Superman Leviathan Rising Review Pt 1: Supergirl

The Superman Leviathan Rising #1 special came out this week and laid out the path that the super-books will be taking during the upcoming Event Leviathan crossover. From peeks at the new Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen books (written by their respective creative teams) to linking the threat of the Invisible Mafia to the Leviathan organization, the cavalcade of talent on this special lay out a great sort or mid-story prologue. We have been circling Leviathan for sometime in Action Comics. Here we see him straight on.

I'll be reviewing the bulk of this giant early next week. But today I thought I would focus on the Supergirl chapter. As said above, this special sort of paves the way for the Event Leviathan storyline. And that impacts Kara as much as anyone. Her chapter feels separate, as if she is going to be tangentially involved with the main plot but not a key figure. I can easily pull her pages out of this special and the main story would go off without a hitch.

And bear with me as this is something of a rant. A rant that happens so frequently in Kara's comic history that it flows easily out of me, like some memorized prayer.

The creative team on this chapter is writer Marc Andreyko and penciler Eduarado Pansica. So this segment feels like Supergirl's main book. Now if you have read my reviews of Andreyko's 'Supergirl in space' arc, you'll know that I haven't been too thrilled with it. And angry Kara, wielding an axe, screaming for vengeance, and abandoning Earth seems all so 2004, all so New 52 to me.

Here we see that Supergirl is back home and hoping to reconnect with her adoptive family the Danvers only to find their house demolished and her parents missing. When we get the back story we see that Eliza Danvers acts completely out of character, leading to her disappearance.

It is as if Andreyko wants to scrub away all the good foundation that Steve Orlando and Jody Houser built in the prior issues. A sort of awkward Supergirl, learning to be a hero, surrounded by a nurturing family and a supporting cast of other teens? That was a recipe for great stories and solid, steady sales.

But DC never seems to want that stability. It is always trying to swerve Supergirl into a gritty, dark mess which never works. And after having her be called 'The Queen of the Axe', Andreyko doubles down by removing all the supportive elements from Kara's recent history.

And, much like the Omega Men played way too big a role in her stories, it looks like the Kate Spencer Manhunter might also be around to steal some pages.

Does DC want a Supergirl book on the shelves? Does Andreyko like Supergirl as a character? Does anyone in DC care what the Supergirl fan base wants to read?  I don't think so.

On to the details.

Leviathan Theory: Posters

I know I am going a bit overboard with my Leviathan Theory posts.

But I live for comic mysteries like this. I look for the clues and sift out the feints. I lean on decades of comic reading and too much comic history. It is, simply, a ton of fun.

And I feel like this is the first mystery of this scope that I have been on-line to discuss. There wasn't an internet, a comic community, a blogging atmosphere for Sensor Girl or Armageddon 2001.

So you have to bear with me.

DC came out with 8 one page ads to promote the event and to shine a spotlight on the DC detective characters investigating Leviathan in the main mini-series. And some of the text can be fit into my theory.

And, to make matters worse, I have a theory and I am looking for corroborating evidence for my theory everywhere. But get ready, the end of this post will be a new 'back up' theory in case you don't like my original onw.

Let's start out with this one where Leviathan himself speaks. If this is Ted Kord, he would have seen the heroes doing everything in their power to change the world and fail. Nothing earth-shattering here. If Leviathan is a former hero,which I think they are, this text makes sense.

On to the others.

DC Superhero Girls #SuperWho

I have been pretty thrilled with the new DC Superhero Girls and the approach to the characters and stories. As I have said, there is as much Looney Tunes humor in these shows as there is life lessons and values. I don't mind either.

And I have been overall pretty happy with this take on Supergirl. She is the tough one, the 'bad girl', the iconoclast of the group. She is the act first, think later member of the team. And in a group show where each of the friends needs to embody a character trait, it makes more sense for Kara to fit that bill.

It also helps that we have seen that the rough exterior probably hides a softer inside waiting to be nurtured, waiting for her to be confident enough in herself to let herself be vulnerable.

One thing that I didn't think I'd be too keen on is her relationship with Superman.

