Poll Results: Which Is Your Favorite Non-Comic Interpretation Of Supergirl

In the wake of the Supergirl television show announcement, I thought I would look back at the other non-comic incarnations of the character. And as I like to get a feel for the Supergirl fandom, I thought I would open it up as a poll to the blog's audience.

It turns out that, for the most part, Supergirl has been treated very well in live action and animated features. There is something commendable in almost every interpretation. And as a result, this poll (my most popular on the blog) was a close race. 
 
Do you like the grace, optimism, and innocence of Helen Slater in the Supergirl movie?
The complete hero's journey we see over the years of animated series in the Timm-Verse?
The fierce nature and proactive stance of Laura Vandervoort in Smallville?
The need to protect and mete out justice as portrayed by Molly Quinn in Unbound?

If anything, looking at these versions, it shows me just how complex Supergirl is as a character. That may be why DC struggles and only the finest creators can grasp her. Supergirl can be graceful and optimistic. And she can be fierce and protective. And she can be on the hero's journey. It might be tough to merge all those aspects ... but it isn't impossible. Look at Paul Kupperberg and Peter David and Sterling Gates stories and you'll see.

96 of you voted and I thank you all. As I always say, this isn't a statistically significant number of voters ... but it is a damn good focus group!

The poll was open for a week. The Timm-verse Supergirl jumped out to a quick lead with Helen Slater pushing her for a bit. But as the week closed, the animated features rocketed forward especially the Unbound movie.

The poll closed and the Timm-Verse Supergirl remained on top. But looking at the percentages, things were close and all the versions had their proponents.

I am not surprised by the Timm win. Given the luxury of time, we actually see the whole spectrum of Supergirl in this universe.

In the beginning on Superman:The Animated Series, Kara is an eager young hero hoping to reach past the borders of the Kent farm. This feels like the Silver Age Supergirl trying to get out of the orphanage and into heroing.

Then in the early Justice League Unlimited episodes, she is more established but fierce and proactive. She will jump into the fray earlier than Superman, often to try to bring about justice more quickly. The episode where she flies to meet the returning Amazo in the upper atmosphere shows exactly who she is. While everyone else waits for Amazo to come to Earth, she decides to be proactive and bring the fight to the android. Perfect.

And then, in the later episodes, we see the completion of this Kara's hero's journey. She is mature enough to be her own hero. She isn't stuck in Superman's shadow. She is her own person. And she chooses her own destiny, joining the Legion in the future.

If I ranked them ... the Anj list ... it would go like this.

1) Timm verse
2a) Supergirl the Movie - Helen Slater
2b) Smallville - Laura Vandervoort
3) Unbound - Molly Quinn
4) Apocalypse

Thanks again for everyone who voted.

And soooooo sorry that I left off Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever!

Poll: Favorite Film/TV Interpretation of Supergirl

With the recent announcement of a Supergirl television show we are all wondering exactly what sort of Supergirl we'll see on the new Greg Berlanti/Ali Adler show. The initial blurb says she will become the hero she was meant to be which leads me to think she won't be the angry isolated New 52 version.

Thinking about the new show reminded me that Supergirl has had a handful of other incarnations on the big and small screens. So I figured we could look back at those other versions of Kara, many of them from the recent past. And, to add to the fun, I thought you could vote on which 'outside of comics' Supergirl interpretation is your favorite.

Let's start at the beginning!

1) Supergirl movie starring Helen Slater - I think the Supergirl movie has a special place in the hearts of all Supergirl fans. It is completely campy. The plot makes little sense. The villain feels like she would fit right in on the old Batman television show, crazy with a headquarters at an abandoned carnival.

But the movie is saved by Helen Slater. She just embodies the optimism and grace and determination of Supergirl. She really is Supergirl here. This is the first appearance of the 'Matrix' style costume. And it includes Linda Lee, Midvale High, and a rubbish boyfriend.

Can Slater's performance trump the sheer lunacy of the movie to have this be your favorite Supergirl outside of comics?

2) Timmverse Supergirl - I have to believe that DC Animated Producer Bruce Timm is a Supergirl fan. He made sure to introduce Supergirl in both Superman the Animated Series and the subsequent Justice League Unlimited. This was Kara In-Ze, from the planet Argo, a planet in Krypton's solar system.

