Steve Orlando Interview

With the news of the new Supergirl series coming out of #Rebirth still fresh, I reached out to writer Steve Orlando for an interview. A big thanks to DC PR and Orlando for answering a few questions about the new book and Supergirl in general.

I was feeling optimistic about the book from everything that I had heard before this interview but I am doubly optimistic now. So enjoy ...

Anj: Congratulations on being named writer on the Supergirl Rebirth book. I was wondering if you could talk about your history with the character? Have you always been a fan? Is there a favorite Supergirl run in the background?
Orlando: I have long been a fan! Probably my first live interaction with Kara was when she debuted on Superman: The Animated Series, with her distinct urge to explore and to “VROOM” everywhere she went. I had encountered her before, in trading cards, in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but those were all backlogs, collecting I did when I was voraciously reading up on the DCU as a young, erstwhile fan. But when she debuted in the Dini/Timm series, it was fresh, I was seeing it at the same time as the rest of the world, not playing catch up, and I loved it. I loved the energy, the positivity and the joy associated with the character – her unfaltering ability to stay positive despite the tragic circumstances that brought her to Earth.
And that’s really what first made me connect to Kara – her history is in many ways even more tragic than her cousin’s, with her being a teenager when she left Krypton, and having real, tangible things that she’s left behind. But I connected with that, she tries her hardest not to let it weigh her down, or weigh other people down. I think her tenacity is something we can all aspire to – and really, superheroes, icons, we want them to to aspirational figures. Kara to me is all about positivity in the face of adversity, and through her experienced with that, a wealth of understanding. For me, that all started with her animated series appearances, to the Earth-Born Angel run, to the return of Kara Zor-El, and the growing accumulating DNA that brought us to where we are today.

2. What do you find compelling or intriguing  about her character? What about her interested you enough to write the new book?
I hinted at it a bit above, but to me, it is Kara’s approach to the world that draws me to her. For one, she has a more real, detailed, and rich immigrant or refugee story than her cousin, who woke up to loving human parents and only later learned about the world he lost. Kara, leaving real people, real memories, coming to Earth with real opinions, having to learn a new language, a new culture, being adopted by new parents. All those things ring so true to me for what people go through, and as to her feeling at times like an outsider, what I have gone through both in my personal life being bisexual and in my adult life traveling to different cultures and nations. Kara’s positivity in the face of all this, her perspective, is what I find truly inspiring.
And as I said above, THROUGH that comes her vital, unique understanding of people, or more so, a need to understand. That underlying unity that someone with super senses must feel, when a planet of 6 billion people can seem like a small village to her.
Early on I realized, and I still think it’s true – plenty of heroes show up, stop the bad guy, and send them to prison. But Supergirl shows up two weeks later to see how they’re doing, and how she can help. She’s been there. She’s been in tough situations. She’s made mistakes. And she wants to understand you, and help you through yours.

3. Can you talk about the pitch process? Did you approach DC editorial? Or did they approach you? How far ahead do you have stories planned?
Much like my pitch process on MIDNIGHTER, the pitch for SUPERGIRL began with one idea, which grew into the statement I gave above:
“Supergirl’s compassion is as mighty as her strength.”
With pitching for characters, it’s always a little from column a and a little from column b – there’s outreach from the office, and then a conversation about where you’d take a character, why they’re important to you, what your take is. I found the offer of SUPERGIRL extremely intimidating, following in the footsteps of some amazing runs, and working with a character that means so much to so many people. But in truth, if you’re NOT intimidated taking on a character, then I don’t think you’re truly understanding what these comics, and these icons, mean to people. These are characters and ideas that change lives, that save lives, and so they demand an inherent reverence, respect, and passion. Since I did MIDNIGHTER, there isn’t a comic convention that goes by where someone doesn’t come up to me and say the character has given them the strength to come out, to be themselves. And I know people connect with Supergirl in the same, incredibly passionate way. So the offer was an honor for me, and a challenge.
As for how long I have planned out – as you may know from my work I am a huge DC Universe nerd and always looking to explore new corners and add new facets to a world that so strongly influenced me as a child. So I have stories planned for a long time, as long as readers will come along with me. And every time I crawl down a wiki hole or crack open my DC WHO’S WHOs, the plans grow exponentially.

