Supergirl 420: Will The Real Miss Tessmacher Please Stand Up

Supergirl episode 420, titled 'Will the real Miss Tessmacher please stand up' aired earlier this week. As has been the case the last few episodes, the thrust of this episode was moving the main plots of Lex's behind-the-scene manipulations and Ben Lockwood's descent into madness forward. Of course, these two plots are intertwined given how Lex nudged Lockwood on this path to begin with.

But the subplots touched on in this episode were just as interesting to me. We are moving toward the inevitable secret identity reveal to Lena. It is going to happen. And the big question is how will Lena react? The scene at the end of this episode where this truly comes to a boil is one of the best scenes of the season. It also shows that maybe the best time for the reveal by Kara was last episode. I still say when Lena apologized for keeping her work with Lex a secret, Kara should have confessed.

The other subplot, lingering from last year, is Alex's desire to be a mother. This was a major plot point all last season and was basically swept under the rug. So while it felt like it came out of nowhere here, I can't complain. At least it was addressed.

The last subplot was the super-fast (and frankly feeling a little forced) relationship between Alex and Kelly Olsen. These two have basically become besties and now potential romantics in what feels like a blink.

As for the acting, I love Andrea Brooks insane take on multiple Eve Tessmachers, all of varying intelligence. And the action sequences were well done as well.

On to the show.

DC Superhero Girls #PrizeFighter

I continue to be impressed with the Lauren Faust version of the DC Superhero Girls. While there haven't been many 'main' episodes on the Cartoon Network, the YouTube shorts are released with some regularity.

The latest, 'PrizeFighter', aired last week and was another fun look at the Supergirl character. This Kara is competitive and certainly a bit on edge but in a fun way. Here is a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RaZ4t5fdio

One thing I love about this is that it feels a little more real than the prior DCSHG. The Shea Fontana shows were definitely great and I loved them. But it felt more like kids when they are at their aunt's house ... best behavior and careful. This new take is sort of a 'no holds barred' romp. The messages are still there, a bit more nuanced and always hilarious.

We also got a significant cameo in this episode. And as brief as it was it spoke volumes.

On to the show!

Supergirl Gallery Diorama Statue

I recently purchased the DC Gallery Diorama figuring of Supergirl and added it to my collection.

I am usually a bit more reticent to buy merchandise of the Michael Turner, bare midriff costume as I often feel that that particular costume lends itself to cheesecake. That's not why I am a Supergirl fan. And on first blush, this statue with it's very low-riding skirt seems to veer into that territory.

But looking beyond the exposed hips the statue is quite nice. Ensconced in a bright package, this is an action shot of Supergirl emerging from an explosion or a star all while snapping chains that try to bind her.

So the overall subject matter is one of strength.

I am not a big reviewer of packaging but i am a bit confused by this.

Certainly the pastel blues and bright reds are eye catching. And the actual picture of the statue within showcases the things I like about it.

But it is odd that the illustration on the box is of the more current Rebirth Supergirl costume and more akin to her television version. Why not have a picture of the actual costume on the statue.

 And the text isn't my favorite either.

I am not a fan of the lonely Supergirl, reluctantly living on Earth, armed with her planet-splitting right hook. And while I think she is on a hero's journey, I don't know if she is struggling with her identity.

I suppose I am an old-timer who likes to believe that Supergirl is optimistic and bright, sees the best in people, is an extrovert and wants to help.

Okay, enough about the box. Let's get to the statue itself.

Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #10

Adventures of the Super Sons #10 came out last week. We are officially entering the home stretch for this comic and I for one will miss it tremendously.

Much like the prior books, this issue showcases the differences and similarities between Damian and Jon. It also has given writer Peter Tomasi a chance to look at some of the Bronz-ier areas of the DCU and either lavish homage or poke fun. Sometimes it is a little bit of both.

I also like the 'How I Met Your Mother' opening, a motif Tomasi has used before in the prior monthly Sons series.

