Two Weeks To Boston Comic-Con

The Boston Comic Con is two weeks away and I will be attending both days.

I have been going to this Con since it's inception and have blogged about it here over the last couple of years. It is absolutely amazing to me just how much this convention has grown over the last couple of years. On prior posts, I used to be able to rattle off the short list of guests. Now that list is too long and too fantastic. Here is a link to the convention's home page where you can see everybody who is going to be there: http://www.bostoncomiccon.com/

As I have done before, I figured I would list my commission hopes.

There are a lot of 'big names' that are going to be at this convention and I usually pick one that I am going to try my hardest to get something from. So while I would love to get a Frank Quitely or an Art Adams or a J. Scott Campbell Supergirl, the creator who I want to get something from the most is Darwyn Cooke. I am definitely in a retro-phase and no one captures that better than Cooke. I love this design for the convention's t-shirt done by Cooke.

So I am going to run to Cooke's table first in hopes that he is doing commissions.

In the 'pipe dream' column, I will also try to get my name on Adam Hughes' commission list. Just getting onto the potential list isn't guaranteed. Then I have to hope that Hughes will pick my suggestion off that list. I have never tried to get on his list before so I would consider this the equivalent of winning the lottery if it happened.

I also am going to do everything I can to get a Dave Johnson commission as well.

There are lots of other artists there whose stuff I love: Matt Wagner, Oliver Nome, and Cheeks Galloway to name a couple. And any time I have the opportunity to beg and plead with Frank Cho for a commission, I will. This convention will be no different.

Commission plans never go the way I plan them to so I am thrilled that I have a lot of names to fall back on who I would love to have in my collection. It is fantastic that Boston, my town, has such a great and growing convention.

I'll try to blog during the convention and will definitely give wrap-up posts when it is over.

Review: Superman 710

I can hardly believe that I am saying such a thing but I am actually enjoying Grounded right now. If you asked me if I thought that possible a couple of months ago, I wouldn't not think it was possible. And that means I again I have to say kudos to Chris Roberson as writer. If there was ever an arc that was suffering, it was Grounded. It did not look salvageable. But here I am about to praise the book for the third straight month in a row. It is hard to believe the about face this book has taken since that awful issue where Clark dismissed Lois.

I was never against the idea of 'Grounded', the idea that Superman needed to reconnect with his ideals and with the people of Earth, needed to get back to the basics and understand where he fit in on the planet as both a man and a hero. As has said here and in many other places, we have seen this sort of story before.

No it wasn't the plot that was holding 'Grounded' down, it was the actualization of that plot. It was the strange way Superman was choosing to reconnect ... telling a woman she could jump to her death, leaving the man with a heart arrhythmia on his porch, manhandling Lois. It all felt so wrong. None of those issues showed me a Superman trying to get back to his roots, trying to rediscover who he is.

What I am seeing now is Chris Roberson giving Superman a sort of roadmap, a way back to his ideals, that involves reconnecting with layers of his life and recalling key events that made him who he was. Last issue we heard about Kryptonian ideals and had Superman talk to a good friend, Barry Allen. This issue, Superman talks to a much closer friend, Batman, and talks about a time when they were early on in their heroic careers. Next issue he reconnects with his best friend Jimmy Olsen. In July he meets up with Superboy and Supergirl. It's as if he is going on a journey where he is reengaging the people in his life, moving inwards. At the center of this is Lois ... hopefully in the last chapters of Grounded in August or September.

But enough about the overall arc. Superman #710 is a microcosm of that big picture ... Superman reestablishing his friendship with Bruce, the first time they have met since Batman's return. And he remembers that early adventure where he first knew what kind of hero he wanted to be. It is another step towards healing.

The issue starts with Superman rescuing a woman in Utah from being run over by a truck. Blocking the semi with his hand, Superman flies her back to her 'home', a trailer at an archeological site.

One of the things I have really enjoyed about Roberson's run has been clear knowledge of Superman history and his use of that to supplement his stories. So when Superman says he knew it was a dig from his time spent with Professor Lang, I appreciated that. Small details help add depth to stories like this.

But look at the faces on the workers as they meet Superman and talk about their dig (finding Buddha-like statues in the middle of Utah). They are smiling, thrilled to meet the Man of Steel. It is a subtle but easily recognized change from earlier issues where Superman thought everyone was scowling at him. It is another detail that shows Superman is getting better.

As he talks to the team, he notices a Superman symbol in infra-red being reflected off the clouds. When he traces it back to its origin, he finds Bruce with a sort of modified bat-signal Super-signal.

