Supergirl Sanctuary Trade: Mahmud Asrar's Cover Sketches

The latest trade collection of the current Supergirl title came out last week, collecting Supergirl #13-#20.

It is something of an uneven mix. We have the battle with Tycho in Sanctuary. We have three issues of H'El on Earth. And then the crossover with Power Girl.

I am assuming that DC realized that a H'El on Earth trade in and of itself would not sell. But reading three separate chapters in this trade read a bit disjointed.

I will say, reading all these issues in a row, you really get the sense that Mike Johnson was trying to turn the corner with Kara, have her become more invested with Earth, and become a more sympathetic character. The Michael Alan Nelson Power Girl issues were the high point of his run (and maybe the best issues of this title). And the book is mostly done by Mahmud Asrar making me re-realize just how great his art was on this book.

The end of the trade is a great treat for fans of the book and Asrar as we get to see some of the concept art he had for covers and inside pages. As a long time fan, I love these 'behind the scenes' peeks at production. I include just a sample.

Here are the concept covers for Supergirl #14. The picture to the left is a sort of more actualized sketch of the ultimate cover.

But it is the thumbnails on the right that I find fascinating. The first one is clearly the model for the final cover. But the others are so interesting. The second one, with Superboy slumped getting a beatdown is wild.

I have to assume that this was an idea for Supergirl #17, the issue of H'El on Earth where Kara and Diana squared off. The final cover is a shot of Wonder Woman bracing herself as we see her from Supergirl's POV.

But I think I would have liked this one even more. That is a powerful image of Wonder Woman, calmly getting ready to parry the incoming attack of the streaking Supergirl. I wonder if the fact that Supergirl's costume would have a reverse S (as it is a reflection) would  have put off DC. Still ... fantastic.

But this was my favorite page. You might recall that the original cover solicited for Supergirl #18 was one of her crushing the Earth, a dark version of All Star Superman #10. I thought it was terrible and was glad to see it never used. The top left is the thumb nail of it.

So I was fascinated to see these other versions of the cover. I love the one on the top right. It works so much better, Kara being weighed down by the world. She is being crushed by it, struggling with it. This makes her more sympathetic and represented the tone Mike Johnson had much more than the violent one.

And the bottom right also works. The tone of the book at this point was one of grief and sadness. So this one, sitting in an exhausted and defeated pose, shows that feeling of being lost. It even had the faint feeling of All-Star Superman #1. Instead of sitting on a cloud like an angel, looking happy ... she is slumped on Earth looking sad.

Anyways, I am glad that DC included these. I love extras in trades I buy.

Scott Lobdell On CBR

This post seems a bit ridiculous in the aftermath of Andy Diggle's announcement and my rant about it. But here it is.

About a week ago, Scott Lobdell did a sort of wrap-up interview on CBR, discussing the end of H'El on Earth and the future of the Superman title. Here is that link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44216  It is well worth reading in its entirety as Lobdell touches on a lot of things.

I think I have bashed H'El on Earth enough here and I am eager to put it in my rear view mirror. In particular, and no big surprise, I am eager for Supergirl to move away from the way she was portrayed there. Maybe this is the darkness before the dawn. Maybe Supergirl will be a more heroic, friendlier, character moving forward. And surprisingly, Lobdell actually hints at that a bit here. Here are some blurbs I thought were worth commenting on.

CBR News: Scott, "H'el On Earth" just wrapped up, and "Superman" #17 teased some dark days coming for Superman, with Supergirl in dire straits from Kryptonite poisoning. How will Supergirl's self-sacrifice impact Kal in upcoming issues?

