Review: Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade #2

Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade #2 came out last week and much like the first issue was a simple joy to read. Landry Walker and Eric Jones seem to be mining the Supergirl mythos as they play out this 'Mean Girls' take on Kara's early adolescence. I have to say, I laughed out loud at some points.

The issue starts with Linda falling asleep in her science class, daydreaming of being a beloved super-hero. Too bad she is caught by her teacher. She can't necessarily explain why she is so exhausted (I guess saving cows is a nighttime chore for young super-heroines), stammering to say that she had a long night doing 'normal teenage human things'. Her punishment for classroom dozing is to write 'I will not whine about my life in science class' on the blackboard.

For me, these thought balloon glimpses into Kara's thoughts are quickly becoming my favorite part of these stories. Whether they be memories or daydreams, they capture this version of Kara's personality. Here she is so desperate to become a super-hero she roams the fields 'saving' cows. I like that ambition ... touching and humorous.

After accidentally smashing the blackboard, she again dreams about simply running away from the situation and finding a better place to live, someplace where she is loved and respected.

Again, the thought balloon gives her feelings away ... run away to the moon and live the life of unstoppable crime fighter. I think we all had feelings like this growing up. There must be a better place for me somewhere, a place where I fit in and can thrive.

Knowing she can't run away to the moon, Kara tries to fix the blackboard. But that 'stellar rock collection' her teacher was talking about included a chunk of Kryptonite. It's radiation is focused into a beam thanks to an old-fashioned overhead projector, bathing Kara who quickly succumbs.

When Supergirl awakens, she is confronted by the results of this 'duplicator ray', an evil doppelganger ... Linda version B ... or Belinda. Since this is middle school, the opposite of Linda isn't a backwards speaking monster. Nope, she is a cute confident cheerleader with an evil streak a mile wide. Funny how life's situations define what your individual Bizarro will be like.

Kara hopes to have Belinda become her friend and confidante, someone who understands the pressures she is feeling. Instead, Belinda puts together a string of insults calling Kara embarrassing, a train wreck, frumpy, and someone with 'zero grace'.

Let the war begin!

The next day the school is abuzz, teasing Linda mercilessly as she walks down the hall. She realizes that everyone is talking about her because the school has been plastered with embarrassing Linda for class president' posters with a less than flattering picture of her. What's worse ... there isn't even an election planned.

Check out the crowd in the school again.

Look who else is apparently a student at Stanhope! Yep, Wally the God-boy!

Fans of Peter David's Supergirl will remember Wally as a living embodiment of God who helped that Linda through some of her more harrowing trials.

Putting Wally in the Stanhope was a nice little Easter egg for us old timers.

Linda gets chastised for her 'poster prank' by the principal who unfortunately piles on a bit. While there was no election planned, the student body thinks there will be one. As a result, Linda must now run for president. And her hand-picked opponent? Who else but Belinda Zee who has already snowed the staff into thinking she is wonderful.

Linda can't get Belinda out of her head. Her life at the school was already rough. Now she has to see an evil version of her excel! That's tough.

Belinda turns up the heat though, intent on making Linda's life more of a living Hell. She tricks Linda into opening up about all the problems she is having while secretly taping the conversation. She then plays the awful dialogue over the school intercom. Linda suddenly finds herself ostracized even more than before.

Belinda begins the endgame of the election. She tells Linda that she is her polar opposite. If Linda wants people to like her than Belinda wants people to hate her. Belinda is just unrelenting in this social sabotage. She begins to gloat about how she will be president of the school and everyone will shun Linda.

But suddenly, Belinda begins to quack like a duck.

I love how everyone begins to quack behind her. It's just a subtle jab at how cliques all fall into line.

Turns out that Linda has a friend in newer student Lena Thorul, a science whiz who created a defective mind control helmet which makes people think they are ducks. Seeing a kindred spirit in the marginalized Linda, Lena asks if they can be friends and roommates. Linda agrees.

Of course, long time Supergirl fans remember the Silver Age Lena Thorul. Lena was Lex Luthor's sister. Lex's parents changed their name to Thorul (sort of Luthor spelled sideways) and hid their son's villainy from their daughter. When Lex and Lena were young and still lived together, Lena gained precognition and telepathy when an experiment Lex was performing on an alien brain went awry. Lena was kept in the dark about her family tree. Lex even went out of his way to secretly protect Lena from ever learning he was her brother.

In a new twist of the old idea, this Lena knows Lex is her brother, harbors some resentment for Superman, and seems to have Lex's knack with super-science. The issue ends showing the two roommates saying good night to one another, not suspecting their connection.

This was another fun and adorable issue in this mini-series. One thing I like is how the usual trial and tribulations of early adolescence are elevated to the super-hero level. I just cringe when I see Linda trying so hard to fit in only to have it inevitably blow up in her face. Like most comic book and D&D geeks, I can remember feeling like I was on the outside looking in both in junior high and high school. So to see Linda squirm as things she said are broadcast to everyone, to see her dream of 'running away' to the moon, to see her haunted by the 'ideal girl' Belinda ... it just resonates a bit. This comic is just the perfect mix of innocence and angst, of humor and pathos in a superhuman middle school world.