I probably read too much into things like this but I love when Batman says 'I was beginning to think you would never look up.' Sure, he might be talking about literally looking up at the clouds to see the signal. But maybe he also means looking up emotionally, looking optimistic or happy. And we haven't seen Superman smile like he is here for a while. He looks 'up'.

Whether planned or not, I loved the subtlety of the language here.

Superman tells Batman how the archeology team is fighting a company to keep their dig from being demolished. That few against many theme reminds Superman of his earliest adventure with Batman.

Again, Roberson brings some continuity to the table. Batman asks if Superman means the Magpie adventure (their first meeting in Byrne's Man of Steel era) or the time they were on the Varanian Princess cruise ship (their first meeting in the Silver Age Superman #76). I know I like these small flourishes a lot.

I will say that Eddy Barrows, who does the framing sequence story, is either drawing Superman's chest to broad or his legs too thin. These two last panels seem slightly off.

Turns out Clark is talking about an adventure they had in their civilian identities in a temple in Bhutran. Both had been there in the past ... Clark out of love, Bruce out of training. I am sure this 'Bruce being trapped in Smallville' is another reference to a comic story I'm not aware of.

At first Bruce, ever the brooding loner, seems to treat Clark with some contempt. I think that makes sense given who these two are and where they are heading. Both know the woman in charge of the temple and she has called upon them to help her.

Vandal Savage thinks the temple knows the way to Nanda Parbat and he is going to invade with a faction of the Chinese Army to get that information.

Travis Foreman, who does the art on this inner story, does a good job in giving this a grittier feel than the slick Barrows pages. Even the muted colors give it a grungier texture, adding to the feel of this past adventure in a dusty mountain range. I love Foreman's Vandal Savage, a man who looks scary and as if he has lived a millenia already.

With Savage's army on the way, Bruce begins to plan how he will use the environment to his advantage while Clark erects a huge wall around the temple entrance with boulders. Both men now know their 'secrets' but have been sworn to keep them.

As their time together grows, Bruce becomes more amiable with Clark and both talk about Nanda Parbat and their respective heroes. Bruce talks about the Crimson Avenger, one of my favorite Golden Age heroes. Clark again talks about Iron Munro. It is interesting that both Clark and Bruce were comic fans and were fans of heroes much like themselves. Again, it is these building blocks of history, Clark enjoying Munro adventures, that are the foundation of who Superman is. This was a wonderful moment.

I will say I was hoping the Crimson Avenger would be Clark's hero ... red cape, newspaper man ... would be a nice fit too.

The battle is brief with Clark wading in demolishing tanks and melting weapons while Bruce fought on the ground.

But both talk about how that battle impacted them. Clark suddenly realizing how free he felt being a hero out in the open while Bruce learned to trust a partner, opening the door for not only the World's Finest, but Robin, etc.

Remembering this adventure has to rekindle those ideals of truth and justice in Clark, those very things he is currently missing in his heart. The heroes did the right thing, the just thing.

With the flashback over, it's time to talk about the what is happening now.

Bruce says he heard from Dick about how Superman was walking the country. Another thing Roberson seems to be doing is recognizing the failings of the early Grounded issues and addressing them as Superman heals. Remember when a woman told Superman he was like a gun in a crowd, remember when Superman preached to the man about how he should be a hero? Remember how awful I thought that was?

Batman comes right out and calls him on it, much like the fans called on J. Michael Straczynski. How could Superman lecture like that? It was wrong. (Last issue, Roberson cleared up the 'Flash only sees blurs when running' problem as well.)

Batman realizes that Superman was psychologically broken by the events of New Krypton. And he needs to grieve and get better. That emotional pain won't go away, but it will improve. Who better to talk about moving on from psychological trauma than Batman?

Another theme Roberson keeps bringing up is Superman's worries over his legacy. Is he a worthy role model, the right role model?

Batman talks about how he is a loner but knows the strength in numbers. I love the mix of art and words here as well. Batman looks almost as if he is preaching here, arms outstretched, talking about big ideas. But he also knows that Superman cannot lead until he deals with his loss. Like I said last issue, this is what normal people do when they are hurting, they talk to friends and lean on them for support.

It doesn't get better than the last panel, Superman heroically flying, smiling, looking confident while Batman tells him he is needed in the light.

It is another step in this journey of healing, this journey of Superman being introspective but also reaching out. Sure the flashback and framing story might seem a simple device but it works well here.

The two styles of art also complements the story-telling by adding the right visual tone. And I usually don't talk about the colorists (my bad I know) but the bright palette of the framing sequence by Dave McCaig just further accentuates a better disposition in Superman.