4. Can you, if possible, talk about the transition from the last book to this new one? Is this the same Kara? Has time passed? Will we be seeing some of the supporting cast or villains from the last series?
I can talk a bit about it, sure – but not much. This is definitely the same Kara you saw in the New 52 SUPERGIRL series, sixteen years old, new to Earth. In story time, she has been on Earth for less than a year, and in that time has gotten into some trouble, be it her skirmish in Siberia when she landed, or her actions as a Red Lantern. But she’s putting that anger in the past, and looking forward, thanks to some new friends and a fresh start as seen in SUPERGIRL: REBIRTH.
The book will pick up from Super League, going on right now in the Superman family of books, BUT Super League is not required to pick up SUPERGIRL: REBIRTH, which will set the stage all on its own if you like. As for supporting cast, we’ll see some new faces, some faces from previous adventures Kara has had, and one major villain rearing his Cybernetic Head as the Cyborg Superman comes in search of Kara. In the previous series, the readers knew he was Zor-El, but he did not, and Kara did not. Now that information is out, and it changes everything.

5. How would you describe the tone of the book?
Optimistic! Kara is definitely working her way through adjusting to Earth, which is something she hasn’t had time to do in the New 52 after basically running in the red since she landed a few months ago. And there’s an adjustment period – she’s been welcomed to Earth, yes, and wants to become a part of our world. But it’s a new language, it’s new culture, and especially compared to Krypton, our “advanced” Earth technology seems like stone age tools to Kara.
But to be Earth’s protector, to help us, she HAS to understand us, and so she remains committed to her goal, and to herself. Even if things aren’t always easy, even if she has moments of doubt, she remains caring, she remains steadfast, and dedicated to the world that welcomed her when her own blasted her into space.

6. Any last things you’d like to say to the Supergirl fandom who visits here? 

The Super family of books is incredibly important to me – and I hope that comes through in the first page, the first issue, and the first year of SUPERGIRL. But to me that doesn’t mean a line of books about Superman himself, or characters trying to be like Superman. It’s about awe. It’s about wonder. It’s about huge comic book ideas. And it’s about compassion. I think Supergirl would be Supergirl even if her cousin never made it to Earth, because her outlook would never let her go down a different path. She’s intelligent, she’s caring, she’s brave.

We talk a lot about what it means to be “a super” in the DCU. And it transcends the surface level things like being related to Superman. The diversification of the Super family of books shows just that – being a Super, being super, is something we can all achieve to. It’s in how these characters, and Supergirl especially, always sees and roots for the best in us, EVEN if we don’t ourselves.

And in SUPERGIRL I’m excited to put that to the test, and usher in a new day for the Girl of Tomorrow. 

Review: Superman #51

When the #Rebirth event was streamed, the execs from DC made it clear that they realized something was missing from the current universe. They called it legacy. But they also said that they needed to go back to what worked for these characters. They had lost their way.

I could point to Superman as a key example. Outside of Grant Morrison's run and a most of Greg Pak/Aaron Kuder's run on Action, the Man of Steel has been a mess. Distant, turned into a monster, depowered, exposed, stuck in crossover events that weren't well timed, well planned out, or well executed.

When I heard that Peter Tomasi was going to be the writer of one of the post-Truth #Rebirth Superman books, I was concerned. There was this call for classic interpretations. So I was optimistic. But Tomasi had written one of the most flawed interpretations of Superman in The Truth, the bashing, angry, sadistic guy in Superman/Wonder Woman. Was he the one to be given a Superman book?

Well, Superman #51 quelled a lot of my fears. This issue was one of the best Superman books I have read in a long time, reminding me of all the things I love about this character while spinning an interesting story. I closed the issue and said 'this is my Superman' something I haven't been able to say for a long long time.

Mikel Janin is on art on the book and brings a clean, stunning look to the book. There are a lot of splash pages and big panels but I didn't mind. This felt like the sort of issue that needed big art. We are starting fresh here. So let's be big and bold, trumpeting this new direction.

If this is the tone Tomasi is bringing to the book moving forward, count me in.

Back Issue Box: Superman Family #212

Over in Superman:Lois and Clark, writer Dan Jurgens and artist Lee Weeks have been reintroducing some old time baddies to the (for now) current New 52 universe. We met the 'new' Hank Henshaw. We finally saw the re-imagined Hyathis. And now we have the latest incarnation of Blackrock.

This version of Blackrock is an ex-con trying to make some money by putting on a battle suit and demolishing things for reality television. Unfortunately, the bridge he is told to smash hasn't been closed to drivers, setting up a disaster where Superman needs to intervene. This guy doesn't seem malicious. If anything, I think this is him being set up by the television show to get footage of him fighting a super-hero.