And Timm really had this Kara grow over the course of these series. The early episodes of S:TAS show a young, eager, almost impetuous young girl desperately trying to help. We see her befriend Batgirl in a famous Batman:The Animated Series episode. And then in JLU, we see something of an older and wiser Kara. Initially she is still a bit of a hothead. But over the series, we see her mature. We see her confront some demons when she battles Galatea. We see her acting like the veteran compared to Stargirl. And ultimately, she completes the hero's journey, joining the Legion in the future. If people want to see an arc of a character, this is where to go. 

As Timm said (somewhere) and I am paraphrasing "I don't care what people say, Supergirl kicked ass."

I am very partial to this incarnation of Supergirl.

3) Smallville - I have issues with how Clark was portrayed in the Smallville show feeling that he moped and sulked around before finally ... FINALLY ... being a hero!

But I have very few issues about how Supergirl was portrayed on the show. And much of that strength is thanks to Laura Vandervoort. She made Supergirl a strong, proactive, and heroic character. She was the perfect foil to Clark. While he was running around as a blur, she was in your face in her costume.

Unfortunately, Clark was the star. So as a result, this Supergirl had to lose her memory, hang out with Lex, and eventually leave the present time, heading into the future to join the Legion so that Clark would be 'free' to achieve his destiny.

Still, when she was active ... she was fantastic. And I liked the variable 'costumes' she wore. If any one of these non-comic interpretations show that a Supergirl show would work, it is Smallville and Vandervoort's performance

4) Superman/Batman:Apocalypse -This movie made by DC Animation is basically a retelling of the Jeph Loeb/Michael Turner comic arc which reintroduced the Kara Zor-El Supergirl to the DCU.

Visually, this is a great movie. I love the way this Supergirl looks, with wisps of blonde hair and (occasionally) a big smile. She is voiced by Summer Glau who does a great job getting across the young hero. And Glau gives the movie some street cred.

That said, this is the story where she is brainwashed by Darkseid and becomes a dirty girl for a short period of time. She does get in a decent fight with Darkseid at the end. And the movie does smooth out some of the rougher spots of the Loeb plot.

Superman Unbound - This was a movie based on Geoff Johns' Brainiac storyline. There is a lot to like about this version of Supergirl as well. She is a bit scarred by the Brainiac attacks on Krypton. But she channels that into a desire for justice. She is more proactive that the Smallville Kara. She ends up saving the world by stopping Brainiac solar missile. And the performance by Molly Quinn is fantastic.

I also think the overall look of Supergirl in this movie is slick as well.

Okay, those are the other non-comic versions of Supergirl. So let me know which one you like best. And vote on the poll over on the right.

Poll Results: Grade For The First Year Of Supergirl

A week ago I posed the question 'what grade would you give the first year of Supergirl'?

Now, this is a Supergirl blog so I assume that the people who frequent here are Supergirl fans. As a result, this isn't an unbiased audience to poll. After all, we are more likely to want to read and like a Supergirl book. That said, we are probably a more discerning bunch about Supergirl. We are her fans and we have lived through some hard times. So we might be harsher graders than an average comic fan who doesn't have a stake in how Supergirl is portrayed.

Anyways, 88 folks stopped by and voted. Thanks to everyone who took the time to click. As always, while this isn't powered to be statistically significant (with 30+ K readers each month), this is a great turn out and would be a great focus group size.

The results are above and pretty clear cut. As a whole, people have enjoyed this first year of Supergirl.  65% of voters gave it a B+ or higher. 12% gave it an A+ !

There are lots of good comments on the poll post here. 

As for me, I gave the book a B+.

I was trying to think back to the pre-New 52 promos, the bittersweet ending to Kelly Sue DeConnick's brief run on the book, the fear I had that things would be taking a huge step backwards. I felt a bit betrayed by DC. After all, the Gates/Igle run solidified the character as being a hero, set her forward on the hero's journey, and rehabilitating her character. Did we need to go back to square one?