Add to that the 'tips of the cap' to Supergirl history and you get a really wonderful book, both for the older fans and the Johnny DC crowd. I mean Wally the God-boy and Lena Thorul in the same book?? Perfect.

As usual, I read the issue to the oldest Supergirl at home. She giggled and thought it was funny. She did say she thought there would be more super-hero action and hopes there will be in the next issues. I can't wait.

Overall grade: B+
Primo Supergirl's overall grade: B+

Andrew Kreisberg on Superman:World of New Krypton

Last week Comic Book Resources had a pretty in-depth interview with Andrew Kreisberg, the writer of the Superman: World of New Krypton maxi-series. As always, the whoe interview is worth reading at this link: (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19473). I have not read any of Kreisberg's other works (Green Arrow/ Black Canary and Batman: Confidential as well as television shows Fringe and Eli Stone) so I have no background with his style. Still he has a lot of good things to say. Here are my highlights and comments.

CBR: What is your touchstone for Superman? Obviously, with Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, when you are reading their books, they've got Christopher Reeve in mind. Do you think of Superman from movies, comic books or even "Challenge of the Super Friends?"
AK: My Superman reference point is definitely Christopher Reeve.
And I will also take this opportunity to give a shout out to Brandon Routh, who I think really did a fantastic job [in "Superman Returns"]. The movie didn't always serve him as well as it could have but I think he made a fantastic Superman.

In some ways, the thing that has always got me about Superman is that people always assume that he is bright and happy and Batman is sad and brooding. And I think there is a real sadness to Superman – a real loneliness. And this story really exploits that in a great way. In fact, my first issue is called "Dream Come True" because in a way, this is his dream come true. He gets to live among Kryptonians. He gets to be with his people. And it's sort of, be careful what you wish for.

There are definitely touchstones to Christopher Reeve in my first issue – little nods to the Superman movies. I specifically put in the script that the bed he sleeps in on New Krypton look just like the big silver bed from "Superman II."

Those references are definitely in there visually and thematically.

I am always surprised to hear writers talk about the Donner movies as the 'sentinel event' for their Superman experience. Didn't any of these guys read to comics first? While I love the Donner films, I don't necessarily need to see that become *the* look for Superman. Yes, it was interesting to see a crystal based canyon-living Krypton on the big screen. That doesn't necessarily jibe with current comics continuity.

I also like the 'be careful what you wish for' feeling that will be in the series. Certainly we have seen that in the New Krypton storyline. These folks aren't all magnanimous high-minded philosophers.

CBR: While the "New Krypton" crossover that Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates are writing isn't over just yet, what can you tease us about "World of New Krypton?" Is it set on Earth or is there actually a new home planet for the Kryptonians?
AK: The book will follow Superman and 100,000 new Kryptonians led by Allura as he tries to figure out his place in Kryptonian society. Where that society resides is yours to know for $2.99 on March 4.

It will include a lot of the same characters from the "New Krypton" arc. Superman will continue his struggle with Allura and he will continue his struggle with himself as he tries to find a place for himself among these people. In a lot of ways, he's always felt separated from humanity, and now he's surrounded by 100,000 of his people and feels just as separated from them.

I can't imagine this story line taking place on Earth, especially after the events we have seen this month. There is no way that many Kryptonian can peacefully exist among us.

The bigger question is where do they end up. I sort of like the idea of Kal and Kara being relatively unique individuals in the universe. It cheapened them a bit to have a 'third Kryptonian' let alone 100,000 more. It may have worked in the Silver Age because the Kandorians were powerless, stuck in their bottle. So, I hope (although there is no reason to imagine the Kandorians would agree to it) that the colony sets up on a red sun planet and stays there.

And since Alura is there, I guess she is now even less likely to be Superwoman. And Superman 'struggling' with Alura? Hmmm, maybe her war-mongering is not just K-poisoning.

CBR: Does Supergirl have a role in "World of New Krypton?"

AK: I am not sure how much Kara is going to be playing in my book. I think she has her own journey. And it's certainly being incredibly well told without any help from me. I love her dearly. I think every man who is a fan of comics loves her dearly.

Obviously, Allura is a major part of my book. You can't talk about Allura without talking about the fact that she is a mother; that she is Superman's aunt. So if Kara is not always there in form, she will certainly be there in spirit.

I have to say I am happy about this decision. Early on I was worried about Supergirl's role in the whole New Krypton story. I wondered why she would ever choose Earth over Kandor given her struggles here and her family being there. Alura's tyranny and Zor-El's death provide a nice foundation for why she would want to find her way here rather than within the Kryptonian culture.

I am really intrigued to see the Gates/Igle team take on the book after the big cross-over. We just got introduced to the concept of Linda Lang, quirky teen in Metropolis only to leave it suddenly on the back burner. Let's see Kara's story now ...

