Review: Supergirl #54

Supergirl #54, the second part of the ‘Who is Supergirl?’ arc, came out this week and continued the new direction of this title after the events of War of the Supermen.

The cover of the book in no ways mirrors the contents or tone of the book itself. Brightly colored and featuring a smiling confident Supergirl, this Shane Davis cover is certainly beautiful and really shined on the rack. But this has to be an inventory piece, put on the book while Amy Reeder catches up with cover chores. The Supergirl on the inside doesn’t feel that way; she is still reeling from the death of her family, the destruction of her people, and her perceived role in all that devastation.

The story is titled ‘Looking Glass’ and that works on a couple of levels here. For one, Supergirl is facing her mirror image, the backwards BizarroGirl … the reverse of all she is. But also, this issue shows how Kara has to look in the mirror, look at herself, and deal with what she is feeling, move on from her grief and self-pity.

Despite BizarroGirl ripping apart Metropolis, Supergirl remains out of action, convinced she can only do more harm than good. That means it is up to ordinary folks to play the part of the hero.

Here Jimmy Olsen channels his old ‘Mr. Action’ moniker, riding his motorcycle straight into the combat zone and saving a young child while he is at it. After nearly being killed by Agent Assassin, everything seems to be going well for Olsen. He has a job, a great girlfriend (who is it anyways?), and kids think he is cool.
It looks like Jimmy is going to be a part of this book’s supporting cast and I like this take on him. It reminded me of his stories in Superman Family when he was taking down the mob while dodging bullets.

Unfortunately, even Olsen can’t escape the clutches of BizarroGirl. Luckily he is able to snap a picture of her before he is subdued by her and send it off to the Planet.

At the Planet, Lana sees the picture of BizarroGirl and sneaks away to call Supergirl and convince her to fly into action. It is a nice little exchange as Lana implores her to shake the ashes off and do what’s right. What would her family want her to do? And a bit more cutting, Lana tells her she can’t be a Lang if she is going to lock herself up in her soundproofed room.

It seems a bit more direct and less abrasive than Lana’s plea from last issue.

Despite thinking she is alone when she makes the call, Lana is mistaken. Cat Grant is there and overheard the whole thing. Now luckily Lana only used the name Kara during the conversation so hopefully Cat doesn’t figure out that Linda is Supergirl. But it does show Cat that Lana and Supergirl have a close relationship.

I have to agree with Cat … it is very interesting. How will Cat use that information in her war against Supergirl? How will she manipulate Lana? I can’t wait to see.

Lana’s speech stirs Linda into action. There is a very nice page of small panels and no dialogue that shows just how much Supergirl is struggling with her next move. She clearly is torn.

I loved the whole page but these were my favorite panels. First she turns the hologram picture of her parents back on, a very physical sign that she understands she cannot simply deny that part of herself.

And then this great panel of her remembering watching Reactron explode, watching Alura be vaporized, that silent scream behind the force field wall. Remember, Supergirl already witnessed the ‘death’ of her parents when Brainiac swarmed Argo City. Then Zor-El died in her arms. And then she had to bear witness to Alura’s death again. That has to affect her. That has to weigh on her.

But she realizes she needs to move on; she needs to be a hero. She needs to do what’s right.

At last we see the preview page from Superman #700.

It is time for Linda to realize she cannot deny her heritage, she cannot deny she is Supergirl anymore. It's almost like she is looking at herself, realizing this is who she is. Sort of like a looking glass ... right?

I love this page if only because it shows how much the creative team loves this character.

And then it seems like she has been freed emotionally from all that pain. I am sure Linda still has a heavy heart, still has to work all this out. But that half-smile on her face shows that that first step of embracing her heroic destiny was probably the most important. We haven't seen Supergirl smile in several months.

And what a splash page … recognize the pose?

It’s the mirror image of this iconic pose her cousin struck waayyyy back on Superman #1.

I thought this was a nice homage. And I wonder if the reversal of the pose was because of the ‘looking glass’ theme here.

She streaks towards BizarroGirl’s last location.

