. Boasting a price of just one dollar, the issue is a reprint of the New 52 Supergirl #1. Here is a link:
http://www.newsarama.com/26008-dc-rushes-supergirl-essential-onto-shelves-ahead-of-tv-debut.html

CBS's Supergirl series debuts October 26, and DC Comics is rushing to get a Supergirl comic book on stands to take advantage of the extra attention and potential for increased popularity.

The publisher has rush-solicited DC Essentials: Supergirl #1, a reprint of the "New 52" Supergirl #1 from 2011, for publication on October 21. Priced at just $1.00, retailers have until September 28 to place orders.

I am thrilled that the character is getting such promotion and publicity right now. And while I think the New 52 Supergirl had its ups and downs, there is no doubt this is a dynamic first issue with beautiful art by Mahmud Asrar.

But there certainly is a lot to nit pick about this decision.

One, this is a rushed announcement and solicit, almost as if DC didn't recognize the show premiere as an opportunity. And you might think that an ongoing book, a show prequel issue, a digital series ... that anything might be the right promotion.

Also, the tone of the initial New 52 run ... the alien Kara, with no friends, who remains distant to Superman and doesn't want to be a hero ... is about as far away from what we have seen of the show. There is a disconnect tonally here.

But rather than write another 1000 words, wailing and gnashing my teeth, complaining at DC's blighted efforts with the character, I will instead give a short list of other comics that I think could also be considered 'Essential Supergirl' and might fit in a bit more with the efforts of linking the comic to the show. In chronological order and with links if I have reviewed the issue here:

Action Comics #285 (Jerry Siegel/Jim Mooney) - This is a pretty big issue in Supergirl lore where Superman finally reveals her existence to the world. No longer will she be the secret weapon. She had done her job, training to use her powers, and doing her own secret heroics. Now was the time for her to be recognized as the second Kryptonian hero of the world. You see how earnest she is in her desire to help. And we see her save the world on her own. If you want an essential from the Silver Age, this is it.

Superman #376/Daring New Adventures #1 (Paul Kupperberg/Carmine Infantino) - An extra-sized issue as it includes to Daring preview from Superman. The preview story is Supergirl talking to her cousin, discussing her desire to go back to school, to be her own person, to become the hero she should be. The first issue shows her work/social life as well as nice action against Psi. This is 'girl power' at its finest. This is a young hero ready to step into the light and help people. And she is a young woman dealing with life and love as well. This feels like the show.

Supergirl #5 (Peter David/Gary Frank) - Matrix had just linked with Linda Danvers, a mortal girl with dark inclinations. And this amalgam was still trying to figure out what it was. Was she alive? Did she have a soul? Was she good? She met an odd sort of reflection in the suddenly sentient Chemo. There are hard philopsphical questions asked. This was a young woman trying to define herself as a hero. And it is a stand alone issue in an otherwise long   form book. Matrix might not be Kara. But writer Peter David injected pure Supergirl-ness into this book.

Supergirl #34 (Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle) - This was the beginning of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle run, and it also was a shift in direction for the character. After nearly 3 years of anger, bitterness, high school massacres, vanishing skirts, and panty shots, Gates and Igle rehabilitated the character. She needed to redefine who she was. She might not be perfect. But she wanted to do good, be a hero, and strive to be better. She was growing, maturing. And part of that was adopting the Linda Lang identity. If there is one run (or one issue) that the show seems to have imprinted on, it is this one. I mean Linda in the show looks just like Linda Lang.

Superman/Batman #62 (Mike Johnson and Michael Green/Rafael Albuquerque) - Something of a left field pick but it has a Bat-family member which might lead more people to read it. Green and Johnson wrote the New 52 Kara but this one is much more classic in approach as the retell an early adventure she had with Robin. And in this story you see the gamut of Supergirl's emotions, all displayed as she strives to bring good to the world and save people. It is a brilliant microcosm of the character and how she thinks and what she tries to do. And it is beautifully rendered.

Supergirl #33 (TonyBedard/ Emanuela Lupacchino and Jeff Johnson) - It might seem odd to pick the last issue of a multititle arc (Red Daughter) as the Essential. But the issue again highlights the parts of Supergirl's character that I love. The fierce need to fight for justice. That love of Earth, her home. And she finally rids herself of all the negativeness of the earlier issues, set up perfectly in the form of a Red Lantern ring.

