Kelly Sue DeConnick Interview

The DCU is going to relaunch and the 'new' Supergirl #1 is coming out in September.

But that is the future. And I am not forgetting the present. We have a three issue story arc by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist ChrisCross before that happens. I didn't not want to ignore these issues, the last of this current incarnation of the Girl of Steel. I was lucky enough to ask a few questions of DeConnick about her run on the title. Hope you guys enjoy it. Supergirl #65, DeConnick's first issue, is on sale today!


Anj: I know from prior interviews that you have been a comics fan, and a DC fan, since childhood. Any particular creators or story arcs that influenced you as a fan or writer? Any favorite characters?

Kelly Sue DeConnick: I’m not sure I can point to any direct influences; I don’t tend to see other people’s work in my own—not that I’m not sure it’s there, I’m certain it is—but I don’t think I have the proper perspective on my own work to be able to see it. If someone else were to say, “you can see the influence of XX in scene BLAH BLAH,” I could probably evaluate it well enough to agree or disagree, but I don’t think I’m able to spot those things myself.

That said, I can tell you that I loved pretty much anything George Perez ever touched—particularly Wonder Woman--and the Marv Wolfman run on Tales of the Teen Titans was a big favorite of mine. I remember finding a stack of them second-hand and having my mind blown. Even the PAPER was nicer than anything I’d ever seen before. (Does anybody know what that was about? Was there a run in the late 80s on really good paper? Issue #66 was definitely part of the run I remember so fondly.)

I loved Nocturna. I was obsessive about that character during her brief life. NOCTURNA!
And of course, as I’m a plucky gal of a certain age, Lois Lane has a special place in my heart. Cliché, but true. I may or may not have a LL-related collection. I also may have published a zine in my youth called “Lois Slain.”

Anj: Have you always considered yourself a Supergirl fan? As a creator, what about her appeals to you? Any of her past stories that resonated with you?

KSD: I adore her! But I don’t want to misrepresent myself, like, oh yeah—I’m this HUGE Supergirl fan from way back. That would be a lie. The woman in the Super-orbit who always drew my attention was Lois Lane. I had to do research before I could properly pitch Kara.
That said, it wasn’t hard to fall in love. I feel... proud of Kara. It’s a strangely maternal affection.

Anj: The solicits for your arc have Supergirl thwarting a kidnapping plot at college (I thought I had read somewhere it was Stanhope), which sounds like it could be a Silver Age plot from her Adventure run. Is there a retro feel to your arc? Are there other hidden Supergirl Easter Eggs we should look for?

KSD: There is definitely a retro feel, though you’ll find more Easter Eggs of the 80s movie variety than Silver Age Supergirl, I think. But you’re right about Stanhope.


Anj: This is your first arc in the DCU. And I know a classic villain shows up. Were you tempted to bring in any other guest stars?


KSD: I wasn’t, actually! I kind of wanted to keep the DCU out of it as much as I could. I was afraid of it getting continuity-hamstrung, you know? When I was doing my research I was having to hop around a bunch of different titles to get caught up and it was frustrating, confusing—and expensive! It left me wanting to section off my little arc and make it as self-contained as possible so that it would be accessible to, you know, people like me. (I had no knowledge of the reboot when I pitched the book, but I have to say, I having been away from most of the DC universe for a while and having just had to try and get caught up, I certainly understand the impulse.)
Oh, wait—that’s not entirely true. I put Lois in of my own volition. Just in case this is the only book I ever get to do for DC, I’m going to write Lois Lane, dammit!

Anj: It sounds like Lois plays a big part in your arc. As a Supergirl fan, I think it is interesting that Lois acts as a catalyst so often in Kara's stories. She played key roles in both Sterling Gates' and James Peaty's runs, both positive and negative. What is your take on the Lois/Kara dynamic? Why do you think it is prevalent in Supergirl stories?

KSD: In the first issue, I wanted to play with this idea that Supergirl and Superman are not inter-changeable, right? I’m sure you heard me say this already, but if you can replace Supergirl with Superman and the story still works, I think there’s a problem. So I illustrated that by having Lois assume the same banter-y relationship with Kara that she has with Superman and having it fall flat because it’s unearned, because the dynamics of their relationship are different.

Aaaand in execution, I’m not sure it works. Or rather, I think it works overall, but there’s one exchange in one scene that I’m afraid comes off as more antagonistic than what I intended in concept. I expect I’ll take some heat for that and that’s fair.

As for why Lois is so often such a big part of Supergirl stories, I suspect it’s because they’re so different. From a storytelling perspective, that’s incredibly appealing.

