Review: Superman #6

Superman #6 came out this week, the last issue of George Perez's short run on the character. The issue is given some extra pages to get to its finale, no big surprise given that last issue didn't get us where we needed to be. As a result, this issue is very heavy on exposition and explanations. Perez's issues have all been very dense, but this one felt the densest because we have several pages in a row at the end where Superman basically explains what has been going on. What is worse is that this was a strange resolution to the arc. Despite pages of explanation, I don't know if I quite get it.

But perhaps my biggest problem with this story is that it hinges on the ending of the Collector arc in Action, an arc that hasn't ended yet. In some ways, this issue needed a spoiler alert because now we know some of what Morrison is going to give us next issue. I don't need this crossover this soon. And, it some ways, as I'll explain below, it felt forced.

Add to that, some of the things that Perez has started here, some things that might be carried forward in this new era of Superman, have been wrapped up already. I don't know what to say. I didn't think Superman needed to be rebooted in the first place. But if you are going to do it, let some of the new elements breathe a bit.

The one thing I will add is that in this issue Supergirl looked wonderful. Nicola Scott does great work here. And it is amazing how little things like adjusting the corners on the red aspects of the lower costume can make a difference. Can we start a petition to just have the seam be straight?

The issue starts off with this great near splash page of Supergirl, saving Billy McCoy, the anti-Superman reporter that was pitched off the Planet building last issue. This works on a number of levels. It has a nice POV as Supergirl streaks towards us, the street in the background. Supergirl looks determined and ready for action. And again, the lower costume looks so much better without the unnecessary corner cutouts where red meets blue.

She was headed to Metropolis to talk to Superman about Superboy, the clone she just me. Luckily she arrives as McCoy is plummeting. The thing is it is tough to shoehorn this into her even brief history. Many of the people and reporters on scene act like this is the first time they are seeing her but  Jimmy also says this is after her post-World Killer battle in Manhattan. So that seems odd.

I also like Kara's confusion here. She is still trying to figure out who she is and what her role is on the planet. She has met Superman once but knows he defends the Earth. So seeing him pitch people off skyscrapers should be odd.

Again, look at how sleek the costume looks here.

Unfortunately, the phony Superman seems more powerful than Supergirl and begins knocking her around. She is able to hold her own briefly but is soon overwhelmed.

But then the real Superman begins responding to Lois' phone call to Clark, a call he is receiving on a phone built into his uniform. The phony Superman also hears that call. And somehow that rattles this creature.

On top of it, a psychic link that exists between the real and phony Superman is now open, allowing Superman access to fake's memories just as the copy had access to Kal's. I don't know if I buy it, or why Lois' call is the trigger, or why it is even a two way street ... but there it is.

 It turns out the fake Superman is composed of alien nanites from the planet Jazuur. And these nanites had a symbiotic relationship to everything on the planet including life forms. These things cured all the ills on the planet, repairing damage to structures, the people, etc.

It was captured by the Collector but somehow could not be maintained in one of it's bottles. They exploded, the remnants of the city destroyed ... well ... mostly destroyed. A couple escape.

Again, we haven't really met the Collector yet. 

And now even more spoiling.

One of the nanites landed on the cermonial armor which now we know Superman finds on the Collector's satellite. In fact we even see Superman in the blue uniform land on Earth the first time here. I am assuming that this is a big moment in Action Comics. Now it is going to have much less of an impact. It simply doesn't make sense to link up these stories, five years apart in continuity.

More importantly, it means these nanites lived within the uniform all this time.

In the meantime, the U.S. Military isn't going to let Superman and 'this unknown girl' tear through Metropolis. They are ready to strike and are going to send in fighters. What good will that do? Other than add to the collateral damage?

General Lane calls to warn Lois to leave but she says no. Even she realizes that an air strike probably won't harm either combatant. I like the combustible relationship between the Lanes, two strong personalities.

Just as the real Supergirl is about to be killed or 'assimilated' by the nanite construct, the real Superman arrives. Superman scoops up his doppelganger, shows that this 'evil' Superman isn't him, and shouts down the incoming fighter planes. He then takes off to the arctic with the nanites in tow.