So those would be my essentials. Those would have been my choices for DC. And, of those, I would have picked the Gates/Igle Supergirl #34 would far and away have been my choice to market the character in conjunction with the show.

Supergirl Comic Prediction Post-Convergence

We are now three months into a DC world where a Supergirl solo title isn't being published.

Just as Tony Bedard, K.Perkins, Mike Johnson, and Emanuela Lupacchino had righted the ship and despite consistent and relatively solid sales numbers, DC decided to pull the plug.

Some, including myself, have theorized that the appearance of a Supergirl show on the horizon was one of the prompts to shelve the character.

Would DC decide to create a Supergirl book based on the TV show? A digital first book like Flash Season Zero? Or would they try to somehow soft reboot the Kara on Earth 0 to make her more like the TV character?

The New 52 Kara was a teenager, 16 or 17 years old, just learning her way around Earth and just starting to make a name for herself as a hero.

The Supergirl character on the TV show is 24 yrs old, has been living on Earth for 13 years, and is immersed in Earth culture. She is working and trying to make a name for herself as a young woman in the city and only in the pilot does she embrace her powers and become a hero.

It wouldn't be easy to make the New 52 Kara into something like the show Kara.

I wondered just how DC might pull this off.

And then Convergence happened.

It is hard for me to necessarily wrap my head around what happens here. But Brainiac either sends the pre-Crisis Supergirl and Flash back to the Crisis to make sure that history repeats itself or he sends them back there to rewrite the Crisis and bring back infinite worlds while ending the Anti-Monitor threat. Throw in Parallax and a pre-Flashpoint Superman and maybe there is enough firepower to stop the Crisis without the death of Kara?

And if there are infinite Earths and the pre-Crisis Kara is alive ...

Well maybe that Supergirl is going to be the star of the new Supergirl book.

Because if any DC Supergirl is a decent match for the show Supergirl it is the original.

Both are in their early 20s. Both grew up on Earth, living with the Danvers. Both are inspired by their older cousin.

Heck, take away the headband and red shoulders and even their costumes look similar.

Both are young woman living in a big city trying to make a life for themselves.

When we last saw the pre-Crisis Supergirl she had just moved to Chicago and was trying to acclimate herself to the big city. She was a grad student then but that could easily be switched.

I mean, I know it is one panel, but I thought this side by side was fascinating.

Both are trying to find a way to satisfy a side of their lives that they feel they haven't explored.

The pre-Crisis Supergirl at this time was trying to make something out of Linda Danvers, bettering herself while maintaining her life as a superhero and force for good.

The show Supergirl is embracing the Kryptonian side of her, trying to become Supergirl as a way to help others.

So I wonder ...

Could we be getting a pre-Crisis Supergirl book, morphed slightly to mirror the show, taking place on some other DC world?

Now the pattern isn't perfect.
So much of what I have seen from the show borrows liberally from the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle run.

Kara Danvers looks similar to Linda Lang. Kara's sort of innocence, impetuousness, fierceness, and even smidge of dorkiness all in the show feels so much like this Linda/Supergirl.

And the elephant in the room is Cat Grant, the ruthless self-promoter and journalist who wants to make Supergirl into a household name.

So maybe the tone of the book is Gates while the setting of the book is Kupperberg?

Of course all of this will mean that the ending of the Crisis, and therefore Kara's heroic death will no longer be in continuity. And while I still think the reasoning behind the death was flawed, there is no doubt that Supergirl dying in Crisis #7 is a huge moment for the character, impacting subsequent incarnations and resonating throughout all of comics. I don't know if I want to see that go away.

Regardless of my theory, I think it is only a matter of time before we get a Supergirl solo book, one more in line with the show's Kara Danvers.

Sales Review: October 2014

Sales numbers for October have been released over on ICv2 and, as usual, there are some interesting things to notice. Here is the link to the sales chart, definitely worth reviewing in total: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/30159.html

This was the last hurrah of Doomed in the super-titles and that may have effected the sales. But these were Doomed tie-ins in trade dress only. Maybe tangentially we hit upon that crossover but otherwise these 'aftermath' issues weren't crucial.

Supergirl #35 was not only a Doomed Aftermath issue but was also the last issue of Tony Bedard's run on the title. After two plus years of wandering, wallowing in anger, and essentially being lost, Bedard redeemed the character, putting her back on Earth and making her heroic.

