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| Front cover of Supergirl: Killers of Krypton TPB by DC Comics |
Score (out of 5 Capes)
A new creative team takes Supergirl in a new direction, kicking off a space-spanning saga. It is an uneven start, mixing some fun moments with gaps and cringey ones. Three capes.
My Review
After a brief hiatus of four or so months following issue #20, the Supergirl ongoing series that started with the DC Rebirth launched a new creative team and a new direction with #21. Mark Andreyko took over the writing from Steve Orlando, with Kevin Maguire as the lead artist.
For reasons I have never heard explained, the collected trade paperback restarted the numbering. Orlando's twenty-issue run was collected into four numbered volumes while the new team and direction got released as a new "volume 1" - and maybe that is my answer, a whole new team and direction merited resetting the volume numbering.
The new direction sends Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, back into space. Her quest: having learned that Krypton was destroyed not by natural causes but by Rogol Zaar, and that he was not working alone, she set out to uncover the larger conspiracy and find his co-conspirators.
With Rogol Zaar's mighty axe in hand, and Krypto the super-dog at her side, Supergirl's first stop was the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, to mine their records for clues.
They were not forthcoming, though, causing her to don a new, stealthier costume with more black and less skin. Although the large amounts of brilliant red do mute the stealth effect!
The Corps, for its part, was very divided over whether to stop her, imprison her, give her the benefit of the doubt, or aid her. In the end, planet-sized lantern Mogo got the last say and aided her on her way.
With the distance from Earth's yellow sun causing her powers to wane, Supergirl found a new ally in Z'ndr Kol. With a backup story filling in some of his history and motivations, they set out and ultimately wind up where Krypton used to be, only to be defeated by Splyce, a woman with a blend of powers from different mighty races and individuals.
Captured and imprisoned by Harry Hokum, then rescued by the Omega Men, Supergirl's quest moved at a very fast pace throughout these chapters, although the reader is left wondering if she is actually making any progress. The dark conspiracy of The Circle seems still so enshrouded and so in control that clearly this quest will continue into the next collected volume.
There are definitely similarities with the Marvel Comics series Captain Marvel from three or four years previously: Earth's mightiest woman goes into space for an extended time on a quest, meeting new challenges and foes plus some established space-based characters. But while Captain Marvel was more centered on a single planet and people, surrounded by a team of recurring characters, in this volume Supergirl jumps from place to place, largely solo except for Krypto and eventually Z'ndr Kol.
Sepia-toned flashbacks to her childhood on Krypton fill in some gaps in the story, while the later chapters split into a main story and a shorter, 8-page backup one to fill in some others. Both are helpful because the narrative does have a number of gaps in the telling. The team focused more on the personalities and relationships, especially as conveyed through subtle facial expressions in Maguire's images, but at the expense of attention to the little details the reader or plot needed.
It is an intriguing new direction, and the volume ends with Supergirl and the Omega Men (re)captured by Harry Hokum's forces. So look forward to the next volume to see if Supergirl can complete her quest to expose the conspiracy behind Krypton's destruction.
3 capes out of 5.
What I loved
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| Awkward silence between Supergirl and Z'ndr Kol Supergirl #24 |
How much influence does artist Kevin Maguire have? A sequence like the one above, inserting a series of stacked panels, all identical except for the very simply yet subtly rendered facial expressions, is classic Kevin Maguire, dating back to his run with the Justice League books in 1990s and 2000s.
But Maguire sat out issue #24, the source of these panels. That chapter was drawn by Evan Shaner. Did he follow layouts from Maguire? Deliberately mimic his style?
In promoting the new team and new direction of the series, Supergirl writer Mark Andreyko said of Maguire, "He has some of the best grasp of facial expressions and character acting of almost any artist working in the business." (Mike Avila, "Exclusive: Supergirl returns with new creative team and brand new costume" in Syfy)
While Maguire has not been the most prolific of artists, his work is always recognizable and memorable. It is especially well paired with a story that is light-hearted in tone and, despite its at-times dark themes, this new direction for Supergirl mingles in lots of levity and comic relief.
All of which makes this collection a delight to read. When you hit a sequence of panels like these, by Maguire or one of the other contributing artists, be sure to linger over them and soak in the subtle shifts. Wonderful!
What I didn't love
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| Ambush Bug bombs in a dive bar, Supergirl #24 |
How can we show that the story, with its dark themes of revenge and deeply buried conspiracies, is not all darkness and evil but has shining moments of redemptive humour and fun?
We could throw in one of DC's classic goofball characters, like Ambush Bug!
Next time that answer comes to mind, please, please resist.
A strong creative team is able to handle the balance and interplay between levity and foreboding or struggle through the narrative and visuals. Throwing an Ambush Bug into the tale, however tangentially, is an unnecessary and unwelcome short cut.
While it is at times hit-or-miss, more often than not, Andreyko does manage the balance in these pages. Clever banter at key moments or insights into Supergirl's thoughts swirl in a streak of humour. It makes moments like these, from Supergirl #24, all the more glaring and distracting.
Related Reviews
Supergirl Silver Age volume 2, stories from 1962-63
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl (volume 1) from the early 1980s
Supergirl by Peter David (Book 1) from the mid-1990s
Ghosts of Krypton from Supergirl's 2005 ongoing series
New 52 (2011) reboot volume 1 - Last Daughter of Krypton
Supergirl (2016 Rebirth era) volume 1
Quick Reference Details
Writers: Marc Andreyko
Artists: Kevin Maguire
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: April 30 2019
Parental Rating: Parental Guidance
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| Back cover of Supergirl: Killers of Krypton TPB by DC Comics |
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