But there is more than just BizarroGirl that Metropolis needs to worry about. The young boy Jimmy saved early on is led into a negative realm by a Metropolis ‘police man’.

So first off, this has to be the Toyman right? Kidnapping children and taking them to the Ghost Zone or some such place?

Secondly, the police officer is ‘Officer Kruptky’. Hmmm … maybe the Toyman is 'depraved on account of being deprived'? Ugh. I just realized I made a West Side Story joke.

But the major threat in this issue is BizarroGirl. I don’t quite understand her behavior as she has captured and restrained a number of people. Many are tied to the Supergirl character: Jimmy, Dr. Light, Gangbuster. But there are unnamed others too. Are these random people? Or somehow linked to who BizarroGirl thinks she is?
Regardless, Supergirl shows up and the fight is on.

Another small thing I like here is that BizarroGirl calls Supergirl ‘Bizarro me’. To her, Supergirl is the bizarre imperfect duplicate.

With similar if opposite powers (heat vision vs. ice vision, flame breath vs. super breath), the fight seems to be a stalemate until Supergirl potentially discovers BizarroGirl’s psychological weakness. BizarroGirl gets very upset when her rocket is damaged; she even calls it her home.

Now what does that mean? Could it mean that BizarroGirl was in her ship as long as Kara was in hers, but rather than being in suspended animation she was awake? Maybe she thinks her ship is her home? Maybe that is the only place she remembers?

It seems to be a clue to BizarroGirl’s origins? Or maybe it is just the ramblings of an addled mind.

Regardless, Supergirl plans to use this to her advantage and threatens to destroy the ship unless BizarroGirl releases her captives.

Even more enraged by this threat on her ‘home’, BizarroGirl unleashes a new power. Although the logic is somewhat twisted (isn’t everything with Bizarros?), her reverse X-Ray vision somehow solidifies … petrifies … Supergirl. Nice cliffhanger!

What a great issue!

I am glad that the ‘down in the dumps, inactive’ Linda period was relatively short. I don’t know if I could deal with multiple issues of Linda just drowning in her sadness. So I was happy to see her don the costume again, even if it is reluctantly.

And the BizarroGirl storyline is a nice mystery. It also allows Sterling Gates the perfect foil to show Linda just who she is. This is an arc where Supergirl is struggling to define herself … what better way than to look into a mirror darkly?

And what are BizaaroGirl's origins? I am going to say my ‘hate so powerful it gained consciousness’ theory is out. My theory of ‘Kara trying to clone herself so she could resurrect her people’ theory also seems wrong because I figure she would realize that is who BizarroGirl is. I guess my first theory ‘failed experiment by Alura’ is still a possibility. Any other guesses?

Add to that the Cat subplot and the (presumed) Toyman subplot and you have a nice set-up for the next year.

As usual, Jamal Igle’s stuff here is top notch. For a story so charged with psychological overtones of grief and insecurity, you need an artist who can convey character’s emotions via their expressions and body language. Igle can do that so unbelievably well. That half-smile on the splash page speaks volumes. And BizarroGirl is just a frightening monster.

Very nice all around!

Overall grade: A

October 2010 Solicits

How many times over the last couple of years have I said 'it is a good time to be a Supergirl fan?'

October 2010 is a reminder that it IS a good time. There is so much goodness in October that I fear I am going to break the piggy bank.

The total DC comics solicits are available now at Newsarama here. Some good stuff there. Here are the super family entries.


SUPERGIRL #57 Written by STERLING GATES Art by JAMAL IGLE & JON SIBAL Cover by AMY REEDER & RICHARD FRIEND Showdown at Bizarro World! How can the Girl of Steel defeat a threat that has already taken down an entire planet of Bizarros? And what about BizarroGirl - can Supergirl trust her twisted mirror self to help out? Well, if Bizarros are opposites, and Supergirl is noble, brave and heroic... uh ... good luck defeating the monstrous intergalactic foe by yourself, Kara!

First off, fantastic cover by Amy Reeder. I love the very stylized appearance of the hair and cape here.