But as I have said before, I am hoping Grounded is nearing its finale. We know there are at least three more issues. And we still have to deal with the Lois reconciliation and battling the threat of the possessed teacher. Are there really going to be 6 more months of Grounded? That would make this a 16 issue arc (albeit with 2 interlude issues).

What I really want is to read a Roberson-written Superman book after Grounded. And if you asked me if I would ever say that after reading the Roberson-penned Superman #707 I would have said 'absolutely not'!

Overall grade: B+/A

July Solicits

The DC Comics July solicits have been released and there is a lot of great stuff coming out even while Flashpoint is swirling around, re-writing the DC Universe. As usual, there are a couple of surprises for Supergirl fans so that makes me happy. Here is the link to Newsarama's coverage of the solicits:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dc-comics-july-2011-solicitations-110411.html

SUPERGIRL #66

Written by KELLY SUE DECONNICK • Art by CHRISCROS and MARC DEERING • Cover by AMY REEDER and RICHARD FRIEND

Deep below one of the most prestigious universities in the DCU lie some deadly secrets that Supergirl is determined to expose! But if she uses her powers, she’ll blow her cover, thus ruining any chance she and Lois Lane have of catching the madman responsible for it all!

So this is the middle chapter of Kelly Sue DeConnick's three-part story. In some ways the description of this issue reminds me of some of the Silver Age issues either in Adventure or Daring New Adventures when she was in school and trying to break away to do the right thing.

In a recent interview, DeConnick talked about an older DC villain being in the story. Do the giant rats bring anyone to mind? I was wondering about Professor Milo.

It is nice to see Amy Reeder back on covers.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #59

Written by JAMES ROBINSON

Art by BERNARD CHANG

Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

1:10 Variant cover by DAVID MACK

Eclipso is triumphant! He has defeated the world’s greatest heroes, destroyed the moon and spit in the face of the greatest forces the universe. But one JLAer still stands. Can she make things right?

There is a lot to love about this solicit. First off, great cover by Brett Booth. But Bernard Chang is doing the interiors. I have loved Chang's work of Supergirl recently. I know he can do 'big battle' scenes extremely well from his stuff on Superman and Last Stand. So I can't wait to see his work here. And another David Mack variant! I have loved those covers.

But based on all the skeletons on the cover, the only JLAer standing has to be Supergirl. I bet somehow she is able to use her recent 'Dark' period as either a way to be immune to Eclipso or to turn around and use as a weapon to defeat him. I really like how Robinson is writing this book and Supergirl in particular.

SUPERMAN #713

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI and CHRIS ROBERSON

Art by EDDY BARROWS and J.P. MAYER

Cover by JOHN CASSADAY

1:10 Variant cover by JEFF SMITH

What could possibly make The Man of Steel decide to stop being Superman? Superboy and Supergirl catch up with him in Portland, Oregon, and they want answers!

So 'Grounded' is still cruising along but this seems like a key issue as we approach the end. Doesn't this seem like a crucible Superman must get through?

All along I have wondered where the rest of the Superman family is during all this. Shouldn't family have tried to talk to Superman early in his trek to see if they could help him? Figure out why he was doing this walk? Regardless of the timing, I am glad that Chris Roberson is bringing Supergirl and Superboy into the arc. They need to be part of this journey.

And as much as I like Cassaday's work (I haven't seen him do Supergirl before) I really want to see what Jeff (Bone) Smith will bring to the table on the variant.

ACTION COMICS #903

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by KENNETH ROCAFORT

Cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT

1:10 Variant cover by DENYS COWAN

The mastermind behind “Reign of Doomsday” begins the final phase of his plan to destroy Superman and all mankind! Steel, Supergirl, Superboy and the heroes of Earth unite to try to stop the devastation, while Superman undertakes a dangerous journey in a desperate attempt to save the day!

Interesting cover here. It looks like Doomsday is leading the charge alongside the Super-family. I thought that Luthor was behind the Doomsday plot, as a way to keep the Supers away from his Black Energy quest. But destroying 'all mankind' is not a Luthor thing to do. So know I don't know who is behind all this.

All along I have said that the Doomsdays appearing in the prior titles aren't the Doomsday. I wonder if the cover Doomsday is the Doomsday, angry at having those dupes out there. I can't wait to see what Paul Cornell does with Superman.

And Kenneth Rocafort's work is just amazing. I love how he draws Supergirl on this cover.