CBR: Would you categorize Allura as the villain in this book?
AK: Yeah... but I think what's really interesting about the premise of "New Krypton" is well, I always say everyone is the hero of their own story. And as far as Allura is concerned, she is only trying to do right by her people. And where that crosses the line into villainy is always very complicated. And that's part of what's interesting about the Kryptonians' attitude towards Superman, because in a lot of ways, they see him as a traitor. And from their perspective, they're not entirely wrong. So I think that's what makes the book rich. The people who are the immigrants, the people who are the minority, who are aggrieved and afraid, are these super-beings.

And that's what makes Clark having to deal with Allura so fascinating. She's not a megalomaniac. In some ways, her treatment of Kara breaks her heart but she has to put her people first, which is what Superman does in his own way, protecting Earth. Being Superman comes before Lois, it comes before friends, it comes before family, so it all makes for interesting discussions and interesting problems. The trick will be to get you to boo and hiss at Allura for being the villain while she twirls her mustache while trying to understand her point of view. And I think, feeling a little sorry for her.

What you have to remember, the Kryptonians have really gone through hell. For everything that Superman lost, they lost that too.

Just sitting here talking to you about it gets me excited. It's really great stuff.

One thing about modern comics is that most villains have some back story to explain/rationalize their actions. The Joker got stuck in a robbery he wanted no part of and lost his wife tragically. Ra's Al Ghul is a radical environmentalist. Luthor is a humanist, afraid of super-beings making man an after-thought.

And now we have Alura. If you put yourself in Alura's shoes, it is easy to understand her beliefs. Her planet is destroyed. She is trapped in a bottle and studied for decades. She is finally freed and then finds herself scrutinized by a race she feels is less advanced. Then her husband dies in an attack by the same back-water race. She has been traumatized for the majority of her life. Of course she would fight tooth and nail to protect herself and her people. Does that make her a villain? The answer of course is no. But her methods of obtaining that safety is the problem.

It will be interesting to see if that mindset changes once she is off Earth. Does she set up a warworld to protect her people from future harm? Or does she aim for a more pacifist utopia?

Alura as a villain ... who would have thought it?

CBR: Another great part about developing New Krypton must be simply establishing what day-to-day life is like in that society. What's a Starbucks look like on New Krypton? You and artist Pete Woods must be having a lot of fun with that.
AK:Pete and I haven't actually talked face to face, but in writing the initial script, I've been toying with that. One thing I can tell you is that Superman's tunic is shredded in a fight with some Kryptonians and he needs to have a new tunic made. So we need the tailor on New Krypton. It's one of those things that it's a fully-functioning society at all levels. We generally only get to meet the scientists and military leaders but there are the people who prepare the food, and the shopkeepers, the men of the people, who they themselves are now endowed with Superman's strengths and abilities. And that's fun to play with. We'll be seeing all facets of it.
For all of Krypton's technological achievements, there is a coldness about that them culturally that I think will make Superman miss some of the wonderful diversity of Earth, like food and art and music.

I like the idea of seeing all aspects of the Kryptonian society. They all can't be scientists, philospophers, or soldiers.

Hmmm, he already says that there will be shopkeepers with Superman's abilities. Maybe they end up on a yellow sun planet.

CBR:Do you have an endpoint that you're working towards with an established beginning, middle and end? Or will it be more organic?
AK:There is **for sure** an end because the ramifications of the next year are going to live on in the DC Universe for many years to come. In many ways, that's kind of exciting too. I know what page 22 of "World of New Krypton" #12 is. It's just a question of filling in the 11 issues and 21 pages before that.

So, anyone with any ideas on what that ending is going to be?

Yellow-sun planet of super-beings?
Red sun Rokyn style planet?
Will they be a 'parents' of the universe ... reseeding the Brainiac cities on new planets?

I do have some reservations about how this will turn out. This is simply a new Superman mythos being unfolded before our eyes. Kal is not the 'Last Son of Krypton' anymore. And how that changes things in the DCU is something to watch closely.

Superwoman Sighting

Superwoman gets some publicity in this month's Wizard, showcased as their Character To Watch.

Sterling Gates talks about Superwoman saying that "part of the importance of New Krypton is re-establishing the Superman universe". That includes dusting off some older ideas and characters like Superwoman.

Gates re-iterates that Superwoman is a 'friend to the House of El'. But the rest of her story - who she is and why she has the right to wear the crest - is still a mystery. Any new guesses?

Gates also says that Kara's relationship with Alura will also be part of the Superwoman storyline. I am glad that some focus is being brought to the relationship, given how strained it has become and how important it is to the character of Supergirl. It wouldn't make sense for it to be simply swept under the rug. But "she wil be a major player in Supergirl's life as long as I'm on the book"??

I hope she is not a physical presence in the book. I think Supergirl will need some space from her mother to continue to grow as a person. I think her mother would be too much of a domineering force to let Kara grow naturally. My guess is Alura will be on the New Krypton planet, wherever that may be and her presence will be more distant.

Of course it is great that the book continues to get publicity like this. I cannot imagine Wizard devoting even a sidebar article to the title prior to the Gates/Igle reboot.