Well, slowly, over this year, I have seen enough of this Supergirl to feel that the core of her character, that need to do good and help people, is there. This is the first time that the crushing loneliness and grief of the character, that conscious loss of everything, is being investigated. This isn't a happy Linda Lee heading into an orphanage. This isn't Kara living in the Fortress learning the ways of Earth. This is a girl adrift on a new planet, trying to figure out how she got there. And yet, despite all that, we have seen her time and again do the right thing as best she can.

She doesn't seem like 'Hell on wheels'. She doesn't seem to have no affection for humanity. She has jumped to the rescue of the people of Earth despite everything that has happened to her.

And, I will admit that that has changed how I look at this title. I was expecting a Supergirl that was a bratty, edgy, angsty, violent, loner. Thankfully, I haven't got that. Writers Mike Johnson and Michael Green seem to get who Supergirl is. They just have this opening portion of that hero's journey be more difficult, more mysterious than prior.

Now I still have my issues with the book. I wish she would learn English and communicate with people. I wish she would stop being attacked by the police and the military. I wish she and Superman would be closer. But even with these things, I have seen small progress which makes me think they aren't set in stone.

Add to that the fantastic art by Mahmud Asrar and I think this book is a winner.

Do I miss the Supergirl from the end of Gates' run? The one James Peaty set up as the leader of the next generation of heroes? Yes. I loved where that Supergirl was as a character, thinking she was about to take the next step.

But do I care about this Supergirl and her struggles? Yes.
Am I rooting for this Supergirl? Yes.

And that speaks volumes.

Poll: What Grade Would You Give This First Year Of Supergirl

We are one year into the DCnU reboot and I thought it would be a good time to poll the audience to see what you have thought of the book so far. What grade would you give this year's worth of Supergirl stories? Poll to the right.

In looking back at the pre-reboot discussion of the character, I was more than a bit worried. It sounded as though the new take was going to be of an isolated, alienated, disaffected, persecuted young woman. I worried that we might be straying closer to the beginning of the 2004 reboot Supergirl rather than the 'hero on a journey' we saw the last 3 years of her own book.

As usual, the publicity pieces didn't capture the true feeling of the book. Sure, some of the broad strokes are there but the truth is in the details.

I thought I would bring up some of the bigger concepts that have been in the book.

The biggest theme for me has been that Kara is basically a stranger in a strange land. Unlike prior incarnations of Supergirl, where she basically knew she was being rocketed to Earth, this Supergirl awakens to find herself on an alien world.

The original Kara knew Argo City was doomed, knew about Superman, knew about Earth. The later Supergirl knew she was being rocketed from a doomed Krypton, following Kal to Earth. This Kara doesn't know how or why she got to Earth. She is lost.

In some ways, that makes the main theme of this book one of dealing with grief. And I think that this Kara is working her way through those 5 stages. Even if she says that Earth will never be home in that second panel, she seems to be accepting her new situation more and more.

It hasn't been an easy transition with plenty of victories and defeats.

No two panels better illustrate that point better than the last panel of Supergirl #6 (where she is happy to have defeated the World Killers) and the first panel of Supergirl #7 (where she feels she needs to escape the attacking military).

If there is one plot point that I would like to see resolved sooner rather than later is this persecution from the military and police. This Supergirl seems to have a good moral compass, wanting to protect the innocent, wanting to help. It is hard to continue to do the right thing when you are vilified for it.

At least the public seems to be swayed to recognizing her heroics.

The big mystery is still out there of course. Who rocketed her to Earth? And from where ...Argo or Krypton?

We have seen glimpses of Kara's life on Krypton, heard from Zor-El and Alura, seen her lessons, and her mother's involvement in her romantic life. We also know that Zor-El is killed. And that Supergirl's pod was in orbit around the sun for at least 5 years.

All these things are linked. But clues have been lean. Answers are around the corner but had it been too long without a true 'origin'?

During her stay she has actually made a decent number of rogues. The World Killers. Simon Tycho. Black Banshee.

And while I think their last interaction was better than the first one, I still think there should be a better relationship between Supergirl and Superman. The scene in Supergirl #12 was a step in the right direction.

Add to that some crazy new powers like super-intuition and a solar flare and we have had a pretty crazy first year of the DCnU Supergirl.

Initially the first issues seemed to decompressed. But once the stage was set, I think pacing has been fine. Mike Johnson and Michael Green seem to have a grasp of just who Supergirl should be. And Mahmud Asrar's art has been breath-taking.