I'm a big fan of the super-family being family. I don't want Superman to dominate Kara. I don't want him to be the stern father figure. But I do like him being an inspiration for Supergirl, someone she can turn to for advice.

In a recent episode, #SuperWho, we see that it is something adversarial. Supergirl is upset that Superman arrived here first and has become this hero. She doesn't like being in his shadow.

And here Superman seems aloof and something of a narcissist. I always worry about how Superman is being portrayed, especially to people who might not be exposed to him anywhere else.

So yes, #SuperWho is a hilarious episode showing an exasperated Kara trying to find her way in the world. It has a deep cut DC villain. But I wish Superman was shown in a brighter light.

Leviathan Theory: The Enforcer In Action Comics #1011

I am trying to figure out in my head how to handle my Leviathan theories here on the site.

One thing to do would be to insert my ideas about the theories in the reviews of the books where new clues appear. New theory ideas would be rolled into the ongoing story. The down side would be that my already super-long reviews would be longer.

The other would be to have separate Leviathan theory posts thus giving me more room to discuss why I have the new idea and give some supportive evidence around it. This would keep my reviews the same length but it would mean many more Theory posts (when warranted).

For now, I think what I will do is insert any new fleeting theory (maybe Leviathan is Ocean Master??) into the review. But anything more substantial, anything that needs a broader discussion or panels from other books for evidence will be in a separate post ... like today's.

My main  Leviathan Theory  is laid out here. I freely admit that I am pretty anchored on this theory.

So let's look at my theory that Captain Atom (as a stand in for Doctor Manhattan who was a stand in for Captain Atom) is the 'Enforcer' of Leviathan.

Squint and you'll miss it but Atom is mentioned in an article for the Planet that Perry is proof-reading. You don't get all of it but it looks like Atom was seen streaking into a building before it exploded. Too obvious a clue?

It is interesting that Atom, who hasn't been seen in a while has suddenly reappeared. But wait there's more!

Memorial Day Off!

Happy Memorial Day!

Thanks to all those who have served our great nation.

I have had a very tough recent period at work and today is a day off for me. So no post for me.

Enjoy the day!

I know I will be!

Review: Action Comics #1011

Action Comics #1011, part 5 of Leviathan Rising, came out this week. Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Steve Epting, this chapter focused on enriching the mystery of who or what Leviathan is. We get a lot of discussion, a lot of information, and a lot of clues. And since I already have a theory I am anchored on, I saw a lot of corroborating information.  Of course, I am anchored.

One thing that Bendis does very well is character development and moments. There isn't much action in this issue. But we get a whole role call of people who are impacted by the Leviathan attacks. It is interesting to see the patsies having to fight back. It is intriguing to see spies wonder just what is going to happen next. And we get to see the clout that the press has in the DCU. This is a great Lois issue.

The art by Steve Epting is solid work, perfect for this more street level espionage story. The scenes play out well and he has subtle expressive work which helps in the dialogue scenes which dominate this issue. And the cover, showing the weight of the problem on Superman is brilliant.

But this is what a mystery is like. Not every issue is going to be a slugfest. For someone like me, who devours clues, looks for patterns, and wants to solve the mystery, these issues are a gold mine. I loved it.

On to the book.

DC Superhero Girls #Beeline

I know that I am beginning to sound like a broken record (a dated reference if there ever was one) but this new take on DC Superhero Girls is a ton of fun and I love it.

As I have said since its debut, the show is a great mix of action and humor. There are deep cuts to the DCU. There is a dollop of adult humor and references, the sort of things to keep the grown-ups happy. And there are messages of pride, empowerment, and inclusion ... but the stories drive the messages, not the other way around.

All the kudos to Lauren Faust for this injection of adrenaline into this franchise.

Take, for example, the latest long form episode airing on the Cartoon Network, #Beeline.

This is a story of Bumblebee learning to be strong, be proactive, and embrace being a hero, someone who puts the well being of others over herself. But we have to get there.

We also get a version of the Legion of Doom and end with a classic superhero trope, the villains and heroes running towards each other.

But the episode opens with a dramatic shot of the heroes running towards the camera, racing to get somewhere 'before its too late!'

What is the threat?