Review: Superman/Supergirl:Maelstrom #5

Superman/Supergirl:Maelstrom #5 came out this week and ended an 'up and down' mini-series that had both good moments and bad. One thing that has been consistent throughout the series has been the absolutely stunning art by Phil Noto. In fact, there are lots of scans in this post simply to showcase the delicious art.

The mini-series started out at a low point with a dedicated Supergirl getting soundly thrashed by a no-name Apokoliptian woman named Maelstrom. One thing that went right with that first issue was the fact that Supergirl acted heroic and always had the welfare of the people around her in mind. After Superman saves the day, he takes Kara away to a red sun planet to better train her to use her powers.

The middle 3 issues improved from this opening chapter a bit. Somewhere along the way, and in no way hinted at or justified in that first issue, the training shifted significantly from mere physical training to Superman preaching self-sufficiency, telling Kara she needs to open her heart to humanity and stop being so distant. While the dialogue in these issues was crisp, I still could not wrap my head around why Superman felt he needed to preach this to Supergirl. It is not as if Supergirl was partying or not paying attention during Maelstrom's first attack. Indeed, when Kara struggles to rise after that first battle, her first words are about saving people.

But for some reason, the plot took a left turn and became Superman trying to convince Supergirl that she needs to act like a hero. I didn't quite understand why that left turn happened ... but it did.

All of this recap is important as I try to review both this finale and the series as a whole. Because the story simply doesn't flow easily from point A to point B.

But on to issue #5.

The cousins arrive back in our solar system and take a quick yellow sun bath to regain their powers and heal up. But while they are energizing, Superman hears cries from Earth. The Female Furies have been tearing up Metropolis.

Now let's say that the Furies were in Metropolis for a couple of days and killed the Daily Planet staff ... would Superman have still thought a trip to the red sun planet was worth it? We already have seen them off some nameless citizens. Could those deaths have been avoided if Superman was around? I mean does it make sense for Superman to be telling Kara that she needs to be a hero and protect people from extraordinary threats when he has taken her away from Earth to a dangerous place? Okay ... okay ... I won't harp on that point again.

Returning to Earth, Superman and Supergirl rescue Lois and Jimmy respectively and confront the Furies. Supergirl seems eager to square off with Maelstrom again.

There is no honor among thieves however. The Furies, despite purportedly being on Earth to help Maelstrom fight Superman unhindered, press the attack wanting a piece of the glory. There are a couple of pages of street level brawling including this nice 2 page spread by Noto.

To Kara, this seems to be mirroring the first battle too much ... too many casualties, too much property damage, too clustered a battlefield.

She says she needs a plan!

I guess that time on the red sun planet has taught her that she can't simply rely on her powers. But for some reason that line didn't sound quite right to me. Does that mean Kara wasn't thinking about the people around her when she engaged Maelstrom the first time?

The plan is a rather simple one ... appear like she is running away when actually she is circling the globe and grabbing the Furies from behind at super-speed. Here is another nice splash page by Noto. That is one ticked off Kara.

And look at this panel of Supergirl. Man oh man ... I love Noto art. That is one strong healthy beautiful looking Kara.

That said ... she knocks out three Furies by throwing them into a rock wall? In the first issue, Maelstrom shrugs off a right cross to the jaw by Kara. In this issue, Stompa gets sandwiched between halves of a car. Doesn't this seem a bit too easy of a defeat of the Furies? Isn't it the polar opposite of the ease with which Maelstrom defeated Kara?

That said, maybe Maelstrom is more powerful than we surmise. In the issue she gives Superman a kick to the gut which completely incapacitates him. (Huh?) Maelstrom approaches him with a Apokoliptian buzzsaw with plans to decapitate him when she is suddenly scooped up from behind and flown into space by Kara.

While there is a nice symmetry to Kal's rescue of Kara from issue #1 (including the bear hug ending move), doesn't this also seem a bit too easy? And this is the one piece of Noto's art that I think is sub-par. Doesn't Maelstrom seem a bit too passive in her body language as she is being carried? Shouldn't she be doing everything in her power to break the hold? Shouldn't Kara look like she is struggling more to hold this hellion still?

The bottom line is Maelstrom needs to breathe and so falls unconscious in the vacuum of space.

Unfortunately, I felt this brawl was a bit too brief and neat for me.

And now that I have read the end of the Maelstrom storyline, I don't know if I necessarily needed to have so much of her backstory. She is, in the end, a rather static character. I thought this series would end with growth by both Kara and Maelstrom.

Instead, Kara puts the Furies and Maelstrom on the spaceship she and Superman used and sends them to the very red sun planet she was just on.

Despite being reminded by Superman that they have Boom Tube technology and will be able to leave that planet shortly, Kara think they might learn something while there the way she did.

Hmmm ... what did she learn?

Superman applauds Supergirl on her fight with the Furies and Maelstrom. He tries to contrast Kara to Maelstrom by saying "people like Maelstrom cannot begin to comprehend the impact they have on other people's lives and the danger of being so devoid of these emotions." I guess that means that Superman is trying to say that Kara was sort of like that prior to their little camping trip.