So please vote. And comments are always welcome! I'll tell you my grade when I review the poll results next week!

Results: Who Shot Zor-El? Poll

A week ago I asked 'who shot Zor-El?' and posted a poll to get a feel for the lay of the land. Even as I put the poll together, I understood that we haven't been shown a lot of Krypton making the list of suspects short and full of conjecture. At the time, I thought the most likely candidate was a scientist associate of Zor-El, someone wanting to make sure he didn't talk about the World Killer tech. I feared it might be Alura. But I also thought there was a chance it was someone we haven't even seen yet.

Interestingly, the results of the poll seem to mirror those feelings. 47 people voted on this short one week poll and 'Other' won the poll with 36%. After that it was basically a dead heat between Zod, Alura, and one of the scientists. Not surprisingly, the 2 choices I thought least likely (Jor-El or a World Killer) got the fewest votes.

I guess you have to declare General Zod the 'winner' among the suspects that I named. I suppose I am really hoping for 'not Alura' and Zod fits the bill.

But after mulling this over for a while I am starting to think about an idea I threw out there when I posted the poll.

Maybe Zor-El's killer and the missing '5th tube' World Killer is a new Reactron. That would be 'other' for sure.

Poll Results: World's Finest

Well, the votes are in and it looks like the next book that I will be reviewing on the site will be the new World's Finest, written by Paul Levitz with art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire. I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to vote! As always, it is the community of Supergirl fans that keep me energized to run this blog!

As for the poll, it was something of a landslide.

World's Finest took 44% of the vote, well ahead of second place Justice League's 20%.

As a Power Girl fan and a Huntress fan, I will be happy to post my thoughts here. And I love George Perez's  art and Kevin Maguire's art. I am glad that they are alternating arcs as it gives both of them some leeway to get the issues done. I am a long time Paul Levitz fan but I have felt his stuff is a bit hit-or-miss these days. I have enjoyed his Huntress mini-series a lot, which bodes well for this book. But his work on Legion and Legion:Secret Origin hasn't been as good.

But that isn't what worries me the most. As I said before, I tried to keep this site Power Girl free. I truly think of her and Supergirl as two different characters.

So there is one thing about this opening preview picture worries me ...

It looks like Power Girl actually was Supergirl on Earth-2! And for some reason that doesn't sit right with me.

One of the things I liked about PG from the beginning is that she was her own person, she purposefully didn't wear the S-shield, she didn't have the weight of that shield on her. And she was able to be a different sort of character than I identify Supergirl as. Yes, she was Kara Zor-L, from Krypton, Superman's cousin. But she wasn't Supergirl.

So I think I am going to have to see how that all plays out. Will her origin be similar to the current Supergirl's, an origin we don't know yet? Why didn't she just come out as Supergirl, given that Supergirl just just arrived on our Earth?

I don't know much about Supreme (someone I have read this costume is a riff on). I will miss the old costume as it fit Power Girl's personality perfectly. But this past as Supergirl is just a tad off-putting (even if what I see of the costume looks great).

As always, I will go in with an open mind.

And thanks again for everybody who voted!

Poll Result: Supergirl #1 Grades

Well there is no doubt that the DC Relaunch did just what DC was hoping it would, get people to buy comics, talk about comics, and read comics. But there needed to be more than a one month publicity stunt for this to work. The product had to be good. Good stories trump everything. And while I have liked a lot of what I have read, there have been some clunkers in the DCnU.

As for me, I kept wondering just what Supergirl  would be like. Vowing to go in with an open mind despite some worrisome pre-release comments, I thought the issue was a good opening volley. We got a smidge of origin, a lot of action, some plot threads teased, and a nice cliff hanger. We didn't get a great sense of who Supergirl was but that added a bit to the mystery. I gave the issue a 'B'.

But what did everybody else think. I figured a poll would give me a nice lay of the land.

Thanks to everyone who voted. There was a good turnout to this poll with 78 people voting. And while that is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the tens of thousands of issues sold, I think that is a pretty good number maybe giving a sense of the public's feelings. (And yes I know it isn't powered enough to be significant.)