In this last issue, we see Supergirl embrace her new attitude, reject 'the bad boy', and find a little romance. It was a better epilogue to Bedard's run than it was an aftermath of Doomed.

So how did it sell?

The issue sold 26,371 units, another solid month for the book. Supergirl #35 sold  26,510, essentially the same amount.

Now pre-Doomed, the book was drifting into the 22K range in sales, making me a little nervous about cancellation.

And let us not forget, next issue is a bold new direction by K. Perkins and Mike Johnson. Will sales go up? Stay steady? Go down? Certainly, DC has done the publicity to pump this up.

Thanks again Tony Bedard!

Given the upcoming bold new direction of Supergirl, I thought I would look at a real bold new direction.

Batgirl #35 came out last month, the upheaval and soft reboot of the Barbara Gordon character by Cam Stewart, Brandon Fletcher, and Babs Tarr.

Now this book got a major push by DC and the publicity went viral. The change in costume was a nice way to mark this as a new direction as well. And just that seemed to set the net on fire. We had comic artists drawing Batgirl in this new outfit. Cosplayers were posting pictures. People were asking where they could buy yellow Doc Martens.

Seriously, never before had I seen a creative shift like this be so universally embraced and explode across fandom. And this was a team replacing Gail Simone! And sort of de-aging Barbara a bit, putting her back in school, and luring in new readers. I thought for sure this would sell 100K.

It didn't hit that mark. But it sold just under 63K! Amazing.

I do wonder if DC saw the buzz of Batgirl and pushed the Supergirl direction through faster.

I can only imagine how happy I would be if Supergirl sold 62K. But even the 'Hogwarts in Space' tagline didn't grab the buzz this new Batgirl direction did.

Sales Review: September 2014

ICv2's coverage of last month's sales somehow slipped past me so I am sorry this post is coming in later than usual.

September is DC's gimmick month (although with all the 50/50 variants lately there have been a fair number of months which could fit the bill). Last month was the Futures End month, a look into the future of the title characters in issues complete with lenticular covers. As I said during the month, unlike" Zero month" with its origin stories or "Villains month" with its look at arch enemies, "Futures End" month didn't entice me to sample new titles. Why read a new title if it is a future story which may never come to pass? In fact, I skipped some of my monthly titles! I guess I am not a complete completist.

The sales for the month are reviewed here: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/29843.html
As always, I thank ICv2 for their great coverage and recommend you visit the site.

Supergirl's Futures End issue was a mixed bag. Again we have a story where she was (presumably) defeated by the Cyborg Superman and brainwashed.

While she does end up throwing off the brainwashing, ripping off her robotic bits and defeating the Cyborg, she only does it with the help of her boyfriend Captain Comet.

The art was lovely.

I guess my lack of excitement over the month didn't mean sales weren't brisk. (As always, when I say sales, I mean volume purchased by comic stores for sales.)

Amazingly, all DC titles sales were up. And it has to be because of the fancy covers and the Futures End crossover.

Futures End Supergirl sold 48,597 units. Incredible. That is the most the title has sold since the second issue of the New 52! Even her zero issue only sold 34K. I hope that some of those new readers, buying the cover, will stick around. Of course, there is a new direction coming up.

I suppose this means that DC will continue doing such things as fancy covers and big crossovers as they seem good for business in the short term. Let's hope Supergirl continues to get some boost from these things.

Review: Supergirl #35

Supergirl #35 came out this week, the last issue of the Tony Bedard's all too short run on the title. From the beginning, Tony Bedard said he wanted to rehabilitate Supergirl, moving her away from anger and isoloation and more towards optimism and hope. And I think he succeeded ... amazing given that one of the editorial choices was to send Supergirl into the ranks of the Red Lanterns.

This issue seems to cement that new outlook by Kara. She rejects a 'bad boy', doesn't lose control, grows in a relationship, and (gasp) seems happy! This issue seems to be a repudiation of much of the tone that this title had in the first 2 plus years.

Of course, cement might not be the best verb as all of this is going to go away next issue when Kara heads off to outer space school. So maybe showcase would have been a better word. Still, this was a nice little coda for Bedard's run, an issue were the mission seems forgettable but sets up the characterization nicely.