Truly, this issue was a ton of fun and I'll get you to my favorite moments in a second.

Carlo Barberi is on art again and brings that crazed energy to the proceedings. We border on anime here, His style really leaps off the page and has brought some youthful vim to the pages. Barberi is really the perfect choice for this book.

So here we go. Buckle up your chin straps. On to the story.

Review: Year of the Villain

It seems like every other year since Dan Didio took over DC has been labeled (or at the very least feels like) The Year of the Villain. From the overall tone of the DCU to an event like 'Forever Evil' to 'Future's End', we seem to have had a darkening and a coarsening of the heroes of the DC Universe for about a decade. And just when you think things were getting better, just when Rebirth sort of reset things in a brighter and more classic way, the pendulum swings back.

So I wasn't too surprised, given these last years, to find that we literally have a Year of the Villain event in the DC books coming up. Scott Snyder is bring in Perpetua, the Anti-Monitor's mother, to rewrite reality. Brian Michael Bendis is ripping apart the political landscape in Event Leviathan. And the Batman who Laughs is lurking around every corner it seems.

This week a teaser of all those events came out for the small price of two bits. DC's Year of the Villain Special #1 hit the stands with stories from each of those writers whetting our appetite for the major plotlines around the corner. Add luscious art by Jim Cheung, Alex Maleev, and Francis Manapul and you have a great bargain for comic readers. Throw in a few articles and process art in the back and you basically have a steal.

For me, this already feels a little different than those prior peeks into the minds of the bad guys. The Leviathan story feels very fresh and looks like it is going to impact everyone. The Perpetua story is a Crisis-level event which probably will have the grandest of scopes. I just don't think I am going to see a ton of hands being chopped off here, a sort of marker I have for what mess I am in for. This seems better.

Too be honest, the Leviathan arc is the one I am most interested in. I have theories. So I will be covering that mini-story the most here. On to the book and a reiteration of my theory.

Sales Review: March 2019

The comic sales figures for March 2019 came out recently and as always they are fascinating to look at. And, as always, I'd recommend heading to ICv2 for the breakdown here:
https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/43079/top-500-comics-march-2019

It was a very interesting month because it included Detective #1000 and several other major DC books which made it a great month for DC. And the Superman books continue to move along at similar numbers. It will be interesting to see if Event Leviathan ends up raising those numbers as that crossover seems to be born in the super-books.

Supergirl #28 came out last month. It was another chapter in this quest. We had her fighting evil clones and squeezing off hands.
So how did it sell?

Supergirl 419: American Dreamer

Supergirl episode 419, title American Dreamer, pushed the season's plot forward while shining a spotlight on the character of Dreamer. It also gave us a heaping helping of Kara Danvers. In a show called Supergirl, we didn't see the S-shield once this episode. And somehow I didn't mind that.

One thing that show hasn't always shown us is the Kara Danvers side of our hero's life. Given how much time she has spent at the DEO and adventuring, her 'career' as a reporter has been made something of a punchline for fans of the series. Does she even work at CatCo? So this episode, where we saw her actually doing some investigative reporting, getting an interview, inspiring people with her crusading, and using her super powers discreetly so as not to reveal herself was long overdue. Do I think she should be neglecting her Supergirl identity? No. But for one episode, I can deal.

The other big plot this episode is Dreamer becoming more established in the superhero world. Whether it is out their defending aliens or inspiring hope on television, we get to see just how far Nia has come in her training and confidence. For me, the best part was her 'Spider-Man' like quips and style. Nothing like a powers-related pun to make me grin. Now we only saw her defending aliens from bigots. I wouldn't have minded a straight up robbery stop thrown into the mix.

And the last plot is James dealing with his powers and his PTSD by confronting a repressed memory. I have to say this is the last couple of episodes have been the strongest performances by Mehcad Brooks I can remember.

Lastly, more than other times, this episode seemed to pull from prior events and tropes and plot points from prior seasons. Adding these give the show a sense of history that makes a continuity person like me happy.

On to the particulars.