Huh?

In this very series (as seen above), Kara is seen crying on the moon because she failed to save people!! Doesn't that show she has never been like Maelstrom? Doesn't that mean she is not 'emotionally bulletproof' as Superman calls her? (Maybe Palmiotti and Gray are channeling the angry angsty rave-dancing Supergirl from their story in Supergirl #12?)

Anyways ..... (sighs) ....

Superman tells Kara that she should do something fun; she deserves it for her victory.

In a scene which thematically mirrored a similar scene from the film 'Superman Returns', Kara floats above Earth and listens to all the terrible things happening. Most of the blurbs she hears are about political unrest resonating around the globe. This isn't the police band she is listening to.

When Superman catches up with her again, Kara says she couldn't have fun with everything that is going on.

Superman tries to tell her that she shouldn't interfere with the political issues on the planet. That her role as a hero is to save people from the unexpected (I suppose like alien invasions). He tells her that political problems aren't their business.

I like this ending though ... Supergirl teaching Superman something. She tells him that today political issues are their business.

She tells Superman that they should go do some good. He agrees and they fly off together.

So what is left to say?

Well, the first thing is that it is hard to reconcile the last 4 issues with the set-up established in the first. As a result, the mini-series seems somewhat disjointed. As I have said before, the lesson Superman taught Supergirl was that she should open herself up to her emotions and to her place in humanity. But it did not appear she needed that lesson. And the locale of that lesson, given the inherent danger there, seems unwise.

The second is that there were some intriguing possibilities that could have been done with Maelstrom, a slave wanting to advance on Apokolips, but none were explored. As a result, all the scenes on Apokolips showing her torture, etc. don't seem warranted now. I don't know why we needed multiple scenes of her being imprisoned and tortured; what did they add to the story that could not have been said in just one scene.

And some parts of this story seem to have been wrapped up a bit too easily. Things like Supergirl obtaining the cure for the poison, the defeat of the Furies.

All that negativity aside, there were some nice parts here. The conversations between the cousins did snap a little bit. Certainly the 'big' talk had some nice exchanges. But I also liked the lighter conversations ... Aquaman's diet, Earth idioms Superman doesn't know.

The Noto art is just spectacular throughout the series. In particular this issue had some very very nice panels and splash pages. I cannot gush enough.

And if I just tell myself that this is an early adventure in Supergirl's career which isn't even in continuity, I guess this mini-series was fine.

Overall grade (issue #5): C

Overall grade (mini-series): C

Review: Teen Titans #66

If there was ever a title that I want to like it is Teen Titans. Maybe it is because I have such fond memories of the Wolfman/Perez run from my early adolescence. But it seems I give the Titans a whirl every so often in hopes of it catching my fancy. It never seems to grab hold of me enough to keep me purchasing.

I have honestly picked up and dropped this title 3 times now. The last time I dropped the book was 6 months ago when Ravager left, the only character that I felt was interesting and written with any dimension.

But as I have said in the past, I am a sucker for the 'new direction' issues and Teen Titans #66 seemed to have that feeling to it. The roster of the Titans will be turning over yet again it seems.

One scene that was nicely done was Cassie apologizing to Kara for their fight last year. You may recall that Cassie told Kara that the only reason she was Kara's friend was to somehow keep the memory of Conner closer. That by keeping an 'S-shield' on the team it might help her deal with loss.



Of course Kara felt a bit used and stormed off. Here is that panel from Teen Titans #55, drawn by our friend Jamal Igle.


Cassie asks Kara if they can be friends again and Kara responds 'when were we not?' It's a nice scene of 2 friends reconciling. With that simple hug all the garbage between them is simply gone.

I also like how Supergirl tells Cassie that she knew Cassie had some things to work out. As if Kara doesn't. The presence of the unpacked boxes put this around Supergirl #34, and therefore before the events of New Krypton.

As for Wonder Girl's new look, I find the lack of bracelets jarring. How can you play 'bullets and bracelets' without bracelets?

Cassie then offers Supergirl a spot on the team but Kara responds that she has 'already made another commitment'.

Hmmm ... I assume that she is talking about the new JLA.

Of course this book still hasn't been solicited yet. And I thought the team was formed based on the events of Final Crisis, which hasn't finished yet. Could Hal have been planning his team this far in advance? Or (more likely) is this just another minor flub in the DC editorial control of continuity?Anyways, I am glad the Supergirl/Wonder Girl friendship is back and intact. Kara could use as many friends as she can get. This one seems natural.

As for the rest of the issue, it is standard fare of new applicants coming to the tower. Cyborg shows up and says he will help out as a mentor. The Calculator reveals himself to be the father of Wendy and Marvin.

There is one funny scene where Kid Devil teleports around recruiting with very little success. I especially like the JSA bit.

But not much is set in stone about new members, although it does seem clear that Spoiler will be joining the ranks.

And that is because Tim Drake is quitting. Given his role in The Battle for the Cowl, he can't maintain his Titans presence and so takes off. In a scene which plays off the opening Kara scene, Tim tells Cassie he needs to leave to work some things out.