I do like that Supergirl and BizarroGirl are still slugging it out 4 issues from now. Makes me think this is going to be a huge story arc. But who is that 'monstrous intergalactic foe'? Someone here (sorry I forget) guessed Lord Xenon from the 'Many Happy Returns' Peter David story. Great thought!

This just has the feeling of being a classic!



SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #2 Written by STERLING GATES Art by MATT CAMP Cover by AMY REEDER & RICHARD FRIEND In a special story that has direct ties to the regular monthly SUPERGIRL series, the Girl of Steel visits The Legion of Super-Heroes on Halloween in the 30th century! But Halloween proves to be just as spooky a holiday a thousand years from now as it is today, because a horrible new threat has awoken thanks to Supergirl's arrival. And that horrible new threat's name is - Satan Girl! Brainiac 5 has a plan, but it may come at the cost of shattering his potential romance with Supergirl!

At last, the solicit for Supergirl Annual #2. This is the first time Brainy meets Supergirl (although not the first time Supergirl has met him ... I love time travel paradoxes). So it is great to see these two together again for the first time. We can only hope romance is in the air.

But wait ... Satan Girl is the villain! Fantastic! Long time Supergirl fans remember the Silver Age Satan Girl and don't worry, I'll review that issue soon. I can't wait to see how Gates reimagines that character!

And Supergirl pinch hitter extraordinaire Matt Camp is on art duties. I love Camp's stuff so I am glad to see him rendering Kara again.




JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #50 Written by JAMES ROBINSON Art by MARK BAGLEY with POW RODRIX & ROB HUNTER & NORM RAPMUND Gatefold cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER 1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” Variant cover by JIM LEE 1:10 Variant cover by MARK BAGLEY Jade is plagued by the remanants of the Black Lantern, and Dr. Impossible and his group’s machinations unleash the Crime Syndicate upon the JLA’s Earth as BRIGHTEST DAY continues shining! What are their true plans? And can the World’s Greatest Heroes handle these evil incarnations – or is the entire Multiverse doomed?

I wasn't sure whether or not I'd be happy with the Robinson/Bagley Justice League but I have little to complain about. The stories and art have been good.

Now we get this little tease ... Supergirl fighting Ultraman, as drawn by Ethan Van Sciver. Wow!

I really really really hope that we get to see Supergirl mop the floor with him. I mean it. I want to see her give him a beat down. I'll be pretty disappointed if she loses this fight.

Still, it is great to see Supergirl on the big league team.



SUPERMAN/BATMAN #77 Written by JOSH WILLIAMSON Art and cover by ALE GARZA Something evil is haunting Supergirl! But whatever's causing the disturbance is nothing compared to what she's about to run into in Gotham City when she seeks help from the new Robin, Damian. Can these two get along long enough to stop the nightmares plaguing Metropolis? Find out in this special Halloween issue!

One of the 'next World's Finest' possibilities was Supergirl/Damian. It didn't seem like an easy team up as they have differing styles. But that very 'oil and water' nature could make for some interesting stories.

So what a surprise to see this Halloween issue and that team up in Superman/Batman. I don't know Josh Williamson so I don't know what to expect. It will be nice to see Ale Garza's interpretation of Supergirl again.



SUPERMAN #704 Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI Art by EDDY BARROWS & J.P. MAYER Cover by JOHN CASSADAY 1:10 Variant cover by GEOF DARROW J. Michael Straczynski's "Grounded" storyline, which has made headlines in USA TODAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, continues right here as Superman visits the Chicago area! In this issue, Superman discovers that there is a darkness even more immense than outer space: the darkness of the human heart turned against itself.

So this is what I worried about when the theme of Grounded was revealed. How do you put Superman into a story involving (I am assuming) child abuse. There is no easy out for Superman here. If he dispatches the abusive parent, it is too easy an answer. If he doesn't do anything he isn't a hero. If he convinces someone else to do something and it works, it seems too pat.

I don't know how this is going to read. I'm worried. Of course it has done what DC wanted. They can say that USA Today, the New York Times, and Entertainment Weekly are talking about the character.