The internal art is done by Jonboy Meyers who brings a bright, stylish, almost Anime-like feel to the book. It works nicely with the feel of the story and reminded me of Ame-Comi Girls.

The issue starts with Supergirl flying Michael's parents to their home so they can be reunited.

The interaction is sweet. The family thanks her, telling Supergirl that she didn't need to fuss over them, and makes sure that taking them home isn't taking her away from her Justice League duties. These are ordinary, nice people and I like them already.

But Supergirl's response is even better. She wants more friends like Michael, people away from the insanity of her adventures. It means she is embracing Earth as her home, looking for a community to be a part of, and a circle of friends to be part of. The smile on her face says even more.

That is about a light year away from the Scott Lobdell Supergirl who called Earth a 'ball of mud filled with sweaty humans' (I'm paraphrasing from H'El on Earth).

Unfortunately life isn't always so simple. When Supergirl enters Michael's apartment who is there waiting for her ... Red Hood.

Even this internal monologue tells us so much about the current Supergirl. The Red Hood is trouble. And she is 'sick to death' of trouble.

You get the sense that Kara recognizes the pandemonium of her time on Earth up to now and just wants to catch her breath.

 She grabs Jason and flies right through Michael's window to get him away from the family.

Now I really have never cared for Jason Todd since his resurrection. Here he is sporting some new super-powers. And he is a true anti-hero. He wants to stop alien weaponry to hit the streets and he needs some back up. This wraps up the 'alien gun runner' plot that Lobdell started and dropped in Superman. (Remember Brainiac Lois freezing a whole city block?)

And Jason liked how Kara and he teamed up on Warworld. And he thinks Supergirl won't be so controlling as Batman would be. I suppose that means that he thinks she is something of a loose cannon who might look the other way if he decided to use lethal force. Again, I can't help but think this is a look at who Supergirl was and where she is now.

There is a lot of punching and flipping and shooting, an almost afterthought in this issue.

But I did like how Supergirl acknowledges that maybe she is drawn to 'bad boys'. But admitting you have a problem is the first step of beating it? She also calls him obnoxious. And the tone in my head was that she wouldn't get sucked into a web of chaos again.

The initial battle leads them the the stronghold. To get the information, Red Hood had to threaten to kill one of the thugs, something Supergirl didn't appreciate.

One of the thing that Supergirl writers seem to struggle with is how to have her be a part of the super-family but not be defined by Superman. Her adventures shouldn't be Superman adventures with Kara simply as a stand-in.

I liked this panel. When Red Hood asks Supergirl to look the other way like Superman does with Batman, she says outright that she isn't her cousin. I actually like the annoyed look on her face. She might aspire to be a hero like Superman. She might be striving to honor the S-shield. But she isn't a follower. She is her own person. 

 Then there is more action as the two shut down the weapons ring.

And Supergirl helps mop things up. Red Hood can't help but be impressed. She is something all right.

It reminded me of this moment in Superman/Batman Annual #5 where Dick Grayson (acting as Batman) calls Supergirl magnificent.

Or this moment where Damian Wayne says she has earned his respect.

I like that the Bat-family recognizes Kara for the greatness she is.

 With the adventure over, we actually get to see some downtime between Kara and Michael.

One thing I liked was how Supergirl replaces the window she smashed, even putting on a red bow.

Michael and Kara care for each other. He worries about how alone she is. And let's face it, she has been alone for most of her New 52 life. Heck, she created a true fortress of solitude, someplace she could be completely alone. It was only with the Reds that she had someone to lean on.

But I think Bedard ends this chapter of Kara's life. She leans in and kisses Michael. She has someone who cares for her. She has someone she cares for. It is progress.

She kisses Michael.

And then she dismisses any concerns about her falling for Red Hood.

She wants something normal and real.

It is a very nice last panel for this particular run. We have gone from out of control, angry, isolated, disaffected Supergirl to a heroic Supergirl, embracing Earth, helping people, finding romance, and being part of the super-family.

Of course, it is also ironic that the last panel is that she wants some normalcy because we know next issue is anything but normal, sent to a warrior school in space. So we finally get to a place I like with Supergirl only to blow things up completely again.

Still, I will enjoy this issue for what it was. And I will again applaud Tony Bedard for bring Supergirl much closer to what I see in her and farther away from an abomination. I can only hope this isn't the last chance that Bedard gets to write the character.

Overall grade: B+