Why it's enough to make McCoy sing a different tune! But this also felt too early. I didn't like this 'distrusted' plotline, but it is here.You can't wrap it up so easily. McCoy could just as easily continue his original argument that Superman's presence brings threats the the city, now a very personal threat. It makes no sense for this plotline to be stopped so quickly. That said, it shouldn't have been started in the first place.

What we get next is a lot of explanation from Superman while he beats the nanite-creature to a pulp. And I don't know if I get it.

The short story. The nanites' programming to adjust and salvage and eradicate threats (as on Jazuur) was corrupted by the explosion on the Collector's satellite.

Awakened recently the nanites tried to conform to their environment. The first ones were shed in Superman's heat vision creating the first heat being. Subsequent use of supervision and hearing lead to the invisible one. Using his super-breath led to the creation of a cold one. These nanites thought these environments were the norm. They used humans to try to recreate the 'symbiosis' it had with the planet's populace (like on its home planet). But then it realized that Superman was an imperfection that must be removed. It thought the best way to do that was to replace Superman while making him doubt himself.

I can echo Superman in the last panel. 'How did that make any sense?'

But why did it take 5 years for these things to shed? Did they just live in the uniform during that time. Will I be thinking of these nanites whenever I read one of Morrison's stories from the past?? Should I?

And why not just assimilate with humans like on the home planet? Why not repair? Why do all this chicanery with becoming a mean Superman? I don't know if I can wrap my head around it enough for it to work.

Regardless, Superman literally punches the nanites to bits and throws them in the sun. Sort of an 'yeesh' moment.

With the battle over, Supergirl arrives for a wrap-up conversation. This is only the second Supergirl/Superman meeting. The last one ended with Supergirl taking off. This one seems much more cordial and comfortable. Maybe too cordial and comfortable? Shouldn't there be some awkwardness here given the heated way things ended. I keep hoping the cousins will become friends. But it should feel natural.

Anyways, Supergirl looks wonderful here. DC, please note how the costume looks here!

And just like that, all is well. Everyone seems happy with Superman again. And everyone is normal. The nanite effected people are back to human.

Heather is glad that Clark is visiting but understands that he doesn't love her. And a Lois/Clark relationship is strongly hinted at in the end. In a short time, we have gone a long way away from a naked guy in Lois' apartment in issue one. But, much like with the 'distrust' plotline, why open up the can of worms of Lois dating someone else and someone being interested in Clark, only to semi-shut the door on it. I actually was hoping to see more of Heather and Clark.

But this issue felt like Perez was cleaning the deck for the incoming Giffen/Jurgens team.

So, suffice it to say, I had some problems with this issue ... from the upcoming Action scenes, to the muddled explanation of the nanites and their aspirations, to the truncated plotlines (even if unwanted plotlines). Nicola Scott's art helps lift the overall grade a bit.

Overall grade: C+

Shrine: Flamebird Figure

I recently purchased at a very low price the Flamebird figure from the DC Armory action figure line. As this is a Supergirl figure ... and more importantly cheap ... I thought I should have it as part of my collection of Supergirl memorabilia.

I have to say it is a very striking figure. It comes with two heads, a Kara head and a Flamebird helmet head. I have opted to have the Kara head holding the helmet triumphantly. Unfortunately, the Kara head gives it a very long neck.

 The armor is pretty detailed. And the design of the head and hair is very nice. It is a much better figure than I anticipated.

The wings clip in as a 'ball in socket' which should mean pretty wide range of movement for them and lots of posing possibilities. Unfortunately, my figure (and therefore I assume all) has very shallow sockets meaning almost any movement has the wings pop off.  The position they are in here is pretty much the only position I can have them in. Still, there is a nice sleek metallic look to them.

Here is a pic with the Flamebird helmet on for completeness. It really is an intricate figure.

When this figure initially came out I didn't buy it because I pretty much hated the Candor story arc finding it nearly incomprehensible. This was the 'Kill Kal-El' Kara, the edgy bitchy unlikeable sort of grrrl that just didn't seem to fit Supergirl.