It looks like most people felt the same way I did, with a healthy majority voting either an 'A' or a 'B'. For a new comic trying to get people to come back, this is a pretty good breakdown. My guess is those people are coming back for more.

Around a quarter of the people voted 'C' but that isn't necessarily a fail.

There were a couple of  'F's mixed in there too.

Still, the creative team should be happy with the buzz of this first issue as it seemed well received around the internet and on this fan poll. I still am waiting to see just who this Supergirl is but there were some hints in this issue that made me hopeful.

Poll Results: New Title To Review Is Legion Of Super-Heroes

When R.E.B.E.L.S. cancellation was announced, I realized that there would be an open slot in my review schedule.  And not knowing which title should slide into that slot, I thought a poll would be fun, opening up the decision to popular vote.

There had been a few suggestions prior to the poll so I included those titles as choices. 105 people took the time to cast a vote. Thanks to all who participated.

It very quickly became a two title race between Batgirl and Legion of Super-Heroes, both titles that I collect and enjoy. I have to say I would love reviewing any of the books on the list but there had to be a winner. And, after Batgirl had opened up an early lead, Legion finally overtook her and maintained a slim lead until the poll closed. So from now on, Legion of Super-Heroes will be reviewed on Comic Box Commentary. It seems appropriate given that R.E.B.E.L.S. is sort of an LSH offshoot. And the Legion is one of my all-time favorite group of characters, so I come with some degree of historical knowledge.

I'll start with the Legion of Super-Villains one-shot next month. I don't know how much cross-over there will be with Adventure Comics so hopefully I haven't got myself into a deep hole here.

Again, I want to thank everyone who comes here and was interested enough to vote. I can't believe that over 100 people voted, by far the most votes in a poll of mine. Thanks so much for your time and interest!

Poll: What New Title Should I Formally Review Here?

With the announcement that R.E.B.E.L.S. is going to end in May, I realized that there would be a hole in my monthly blog routine for a non-Super comic to review. R.E.B.E.L.S. was a guilty pleasure and while it didn't really fit into the theme of this place, I liked stretching my legs a bit into the rest of the DCU.

When the end of R.E.B.E.L.S. was announced, I posed the question of which book I should start reviewing here on a monthly basis and got some interesting suggestions, all of which were already on my pull list. But I thought it would be fun to run a quick poll to see which title should be added to Comic Box Commentary's monthly review. So here are the suggestions with some of my thoughts. I hope people will be interested enough to vote.

1) Batgirl - I was so taken in by Batgirl #8 and Batgirl #14 (both bought because of Supergirl appearances) that I quickly went out and scooped up all the back issues I could find and added the book to my subscription. It is a sneaky good book ... always loads of fun. Steph is a very likable character and she is working hard to be part of the Bat-family while being herself as well.

The one thing is I know nothing ... I mean nothing ... about her time as Robin, Spoiler, the events around her 'death', etc. So I won't have the historical background I do with Supergirl.

Still, I love the book.

2) Birds of Prey - Another fun book, albeit in a very different vein than Batgirl. Gail Simone has such a handle with these characters and writes them as three-dimensional fully formed people. I have always been a Huntress fan, but I became a Black Canary and Oracle fan because of Simone. I also like Hawk and Dove a lot (I would love a H&D solo series) and Lady Blackhawk is a hoot month in month out.

I collected Simone's original run of BoP and this new title, but little else of the book. I think I have a pretty good handle on these characters. It is a bit of a darker book than I am used to reviewing which might mix things up nicely.

3) Legion of Super-Heroes - Well, I have been reading Legion books for almost as long as I have been reading. Some of my earliest memories of comics are the Grell issues of Legion (I suppose that dates me somewhat). They are one of my favorite concepts in comics, although some reboots have been rougher than others. I know I am in the minority that liked the '5 years later' run. I didn't get any of the DnA books. I liked the Waid/Kitson books and not just because Supergirl was in it. So I have enough background with the book (especially here with Levitz picking up where he left off those many years ago), that I would feel fine reviewing the book.

I have talked about featuring Legion here in the past but never got around to doing it. Is now the right time?

4) Zatanna - You can't beat the current creative team of Dini and Igle. The issues I have read of the title have been solid. It would be a fresh book for me to review as I have a working knowledge of Zatanna but nothing in depth.