With a new Blackrock now out there, I thought I would revisit the old Blackrock and the time he fought Supergirl.

In Superman Family #212, Supergirl is front and center on the cover fighting the 'video villain' Blackrock. Ross Andru and Dick Giordano provide the cover which is a decent action shot, even if it is Kara seemingly losing to the villain. The casino setting is interesting as is the down angle of the perspective.

More amusing is the 'jogging your way into this issue' side bar of the characters ...well ... jogging. This was a time in the US where jogging was the latest fitness fad. Clark looks incredibly uncoordinated, perhaps on purpose.

'Payment on Demand' headlined the issue. Written by Marty Pasko with art by regular SMF team of Win Mortimer and Vince Colletta, the story starts out with a bang. Or is that a 'brakassh'.

Supergirl is peacefully flying around New York City when she sees a security guard tossed through the plate glass window of the WGBS building. Nothing like a good defenestration to start a story.

Kara's internal monologue is amusing in that she is pretty surprised at the daily goings-on in the Big Apple. There is little peace for a super-hero.

Flying into the lobby, Supergirl finds the villain Blackrock attacking the security force with his power stone. Kara seems to know of Blackrock and so brings the fight to him but she struggles a bit. He uses the stone quite adeptly, transforming himself into 'cohesive black particles' of energy, surrounding Supergirl in a dense energy bubble, and shooting force beams.

Realizing this wasn't a fight he planned for, Blackrock turns himself into energy, endangers the nearby civilians, and escapes while Supergirl saves the day. But what was he after?

It turns out the guards can't even help identify him. He had entered the building in his civilian identity so they should know his face. But he used his force bolts to give them selective amnesia.

I told you. He is handy with his weapon.

At work at Secret Hearts soap opera, Linda Danvers notices that her friend, script writer Greg Gilbert, is distraught. And the script shows it. The actors and producers are irate about plot turns and dialogue busting words like 'statistically', 'dilapidated', and 'particularly'. In an effort to help her friend, Linda says the two should go out as friends ('dutch treat') to talk things out.

Greg asks Linda to come back to his place first, hoping he can convince her to eat in. It is clear that he is broke. And going out, even dutch, is impossible.

Things get wonky when they arrive. A ruffian is waiting for Greg to take him to 'an appointment'.

Greg tries to fight the thug and, using her super-breath coyly, Linda helps his efforts. The goon runs off.

Linda then asks Greg what is going on. It turns out he has a major gambling problem. He is deep in the hole with a gangster, owing him thirty grand. He recently was trying to win his way out of the hole by doubling down at an all night poker game. Unfortunately, he only made things worse.

The reason the scripts have suffered is because while Greg was away, new writer Lena Thorul struggled a bit.

Linda promises she will try to help Greg out of his problems, both his debt and his problem. She promises to find him psychiatric help or group therapy. But first, the debt needs to be cleared.

Greg's problems don't supplant the presence of Blackrock. In a perfect showing of why the old comics work, Supergirl heads to the Fortress of Solitude to ask Superman for some information. After all, Blackrock is more of a Superman villain.

Kal gives us some nice exposition about Blackrock's origins. There have been several people brainwashed or blackmailed into wearing the costume. Blackrock was supposed to be network UBC's own super-hero to combat Superman's GBS ratings.

So who is *this* Blackrock? And what is he after.

Whatever it is he wants, it is in the GBS building. Blackrock decides that he needs an inside man to pull off the heist he wants. So in a different scene, we see Blackrock cut a deal with Greg Gilbert. If Gilbert steals something from GBS, Blackrock will eliminate the writer's debt. Gilbert initially agrees.

But then Gilbert realizes that Blackrock's solution will be to kill the mob boss. Not wanting to be complicit in murder, Gilbert tells his bosses and ultimately Supergirl of his problems. Supergirl takes off to the casino to stop the villain's murderous plans.

There is a nice skirmish where we see just how evenly matched these two are. Blackrock is untouchable. He can shoot immense force beams. He knows how to use collateral damage to distract Supergirl.

I liked this panel where we see Supergirl actually bounce off the force shield.

The battle heads outside where Blackrock blasts one of the city's famous arches. While Supergirl grabs the top of the arch so it doesn't crush pedestrians, Blackrock takes advantage, shooting Supergirl and knocking her unconscious.

Of course, this is a bronze age villain. So before he knocks out Kara, he tells her the whole plan. Gilbert will steal the blueprints for GBS' 3-D television technology.

And with that cliffhanger, part one ends.