ACTION COMICS #894 Written by PAUL CORNELL Co-feature written by NICK SPENCER Art by PETE WOODS Co-feature art by RB SILVA & DENIS FRIETAS Cover by DAVID FINCH & BATT Guest-starring Death from SANDMAN! Yes, you read that right! Death! From SANDMAN! In ACTION COMICS! Lex Luthor finds himself literally at Death's door, which leads to a fascinating look not only into the mind of one of the all-time greatest villains, but also at what Death means in the DC Universe... And in the JIMMY OLSEN co-feature, an alien race has chosen Metropolis to be the host of their millennial celebration! And who better to show them around town than James Bartholomew Olsen? But when the alien princess gets wasted and her brother starts picking bar fights, it's up to Jimmy to get things under control before all of Metropolis is destroyed!

I talked about this before. I am honestly very curious about this issue. How will Cornell mingle the two genres. Finch does a lovely Death here.




SUPERMAN: THE LAST FAMILY OF KRYPTON #3 Written by CARY BATES Art by RENATO ARLEM Cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA It's the awe-inspiring conclusion of the story that brought the entire El Family to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton - and brought legendary creator Cary Bates back to Superman! Have Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El delivered a similar fate to their adopted world? And how do Lex Luthor and Brainiac factor into what might (literally) be the Earth-shattering finale of this Elseworlds adventure?

The more time passes, the more I am looking forward to this book.

It would be a classic Elseworld's ending if Earth is destroyed and Kal-El rockets his son to a red sun planet to live a 'normal life'.




ADVENTURE COMICS #519 Written by PAUL LEVITZ Co-feature written by JEFF LEMIRE Art by KEVIN SHARPE & MARLO ALQUIZA Co-feature art by MAHMUD ASRAR & JOHN DELL Cover by SCOTT CLARK & DAVID BEATY In the latest "Superboy and the Legion: The Early Years," the Legion travels to the 20th century to visit Smallville rather than have Superboy head into the future. But what they find on the Kent farm is something that will haunt not only their own lives, but that of Superboy!

I haven't heard how long 'Early Years' will be running in Adventure. The comics market hasn't really been able to sustain one Legion book ... let alone two. Will this flashback book bring in enough readers to stay afloat?

As a Legion fan, I feel obligated to buy this book.



SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE DVD SUPERGIRL MAQUETTE
SCULPTED BY PHIL RAMIREZ
A mysterious space ship from Planet Krypton crashes on Earth with a beautiful girl inside and everyone wants to meet the new kid. Superman embraces the connection to his past, Batman suspects a traitor, Wonder Woman senses a kindred spirit and Darkseid desires a champion. But this feisty teen has her own ideas, none of which include a secret identity, a cape or heroics. It will take a life or death battle with Darkseid to uncover her true purpose on Earth. A dynamic voice cast – Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Andre Braugher and Summer Glau – highlights this DC Universe Animated Original Movie introducing the world to Supergirl.
This hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain maquette of Supergirl is based on art from the highly anticipated Warner Home Video made-for-DVD animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse!

And, as usual, a nice surprise.

Solicited to be released in 'allocated quantities' on 9/29 (the day after the movie release), this statue based on the Supergirl of the movie "only" costs $99.99.

Man ... it is a good time to be a Supergirl fan. But it's also an expensive time! That is the 4th Supergirl statue solicited for the months between September and January. And I'm not even counting the Ame Comi ones I'm not interested in.

I don't know if I can afford this one. But I'll try. It looks pretty nice.

October looks like another great month. I am really excited for the Annual.

Review: Adventure Comics #516

With a new Legion of Super Heroes comic out, reverting the team's history to the Baxter series continuity, it would make sense that DC would want to put out a comic that would review some of the team's history ... something to get the new readers up to speed. Writer Paul Levitz has said that he is picking up the team's continuity after his 'Magic Wars' arc from way back in 1989. That's a many years and several reboots ago.

Adventure Comics #516 tells R.J. Brande's story which intertwines with Legion history pretty closely. There is a lot of exposition here, Brande appearing after his death as a holographic story-teller, retelling his life story to the Legionnaires present. Of course, they all know this story or most of it.