5) Sterling Gates' Top Secret project - When will it be announced? What will it be? One thing I do know, Gates has won me as a fan so I will be buying the title. But should it be reviewed here?

6) Other - Of course, these were the only suggestions I got. Maybe there is something I'm not even thinking about.If you vote other, let me know which title you are thinking of.

Anyways, I thought it might be fun to open the floor for a vote. Vote early ... vote often!

"Best Of" Newsarama Polls

The end of the year is approaching and that means people are starting to put together 'best of' lists. Trust me, I am already putting together my thoughts about the "Top Ten Supergirl Moments of 2010".

Newsarama is doing the same, looking back at 2010, picking their favorites from the comic world, and doing a round robin tournament for a number of categories. In a nice nod to the current Supergirl creative team, both the title and the individual creators all made it into the tournament. If you like the job they have done, please click the links below and vote.

Here is the link for the Ongoing title: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-ongoing-2010-round-1-101210.html

Supergirl drew the 5th seed in the opening round and is going up against a very good American Vampire book. In theory, this means the Newsarama crew thought that Supergirl was the 5th best title on the market last year. How fantastic is that! I think we should vote early and often to get the book through the first round!

But the title couldn't be fantastic without the creators working on the book.

 Sterling Gates was nominated in the 'Favorite Writer' category.

Here is the link for the best writer: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-writers-2010-round-1-101206.html

In what is a tough pull, Gates is the 15 seed going up against the juggernaut of Robert Kirkman. In the NCAA College Basketball tourney, 2-15 upsets are exceedingly rare. I am glad that Gates was recognized for the great work that he did this last year, seeing Kara through some tough times.

Jamal Igle has done such wonderful work on the book, so I was happy to see him nominated in the "Favorite Artist" category.

Here is the link: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-artists-2010-round-1-101207.html

Igle drew a very high 4 seed in this opening round. Samnee's work on Thor was beloved so I am hoping an upset doesn't happen. Igle really shined this year drawing some very emotional scenes intermixed with high action scenes as well. As for me, I adore the 'Closet of Solitude' splash page. His work was so polished; he deserves the high seed.

And newcomer to the book, Amy Reeder, has done such wonderful eye-catching covers since joining Supergirl. How fantastic that in that short time, her work was noticed. Supergirl #58 was nominated for the 'Favorite Cover" category.

Here is the link for that category: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-covers-2010-round-1-101208.html

In what appears to be a grudge match between Supergirl and American Vampire, the two titles square off again. This really is a great angelic pose for Kara, deserving of recognition.

As they say in Chicago, vote early and vote often.

And as a Supergirl fan, it was great to see the title recognized for the high quality it has shown this last year in all phases of the book. Congratulations to Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, and Amy Reeder for being nominated.

Poll Results: Optimism Or Pessimism?

The day after I posted my Optimism/Pessimism poll on this blog I regretted it.

Should I really be pessimistic about where Supergirl is as a character right now? Was it that I had felt so spoiled these last couple of years when the character was starring in great stories, featured on TV and in the movies, and having statues, shirts, and action figures made of her, that any change was scary? Were the dwindling sales of the main title ... did the changing of the creative team on the title ... did those things really justify me feeling so glum?

Or was this a natural feeling?  At times, I did feel like the other shoe was about to drop ... that things were suddenly going off the tracks for my favorite character right when I felt she was finally in a great place. Unfortunately, I have felt this way before.

Well, I guess other fans than me are feeling the same way. First off, let me thank the 74 people who voted in this poll, my most popular poll on this blog to date. I can't thank the folks that come here enough. It is the community here that keeps me posting.

If this poll is an accurate measurement of the Supergirl fanbase's feelings, we are clearly conflicted. The vote was nearly 50/50 as to whether there should be optimism or pessimism over Supergirl. (And I am not suggesting that 74 people voting has enough statistical power to make any sweeping statements about any group's feelings. Still, 74 people might be a decent focus group size.)

Since I posted the poll, Nick Spencer has done several interviews and has said a lot of the right things about the character that all sounded great. Blog friend Saranga talked to Bernard Chang at a recent con (here is that link: http://paiwings.blogspot.com/2010/11/london-expo.html ) and he also said good things. I think the main title is going to be okay. I can remember feeling the same way after reading some of Sterling Gates first interviews about Supergirl. That the creators 'got' Supergirl. I feel more optimistic.