And, of course, given this was that Supergirl, it ends with her abandoning the people of that Kandor completely. Not exactly a hero. And this was the 'One Year Later' jump on point! Not a very nice way to introduce people to the character!

But you know what Candor did have a lot of ... needless, meaningless fan service.

Look at topless Kara get a tattoo!
Look at Kara take a shower!!
Look at naked Kara almost kiss Karen !!!

Look at Kara burn a boob window into Power Girl's Nightwing costume with her heat vision !!!!
Look at Preus grab Kara's butt!!!!!

And people wonder why I dislike the first 2 years of that comic.

Yeesh. Horrible.

But, like all the earlier warts, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle acknowledged this ugly chapter by having the Flamebird helmet be in the Closet of Solitude. That creative team had Kara put those troublesome times behind her and had her become a great hero.

Anyways, it is a nicely crafted figure and well well worth the few bucks I paid for it.

Review: Legion Of Super-Heroes #6

The 'renumbered but not rebooted' Legion of Super-Heroes, as a whole, has been a mixed bag for me. It has been somewhat a comfortable comic for a longtime Legion reader for me. I know these characters and all their history; I know what is going on and I am able to fill in some of the gaps in the story in my mind. But it hasn't been exciting. And it hasn't been spectacular. This isn't a new 52 that a new reader could easily pick up.

Legion of Super-Heroes #6 slips into that comfort zone again, although writer Paul Levitz begins to put out some feelers for upcoming stories. I think that Levitz often has a long term plan in mind for the Legion, and sometimes a single page scene is there to not only catch up on some characters but to plant a seed for later. At least, I hope so. Parts of this issue also makes me think that some of the unexplained matters from the first Dominator arc, things that I wanted to see explained in LSH#4 before the arc ended, will be eventually explained.

But those future threads are just the filler of this issue. The main story in this issue is about Dragonwing and I was glad to see it. We learned a lot about Chemical Kid and Comet Queen's personalities in their time in Adventure Comics, but 'Wing always seemed to be in the background. The problem is that since we know so little about her, some of the events in this issue don't have the same impact that they might if we had more of a backstory.

One consistent thing about the Legion book has been Francis Portela's great art. I was glad to see him back on art duty here.

The issue starts with a team of Legionnaires on a mission in China, dealing with an environmental crisis and a power station off line. While Sun Boy deals with some of the heat fallout, Element Lad helps Chemical Kid kickstart the station.

I do like how Element Lad seems to be taking Kid under his wing. As I said before, their abilities complement each other very well making them a wildly powerful duo if working together. But I think it would be more interesting to read if Kid was the same brash loudmouth he was in the Adventure Comics, a good foil to the reserved Jan. However, in the last few issues, Kid seems to be suffering from an inferiority complex and shyness, the complete opposite of his earlier characterization. Too bad.

On Earth, Dream Girl fends off some amorous advances by Star Boy. With Mon-El and Brainy away on Pantopes, she has work to do.

This is one of those subtle seeds I think Levitz is planting. Remember, Levitz always had Dream Girl be smarter and more mentally strong than she lets on to be. He had her as one of the four most powerful minds in the Legion way back in the Universo Project. So my guess is she is going to uncover/discover something of import here.

Back in China, Dragonwing goes home to see her sister Bao only to discover the apartment empty and a Red Dragon sigil floating in the air.

So this is one of those things that I think fell a little short. I know almost nothing about Dragonwing. I don't know anything about her sister. Without that background, I don't know how to respond. It clearly upsets Dragonwing. But is she surprised? Disappointed? Did she have a good relationship with her sister? A bad one?

What this comic needed was a six panel flashback from 'Wing giving us broad strokes about her early life, her sister, the state of where she lived. Given her return to her home, some introspection wouldn't be awkward and is much needed. We don't see exposition like that too often anymore. Too bad.

On Panoptes, Brainy and Mon-El clean up the Dominator/Res-Vir mess.