Scott Lobdell: I think the whole ordeal is going to bring them closer together -- remember, up until this moment they really hadn't shared many experiences. (Even being orphans from Krypton manifested itself in two entirely different ways: Kara having lost her friends and family and the only world she ever knew, and Kal never having known friends and family or that world first hand.) So while things that happened with H'el were certainly traumatic, it may all wind up being for the better if Kara and Kal can wring a relationship out of it.
Regarding the Kryptonite poisoning and its effects on Kara, I understand that will be dealt with over in her book. The only thing I wanted to stress in the hand-off was that New 52 Kryptonite should be horrific, and its effects should be lingering for Kara who actually held it in her hand for a few moments, to her heart. Gone at the days when Lex would open a box and Superman would fall to one knee and then Lex would pop it closed and Superman would exclaim, "Phew!" Kryptonite should be scary every time it shows up!

At first it sounded like DC wanted to keep these two as separate as possible. In fact it seemed they wanted them to be angrily estranged from each other.

Now we hear that the trauma of H'El, that her nearly dying will somehow bring them together. That makes sense emotionally. Sometimes it is dramatic events in life that bring people back together. Maybe after this near-galactic death episode and Supergirl dying from K-poisoning will make the cousins realize that family needs to stick together.

Hmmm ... Kryptonite poisoning being drained from Supergirl and she then has a better personality ... I have read that somewhere before. I am amazed at how in interested in seeing this new Kryptonite It sounds like a big deal in the DCnU.

CBR: One of the images Kenneth Rocafort drew is pretty reminiscent of the iconic cover from "Crisis on Infinite Earths" #7. Was this a direct parallel you hoped to draw with this issue?

SL:No, I am afraid you are fishing, my friend. I suppose Kenneth could have drawn the page with Superman tossing Supergirl over his shoulder fireman carry style-- but, the howls? I could hear them already! No -- he was just cradling his wounded cousin in his arms.

I totally commented on that here!

I will begrudgingly agree with him on one point. If Supergirl was slung over Superman's shoulder like a bag of flour I would be typing some fiery adjectives right now.

I guess there is simply no avoiding the memory of Crisis #7.

CBR: In the coming months, it looks like you're digging into a number of aspects of Superman, including a look at Clark Kent's life as a reporter away from The Daily Planet. After the action-packed "H'el On Earth," has it been easy to transition to the more mundane aspects of Superman's life?

SL:Interesting you would phrase it that way -- to a Superman (and I have to guess here, as I am not one), saving the world and the entire solar system might actually be the "mundane aspect" of his life.
But, no, I love Clark and I love Cat and Lois and Perry and Jimmy and even Morgan Edge (a little) -- I think the longer a Superman story goes without dealing with Clark and his real life adventures, the less interesting the story is most likely going to be. I know what is planned for Clark in the coming months, and I'm never surprised when I get a note from editorial telling me I'm spending too much time with Clark and not enough time on Superman. 

There isn't much more about Supergirl in the article but those were enough. Could there be some thin ray of light shining through the black clouds of H'El on Earth?

There is a comment on Clark Kent, or the lack of Clark Kent in the book. I have bashed the early presentation of Clark here as well. Reading Lois' texts, acting like a jerk, etc.

I think there has been far too little of Clark and Lois in the New 52 to begin with. I am of two minds of seeing more Clark. I want more Clark. But I want it to be a good presentation of him. Like many things, Lobdell sounds excited about Clark and all the supporting cast. But I need to see Lobdell do these characters justice. I guess I need to hope here as well.

Anyways, a Supergirl/Superman familial relationship might be around the corner. That makes me happy.

Sales Review: February 2013

The sales figures for February have been released over on ICv2 and thanks to the '50 states of the JLA' and continued strong Batman titles, DC seemed to be doing okay. The list of the top 300 titles are available here:http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/25233.html As always, ICv2 does a great job breaking everything down.

For me, despite the news that the 50-covered JLA topped the charts and sold 300K, a quick perusal of the sales charts is intriguing. In the top 30 books (#30 being Marvel's Fearless Defenders #1 which sold north of 55K) DC has 11 books. Basically 1/3 of the top 30. Of those 11, 6 are Batman books and 2 are Justice League books. Aquaman slides in at #22 and may have been helped by the Throne of Atlantis crossover. Green Lantern is there. And Action Comics is #25, the only Superman book in the top 30, selling 56K.