In fact, that was one of my own selfish concerns here. I know most of this story too. Would this issue be worth my time? Luckily Levitz throws in some new flourishes that I enjoyed. And the overall theme, that Brande is as big a hero as any Legion because of the changes he brought to the universe, is a nice one.

The issue starts on Durla, Brande's home planet. The world has been devastated by their race's "6 minute war" (makes the Earth/Krypton 100 minute war seems like a drawn out siege) and the few survivors have adapted shape-changing abilities just to survive in that environment.

The Durlan Brande discovers a small cache of books which opens his mind to the possibility of a life off-planet. In a nice little addition to the Legion Lore, Brande is inspired by Superman to try to get off the planet. Trying form after form, he finally stumbles onto a shape that allows him to survive in space and simply leaves Durla behind.

There were a couple of nice touches in these early scenes on Durla as well. One, it is hinted (and later confirmed) that Brande laid the egg that is Reep Daggle. Brande is the mother and father. Interesting. Second, Brande discusses Durlan shape changing - sometimes you get the attributes of the creature, sometimes it is simply changing the outer form.


Brande contracts Yorrigan fever and loses his shape-changing abilities, becoming stuck as Brande.

He is able to use his knowledge of Durlan technology to create his star-starter missiles, becoming one of the richest and most influential men in the universe.


Despite leaving Durla behind, he wants to bring them into galactic community. In another nice touch, it is revealed that the usual shape we see Durlans in (orange skin and antennae) is Brande's idea! He hired xenologists to find a form that wouldn't frighten outsiders.


And he also hires more people to try to and find a role model/spokesperson to help fight the xenophobia and isolationism that is rampant on Earth. That person is Superman. Ironic, since it was Superman that led him off-world too.

What better way to get Superman to spread the word than to bring Superman to the future. Suddenly Brande finds himself sponsoring Professor Circadia Senius and Braniac 5's time travel experiments.

So this piece of the puzzle, Brande working hard to help elevate his people on Durla is a nice little new wrinkle to his back story. He could have never looked behind. But instead he tried to do what was right for his world ... his son.

When Brainy makes a breakthrough, Brande is off-world. The only way to get back is to jump on a packed flight back to Earth, the flight that Rokk, Garth, and Imra are one. The one where they foil an assassination attempt on Brande and become the Legion.

This another nice new addition ... explaining something I have always wondered. At least now we know why Brande, one of the richest men in the universe, was riding coach on a space cruiser. Still, you would think he would have a private ship.

I love it when oddities in origin stories from the Silver Age are able to be explained away by good writing. This is like when Alan Moore explained why Abin Sur was in a spaceship to begin with.


Of course, the Legion is formed, Brainy's time bubble works, Superboy is added to the roster, and the rest is history.

It is nice that Brande says that he hoped to change the universe a little at a time and that the Legion was able to help him accomplish that. He also tells Chameleon Boy just how proud he is of him. It is a personal touch added to the bigger story.


And with that there is nothing left to say but 'Long Live the Legion'.

So, it's a nice story ... a retread with some new beats for an old time Legion fan like me. Kevin Sharpe's art is fine. But the book felt a little bit like seeing a repeat on TV, or a movie remake. I would love to hear what someone hearing this story for the first time thought of it.

Jeff Lemire and Mahmud Asrar's Atom back-up story is a solid story with Ray Palmer seeking out the Calculator. I have never been a big Atom fan but this was pretty good.

Overall grade: B-

Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #18

I have said before that R.E.B.E.L.S. as a title needs to keep Brainiac 2, Vril Dox, at the epicenter of the book. All the character development and plots need to evolve and revolve around him for this title to work at its best. The 'What happens in Vega' storyline ended on a high note in regards to that R.E.B.E.L.S. caveat. Vril was back as the center of attention despite necessary page space devoted to Starfire and the new GL recruits in the area.

That said, I also love the members of the team as well. It is such a hodgepodge group of natural enemies, all begrudgingly working for Dox despite loathing him. How does a team work if its members include a Khund, a Dominator, and a Durlan as well as some freedom fighters. That tension also helps drive the book. Unfortunately, the members of R.E.B.E.L.S. have been pretty much absent in the book since the ending of the Starro story. Sure, Dox needs to be the center .... but the team needs to be in orbit around him.