The resolution of the Res-Vir part of the first arc was one of the things that irked me. We didn't know the hows or the whys or the whens. Here, some minor gaps are filled. The Dominator serum which gave Res-Vir his power increased his strength but would have 'burned him out' in a couple of months. As for the other soldiers following Res-Vir, they weren't telepathically controlled by Res-Vir, but were 'imprinted' by the Dominators.

Does this mean that the Dominion has sleeper agents throughout the UP? 'Imprinted' people following their commands?

We know from solicits that the Dominators are the main upcoming villain in the book. Levitz gives us a gruesome look at their culture here. There is a rule in their culture that everyone is 'food'.

Here the leader of the defeated Dominator fleet at Panoptes abases himself and is subsequently killed. It is implied that there is some cannibalism here as the slain Dominator's 'blood will serve'. Brrrr ...

Dragonwing ends up finding her sister Bao who seems to have hooked up with some bad elements in China, joining some sort of gang/political movement called the Red Dragon looking to 'Restore the Middle Kingdom'. But again, I don't know anything about her. Does she have powers. Are those her wings or tech? What is the agenda of this group she joined? Without knowing the relationship between the sisters or the particulars of this Red Dragon, I don't know how to react as a reader.

In one nice surprise, 'Wing's sharpei dog turns out to be Cham in disguise.

And when Bao's gang starts to threaten the Legionnaires, the heroes strike back. Dragonwing punching out her sister should have some resonance but as I am sort of flying blind about their relationship, it doesn't carry the same punch (pun intended). Maybe I need to go back and reread the Legion Academy issues she was in. Am I forgetting stuff?

Anyways, imagine the same above panel but with Ayla punching out Mekt. We know all about them so it would mean more.

Lovely art by Portela regardless, really great stuff.

We end with something of a cliffhanger as the leader of the movement, 'the phoenix fire of China's rebirth' shows up and he has brought numbers.

So again, I feel a bit lost here. I don't know enough about any of these characters to have any empathy for them right now. For all I know, this guy is going to say he runs a soup kitchen for the poor. So, much like last arc, I have more questions than answers and it has impacted how much I could enjoy the book.

Still, it isn't like I hated the book, because there is enough of that 'warm bath' Legion-ness here to keep an old-timer like me content. But I don't want to be content with comics. I want to be blown away.

Overall grade: C+

Lauren Faust Supergirl

A tip of the hat to Bleeding Cool which posted a clear version of Lauren Faust's Supergirl from the upcoming Super Best Friends Forever short series in the DC Nation animated block on the Cartoon Network. Here is the link: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/18/nice-lauren-fausts-supergirl-as-seen-in-her-dc-nation-show/

That is one fierce looking Supergirl but it seems these shorts are going to be short and funny.

Also from Bleeding Cool was this pic, showing it is Babs and Donna (as I hoped). Here is full link: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/20/briliant-batgirl-and-wondergirl-as-seen-in-lauren-fausts-dc-nation-shorts

That is one sleek looking Donna in the old school leotard. Fantastic!

DC Nation premieres on March 3rd on the Cartoon Network. Set your DVR's now!

Golden Grahams Justice League Comic

Every once in a while, I need to be reminded that comics are supposed to be a fun part of my life. After the DC New 52 Survey results, Before Watchmen, Gary Friedrich, Comic Book Men, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Estate, and everything else that has happened recently, it seemed like there was nothing but bitterness surrounding comics. Everyone seems to be upset by something that is happening. And this is supposed to be my 'fun' hobby.

I needed some comic joy.

It all started when the Supergirls at home were excited to have bought some Golden Grahams cereal that had free inside Justice League comics! FREE INSIDE COMICS!! Their excitement made me think I am doing something right as a dad. I know the news of these comics is old, but their response was fantastic.

Inside I found Golden Grahams Justice League #2, done by comic veteran creative team writer Paul Tobin and artist Derec Donovan. It had a such a simple and wonderful ending that it reminded me of why I read comics as a kid and why I persist in this hobby. It reminded me why I want my kids to grow up reading comics ... well, the right comics.