SUPERBOY #9

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by PIER GALLO

Cover by KARL KERSCHL

Trapped in the twisted lair of the Hollow Men, Superboy, Psionic Lad and Simon must wage a desperate battle for the souls of Smallville!

Nice creepy cover here. Although there must be more to the Hollow Men then meets the eye. Pitchforks shouldn't scare Superboy.

This looks like a confluence of plotlines with the Hollow Men, Psionic Lad, and Simon all involved.

I have wondered if Simon will become a villain. How about the twist where Psionic Lad's body dies but he possesses Simon's. That's how Simon becomes a villain. You heard it here first.

Glad to see Pier Gallo's name on art again.

DC RETROACTIVE: SUPERMAN – THE ‘70S #1

Written by MARTIN PASKO

Art and cover by EDUARDO BARRETTO

DC Retroactive is an exciting event honoring the defining eras of DC’s core heroes, featuring an original story by the legendary writers and artists who helped mold the characters! Martin Pasko revisits the Metropolis of the 1970s, telling an epic lost tale as Mr. Mxyzptlk returns for another go at The Man of Steel. Will he succeed this time around?

Plus: Following the 26-page lead story is a classic tale originally published in the ’70s, also written by Martin Pasko!

I recently talked about this project. I think Eduardo Barretto is a good choice for art. He did some lovely work on Supergirl in the past.

And what could be wrong with a Mxyzptlk story set in the 1970s? I hope we see Clark as a TV anchor on WGBS!

TITANS ANNUAL 2011 #1

Written by ERIC WALLACE

Art by CLIFF RICHARDS

Cover by FABRIZIO FIORENTINO

“The Methuselah Imperative” begins, continuing into the next month’s issue of TITANS! It’s all been building toward this – a giant throwdown between Deathstroke and his Titans and The Justice League! And Roy Harper must face his old teammates at last and choose his future path, with either his old friends or his new partners in crime.

Although not seen on the cover, the Justice League is featured here and so I guess Supergirl will show up here. Looks like a punch-em-up storyline but none of these characters really interest me enough to think about getting this more than this issue. But maybe it will grab me.

Cliff Richard's art is a plus. I liked his stuff on Huntress:Year One.

And now the Flashpoint Super-minis.

FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #2

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING

Art by EDDIE NUNEZ

Cover by EDDIE NUNEZ and SANDRA HOPE

FLASH QUESTION: Lois Lane meets the mysterious leader of the Resistance – but will she survive?

Okay. So who is the shadowed figure? I'm guessing Deathstroke or Deadshot.

Too bad Lois is such a small element in this cover.

The more I see of Flashpoint, the more I wonder if I am going to like it.

FLASHPOINT: PROJECT SUPERMAN #2

Plot by SCOTT SNYDER

Script by LOWELL FRANCIS

Art and cover by GENE HA

FLASH QUESTION: Who is behind Project Superman?

This is a better cover. Is this figure Superman? Held hostage since his arrival? Is it Superboy (looks youngish), a clone of Superman?

I haven't read Scott Snyder before but his stuff is always critically praised. And I am a big fan of Gene Ha's work. So I am more optimistic about this mini.

And a couple of treats.

TINY TITANS #42

Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO

Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

They said it couldn’t happen, but why did you believe them? It’s...young Bizarros in love! Who is the strange girl from a square planet floating in space? Join us as the Tiny Titans discover Bizarro World! Aww yeah!

Bizarro Supergirl in Tiny Titans? That is an 'Aw yeah!' moment. And how funny she seems smitten with Match. This will be a definite buy for me. I have enjoyed every Tiny Titans I have bought, especially the Supergirl moments. Looks great!

SUPERGIRL: BIZARROGIRL TP
Written by STERLING GATES • Art by JAMAL IGLE, MATT CAMP and JON SIBAL • Cover by AMY REEDE and RICHARD FRIEND
Enter Bizarro Supergirl! But how did she get to Earth and what does she want? The real Supergirl better find out fast, or else there won’t be much left of Metropolis to save! And to make things worse, an even bigger threat looms on the horizon with an eye for the Girl of Steel. Collected from SUPERGIRL #53-59 and ANNUAL #2.

I have been waiting for this announcement. This is going to be a big trade including the BizarroGirl arc, the Legion Annual, and the Dollmaker story. Despite that page count, I would love for an intro by Gates and Igle, sort of a capstone to their great run. Do the right thing DC!

Anyways, July looks like a very busy month and that's a good thing.

Supergirl Sighting In JSA All-Stars #17; Variant Costume

One of the fistful of comics I currently collect nearing cancellation is JSA All-Stars.