Anyways, the poll was too close to call I think, although optimism won by a whisker. So I think we are collectively nervous.

So I thought I would review some times when maybe I had more reason to be pessimistic as a way of putting the current time in better perspective.

1987: In the post-Crisis world, there was no Supergirl

1989: Matrix Supergirl believes she is Superman, goes crazy, flees Earth

1992: Matrix Supergirl brainwashed by Brainiac into becoming a villain

1993: Duped into falling in love with Lex Luthor, uses her shape-changing powers to become more 'pleasing forms' for him in the bedroom

2003: Linda Danvers abandons her Supergirl name and goes 'underground'; title cancelled

2004-7: Supergirl comes back as an angsty hard-edged young woman with no heroic tendencies, attacks the JLA, attacks the Titans, attacks Power Girl, attacks the Outsiders, attacks Superboy. Goes on a rebel mission in Candor with Power Girl. Gets goosed by her evil cousin. Gets mind controlled by Saturn Queen. Attacks Power Girl again. Abandons mission in Candor. Attacks Batgirl. Then it is revealed that she and her father gunned down her high school class. Oh, and she was sent to Earth to kill Superman.

See, there were tougher times than this! Sheesh, no wonder we have a pessimistic streak in us as a fanbase. And that's only the post-Crisis time. And these are off the top of my head.

One thing I can say, I think DC now understands the value of Supergirl as a character. And this really is a high point in terms of exposure and strength of character. Maybe I should run this poll again after the new year. Maybe we'll all feel better.

Thanks again to everyone who voted.

Poll: Optimism Or Pessimism

For some time on this blog, I have been saying that this is a good time to be a Supergirl fan. In fact, I never felt more optimism over the character than I did during 2010. There was so much to be happy about.

And yet suddenly, now, I have this sort of nagging sense of dread. Why do I feel like we are approaching a cliff? Am I too pessimistic? So I figured that I would open up to a poll ... to get some sense from Supergirl's fans. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about where we are going? Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

I tried to delineate some of what is going through my mind below.

Why should I consider the glass half full?

1) 2 + years of Gates/Igle: Let's face it, this was probably the biggest reason for my earlier optimism. I know that their run wasn't universally loved. But I think most people felt that they brought a sense of maturity and respectability to the character. All the nonsensical and insulting stuff from before ... the crystal spikes, the Daddy issues, the high school shooting, the reluctance to be a hero, the overwhelming angst ... it all went away. And then we had a Supergirl trying to be a hero, learning and growing, striving and struggling. Those are the stories I want to read ... and they were done so well.

2) She is a star in JLA: It's almost like being promoted to the major leagues. Suddenly Supergirl was the muscle of the JLA, the S-shield representative on the biggest most important hero team in the DCU. On top of that, James Robinson seemed to have a better grasp of her character than he did in Cry For Justice. Here she was an eager hero, willing to throw herself into the fray.

3) Statues galore: Between October and January, 4 Supergirl statues were solicited: the DVD maquette, the Turner mini-statue, the Dynamic statue, and the Adam Hughes Cover Girl full sized statue. She is going to be a segment of the Superman Family multi-part statue in July. She is scheduled to have another Women Of DC bust statue. And that doesn't even count the Ame Comi stuff I don't like and the Superwoman action figure coming out next month. With all this merchandise coming out, DC must realize they have a star.

4) Smallville: Supergirl has had a decent showing on Smallville in the past. This season she showed up as an actualized hero, even sporting some quasi-uniforms. The Maiden of Might indeed ... maybe there is a spinoff in there somewhere.

5) Superman/Batman: Apocalypse: She stole the show in the movie, growing from a reluctant hero to someone who chose that path. She squared off against Darkseid and ended up being responsible for his defeat. The more squirrely parts of the actual comic book arc was smoothed out. The movie paid her the respect she deserves. An animated Supergirl movie! Who'd have ever thought it was possible?

6) Hot Nick Spencer on book: Even as I lament the loss of Sterling Gates, there should be some optimism that Nick Spencer is coming on board. The guy is everywhere and is being lauded for his work on Jimmy Olsen and Morning Glories. He brings a buzz to the book and maybe that means new readers.