In the comic, an AI robot becomes self-aware, goes out of control and begins manufacturing more of himself with anything he can get his hands on including people's cars, store items, etc. Superman and Wonder Woman are called in to stop it. The robot's creator says it is like a child, just trying to understand what it is and trying to build a society around it. But it is learning.

The robot then telepathically bonds to Superman and gets a feel for Superman and what he represents.

It sees Pa tell Clark that he has a responsibility to help others.
It sees Clark studying law.
And it sees Superman say that all he wants is truth, justice, and for people to peacefully co-exist.

It links to Wonder Woman in the same way.

It sees Hippolyta tell her that she must leave Paradise Island to better all mankind.
It sees Wonder Woman tell a policeman she is happy to help with a crisis.
And it sees that she values the wisdom of Athena more than any other power.

After absorbing that heroic outlook from the heroes, the robot stops its building rampage and begins helping clean up the mess it made. The heroes inspired a robot to do good ... to be a hero itself.

Maybe I am an old stick in the mud.

Maybe I am a curmudgeon.

But I actually like reading comics where the heroes are heroes, doing good for its own sake. This isn't a distrusted Superman being attacked by the army and shunned by citizens. This isn't a Wonder Woman embroiled in a bloody family feud. These are heroes trying to help, and being role models for others to aspire to be like. Wonderful.

I happily read this book with my kids. And I was reminded what I loved about comics when I was their age. And the acrimony of the business was forgotten, at least temoporarily.

And then ate delicious cereal!

May Solicits

The May solicits for DC Comics have been released here and there are some pretty interesting things coming out that month. Some surprises for sure. This is the opening month of the 'second wave', the new titles after the cancellations of Hawk and Dove, etc.

I couldn't help but alos notice that DC has opted to get away from paragraphs describing the issue, instead opting for bullet points. Maybe that is a sign of our '140 character maximum' attention span these days.

SUPERGIRL #9

Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON

Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

• SUPERGIRL aids the new SILVER BANSHEE against her father, the deadly BLACK BANSHEE!

• Supergirl finds out about her weakness to magic – the hard way!

The idea of the Banshee having a super-powered father is somewhat new. I think it reflects the de-aging of the new Banshee nicely. It also might provide some more grist for the mill as Siobhan and Kara become friends. Both will obviously have father issues. Glad Supergirl looks like she is protecting the Banshee here.

And glad to see Mahmud Asrar back on art duty.

ACTION COMICS #9

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH

Art and cover by GENE HA

Backup story art by CULLY HAMNER

Variant cover by RAGS MORALES

• Featuring characters from parallel Earths, including PRESIDENT SUPERMAN!

• Introducing new villain SUPERDOOM!

• Guest artist GENE HA joins GRANT MORRISON for this tale of not one, not two, but THREE Earths!

• And in the backup story, President Superman must stop a nuclear attack – but he can’t leave the White House!

I am of two minds about this issue. We have seen this version of Superman in the Final Crisis:Superman Beyond mini-series, a mini-series I loved. Second, I have been waiting patiently for the Multiversity mini-series by Morrison and this looks like a hint of that. So that is the upside here.

But .... but ... we still don't know the DCnU Superman very well. And frankly, I want to learn more about that character before I learn anything about alternate universe versions of him. So I just don't know if I am ready for this story now. Let's lay the foundation for the new Superman first.

SUPERMAN #9

Written by KEITH GIFFEN and DAN JURGENS

Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT

• SUPERMAN faces new supervillainess MASOCHIST!

• How can Superman fight an opponent he can’t touch?

• LOIS LANE faces a turning point in her career as a journalist.

The Masochist?

I am more interested in seeing what decision Lois has to make. Whatever it is, I hope it isn't a step backwards. I hope the decision isn't for her to give up her position running the newsroom to go back to being a reporter.

SUPERBOY #9

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN

Cover by IAN CHURCHILL

• “THE CULLING” continues here from this month’s TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 and leading into LEGION LOST #9!

• SUPERBOY vs. ROSE WILSON – round two!

• The shocking debut of the all-new WARBLADE!