This was a very fun story. We get both Supergirl moments and Linda Danvers' moments as well. So we get a nice feel for this Supergirl's whole life. Moreover, Blackrock is a good villain for her, someone who can actually stand up to her as a challenge.

So not a bad little chapter.

As a bonus, we get a Supergirl heavy Daily Planet as the back cover. First we have an add for Superman #365, one of the many stories where Supergirl fights Superman. I covered that issue way back when, here.

We also get an add for The Krypton Chronicles, a nice three issue miniseries which looks back at Krypton's history. That is a great mini-series for Superman and Supergirl fans.

So overall, a decent issue worth picking up if you find it in the cheap bins.

Overall grade: B

June 2016 Solicits

The recent #Rebirth announcements shook up the landscape of DC Comics, bringing in new creative teams and new directions to just about all the DC titles. The transition to the new universe will occur over the early summer months. So June is sort of an odd month as some titles receive a Rebirth special while others wrap up their New 52 runs.

As a result, there will be just a few books for me to cover on this post. To look at all the solicits head to Newsarama here:http://www.newsarama.com/28585-dc-comics-full-june-2016-solicitations.html

Now there are a lot of titles in this month which I am probably going to sample that I am not covering in this post. But, amazingly, Rebirth is a jumping on point for me. This sounds like a more organized revamp of the universe than the New 52. I'm probably going to be checking out Flash, Titans, and Green Lantern. And I haven't read those properties in years. I'm probably back on board with Wonder Woman. So check out the whole solicits.

On to the super-stuff.

Review: Adventures of Supergirl #6

Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 6 was just released and continues to impress as writer Sterling Gates keeps the pedal down on plot progression. This was a dense book looking into Kara's psyche and showing us some lingering fears and desires she has. While there are the usual number of Easter Eggs and comic history mentions to keep an old-timer like me tickled pink, it was the emotion of Kara that made me happy here. Remember, Supergirl is truly a newcomer right now as this story takes place early in the season. So seeing some doubt in her as she faces her fears makes sense.

Now whether intentional or not, this story also seems to impact some of what comes in the future in the show. The Rampage chapter riffed on the idea of aliens, imprisonment, and justice, topics which were covered in the 'Truth, Justice, and American Way' episode. Last month, Vril Dox tried to attack Supergirl via computers which definitely riffed on the 'Indigo' episode. Now this month seems to resonate with the 'For the Girl Who Has Everything' episode (more on that later). It is as if this series is enriching the show's themes that much more.

The art in this arc sparkles. The cover by Cat Staggs is a visual delight as we see several incarnation of Supergirl in one, including the K-Armor we saw in the Crucible arc of the comic and what looks to be an 'Iron Munro' sort of white pants/black t-shirt look. We see an armored cat (Streaky?) and a zombified Alex as well. Grabbing.

Internal art is by Emanuela Lupacchino and Ray McCarthy. I love her art both on the old Supergirl title as well as on Starfire. Lupacchino seems to be perfect for Supergirl so I am glad we are getting some extra pages of the Girl of Steel by her. This is really dazzling.

"Why CBS Would Be Right To Cancel Supergirl" - A Rebuttal

I have been doing this blog for some time and I am a lifelong fan of Supergirl and the character has had a resurgence in popularity and much of that is thanks to the CBS television show.

I have said it many times in many episode reviews here - the show runners and writers get the character. They get she is learning. They get that she can fail and pick herself up and try again. They get that she is bright and optimistic and sees the best in people and wants to help. They also get that there is a passion in her for justice and she will fight ferociously to defend people.

At times it hasn't been easy being a Supergirl fan. I have joked about it in the past. I have talked about the low times of the character. I have talked about new incarnations which don't understand who the character is and what she represents. I have seen new articles and think pieces crop up about her, written by people who think that 'traditional Supergirl' means Jeph Loeb's version or the New 52, forgetting her origins. And I have done my best to defend the character and showcase what I love about her.

So when the idea of Supergirl is twisted into something it isn't, I fell I have to speak up.

I read an article by Nicholas Yanes over on Sequart.Org which was titled 'Why CBS would be right to cancel Supergirl: A ratings and narrative analysis". Here is the link. http://sequart.org/magazine/63190/why-cbs-would-be-right-to-cancel-supergirl-a-ratings-and-narrative-analysis/

Now usually when someone has to point out their fan cred before an article, it means something - that they are going to try to destroy the topic of the piece. And then, when academic credentials are sprinkled throughout the article, it usually means someone is saying something that doesn't make much sense and they have to point out their pedigree so you take it seriously. So when Yanes starts the piece by saying he "is a Supergirl fan" and a feminist, and holds a PHD - well, I was wondering where this article was going and worried.