Anj: Your arc also takes Supergirl to a new frontier, college campus. Was it fun to put her in that environment, a stranger in a strange land? Any chance of romance in the arc?

KSD: I loved it. I wanted to give her a taste of being a regular girl. And yes, there is absolutely a love interest in the form of one Henry Octavius Flyte, Bastard Ne’er-Do-Well, physics prodigy and my attempt to reverse the gender of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope.

Anj: Can you talk about your approach to this arc knowing you were only going to be on the title for 3 issues? You can't really make any major changes but the story still needs to be compelling. Is it a similar to how you approached the one-shots you have written for Sif and Rescue?

KSD: It is similar, but not exactly the same. With Sif and Rescue I was looking for things worth addressing that there hadn’t been room for in regular continuity—ways to fill in gaps. For Sif, I wanted to give her her spine back, to help her exorcise Loki. For Rescue, I wanted Pepper to acknowledge Happy’s death was still a thing she had to live with. People don’t bounce back from the death of a spouse, they just learn to live with the loss.

With Supergirl, I was presented with an opportunity to pitch on 3 issues of self-contained story and it seemed to me the last few years had been mostly about the Super, so it seemed logical to focus on the Girl. I spent a lot of time thinking about what it’s like to be Kara, saddled with the mantle of responsibility that comes with those powers, everything she’d been through with regard to her parents and I thought this poor kid needs to catch a break. So I tried to write a gift for her, a story that’s fun and romantic and playful and dances with themes and images from childhood and adolescence. And now, knowing what this story is in the larger context, I’m doubly happy with it. I got to put the period on the end of that sentence and I did it in a love letter.

I’ll leave it to you to judge whether or not I was successful, but I’m really happy with it.


Anj: You are one of a couple of women to ever have written Supergirl, and the first to have an arc on the title. Did that influence how you approached Kara?

I don’t think so. I hope not, anyway. I don’t want that to be true.

I was told straight away that one of the reasons they approached me was my gender and I had mixed feelings about that, but I decided that my gender had worked against me enough in my life that I was willing to accept one in the win column.

Anj: Your three issues are probably already close to being finished. Did you have as much fun writing Supergirl as you thought you would? What other projects are you working on that we should look for?

KSD: They’re done! And I actually had more fun writing it than I expected. I think I got more comfortable as I went, so I really, really loved Issue 67. I was surprisingly emotional putting that together.

Castle: Deadly Storm! I’m having a ball. Look for that in September, I believe.

Anj: Thank you so much for stopping by and answering some questions. Can't wait to read your Supergirl stuff.. And I'll be sure to look for Castle:Deadly Storm!

Review: Cry For Justice #5

It was a very busy week for the Super-titles with four books coming out on Wednesday. World's Finest, Superman, Superman Secret Origin, and Justice League Cry For Justice all came out. It was a difficult choice deciding which title to review first. And while I feel that Superman Secret Origin was the best of the lot, Cry For Justice #5 had a couple of big moments which made me decide to review it first.

Of course, as a Supergirl fan, I have been interested in reading about her growing relationship with Captain Marvel. It has been a while since Kara had a legitimate love interest and Freddy seems like a natural fit. So when I saw the cover for this issue, I thought that their relationship would go from one of coy flirting to something more significant.

Unfortunately, this is the classic "tease cover" since this kiss does not happen within the book.

As has been the case throughout this miniseries, James Robinson's script has a few odd and off-putting moments in it. It is as though he feels that some moments that could be played in a quiet manner need to be exploded into something super-dramatic.

And, as has also been the case throughout, Mauro Cascioli's artwork is unbelievably spectacular. One thing that bothers me somewhat is that he seems to favor two body types: overly muscular men and very sexy women. Almost every man has 20 inch biceps. And while his artwork nears cheesecake at times, it is lovely to look at.

The issue opens with Congorilla and Starman visiting Animal Man's house. Congorilla had teamed with Buddy in the past when they were part of the Forgotten Heroes. Knowing that Prometheus is planning something so huge and realizing that his trail had gone cold, Bill turns to Animal Man to see if he and Starman can get some help.

As luck would have it, they arrive at the house on the same day that Starfire and Donna Troy are visiting and frolicking by the pool. I do like that Robinson is acknowledging the fact that Starfire and Buddy have a special relationship given the time they were alone together in space in 52.

The poolside scene seems like a convenient excuse to let Cascioli paint the two Titans in their bathing suits. That said, there was nothing overly sexual or prurient in their positioning or this scene. They look the way two beautiful women would look at the beach. I applaud Cascioli for this. I can only imagine how this scene would have looked if someone like Ed Benes did this book.