This is in the midst of this Titans/SB/Legion Lost crossover leading into the Ravagers series. But nothing about this issue's description intrigues me. Another round with Rose?

Hopefully, it moves Superboy's story forward. I'll be bummed when Caitlin and Rose move on from this title into their own. They were part of the charm of this book.

WORLDS’ FINEST #1

Written by PAUL LEVITZ

Art by GEORGE PEREZ, SCOTT KOBLISH and KEVIN MAGUIRE

Cover by GEORGE PEREZ

1:25 Variant cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

• New ongoing series featuring POWER GIRL and HUNTRESS of Earth 2!

• PAUL LEVITZ teams with amazing artists GEORGE PEREZ and KEVIN MAGUIRE.

• Discover why these two heroes are stranded on our Earth – and what it means for the heroes of the DC Universe.

The latest book to be reviewed on this site, World's Finest boasts a solid creative team with two of my favorite artists. It also stars two characters that I have followed forever. So, it should be a good book.

I am interested to see how the concept of multiple Earths plays out in the DCnU. Shouldn't the reboot have made it easier for new readers to get on board? And isn't this 'trapped on our Earth' similar to the 'trapped in our time' story in Legion Lost?  And does this even have the possibility of equaling Palmiotti/Conner's Power Girl or Gail Simone's take on Helena (albeit Bertinelli)??

I am hopeful.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #1

Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER

Art by PERE PEREZ

Cover by GARY FRANK

• The SMALLVILLE story continues in this new ongoing series!

• Based on the hit CW show!

• Find out what happened after CLARK KENT puts on the costume.

Now this was something of a surprise and I guess I will have to give it a try.

While I was never a huge fan of the glum, sulking, hiding Kal-El on Smallville, I am a huge fan of Bryan Q. Miller and Pere Perez, the last team on the Steph Brown Batgirl. And Smallville, for the most part, treated Supergirl pretty well ... until they inevitably had to have her fail so Clark could save the day. I hope Kara and the Legion make a trip back in time at some point in the book.

This would be an iffy purchase if not for Miller and Perez being on the book. Those guys rocked on Batgirl.

So should be a fun month!

Review: Supergirl #6

Supergirl #6 came out this week and was a big turning point in the life of this new incarnation of Supergirl. I suppose each issue so far has had its life changing moments for this Kara, but this issue had that point, the point where she decides to defend Earth and become a hero and for me that makes it the most crucial issue in the arc so far. She was a fork in the road, so to speak, and she chose a direction.

As we have read in lots of interviews with writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson, the whole Supergirl origin isn't going to be a simple history told in a couple of pages. It is going to be a mystery a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. We are going to learn some things, but that new knowledge is only going to lead to new mysteries. So despite learning more about Supergirl's past and her family here, there are clues that make me puzzle all the more. And that's a good thing I suppose.

And the art remains at its usual fantastic level. I have said here before, 'big moments need big art' and Asrar does it in a couple of key places. That said, there were a few too many splash and double splash pages here for moments which might not merit such a spread. Still, Asrar continues to knock it out of the park.

The book starts with Kara remembering her time on Argo, preparing for her final trials. Here she is sparring with some combat bot, trying to knock it down but failing. And not only failing, but being chided for her poor technique. At first I thought this trial (and Kara's earlier conversation about Zor-El and battlebots) made me think that this was something of a military culture preparing warriors. But the robot says that many think the physical trials are a vestige of a time past. So it is interesting. Maybe it's like the Presidential Physical Fitness Award we all needed to pass in elementary school?

I was delighted when Zor-El stops the fight sequence so Kara can study like the scientist she is. Kara Zor-El has always been a scientist, even being part of that guild in Gates' run, so I am glad that Green and Johnson are continuing that part of her persona. But the bigger mystery is that Zor is stopping it, despite the robot saying Alura wants Kara to continue to train. In the glimpses of Zor and from Kara's thoughts, I suspected he was the one pushing the combat stuff on her. Maybe it's Alura?

That said, it might be his science which created the World Killers?