Luckily, Tony Bedard rectifies that a little in R.E.B.E.L.S. #18. We at least see some dialogue and some interaction between the members. But it was all too brief ... hopefully we'll see them in action soon.

The issue starts with Lyrl Dox, Brainiac 3, providing some back story of Colu and the Dox family tree to his recently created super-weapon Pulsar Stargrave.

It is a decent recap of Vril's origin. How he was created as a clone of THE Brainiac, helping that villain create his city shrinking technology. When Brainiac fled from Colu to carry out his plan to gather information, Colu reprimanded the only part of Brainiac left behind ... Vril.

And you wonder why Vril carries a chip on his shoulder. His own people inappropriately tried to lobotomize him.
Moreover, fearing the emergence of another Brainiac, the Coluan government created the Computer Tyrants, taking control of the world's population, controlling everyone's thoughts. Vril ends up escaping and bringing his L.E.G.I.O.N. team to the planet to free his people from its oppression.

As a longtime fan, I knew most of this. But I have to say it was good to have it retold. Those stories are 20 years old! I had forgotten about the 'computer tyrants' so it was good to read this again.


Not surprisingly, Stargrave is only minimally interested in the story, trying to target Lyrl throughout the history lesson. But the creator has put in fail safes. Pulsar cannot attack him.

Lyrl wants Pulsar to know about his history because it will make taking over Colu that much more fun. There is something wonderfully chilling when the Dox clan takes things personally. When the staid, controlled, calculating exterior is peeled away, it is frightening. Nothing could be more dangerous than an out of control Brainiac.


In the mean time, Dox continues to bask in the glory of his home world. He has brought home Brainiac 1 and is received as a planetary hero. He seems to want to soak in every second of it. No doubt he must love the irony of being the savior of his home planet twice over after being vilified and imprisoned before.

And, as usual, Dox knows how to play for the camera, being charismatic and seeming approachable for the paparazzi. He even hints at a potential romance with 'Blackfire'. This is another thing I love about Dox. The man in front of the microphones is much different than the one at R.E.B.E.L.S. HQ. He is the master manipulator. He isn't likeable ... but he sure is entertaining reading.

At last we see the R.E.B.E.L.S. troops!

Okay, maybe they are only sitting around a table but at least we get some dialogue.

Wildstar continues to be completely loyal to Dox despite being atomized by him. Even this life, as an energy wraith, is better than her life at home, ostracized as a freak of nature.


And Amon Hakk isn't too happy either. He hates Dox; everyone who knows Dox for any length of time hates Dox. But he can't go home either. Whether he likes it or not, he is stuck serving in the R.E.B.E.L.S. And that means being around Ciji, who clearly Hakk distrusts.

It once again showed just how volatile the team is. They are held together by their respect for Dox, no matter how much it bothers them.

During the scene, we learn that Captain Comet is home on Earth for some reason.


So we have seen that Lyrl has made things personal between him and his dad. Back on Colu, we see that Vril has made it personal. Not content with the dotage of the masses, he needs to shove it in Brainiac's face one last time.

It clearly is personal as Dox flaunts defeating his father despite all the ways Brainiac tried to hold his son down.

And it is delicious how Brainiac turns it around, calling Vril pathetic for craving Brainiac's attention. Is this a psychological weakness in Vril? It seems that no matter what he does to balance the sheet, he still will feel insecure about his father. And is that same insecurity echoed in Lyrl's feelings for him?

Just when things are heating up on Colu, we see things heat up around Earth.

Starfire, upon learning Comet was on Earth, flies to meet him. She finds him mourning his sister but is able to ... ahem ... change his mood. The two have an amorous encounter on the ship, filled with lots of 'peekaboo' panels, everyone's naughty bits covered by clothes, shadows, or voluminous Tamaranean hair.

Starfire makes sure that Comet doesn't become too smitten. She needed a release; he helped. He is a 'friend with benefits' ... nothing more. Her heart still belongs to Dick Grayson.