Why should I consider the glass half-empty?

1) Gates/Igle leaving: Not everyone gets Supergirl. These guys did. There were clearly more stories percolating inside them. The preview page in Superman #700 talked into next summer. But suddenly they were gone. I know Igle asked off of the book (at least he said so on his blog). I don't know about Gates. But their stories were the type of Supergirl stories I want to read.

2) Dark Supergirl taking her spot on JLA: Just when it seemed like Supergirl was making her mark in the JLA, I read that she is off the team and 'Dark Supergirl' is taking her place. That would feel like being demoted from the majors and your spot being taken by someone with the same talent but is a jerk, clubhouse nuisance.

3) Potential for Kara as the end villain on Smallville: I know she was great in the 'Supergirl' episode but I am absolutely convinced that she will be Darkseid's vessel on Smallville in the big finale. And until I see differently, I am going to believe this. There were too many hints. It just makes too much bad sense for Smallville not to do it.

4) While major character in Apocalypse, barely mentioned in ads: Yes, she was in many ways the star of the movie, but DC had such little confidence in her carrying the movie that her presence in the film was barely acknowledged in trade ads, previews, or the very cover of the movie. This was a Supergirl movie based on a story arc called Supergirl and it starred Supergirl. And yet, you would never know it if you picked this movie up off the rack.

5) Dwindling sales: Sales continue to suffer from a month to month basis. And now we have a new direction complete with a pink S-shield and no incentive covers. Is there going to be a point where DC thinks they should just pull the plug. I don't think Supergirl will get the same 'no worries' label that Jonah Hex and R.E.B.E.L.S. seem to enjoy.

6) A pink S-shield?

So how do you feel? Please vote!

Results: New World's Finest Poll - The Steph's Have It!

Thanks to everyone who voted in my last poll - Who should be the New World's Finest?

In many ways I feel that this was a sham of a poll. Despite this being a Supergirl blog, the truth is there should have been choices that included Superboy/Conner. A strong argument could be made that Superboy/Robin should be the new World's Finest; it's almost obvious.

But this is a Supergirl blog. And I think of Supergirl as the legacy holder of the S-shield. So, if she is one half of the New World's Finest, who did everyone think represented the Bat-half? Thanks to the 69 folks who voted! That was a much bigger turnout than I expected for this poll.

The winner, far and away, was the Supergirl and Batgirl team. Kara and Steph garnered 50% of the vote (35 votes). We have seen them in action only a couple of times now. But in both instances, you could see how they were coming from a similar place and therefore how they could be good friends. The panel above shows just how comfortable I think they would be with each other, joking in the middle of combat. I can completely see the two of them acting as the New World's Finest. Superman/Batman easily leads to Supergirl/Batgirl.

Surprisingly, the second place vote getter was 'leave it as Superman and Batman'. This old school choice got 30% of the votes cast (21 votes). I added this choice because there might be a contingent of fans who simply feel that the name World's Finest is synonymous with Superman and Batman. There has never been a New Beatles ... or a New Doors. How could there be? But I wonder how many of these voted would have gone to a Conner choice.

Outside those two choices, no other choice broke 10 votes.

Supergirl and Batman (Dick) grabbed 11% of the votes (8 votes). This is James Robinson's new World's Finest, acting together in his Justice League of America comic. Again, I equate World's Finest with equal super-hero friends. I think Dick will be more of a mentor to Supergirl. I look forward to seeing that interaction ... but it isn't World's Finest in my mind.

My choice of Supergirl and (Red) Robin (Tim Drake) limped in with 7% of the vote (5 votes). I think Tim and Kara are probably at similar points in their careers, both experienced enough not to be considered rookies, but clearly still learning. I loved their adventure together in Superman/Batman #65. I hope these two have some more adventures together.

Not surprisingly, Supergirl and Robin (Damian Wayne) got 0% of the votes. I think it is obvious that Supergirl and Damian would not easily get along.

The bottom line is that Supergirl/Batman (Dick) will be working together in JLA and I will be there. But, like most of the voters, I hope to see more of the Supergirl/Batgirl friendship.

Thanks again to everyone who voted!