When Congorilla explains what he has uncovered, the decision is made to go straight to the JLA.

Hal and Ollie also realize that their group needs help with this Prometheus plot. So they decide to go to the JLA for help. The current JLA agree to helps this splinter group.

Supergirl is definitely painted quite lovely in this miniseries. But her dialogue is so wooden. Remember in an earlier issue she said "I'm not bad. I'm good." Here she gets to say the awful line "Yeah, plus he's gotten his hands on weaponry and science." Supergirl being in this book is the dreaded double-edged sword. I am glad that Supergirl is represented here as it exposes her to new readers. And from an action point of view, she actually has been shown to be quite strong. But that dialogue... yeesh.

Anyways, the actual JLA has also noted that something isn't quite right. They have noted that some super villains are acting strangely. They are attacking different cities and different heroes. The Justice League has wondered if there is an underlying pattern.

During this discussion, we finally get a Batwoman sighting. I had forgotten that she was supposed to be featured in this miniseries.

She joins the discussion saying that she stopped a super villain named Endless Winter in Gotham. Unfortunately, before this 'Killer Frost wannabe' could answer any questions, she was killed from afar with a Suicide Squad embedded brain bomb.

I guess that Batwoman telling Supergirl that she saw the Cry For Justice group in Gotham but was not seen gives her a little bit of street credibility. She is that good.

As reports of B-list superheroes fighting C-list super villains pour into the satellite, one catches everybody's attention.

The Guardian has stopped a villain named Plunder from setting up a device in Metropolis. As this whole plot involves super-technology, the JLA decides to bring the machine on board for further study.

The League's scientists decide that the machine is a massive teleporter that could dump a large area, even city sized, anywhere in time, space, or other dimensions. But it would require a massive amount of energy and computer power to work.

Hmmmm ....

Where do you think Prometheus will find that amount of energy and computer technology? Maybe on the JLA satellite? It seemed to me almost immediately that the Justice league are getting played here. They are bringing the big weapon to the only place it would work ... their own headquarters.

And as if to pick at a scab that was just healing, we get to see another headless Supergirl body shot.

While this huge conspiracy of super villains is being uncovered, Robinson decides to show us the more human side of being a superhero.

He shows that Black Canary is still hurt by the fact that Green Arrow left with Hal. She feels betrayed by him.

He retorts by telling her how productive his group was. His group actually caught a number of villains. Still, she seems stung by the whole incident, even more so when he reveals that he would not have come back if not for the Prometheus plot.

It does seem like an odd time to begin this discussion but I suppose that if Dinah is hurting that much, she would bring it up then.

Before the conversation can continue however, Animal Man arrives with Congorilla, Starman, Starfire, and Donna Troy. Almost immediately, Congorilla smells something he doesn't like it goes off. At the same time, Supergirl has gone off looking for Captain Marvel who has gone missing.

Unfortunately, while Supergirl noted Freddy's disappearance a few pages earlier, he is shown in the middle of a group shot right after animal Man arrives with his comrades. It is those small gaffes that bother me.

Supergirl and Congorilla meet up in the hallway and join together in their hunt.

There was really no reason to post to this panel other than to show how fantastic Cascioli's Supergirl is.

Unfortunately, before they find Captain Marvel or whoever Congorilla sensed, they come across Red Arrow whose arm has been ripped off!!!

Well I have to say that this was a big surprise. Grisly. Shocking. Almost unbelievable. And I suppose that is what Robinson was hoping for. It certainly grabbed my attention.

Of course after that initial shock, the continuity nerd in me took over. I am trying to figure out exactly where this miniseries takes place. It is after Final Crisis. It is obviously before Blackest Night as multiple people who have been killed there are present in this story. So now I'm trying to remember if I have seen Red Arrow with a robot arm or no arm in Blackest Night. I know... I know... I shouldn't be so hung up on things like that.

Still, it was a shocking moment ... a good moment in this book.

Congorilla makes sure that the two heroes stabilize Roy before tracking down whoever did this to him. Kara quickly cauterizes his arm with her heat vision.

Bill lets out a loud battle cry and that you take off. His scream alerts the rest of the League that something has happened. They go to investigate and come across Roy's body.

This is where one of those odd moments really took away from the issue.

When Ollie discovers the body, he is obviously distraught. He clutches the body and initially he states that he won't leave it. Dinah convinces him that they need to find the person responsible.