I don't know. Sure Starfire is passionate and this is within her character. And I don't mind the plot line. But it felt a bit over done. I don't know if it is an important enough piece to this title to warrant 5 pages here. Although, it is nicely rendered by Claude St. Aubin. Maybe more scenes like this will increase sales?

While Starfire has her romp, Stargrave and Lyrl arrive on Colu and begin attack, razing the landscape and scattering the troops. Stargrave is a solaris model so it isn't going to be easy to defeat.

Again, despite being 'computers' there is an undercurrent of anger and revenge here. I love how Stargrave carves the Brainiac '3 connected circles' into the ground here.



When Dox is notified that Brainiac 3 is attacking the planet, Brainiac 1 shows that he isn't as imprisoned as everyone thought. He simply removes his shackles and escapes. Ironically, he is upset that someone else is using his name. It appears his main target is Brainiac 3!

So after the 'Vega' storyline reset the R.E.B.E.L.S. landscape, this issue was very good. This was what a R.E.B.E.L.S. issue should feel like, Dox manipulating and planning, the team struggling with each other but staying together, and a galactic threat to overcome. Only the Starfire/Comet scene felt like it seemed too long for it's content.

I really feel like Claude St. Aubin has grown as an artist during his time here. He really shines here.

Overall grade: B/B+

Apocalypse Trade Ad

Over on World's Finest, the trade ad for the Superman/Batman Apocalypse trade ad was released as well as the official news release of the movie.

Here is the link: http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=784

The more I see of this movie, the more excited I get.

Looking at the screen shots at the bottom of the above picture you get a look at the corrupted Supergirl. You also see that both Wonder Woman and Big Barda are in the movie. That makes me very happy.

There also is the second half of the trade ad which has some interesting info.

For one, it rattles off all the sites that DC is going focus their 'massive marketing campaign' on including multiple TV networks - MTV, FX, Cartoon Network, etc.

Second, it is rated PG-13 because of action and 'brief sensuality', probably when Kara is under Darkseid's control.

I have to say it ... somewhere inside me, I am hoping that this movie ends up leading to a Supergirl movie. I'd even be happy with a Supergirl short (like the Green Arrow one on this movie). We'll see.

Death In Action Comics #894

Another year without Superman in Action Comics ... at least a year of Lex Luthor in Action ... that might be a tough sell no matter how great the story or art is. So what better way to lure readers in than to add a beloved, seldom seen, and unique guest star?

In what has to be deemed a fascinating decision, Death - of Neil Gaiman's Sandman - will guest star in Action Comics #894. Having a Vertigo character cross over into the mainstream DCU is bold. Does it lift up Action? Does it diminish Death?

There were a number of interviews around this announcement. Here is the link to the Newsarama one: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/cornell-action-comics-death-endless-interview-100708.html

As usual, the whole interview is worth reading. I have culled a few parts that I enjoy.

Newsarama: Paul, seeing a Vertigo character show up in a DCU book is going to get people talking about the imprints. But was this something DC asked you to do? Or did you come up with the idea on your own?
Paul Cornell: It was me. Basically, Matt Idelson and Will Moss, the editors of Action, asked me what characters I'd like to have Lex Luthor encounter during our current story arc. And having given a list of mainstream list of DC villains, I suddenly thought, what would be the most dramatic character for Lex to encounter?

One of the reasons we're doing this is to have Lex encounter villains from outside the usual Superman encounters. And what could be more outside, or more dramatic, than Death from Vertigo?

So I put it to them.... and they buckled for a few minutes. But then they said, "Oh, you'd better ask Neil, hadn't you?" So I asked Neil. And he was enthusiastic. And we went from there.

We know about Mr. Mind and Gorilla Grodd and Bizarro and Deathstroke all appearing in upcoming issues. But Death ... she isn't a super-villain. She isn't another step in his power quest. She's Death. And so the Lex/Death interaction has to be a very different story than the ones with those other villains.

Nrama: So you're just using this character for one story? She's still a Vertigo character?
Cornell: Yes. Vertigo readers should rest assured that none of us wanted to do this in a crass way. It will be respectful. And Neil himself will be looking over my shoulder and reading the script.