All-Stars has always been a sort of fringe title for me, one that I enjoy just enough to keep buying. I definitely like Power Girl, Star Girl, and Cyclone as characters. But I could not care less for Wildcat 2, Citizen Steel, or King Chimera. On the JSA side, I love Wildcat, Jay Garrick, and Dr. Fate.

Matt Sturges has concocted some fun stories for the All-Stars and I have enjoyed the down time scenes he has written for the team such as sparring, training, and having strategy meetings. But the big draw for me on the title and really the reason why I have stuck around has been Freddie Williams III's art. I just think it is great, stylish and energetic.

So how could I not post about a brief Supergirl sighting in JSA All-Stars #17?

In the issue, a super-being called The Prince tries to convince Power Girl that he comes from an alternate timeline. In the other timeline, the greatest hero was someone named Regal who led the Justice Guild and made a perfect world. A villain named Dr. Hate, the Prince's mother and Regal's mortal enemy and lover, has changed history such that Regal never existed, the Guild never eradicated evil, etc.

The Prince is sad because he is stuck in this absolutely flawed world when he knew the paradise of the Regal-led world. In that timeline, he and Power Girl were friends, he was married to Judomaster, and everyone was on this massive super-hero team that looks like a mix of the JLA, JSA, Titans, and a couple of others. It is nice that most of his discussion about his predicament is with Power Girl who actually might understand his feelings and simply wants the Prince to relax so they can talk.

Anyways, Freddie Williams III gives us this great double page spread of this mega-team. Just spectacular stuff. And look on the top left.

Yep, that's Supergirl on the team! And in a different costume. It is a sort of mix of Silver Age (blue dress) and Matrix (pointy belt). One thing I do know, if I ever run into Freddie Williams III at a convention, I am definitely getting a commission.

And as a fan of the Matrix costume and the red dress, I actually thought this looked very nice.

Another thing that I think is interesting is how this costume (full shirt and blue dress) or some close version of it keeps popping up here and there. Could the belly shirt be on the way out?

Just a couple of months ago I showed this panel from Red Robin #19 where Marcus To had the Supergirl avatar in the UnterNet leading an future JLA and dressed like this.

Or this one I posted from Titans #30 by Fabrizio Fiorentino? This is, in theory, in continuity.

And then there was this version from Supergirl #32 by Ron Randall ... again, a Supergirl from the future.Yes, there is no belt here and the cape is different, clasping on to the S-shield but the full blue dress is similar.

And while those are all timeline twisted or future versions of Supergirl sporting the full shirt and blue dress, the current Kara has at least thought about it. Remember this great panel from Final Crisis #3 where we got a look into Supergirl's apartment. Here she seems to be designing new versions of the costume.

There in the lower left is a very rough sketch of the solid blue dress.

I doubt that any costume change is going to happen any time soon. But it is interesting that we keep seeing this particular motif pop up every so often. After being a staunch supporter of the red skirt, I have to say the blue skirt look is growing on me.

Original Supergirl #62 Cover? Editted

Kicking around the internet, I found this piece by Amy Reeder under a solicit for last month's Supergirl #62. I hadn't seen this version before. And unfortunately, I only found it once, on an EBay sale, so it is a small image, sorry. {Edited to include better copy. Thanks so much to Amy Reeder for sharing!}

This is just a great picture of the younger generation of the DCU, surrounding Supergirl. I especially like Kara and Steph. It's clear they are good friends, Steph hanging onto Supergirl and flashing the 'V for victory'. There is a little irreverence there to, fitting this group. Amy Reeder does such great work.

Maybe ... just maybe ... there is a slight riff on Kevin Maguire's classic Justice League #1 cover. The white background, the down point of view gives it that vibe. Even Blue Beetle and Miss Martian are in similar spots as their older mentors.

This cover was probably scrapped during the 'Spencer out, Peaty in' transition. We have heard that Batgirl was removed from the original storyline. And we haven't seen Static or the Iris West Impulse here either.

And where is the art for this cover? I would buy this as a print or t-shirt.

This is the second Reeder cover solicit pulled when the arc was altered.

Here is another great cover, the 'original' Supergirl #61, that is probably gathering dust. Of course, I am partial to Batgirl/Supergirl team-ups.

Of course, this is in no way meant to disparage the excellent cover for Supergirl #62 by Mahmud Asrar.  Someone here thought this would be the cover of the eventual trade of this arc and I agree. It captures the feel of this storyline perfectly.

Still, what I am assuming was the original cover for Supergirl #62 by Amy Reeder is beautiful. It's a shame that that image can't be used elsewhere.