So that part I can understand. Roy has been like a son to Green Arrow. Of course, seeing him like this would stun anyone. I can understand why he would momentarily pause before taking action.
But would the rest of the heroes just stand there while Ollie dealt with his grief? Wouldn't they continue on to find whoever dismembered Red Arrow? And as if to hammer home the point, we actually see a shot of Starman, Starfire, Hal, and Donna standing there with their arms crossed. Wouldn't that group be fanning out looking for the villain? Even if that moment was only 5 seconds, isn't that 5 seconds too many?

These are veteran heroes who I think would realize that while Dinah and Ollie should stop, that they should move on.

The issue ends with a great cliffhanger.

It looks as though the villain is Captain Marvel! Or at least someone who is disguised as him.

I love this shot of the Supergirl about to engage with Freddy, Congorilla and The Flash battered behind them. Supergirl looks furious, eyes glowing. I love it! I can't believe it's actually Captain Marvel. So is it Prometheus? Or one of his agents... someone like Black Adam or maybe another shape shifter?

There is something almost nostalgic about this ending. Here was Supergirl's love interest who suddenly turns out to be the villain. As someone who has read a lot of Silver Age Supergirl stories, that was an ongoing theme. If she fell in love with someone he usually was some space criminal.

Too bad, I was actually looking forward to a Freddy/Kara relationship.

So we are nearing the end of this miniseries and the overall technology plot has been moved forward a bit here. There are some dramatic moments. There are some overly dramatic moments. Supergirl plays an important part in this issue. She also has some pretty lousy dialogue.

And, the artwork is just stunning. I can understand why DC would be willing to wait for Mauro Cascioli to complete the artwork here. The finished work is wonderful.

So I guess this is another up and down issue in an up-and-down miniseries. But I think this one was more up than down.

Overall grade: B

It Came from the Back Issue Box: Solo #1 - Tim Sale

In 2004, DC comics came out with a series called Solo which lasted 12 issues. Each issue showcased a creator who was allowed to use the pages in any way they wished. Filled with autobiographical stories, super-hero stories 'out of continuity', or simply stories, it was a nice format and allowed fans to get a closer look at some great artists. The first issue showcased superstar Tim Sale.

Within this issue is an 8 page Supergirl story written by Diane Schutz. I don't know much of Schutz. Her bio on http://www.comicbookdb.com/ states she is a senior editor at Dark Horse as well as professor of comic books at Portland Community College. Her resume of Dark Horse editing jobs is impressive including heavyweights like Grendel, Sin City, and American Splendor just to name a few.

As a Supergirl fan, I cannot tell you how great this short story is. It is emotionally powerful. The art perfectly captures the words. It picks up a plot thread left dangling from the pre-Crisis DCU. And it clearly shows a love of the Supergirl character.

The story revolves around Linda (Supergirl) Danvers on again/off again relationship with Dick Malverne. Dick started out as an inquisitive boy at the Midvale orphanage with Linda who was always trying to prove she had super-powers. Later they both get adopted, attend Stanhope University together, and date. In the last issue of Supergirl Vol.2 (1982), the last panels, drawn by legend Carmine Infantino, show Dick re-entering Linda's life suddenly.

The comic was cancelled and a proposed Superboy/Supergirl comic never came to fruition. Supergirl was seen sparingly thereafter and was killed in Crisis #7.

The Schutz/Sale story picks up right where that issue left off.

Similar panels, aren't they. The first couple of pages of this story recap the Malverne/Danvers relationship, replaying actual scenes from Supergirl continuity ... the first time he thought Linda was Supergirl, seeing him for the first time since they were adopted - a chance meeting on a beach, a date at a carnival ... all from prior issues but re-imagined briefly here. It is such a nice homage to what had come before. Clearly, Schutz and Sale have a love of the character. Here is a snippet of the beach scene.

Sadly, Dick confesses that he sought out Linda to tell her that he is dying of cancer. He also tells her that he has always known she was Supergirl. He implores her to be strong ... to find her inner strength. He implores her to be the hero she can be.

He succumbs to the cancer and passes on.

The last panel shows a crest-fallen Linda sipping wine in her bunny slippers, stroking Streaky, as she realizes that despite her invulnerability her heart can still be broken ... that her powers cannot save everyone.

The words here are wonderful.

What's is not to love here? Sale's art is solid throughout. He really does a nice Supergirl.

The writer clearly had a solid understanding and knowledge of Supergirl's history. And we see a growing Supergirl, still with some of the innocence of the Silver Age ... I mean Streaky and bunny slippers! Absolutely perfect! Absolutely spectacular! If you are a Supergirl fan, I highly recommend you find this comic.

Overall grade: A+