The piece starts as a very detailed look at ratings and, from that viewpoint, Yanes shows why CBS, from a financial point of view, might be justified in canceling the show. And frankly, if Yanes had stopped there, I would have said it was a very good article bringing in hard numbers that I hadn't seen represented so starkly. I was impressed.

Sigh.

But then Yanes decides he needs to pick apart the show he said earlier that he enjoyed. And not just nit pick but cut down to the bare bone.

He brings up old arguments which I feel have been refuted already. We hear about the SNL Black Widow sketch .. again. And we hear about the word 'Supergirl' ... again. As if those elements, from a year ago, somehow are impacting week to week viewing in the spring of 2016.

He writes about how the feminism in the show isn't highbrow. But I get a show where four women are placed in positions of authority - Supergirl, Cat Grant, Alex Danvers, and Lucy Lane.  We have a show where the men tend to be the sidekicks and comic relief.  The women in charge of their own lives. And trust me, my daughters aren't asking for a thesis statement on feminism. They see what is possible play out on the screen.

Then Yanes argues that Superman has to be present as a deus ex machina, the all mighty answer to be called in. That's right, he wants the man to come in and solve the problems of the woman instead of having the woman solve her own problems. Can you imagine the 'mansplaining' criticism that would be happening if each episode Kara said 'let me make sure Superman agrees with what I am doing' or 'let me tell Superman my problems so he can come and solve them'. The show had Superman say (albeit in IM) that he is around if Kara needs him to be but he trusts her to do what's right on her own. And this is Supergirl's story ... not his.

Ahhh, but things get a little more wonky then that misinterpretation of the show itself. He then says how he would 'fix' the show. It becomes a writer's pitch. And that is where he completely lost me.

Here are some excerpts.

First, I would have explicitly depicted Kara as a refugee. By this I mean that she did come to Earth because her planet was wiped out by a natural disaster and she is one of the only two Kryptonians left. While Supergirl depicts Kara as a somewhat well adjusted adult who has friends and lives a fairly emotionally healthy life, I would have had Kara’s isolation from her people limit her emotional attachment to Earth.  Superman was raised on Earth and doesn’t have nearly the emotional connection to Krypton that Kara would have. As such, I would have Kara largely detached from humanity with the only people she’s emotionally invested in being Superman and her adopted family. (The relationship she has with her foster sister is one of the best parts of Supergirl.)

I find it a little intriguing that Yanes' first option is to go the 'isolated' Supergirl route. Fans of the character will know that this never ever works. Whether it is Loeb's Kara that didn't want to be a hero, or Joe Kelly's Supergirl who was sent to kill Superman and wanted nothing to do with her family, or Michael Green and Scott Lobdell's 'hell on wheels' Supergirl who just wanted to be alone, or Michael Nelson's Kara who wanted to sit in solitude on the bottom of the ocean, or even Jeff Lemire's 'bullheaded loner' who was the contrast to Stargirl's optimism, one thing is true. A brooding, isolated, disconnected Supergirl never works.

It never works because the basis of her character is her desire to want to help people and to see the best in people. She personifies hope. The show has played up the refugee angle Yanes brings up, using the word throughout the season to describe her and J'onn. But that status doesn't make Kara shy away from being a hero.. It compels her to be one, so others won't have to suffer the way she has. To think that Kara would be better without emotional connections is asking that she be a completely different character. And if that is what you want, write a new show with a character that has 'woman' in her code name.

The lure of making Supergirl something different than who she is? It's a trap. It has never worked. And it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of who the character is.

But there's more.

Alex Danvers (Kara’s foster sister) would be the one that pushes Kara (now 20 or 21 years old) to become a hero. As an agent in the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, Alex would be aware of rising metahuman activity – both good and evil. Realizing that this new generation of metahumans needs a leader, Alex would encourage Kara to put on the S. I imagine that although Kara would be reluctant at first she would eventually accept the responsibility after she learns of Fort Rozz and its connection to her..).)

Again Yanes, would have Supergirl idly sitting by while a rising tide of evil threatens the planet. It is only at the insistence of Alex that she decides to do something. Because that is what we want from our lead character. We want her to not make her own decisions on doing good. We want her to be goaded into doing what's right.