Rather than have it end bitterly like that Supergirl scene from a year ago, Cassie embraces Tim and says 'do what you need to do ... we will be all right'. It is clear that Cassie has grown over the last year and is more mature. Rather than burn her relationship bridges, she is building a stronger foundation.

There is a nice symmetry to that opening scene with Kara even down to the hug at the end.

All that said, does this mean I will be picking up Teen Titans yet again? The answer is 'probably not'. I don't know if a Titans title can survive where the main characters are Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle, Kid Devil, Bombshell, and Misfit. Not exactly household names.

If this issue was meant to bring in new readers to sample the title, I don't know if it put out enough bait to keep people coming. And losing Robin, arguably the most popular character on the roster can't help matters.

Otherwise, I thought Sean McKeever had a pretty good handle on dialogue. I usually love Eddy Barrows' art but for some reason this issue seemed a little flat.

Overall grade: B-

Review: Superman #683 - New Krypton Part 9

Superman #683, written by James Robinson with art by Renato Guedes and Jorge Correa Jr, came out last week and was probably the weakest chapter in the New Krypton story arc.

One of the things that I had lauded about New Krypton was the incredible pacing it had. While it would have been easy to stretch this story over half a year in each title, the super-team decided to make it more compact. I believe it was initially solicited as a 9 part story with this issue being the finale. Now that has changed a bit and this month's Action Comics is being called the finale.

Now I am rethinking that earlier praise. How can the main story neatly wrap up in 22 pages next month? And more importantly, several major plot threads from the earlier issues have been tossed aside or barely mentioned. How are they going to be tied up?

The return of Sam Lane? The Brainiac/Luthor team-up? Who is Superwoman? Who are Nightwing and Flamebird? Agent Liberty talking to Tellus in a tank? There are a lot of things left unsaid about these earlier hooks. And while we know that the Superwoman, Nightwing, and Flamebird stories will continue on past New Krypton, I was hoping to get more info here.

With so much story left to tell, I thought this issue might move all these plots forward. Unfortunately it did not.

The issue opens up with a force of super-heroes hovering over Kandor looking for the Kryptonians who murdered the science police officers. Superman tells them that they need to disperse, that they need to trust him that he will bring the killers to justice in time. The heroes aren't buying it, saying many feel that New Krypton has basically declared war.

Seriously, if you are the JLA and the JSA and you are heading to a potential wartime conflict with 100,000 Kryptonians, would you bring half of these people? Mr. Terrific? Jay Garrick? Steel? Science police officers?

Maybe Wonder Woman or Power Girl or Green Lanterns could hold some Kryptonians at bay. But the rest of these folks? Cannon fodder.

Surprisingly, the Earth heroes do not back down and give Superman an ultimatum. Superman has 30 minutes to turn over the killers ... or else.

I guess I can understand the sentiment. Superman has had time to turn over the murderers already and has not done so. Some line in the sand needs to be drawn. But Superman states the obvious ... what will the JLA and JSA actually do once the 3o minutes is over?

Hoping to avoid any conflict and further tragedy, Superman flies into Kandor to talk to Alura. It is absolutely clear that Alura has turned the corner and gone mad.

First, she has reversed engineered some Brainiac tech into some sort of military device. She calls it 'a solution to all of this'. I don't think Alura is one to make a doomsday device. My guess is that it is some version of Brainiac's shrinking/enlarging ray. Maybe Alura thinks she will simply shrink the Earth cities away.

But her later dialogue is even more chilling. She calls humans 'a poorer, lesser version' of Kryptonians. She says 'let them all die'.

Kara arrives to join the conversation and calls her mother what she should call her ... 'evil'. Supergirl tells her that the only chance for peace on Earth is through justice, by turning over the murdering Kandorians.

Alura however quickly squelches that notion. There are other chances ... more malevolent, more belligerent by her expression ... for New Krypton to have peace on this planet.

And then Alura throws some emotional gas onto the fire, calling Kara a disgrace to Zor-El.

But why should Alura stop there? She calls Kara weak, softened by her time on Earth.

And then, with a slight gesture, Alura gathers up 200 of her troops and starts the war, sending them into battle against the Earth heroes above.

One thing that I have always been concerned about is how the writers would deal with this sudden influx of Kryptonians into the DCU as a whole, let alone on Earth. In my book, 200 Kryptonians should be enough to take over the Earth or a large part of it. Certainly it should be enough to run rough-shod over the 20 or so heroes gathered above New Krypton. This should be no contest.

Okay, so Power Girl should be able to handle a Kryptonian, being one herself. I (and others) have been clamoring to see how Power Girl would interact with Kandor. Would she feel she was one of them? Would she treat Alura as her mother? It is clear she is somewhat conflicted as she fights, repeating 'these are not my people' over and over in her head.

As for the others, the writers needed this to be something of a fight and so curiously loose applications of some heroes' powers are suddenly manifested. Black Lightning creates 'red lightning' which hurts the Kryptonians (I suppose as a variant of red solar radiation... huh?). Starfire absorbs the light energy from the Kryptonians bodies (huh?). Steel manipulates the molecular structure of his suit so that embedded Kryptonite crystals become exposed (huh?).