DeConnick Interview On Supergirl

I was thrilled last week to see an interview with upcoming Supergirl writer Kelly Sue DeConnick over on Comic Book Resources. It is a great interview covering a lot of territory, not just Supergirl. I highly recommend going to read it. Here is the link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31747

One of the things that irked me in the aftermath of Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle leaving Supergirl was the complete lack of publicity around the title. The announcment that Nick Spencer was leaving the title was a line buried in a DC Source post about THUNDER Agents. There wasn't much out there at all about James Peaty or Bernard Chang grabbing the reins of that arc. And DeConnick was named a while ago as being on board for a three parter after Peaty finishes up. But there wasn't much coverage of all of that. So I was glad to be able to read so much about DeConnick's background and approach to her Supergirl story.

As always with a long interview like this one, I have cut some sections that grabbed my attention (in blue) and added some of my comments afterwards. And I'll say it again, it is worth reading the interview in its entirety.

This June, DC Comics' Supergirl " will be going to college, compliments of "Sif" and "Osborn" writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.


The second woman to ever write the Girl of Steel's self-titled series (star of the 1984 "Supergirl" movie Helen Slater lays claim to being the first), DeConnick will helm a three-issue arc, with artwork by ChrisCross and Mark Deering. Best known for her work at Marvel Comics, DeConnick will not be staying on as the long term "Supergirl" writer, leaving once her arc is complete, but that doesn't dampen her enthusiasm for leaving her mark on the life of Kara Zor-El.


"I grew up reading DC Comics; writing this book is a dream come true for me in every corny way that it could be," DeConnick told CBR News before enlightening us on what to expect from her Supergirl, her favorite fictional heroines and thoughts on the portrayal of women in the comic book industry.

So the interview opens up with us learning that DeConnick grew up reading DC Comics and considers writing Supergirl 'a dream come true'. That certainly is reassuring to me as a Supergirl fan. I want the writer to care about the character, knowing that usually leads to a solid characterization and good stories.

CBR News: Your first issue of "Supergirl" hits stores June 15. What can you tell us about your arc?
Kelly Sue DeConnick: Gifted kids have started disappearing from the area surrounding Stanhope College and one of them reappears in Metropolis, unable to tell them where she's been or why. Lois Lane and Supergirl team up to investigate.


And there's a classic villain who should look familiar to DCU readers. How's that for a taunt? Don't worry; I don't actually keep it a secret for long.

I like the sound of this plot. Certainly the fact that it is set at Stanhope College is a nice touch. And a Lois/Supergirl mystery also is a good premise. Add to that a mystery classic villain and I'm interested.

Of course, this also comes right on the heels of another mystery set at a college where Lois recruits Supergirl. Still, this one probably won't include the younger heroes of the DCU or the mystery of Alex. I think it will read fresh.

CBR: With regards to the Kara/Lois team-up, what's your take on their relationship?


KSD: In my take, Lois assumes a familiarity that's unearned and the two have to figure their relationship out. It's awkward, but there's humor and mutual respect at the base, so they get there.


CBR: Is this awkwardness because Lois is comparing Kara to Superman?


KSD: I think it's an unconscious thing rather than a deliberate slight, but yeah. She's used to level of familiarity with Superman that's not really fair to assume of Kara. And I think Kara is rightly wary of that.

So this was the thing that stuck out the most in this interview as reading wrong. "A familiarity that is unearned"? Lois and Kara have already been through the emotional mill ... from Lois chastising her for the 'Kill Kal-El' time where Supergirl stayed away, through the problems of New Krypton, and the killing of Lucy Lane. They are familiar with each other, like family.

In fact, it is hard to say that Lois overstepped her bounds asking for Supergirl's help solving a mystery when in the current arc, the one just preceding DeConnick's, Lois asked for Supergirl's help soliving a mystery.

I hope this is a small part of this arc and not a major theme because that would just seem off.

CBR: Since there's so little in the way of Post-Crisis Kara Zor-El stories, relatively speaking, is your run more influenced by the Silver Age Supergirl?


KSD: Is my Kara more influenced by the period before or after 1986? Well, after. Because, I mean, I'm not rebooting. Though my story isn't continuity hamstrung and I'd like to think that it's the kind of thing that someone who's never read a Supergirl comic before could pick up and not be lost, it's still happening in the here and now.