I suppose this is my biggest concern. You don't want her character to be lessened by this appearance. But putting Death into this universe ... to put her on this stage ... can it be pulled off in a respectful manner? It sounds like Cornell has enough reverence for Sandman to do the right thing. So I think the answer is yes.

Nrama: Paul, after Lex meets Death during his "power quest," are you going to be exploring Lex Luthor's character for awhile in Action Comics?
Cornell: Oh yeah. I'm not sure if it's announced how long, but we're running for a considerable time with Lex.

Death or no Death ... I'm not too thrilled to hear about no Superman in Action let alone for a 'considerable time'. And is the length of this arc hand-cuffed to JMS' Grounded? Can there be no Superman while Grounded is ongoing?

Nrama: It's interesting that you used the word "enthusiastic" to describe Neil Gaiman's reaction to Lex Luthor meeting Death. Did you discuss the story idea you had for the two characters?
Cornell: I think Neil is a great enthusiast for the weirdness of the DC Universe, the way it can put two such disparate things together. And I just saw him on Monday, and yes, we talked about the story.

One of the things I said to him about it was, it's not going to be the superhero fight. It's going to be something that's entirely in keeping with Death's former appearances. Vertigo didn't feel that we were dragging her into a situation where it would be a sideshow.

This is just one, long, very dramatic conversation, as Lex Luthor tries to save himself from her arriving for him.

Well at least he won't be shooting her with his power suit. I suppose a conversation is probably the only way this guest star sting can easily be pulled off. And my guess is he is probably close to death when it happens. Maybe it comes off as a dream to Lex, some vision while he is unconscious, some discussion with Death when he is in shock.

It can work.

It's not like it hasn't been done before. We have seen Vertigo to DC crossovers before. And we have seen the opposite. Matt Wagner, in particular, seems to have a knack for the latter. We saw Hourman, Blackhawk, and others in Sandman Mystery Theater. We have seen the Phantom Stranger, the Demon, and J'onn J'onzz in Madame Xanadu.

Perhaps my favorite Vertigo-to-DCU cross over is in the '5YL' Legion, Legion of Super-Heroes #38.

In that issue, the Earth is destroyed by the Dominators, killing all Terrans who aren't in a select number of protected cities which have rocketed away.

Death is simply the background of the scene, overseeing the billions of people who were killed in the destruction. In this way, she is simply above the action, above the primary colors. She is more a concept than someone who would go talk to Brainy in his lab.

I also enjoyed Daniel/Dream in Grant Morrison's JLA. In that story, the Justice League exist within the dream world of a child and need to 'become' to fight Starro.

So it can be done. And in the right hands, it can be done right ... effective, without sullying the Vertigo characters. This post may come off like I am against Death appearing here ... but I'm not. Maybe nervous is more like it. Heck, I'm not even a big Sandman fan. I just think that if it is going to be done, it has to be done right. And I really think it will be. If it is done wrong, it will come off more like a stunt than an important part of the Luthor arc.

At the very least, Death starring in the issue has allowed us to see David Finch's interpretation of the character. That is a fantastic cover.

Laura Vandervoort Reprising Kara Role On Smallville

I think we were all really hoping it would happen ... and it has been announced!

Laura Vandervoort will be back on Smallville next season!! Incredible!

Here is a link to the Entertainment Weekly post that confirms it:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/07/13/smallville-laura-vandervoort-supergirl-returns/

From that article:
Vandervoort—who left the show at the end of season 7 only to return briefly the following fall to wrap up Supergirl’s story—will be back for one episode (tentatively scheduled to air in October)

It was back in Season 8 that Vandervoort was last seen on Smallville, in the episode Bloodlines. (Here was my review of that episode from way back in November 2008.) At the end of that episode, Kara flew off into space, intent on finding the city of Kandor. Hopefully this one episode will pick up where that one left off! And please ... it's the last season ... let's see her in the costume!

So we have an animated movie with Supergirl in September. And Supergirl on the small screen in October. Too fantastic!