Is DC worried that there is such a disparity in their top selling books. Are they worried that it seems fans are only coming out in droves for Batman? I suppose Marvel isn't worrying about the glut of XMen and Avengers books up there. Of course, they hold 18 of the top 30 and that includes some new titles - Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.

But when you get past the top 30, I just see a bunch of DC titles that seem to have lost the blighted momentum of the New 52 launch. And new books did not fare as well as Marvel's. Katana and Vibe sold just south of 30K, not the best beginning.

Supergirl #17 was the #73 title on the list. Sales basically stayed same with the book selling a couple of hundred units less than the last issue. Unfortunately, this was the penultimate chapter of the super-family crossover. I would have hoped for a blip in sales rather than standard erosion.

I suppose I should look at the upside. Sales are stable around 30K which, in this current market, is very strong. But I see lots of other books sales dropping faster than I would anticipate.

Will H'El on Earth ending and a new writer invigorate the title? Will sales drop faster? Or will Supergirl fans stick around ... all thirty thousand of us.

Review: Superboy #18

Superboy #18 came out last week, the first issue post-H'El on Earth. Of all the characters in that arc, Superboy came out the best. Over the course of the story, he recognizes Superman for the hero he is, joins the fight against H'El, refuses to give up when Supergirl pounds him, and is crucial to H'El's 'defeat'. On top of this, much of his heroics occur when he is clinging to life after H'El devastated him on a genetic level. It was refreshing to see him take such a step forward, even while I sadly watched Kara take two steps back.

With H'El behind us and a fresh persecptive from Kon, as well as maybe new readers on board, and new writer Justin Jordan a couple of issues away, Superboy #18 seemed like as a good an issue as any to recalibrate the book. And this issue does just that, even if most of the story is told by the villain rather than from Superboy himself. It is an outsider learning about Kon and that works well here ... after all, we are outsiders too. Scott Lobdell comes back on the title as writer here continuing his efforts with the character from Superman.

I usually applaud RB Silva's art on the book. But this issue looked a bit rushed and not as polished as I am used to. I liked the clean crisp look of the earlier issues. Iban Coello chips in on a handful of pages.

Now you might remember a few months back that I blasted this book for having Superboy become a bank robber. As much as the writers tried to convince me, this wasn't a victimless crime, it is a major crime, and this wasn't ignorance of the law since he went out of his way to elude capture.

I want my heroes stopping bank robbers not being bank robbers.

Well, someone in DC must have felt the same thing. Because here, on the opening page, is Superboy realizing that what he did was wrong and returning whatever money he has left. And he feels remorse. Despite the standard 'I am a living weapon' opening comments, he clearly is growing more human, manifesting a conscience. And I, for one, am glad. Because there is only so far you can go with the 'angry bitter clone doing what he wants to do when he wants to and not caring about anyone else' path. It pretty much is a literary dead end. So kudos to editorial or Lobdell or DeFalco for moving Kon back onto the hero's path.

You know what did confuse me though? Kon himself looking so spry! What exactly happened with the 'I'm dying, my genes have been ripped apart' plot point? Like so much of H'El on Earth, it seems to have been ignored or forgotten. That annoys me as a reader.

Of course, this is comics and crazy coincidences are bound to happen.

So it turns out the night that Superboy is returning the money he stole, Plasmus is going to rob the bank. That's crazy! It is an easy way to explain away the missing thousands and shift the blame away from Superboy.

It also allows us to see Superboy's growth once again. Here he tries to stop Plasmus from performing the very same 'victimless crime' he commited just a couple of months ago. It is an interesting turn of events, flipping Kon's recent decisions on their heads.