While Kara is pinned to the wall in Argo, Reign arrives on Earth, at the feet of the Statue of Liberty. We even briefly meet a young girl from Ireland who has to be the new Silver Banshee.

So this is one of those moments that I don't think is 'big' enough to warrant a splash. we have met Reign before. So this didn't add much.

Great picture. Yes.
Nice composition, people worried and little behind her, yes.

But not big enough.

Under the blue sun, Kara has become sufficiently weakened to the point she can't pull Reign's sword out on her own.

However, she sees a vision of Zor-El and Lara who talk of their love for their daughter and how she needs to fight. I think it is interesting that in the top panel, Kara only has one hand on the hilt, Zor the other. But in the bottom, it is Supergirl with both hands on the handle.

Is this a fevered hallucination?
Is this her parents communicating with her from the Survival Zone?
Some weird new power?

I'd prefer the middle choice, even if I have to wait years for it to play out.

And here is another great clue that this is more than some hallucination.

Powerless on Argo which is falling into the blue sun, Kara is given a boost of apparent yellow sun energy by Alura, enough power to make her way off the planet. Hallucinations don't do that. That said, neither do wraiths from the Survival zone. As I said, more mysteries here. I just hope that 'speaking to the dead' isn't one of Supergirl's new powers.

I will say it was great to see Alura again, one of the better (if maddening) characters from the last series.

In a great 2 page spread (of which I am only showing a tiny bit), Supergirl flies into space and watches Argo disintegrate in the blue sun. It is here we get that first step towards heroism as she realizes that this isn't some dream or test. She has no home now. The only place left to go is Earth.

See this is a big moment that deserves big art. This is the end of that life for Supergirl. And Asrar does a great job showing us that despair. Fantastic.

After several pages of seeing Reign beat up on the army (including another splash page of Reign), Supergirl shows up to try to level the playing field.

I said this issue was filled with big moments and I think this is the biggest, even bigger than the destruction of Argo. Supergirl has returned to Earth intent on defending it and its people from Reign. You know what that is called ... being a hero.

Big moments warrant big art. Perfect. I didn't mind this splash.

 I think this Supergirl is a southpaw too. She always seems to be leading with her left.

And then Supergirl vocalizes her intentions. She isn't here to rule Earth. She is here to remove Reign from it.

Nice defiant pose here from Kara. And, as usual, Asrar does a good job of having the action bleed over the constraints of the panels for emphasis.

Wanting some alone time with Supergirl, Reign drops a force field over New York City similar to the one that protected Argo. The history of Krypton and the World Killers and Zor-El and everything is so foggy right now that I don't know who to like or not like. I guess, like with the Byrne reboot, more and more about the culture will be revealed until I have a grasp of it. I still feel like not everything is above board with Zor-El.

Despite having sensed all the super-heroes on the planet (including Superman), Reign states that Supergirl is the only one powerful enough to stop the world killer. It re-opens a can of worms that Jeph Loeb introduced in his earliest issues of the last Supergirl book. Remember when Loeb implied that Supergirl was stronger and faster than Superman? For me, I think Superman needs to be the yardstick of the DC universe ... most heroic, most noble, most powerful. So I hope this turns out to be that Supergirl has something which uniquely suits her fighting these beings.

The issue ends with the reveal that there are four World Killers in all. And they all want a piece of Supergirl.

This is another 2 page spread and I think a one page splash would have sufficed. Great art? Yes. But while a lot happened in this issue (and I loved what happened) I think all these splashes took up space that could have meant 3-4 more pages of story. And I am greedy right now. I want more of this story.

Can this arc be wrapped up in the 22 pages we have next month? I think the answer is yes. Sure, we don't know all the details behind everything ... but I think that is by intention, not poor story-telling. The pieces have been set up for a climactic battle and decent denouement, hopefully with some reveals.

Things I expect to see next month: an assist from the Silver Banshee.
Things I hope to see next month, Kal and Kara meeting and talking again after Supergirl saves the day.

I think the creative team here is firing on all cylinders. Overall, I can't help but be happy with this book so far.

Overall grade: B+/B