Well, I think that is sort of a weird question to be asked. Sure, releatively speaking there aren't many stories ... assuming the denominator is all comic stories since the 1930's.  But the current Supergirl has been around since 2004. The Supergirl title is now 5+ years old, she's been in Superman/Batman, JLA, Teen Titans, Brave and Bold, all of the New Krypton arc (2 Superman titles, 3 mini-series), and played a big part in Final Crisis. There is a big foundation to build a Supergirl arc on. She's been everywhere. So why would CBR ask it in that way?

And while I like that DeConnick wants to let new readers come to the comic and be able to understand it, I do think you need some sense of continuity, without being hamstrung. That comment in conjunction with the Lois/Kara familiarity comment makes me wonder if DeConnick has read the current title recently.

CBR: While we're talking about the past, were you a "Supergirl" fan as a kid?


KSD: Yes, comics were a big part of my life growing up -- I grew up on military bases overseas and we only got one American TV channel -- AFRTS (or A-Farts, as we called it). There are huge gaps in my pop culture knowledge base as a result. Gaps shaped like "The Brady Bunch," for instance. My friends and I gobbled up comics to make up for our lack of TV. And, as it happens, I was a DC girl. The Linda Carter "Wonder Woman" series probably had a lot to do with that, but who knows for sure?

So this really wasn't an answer to the question. Outside of the opening 'yes', I can't tell from this answer if DeConnick is a Supergirl fan. Still, the Stanhope reference (and an earlier Comet reference in another question) makes me think she is or at least has a working knowledge of Supergirl's older adventures.

CBR: So, did your experience working with Japanese comics influence the way you view and write American comics?


KSD: I think so, yes. The clearest point A to point B line can be drawn from spending years focused on polishing dialogue to writing scripts with an emphasis on dialogue. I write my dialogue first, then I break scenes down into pages and panels. I'm sure that's how I'm most comfortable.


In the "Supergirl" script, I was also more specific about fashion than I think most American comic book writers are. That, I'm certain, comes from a healthy diet of shoujo, where fashion is very much part of the appeal.

I have always talked about how I like to hear about the process behind comics. Usually I hear about it from the art point of view, how the artist goes from thumbnail layouts to roughs to finished pencils. So I loved hearing this part of DeConnick's approach to stories, writing the dialogue first. Fascinating.

And does a focus on fashion mean more Linda Lang on campus? I hope so.

CBR: You're only the second woman to write for an ongoing "Supergirl" series -- do you think you bring a fresh perspective to the character because of this? Or is gender irrelevant to the story?


KSD: As far as Kara and I go, she's a bit tricky for me to write, not because of her gender or mine, but because she's more reserved than I am as a human being. My first instincts are not hers, and if I'm not careful I run the risk of confusing "reserved" with "passive." She's not passive. She's cool, rational, cautious without being timid. As much as I think every adolescent is a boiling cauldron of dueling vulnerabilities and passions -- and Kara's no exception -- the rough start that she's gotten in life and the mantle or responsibility that she shoulders have left her more guarded, more contained than most. She's a natural leader. I'm more of a natural pain in the butt, I suspect.

'Cool, rational', 'a natural leader'. And a mention of the 'mantle of responsibility that' Supergirl shoulders. These all were nice descriptions of Supergirl and make me think that DeConnick has a good idea of the core of the character. We have all seen Supergirl also lose her cool and lash out so the 'boiling cauldron' also fits.

I think that the current Peaty run also drives home the 'natural leader' part of the character, a nice aspect of Supergirl I would love to see explored in depth.

CBR: Marvel really doesn't have an equivalent character to Kara, nor do they have a solo female series with a 60-odd year history behind her the way Supergirl does. How is it moving from Marvel to writing DC's "Supergirl?"


KSD: You know, I don't want to get into any kind of DC versus Marvel thing. I've worked at both companies; I've been treated with respect and dignity by both.


DC and Marvel have both been guilty of misusing their female characters in the past, and both are making concerted efforts correct that in the present. There's also, I think, been more thought given to potential female readership in recent history (particularly in light of the manga boom of a couple of years ago -- one that proved women and girls would not only buy and read comics, but they'd spend $8-$10 a pop), which, beyond being progressive, makes good business sense. We keep cannibalizing that same core 30-some year old white male Wednesday comic buyer and we're eventually going to fold.


Which is not to say that I want to take comics away from 30-some year old white males, or that I have anything against 30-some year old white male Wednesday comic buyers -- I don't. As it happens, I'm married to one and I think he's just about my favorite person in the universe.

Well, as a just-turned-40 year old white guy who goes to the store on Wednesday, I am all for methods or stories that will bring in new readers. As the father of the three young supergirls at home, I am always looking for good and appropriate comics that I can get them. So I welcome this.

