Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Supergirl 35: New Krypton

By Beth Davies-Stofka
November 26, 2008 - 18:54

As I recently wrote, I'm somewhat new to DC Comics.  The New Krypton story will be my first adult induction into the DC universe, and so far, I am really enjoying it.  Among other positive features, DC writers seem to have a healthy, heaping serving of cynicism when it comes to the willingness of the press to calculate and manipulate in the pursuit of personal fame and good old cold hard cash.  Idealistic humans seem to be few and far between in the DC universe.  In the press, perhaps only Jimmy Olsen remains loyal to virtue and goodness.  

But it's all new to me, and these books aren't written for newcomers.  So I have to ask: does Supergirl 35: New Krypton deliver surprising revelations and shocking intrigue to longtime readers?  For a newbie like me it delivered a little more confusion and a worthy cliffhanger.  I have puzzled over that last page for a week now!  I think it's a good story when you care enough to keep guessing even after you've closed the cover and moved on to other things.

I could be wrong, but I suspect Supergirl will be struggling to protect her reputation before it's all over.

The art in Supergirl 35 is much improved over Action Comics 871.  The creative team had the good sense to keep the cast of characters small, so that the action sequences had some actual force in them.  I loved the battle with the robot, even though the robot was entirely derivative of the first Terminator.  I suppose if you find something that works, for example a scary robot, then you stick with it.  But I would prefer to see DC Comics create original scary threats, not merely copy the genius of others.

The only other two lapses were the look on Zor's face when he realized the truth behind Kara's memory lapses, and Cat Grant's state of undress at the office.  They were both silly, and if I was reading the story correctly, "silly" is not the effect Igle and team aimed for.  I imagine they intended horror and distress for Zor, but what they achieved was toothache.  And in the case of Cat, I expect that their intention was to create an image of a woman caught up in her own sense of power.  There should be intelligence and a lurking threat in those fake boobs rimmed with pink lace, but there isn't.  It's because she doesn't appear to know that her shirt has nearly come off.  There's nothing shrewd in her face.  In fact, she looks kind of sweet.  

But the story of Kara's cleansing and remembering is good, with no blunders in the emotions and moods conveyed by faces, or body language, or colors.  The bubblegum pinks and blues that surround Kara reflect her young age and innocence.  Her body language in the flashbacks shows the confusion a little girl would feel as her parents fight to protect her, while her body language in the present shows self-contained power and poise.  Yet there is nothing arrogant about Kara.  She is a fresh and natural teen, self-confident, and aware that she has a lot of questions to answer, and a lot of growing up to do.  

She's a sweetie and I like her.  I read that she's immensely popular, and I can see why.   I wonder who that masked woman is!  Kara?  Alura?  Cat?  Someone I haven't met yet?  Friend or foe?  A wild card, or part of the conspiracy that is slowly coming to light?  And in the end, who will pay the ultimate price?

I should be writing for radio…

Rating: 7 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12