Now I am taking nothing away from the Green Lanterns there. Maybe they could have their rings whip up a mountain of Kryptonite. That said, there is a city full of Supermans at their feet. This fight should have been over in 3 panels.

But while the battle rages on above, the struggles within the House of El continue below. Superman grabs Alura, trying to literally shake some sense into her. That is more than Kara can take. She begs Kal to let go of her mother. And when he doesn't ...

Well, she tries to punch some sense into him.

I am never a big fan of heroes fighting with each other, feeling it is a tired cliche. When I first read this, I was a bit disappointed. Should Supergirl be crying throughout this issue? Should she lash out at Superman like this?

When you think about what has happened in her recent life, I came to the conclusion the answer is yes to both questions.

She has had trouble fitting in on Earth. She thought her parents were dead. She is reunited with them. Then her father is murdered before her eyes. Despite not agreeing with her mother's ideology , the last thing she probably wants to see is her mother threatened or to 'lose' her mother again, even to imprisonment. Add to those feelings the emotional cruelty that Alura has dumped on her recently and you can understand how Kara might physically seperate Kal from Alura.

But again, there is conflict within her that is readily apparent. She is crying because she realizes her mother is evil. She is crying because she knows Superman is right. But she needs to protect her family. It is an unenviable position Kara is in, an emotional Hell. One thing is for sure, this story will have major ramifications on Supergirl in the future.

The Earth heroes finally realize that they are woefully outnumbered and outclassed when a sudden influx of heroes who can actually make a difference show up. The sorceror's arrive! To be continued ....

I found the House of El conversations interesting and well done showing just how unraveled Alura's thinking has become. However, I thought the rest of the book was not up to par with what has happened before. Maybe the creative team felt that a slugfest issue was necessary to spice up the story. But really, there is no reason why the Kryptonians shouldn't have eliminated the heroes more expediently. As for the Starfire/Black Lightning/Steel new powers, do we really want to say that those three could pick a fight with a Kryptonian and have a chance?

What added to my displeasure was the panel layout of the issue itself. As I said earlier, I have wanted to see more of the plotlines that have been left hanging. What is Luthor doing with Brainiac and Doomsday? What did Agent Liberty find in Cadmus? What are Flamebird and Nightwing doing right now? None of that was seen at all in this issue. Instead we get multiple splash pages or near splash pages of this farce of a fight. There is a 2 page layout of the Guardian hitting a Kryptonian over the head with his shield! What I needed here was an economy of space so that more story could be told.

And, as I have said before, I am somewhat saddened that Alura has become the villain of the piece. After the 'kill Kal-El' Zor-El was erased from continuity, I was hoping Kara would have 2 'normal' parents. I guess that isn't going to be happening.

Overall grade: C

2008 Year in Review And Top 10 Supergirl Comic Moments

Happy New Year to everyone! Welcome to 2009, hopefully my first full calendar year of blogging!

In looking over the internet and blogosphere, it seems that an end of year review and 'Best of' list is near required writing. A year is a long time so this is a somewhat lengthy post.

Overall I would say that 2008 was a very good year for the character of Supergirl. While it began slow, it certainly ended on an upward trend. The first half of the year was notable for the finale of the 'Saving Thomas' storyline (an arc I actually liked quite a bit) and stagnant sales. However, in the second half we saw Kara taking on a bigger presence in the Superman titles as well as a revitalized main title by a great new creative team, a key role in Final Crisis, and a strong presence in the Johnny DC line. On top of that creative explosion in comics, we had Kara play a role on Smallville as well as continued merchandising of action figures and statues.

And so ... onto my favorite comic moments of 2008. It is important to note that most of these moments do come from the latter half of the year. This is not an indication of short term memory but more a sign of how greatly things have changed.

Honorable Mentions: Any Tiny Titans moments, especially those that feature Streaky. Kara marshalling forces in the Fortress of Solitude in Final Crisis #4 (October).



Number 10: "The Return of the Superman Family" - Action Comics #871 (November)



The world seems to be holding its breath as the US president meets with a delegation from New Krypton when Doomsday suddenly arrives. Rather than shrinking from duty, Kara is the first one to spring to action. As she puts him in a headlock, she says 'you're about to meet the Superman family', a simple statement of the new solidarity between the super cousins as well as a nice nod to the Silver Age Super family concept.


Number 9: "The Death of Zor-El" - Supergirl #36 (December)


We had just met the man a few months earlier when Superman rescued Kandor. Gone was the 'crystal hell, kill Kal-El' monster we had been forced to accept for several years. This was a more classic Zor-El, a loving father, a brilliant scientist. But just as quickly as we met him he was taken away from us.

This whole scene (as written by Sterling Gates and drawn by Jamal Igle) perfectly captures the anguish Kara is feeling. She had thought her parents were dead. She had just been re-united with them. And now her father is dead in her arms. How this loss will affect Kara is something I want to see in the coming year.