Just in case people don't know, DeConnick's husband is Matt Fraction, a great writer whose work I always enjoy.

There is a lot more to this interview than just these questions. It is a great read. DeConnick clearly is well-read and well-versed in all media: books, films, and comics. She comes across as intelligent and witty. And she seems to have a nice understanding of Supergirl. I just hope that the surrounding material, the continuity stuff, doesn't make this seem off.

DC Retro-Active

 WonderCon happened last week in San Francisco and seemed like a great show to attend. DC was pretty tight lipped about the post-Flashpoint DCU making most of the covered panels pretty low key. Sadly, in all the coverage I read, there was no mention of Supergirl at all. I was hoping for something!

One thing that was announced was three one shots called DC Retroactive. There is a nice rundown over on CBR here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31651

The Retro-Active issues bring together past creative teams on DC's major titles and have them write a story in the style of their respective decade. There will be an issue each representing the‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

According to DC Comics here is the writer lineup:

Now I'll date myself a bit. But I grew up reading comics in the 70s. I began more seriously collecting in the 80s and became a hard core collector in the 90s. So I am excited about these issues so that I can relive a little bit of my youth. I can't wait to read O'Neil GL, Pasko Superman, Conway JLA, and Barr Batman. I'll also say that I liked the Messner-Loebs Wonder Woman run with Artemis so there is a lot to like here.

Of course, these issues seem targeted for people my age. I wonder what newer readers will think of this.

I also like the snazzy logos as seen above.

The CBR article also has a nice discussion with 90s Superman team Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove and 80s Superman writer Marv Wolfman. Here are some blurbs (in blue) from that article.

Simonson and Bogdanove spoke enthusiastically about the plot of their new story for the ‘90s “Superman” one-shot, entitled “Speed.”

“The back-story is that Superman has already fought Doomsday, died, gotten better, and has just arrived home from a space adventure; Lex Luthor Jr. (actually a clone with the original Lex Luthor’s brain) is in the early throes of a devastating disease that is affecting the clones of Metropolis. Luthor has begun to age rapidly and is sliding into madness,” said Simonson when asked to explain what her all-new 26-page story would entail.

“For the continuity buffs out there, the ‘90s was the era of five interlocked Superman titles – our story in ‘Superman: Retro-Active’ takes place between pages, about halfway through ‘Man of Steel’ #31,” the writer added.

I used to collect all five Superman titles back then. I'll have to do some digging to see if I can find this issue in my collection. If I can find it, I'll do a review to give the framework of this new story.

“We may even be able to fit in an appearance by Steel,” said Simonson before adding, “Our ‘90s continuity was nothing if not…complex.”

I have met Louise Simonson at a couple of conventions and she is such a nice person. I got to talk to her a bit at last year's Boston Comic-Con about Supergirl and her Superman run. I hope she can fit Steel in as he was her 'new Superman' in the Reign of the Supermen arc.

Bogdanove revealed he was working hard to make the one-shot look as close to his early ‘90s work as possible, taking into consideration his growth as an artist over the intervening years. “I am using my powers as a chameleon artist to imitate myself!” he told CBR, adding “Weezie [Simonson] specifically requested big-shoulder fashions for Lois and I'm really enjoying her old Elizabeth Shue hairstyle.”

Should be a hoot to see Bogdanove's over the top style on Superman again as well.

Switching to the 70s “Superman,” Marv Wolfman hinted to CBR that his story would involve many of his original and famous “Superman” characters, and take place during the 1980s.

“What I'm doing is picking up on a story I had written back in the ‘80s, featuring a character who is quite famous now and then turning everything we know on its head – I am using DC continuity from the ‘80s onward in a story firmly rooted back then,” said Wolfman before mysteriously adding, “Oh, yeah…there is also a major surprise at the end which will make this a little bit different from what anyone expects.”

Wolfman stated that his new story would have many elements of his ‘80s run – complete with captions and editorial notes – but his ultimate aim was to tell a good story. “I think the plot will feel like an ‘80s plot, but it's subtly not. I am hoping people will think it gives the feel of an ‘80s story without looking back on those days with the irony of nearly 30 years passing,” said Wolfman.

Hmm ... any guesses on the character that is now famous?

I am going to guess the Monitor or the Anti-Monitor.

As this is the 80s (and I suppose the same holds true for the 70s Superman with Marty Pasko) Supergirl is still around in the DCU. I can only hope that she shows up in these Superman Retro-Active issues.

The issues are going to be released over the summer.