Supergirl # 42

By Andy Frisk
June 17, 2009 - 21:35

General Lane surveys the landscape surrounding the location of the final battle between Superwoman and Supergirl, while musing over the moments when he convinced her to take on her secret mission in Kandor. Meanwhile, Kara fills Lois and Lana in on Superwoman’s demise in a tense scene. General Lane’s super-powered operatives break Reactron out of his cell guarded by Metropolis’ SciPo (Science Police), and Kara leaves Metropolis for New Krypton after a heartfelt farewell with Lana Lang, who shortly thereafter receives bad news concerning her recent collapse, and trip to the hospital for tests.

This issue is very light on action but very heavy on drama as the repercussions of last issue’s events begin to be felt. Particularly dramatic is the scene between Lois, Lana, and Kara, where Kara relates the details of the final battle between herself and Superwoman. Gates’ storytelling and Igle’s pencils combine to create a scene that is at once heart breaking, awkward, and tension filled. As mentioned, in our previous look at issue # 41 of Supergirl, this title, and current storyline, in particular, is rivaling the strongest storylines running thru the DCU books currently. The overzealous General Lane, the tension between his daughters (and now between Kara and Lois), the growing pains that Kara is experiencing, as a young woman and superhero, along with the overarching World of New Krypton arc, currently running through all the Superman Family books, are all making for very serious, and mature storytelling right now in Supergirl. Perhaps the most interesting character, aside from Kara herself, right now in Supergirl is General Lane. He’s shaping up to be a complicated military man who is willing to make incredible sacrifices in order to follow through on his mission of “protecting” Earth from New Krypton. He is going to have to deal with the consequences of his choices, and since he seems incapable of accepting fault or at least responsibility for his actions, his character is going to be capable of some horrific feats directed at parties not nearly as culpable as himself for recent events, especially Kara.

Igle’s pencils and layouts capture the moments surrounding, and especially just after, Kara’s informing Lois of her sister’s fate with dramatically understated layouts that capture the tension of the moments. His very intricate and deliberate use of body posture by Kara, Lois, and Lana in this shot as well as in Kara and Lana’s conversation on the matter at Lana’s place, just before Kara takes off for New Krypton, is an excellent example of the power of the “graphic language” that is unique to sequential art in comic books.

Overall, Supergirl is still ranking very near the top of the monthly must read list. This book is delivering in all categories right now, and leaves the reader looking forward to next month’s events with great anticipation. Gates continues to write characters you really get close to, and feel for, in Supergirl, something all comic book writers should be striving to do.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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