Number 8: "Supergirl Arrives" - Cosmic Adventures In The Eighth Grade #1 (December)


It's is a scene we have seen played out a number of times, a rocket from Argo arrives on Earth carrying Supergirl to Earth. But no prior versions better showed how disconcerting it would be to come from an advanced society and land in our paprazzi fueled world. Cosmic Adventures looks to be a great comic comparing the foibles of adolescence to the culture shock of being a teen from Krypton dealing with cliques on Earth. Life won't be easy, but Kara will survive.

And reporters calling Kara an 'emergency secret weapon'? Wonderful.


Number 7: "Taking Out Reactron" - Supergirl #26 (February)


I was thrilled to see the return of Reactron in the early parts of 'Saving Thomas'. He seemed to be the first villain in a new rogues gallery.

After first being fascinated by Reactron's powers, then being nuked by him, Kara decides to turn the tables. She engages him, grabbing a 'star bomb' he is about to employ and ramming it down his throat, immediately incapacitating him.

Kelley Puckett wrote a vastly better Kara than the Joe Kelly issues which preceded him. His Kara was idealistic and pro-active albeit with the curiosity and impetuousness of youth. I thought he captured the spirit of Kara nicely.


Number 6: 'Say Hello to Linda Lang' - Supergirl #34 (October)



No decision by Gates and Igle seemed to be more polarizing than the decision to give Kara a secret identity. As for me, I applauded it. The edgy Kara from the Kelly issues just seemed disengaged from real life and that distanced the character from me. That Kara - the rave dancer, the bar hopper, the unbelievably reluctant hero - was sort of unlikeable.

The simple decision to have Kara interact with people on a more personal level, by taking on the identity of Linda as opposed to constantly being in the costume, it humanizes her.


Number 5: "Implants" - Action Comics #868 (August)


Perhaps the opening volley of the Cat/Kara feud. In the moments before this panel, men at the Planet are falling all over themselves to get Cat's favor. In comes Supergirl who immediately becomes the center of attention. Then after calling Cat 'ma'am', she points out the 'weird plastics' in Cat's body. All of the above irks Grant to no end. But the befuddled look on Kara's face as she points out the implants as well as Cat's angry retort is just great.

It was funny and cringe-worthy, sort of a moment from The Office. It was clear that Geoff Johns had a good idea of who Kara should be.


Number 4: "A Day Without Sirens" - DCU Holiday Special (December)


I just recently reviewed this story so won't go into details.

The fact that Kara would take part in this crazy plan to bring hope to Gotham, the fact she did it quietly and anonymously, the idea she would give so much of herself ... well it was a great capstone to 2008. Gone was the Supergirl who seemed to roll her eyes when asked to help out.


Number 3: "Note to Cat" - Supergirl #34 (October)


Supergirl #34 was the first issue by Gates and Igle and represented a soft reboot for the character. It opens with Cat Grant writing an editorial which seemed to quantify all the things that I did not like about the way Supergirl was being portrayed in comics.

At first Kara is despondent about the editorial. She doesn't understand how people could misunderstand her so much. How did things go so wrong. But rather than wallow in angst, Kara decides to re-focus and prove Grant wrong. This sly little note Supergirl slips onto Grant's desk shows a new determination in her character. She is a hero and she isn't going anywhere.

This was my favorite moment from an overall excellent issue.


Number 2: "Kara's Apartment" - Final Crisis #3 (August)

In one panel, Grant Morrison injected more character in Kara than we had seen in the first 2 years of her title. She paints. She sews. She plays guitar. She is designing new costumes. She is a cat person and loves her little Streaky. And if called upon, she'll be drafted to fight the hordes of Apokolips.

We had all read how there would be a showdown between Kara and Mary Marvel in Final Crisis. We had heard about Grant Morrison's love of Supergirl, how he felt she was sweet, dedicated, and heroic. And then we saw this. It just encapsulated my feelings about who Kara should be.

All that in one panel!!

And .....

The number one Supergirl moment from 2008:

"Kara Saves Earth!" - Action Comics #871 (October)

How great was this! First off we get a Supergirl-centric variant cover for Action Comics.

Then we get the story. Geoff Johns had done a great job of showing what a place of dread Brainiac held in Supergirl's heart. Brainiac was a city-killer ... the equivalent of a Kryptonian boogey man. He had stolen friends of Kara from her. She would shake with fear even from seeing an inactivated probe.

But she had to put those fears behind her when Brainiac shows up on Earth and fires a solar aggressor missile towards the sun. She needs to save Earth. Sure, it takes a little chuck in the arm from Superman to rouse her from her terror. But look at her resolve, her courage.

She streaks towards the sun and intercepts the missile, flinging it away with disdain. The look of satisfaction on her face is amazing and appropriate. There is a 'new' Supergirl now; someone who will overcome her fears, put herself at risk, act heroic, and succeed.

Kara saves Earth! Just a powerful moment.

Anyways, that's the year as I saw it. I would love to hear other fan's memorable Supergirl moments. Did I miss one? Was I completely off base?