Fourth, the final scene of the pilot will be a flash forward to several years into the future. With a newscaster’s voice over explaining that an alien attack on Earth was stopped, but now the world is wondering if Superwoman is dead.

This setup and ending provides much of what I feel Supergirl needs as a series. It gives the series a story arc for season one (Fort Rozz) and the entire series (the Crisis coming to Earth). It also solves the problem with calling her Supergirl. She first accepts the name because she’s not attached to the idea of becoming a hero, but the ending flash forward communicates that at some point she grows to see the importance of her legacy and becomes Superwoman. It also gives her a clear arc for emotional growth. Instead of her having to develop her confidence as if she was in a teen-movie, she will grow to see that humanity is worth fighting and dying for..).)

And then he would end the show with Supergirl being 'killed' in a Crisis. And become Superwoman. That is how people will be inspired by her ... by her dying.

He is a fan of Supergirl and would kill her off, sort of.

But does Yanes really think that the impulse to become a hero and the growth  in confidence she has had as a character this season is the equivalent of a teen-movie character's motivations? That is an insult to the writers and to Melissa Benoist's performance. Does he think that lessons in 'For the girl who has everything' and 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way' (to name two episodes) would work in a teen movie?

He starts the article saying he likes the show. But I really don't think he does. But he continues.  

So here’s how I think Supergirl should be brought to the Arrowverse. A villain decides to create a device that will bring all the aliens and creatures trapped in the Phantom Zone to Earth. In the process of stopping this villain, the device becomes unstable and will blow up. Supergirl grabs the device and flies far enough above the city so that when it detonates no one is injured. Unfortunately, Supergirl disappears and is presumed dead.

Similar to The Flash’s explosion at Star Labs, this explosion exposes dozens of people to exotic matter that causes them to become metahumans. Realizing that metahumans are appearing across the world, Alex (Supergirl’s adopted sister) and the DEO decide to find these superpowered beings and train them in the use of their powers. The show will feature a montage of Alex finding people who have used their new powers in heroic ways. Asking why they acted like heroes they all (boys and girls, and men and women from all races) respond with the same statement, “because I want to be just like Supergirl.” Cutting back to Supergirl as the bomb goes off. We see her scream in pain and then begin to fall back to Earth. Kara crashes near a sign that says “Welcome to Central City, Home of The Flash.” Kara, grateful that Star Labs took her in, could take on the last name of Starr for her new identity, and become Karen Starr – the civilian identity for Power Woman (not Power Girl) of Earth 1..) 

It is one thing to deride the characterization of Supergirl in the series, the characterization that most long term Supergirl fans say is spot on. It is another thing all together to decide to make her into another character. He wants a device to make metahumans on Kara's current world, a plot point he admits he stole from the Flash. And then he wants Kara to be on the Flash's Earth as Power Woman. Because he assumes that Kara and Karen are the same character.

Look, Yanes piece is a thought piece, his subjective evaluation of the show. So I guess I should have read it and moved on. So I apologize if this feels like an attack. I don't want it to be.

I just want to point out where I believe some of the fallacies of his narrative analysis are. I don't know if he quite understands the character of Supergirl. And when that happens, I can't sit idly by.

Sorry if this was something of a rant.

Kole Comic Box Commentary

There have been times on this Supergirl blog that weariness has set in and I have wondered if I would have the strength to continue.

At times the character has been written so horribly that I felt maybe I should just quit because it was hard to review.

Right now Supergirl is at the height of her popularity with a show, and merchandise, and a new book on the horizon. Professional sites are numerous and are covering her better than I ever could. They can get interviews and free giveaways and previews from CBS, WB, and DC Comics that a small run fan site like mine would never be able to. Maybe this "small business" blog should be put out of business by the "big box store" Supergirl web sites. Just yesterday, I read a long diatribe on a big site from someone who claimed to be a Supergirl fan, both comics and television, who then wrote a giant article misunderstanding her and misrepresenting the show. But that will get way more hits than I could hope for here, becoming the basis of Supergirl knowledge for someone just learning about her.

Lastly though, we are approaching 8 years of blogging about Supergirl. Maybe I have simply run out of things to say about Kara Zor-El and Linda Danvers.

So I'm quitting.

But I don't want to leave the comic community all together. And so just like I did 8 years ago, I have decided to focus on a misunderstood character who needs some love and coverage.

So welcome to Kole Comic Box Commentary!

And what better place to start that focus than with New Teen Titans #9, her first appearance. Written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (praised be his name), the issue is the ending to a long arc while introducing us to our hero!