Also, Kon quips his way through the fight, putting him more in line with the last rendition of the Superboy character. I wonder if this is a super-super-super-soft reboot, tweaking the character just a bit.

We are then introduced to the DCnU version of Dr. Psycho. He is nearby, acting as a psychic, and fleecing some folks desperate to hear from the hereafter.

When we first meet him, he is spouting vague statements trying to convince this woman he is contact with the dead. But during this phony reading, he is using telepathic powers to learn ATM pin numbers, account numbers, etc. He is going to rob her blind. So ... if he is a decent enough telepath that he can learn codes, he can't skim her for memories from her past to convince her he can talk to the dead?

He has escaped from H.I.V.E. and is on the run. That lower panel was confusing at first. It took a while for me to realize that was a flashback of him hiding and not him talking to someone else in the room.

And is it just me or is there a whiff of the old Legion reservist Kid Psycho in his look.

Much like with H'El, I don't quite know what Psycho's powers are. He definitely is a telepath. He is drawn to Superboy's power and states he will 'drain' him of that power. And then, a surprise to even Psycho himself, he astral projects, leaving his physical body and entering Superboy's mind.

Now these are my favorite pages in the book, a look into Superboy's mind. Here, in the rec room of his mind Fairchild is doing the watusi with Red Robin, his neighbor Dallas is playing twister with Psyblade, Ridge is kicking back with a beer. There is even a battle in the background. And yet, despite that frivolity and action, Superboy still feels himself to be 'other', still a thing in a nutrient tube, still separate. That isn't explained ... it is just shown. And that is powerful. Internally, he still has a self-image of 'it'.

While all of that is happening, Superboy is basically trading blows with Plasmus. One blow is jarring enough to throw Psycho's astral self out of Superboy and back into his body.

It is clear that Psycho isn't too confident with his powers or his ability to defend himself. That is a pretty empty 'kneel before' statement.

Plasmus and Superboy re-engage leaving Dr. Psycho to figure out his next move.

So after being surprised that he can astrally project a couple of pages ago, Psycho decides to jump again, try to drain Superboy of his power, or (even better) possess him and take control of his body.

Just a couple of minor gripes here. Nothing major. But it seems off that Psycho is so confident in being able to do this when a couple of pages ago he didn't know how he jumped and was basically 'trapped' in that tube.

But more importantly, we know very little about Psycho but one thing we do know is he wants desperately to protect and shield himself from harm. So it seems odd that he would leave his physical body, which is defenseless while he is 'out of body', in the middle of this Plasmus/Superboy war zone. At least find a corner to hide in before doing this.

Again, minor gripes.

Ah, but what a cliffhanger. Inside Superboy's mind, Psycho runs into Lex Luthor who has been waiting for 'him'. My guess is this is some pre-recorded message deep in Superboy's mind from his other 'daddy' Luthor. Psycho was basically the first to plumb those depths, even before Superboy himself.

It isn't much of a surprise to hear that Luthor is part of Superboy's DNA given the prior incarnation. But I am glad that piece of his history has carried forward. I also think it is interesting that this is yet another layer in Superboy's mind. There is reality. There are N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s subliminals where he courted Rose in Smallville. There are Harvest's subliminal subliminals where he is brainwashing Kon to hate Superman. And now there is the Luthor zone of his mind.

That's a lot of layers. Will it be more parfait than onion?

I have to say that I liked this issue more than most of the last half-year of this book. Superboy seems to be on the right path again. While I am sure there will be speed bumps at least he seems to have a better concept of right and wrong. The panels showing how he imagines himself was very interesting, a nice look inside. And Lex as daddy! All good.

I don't know enough about this Dr. Psycho to have a clear leaning. I loved to hate the old Wonder Woman villain so this guy might suffer in comparison.

And RB Silva's art just seemed rougher than usual, which was just a bit distracting.

Still overall, a nice step in the right direction.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman #17

Superman #17 came out this week, the last chapter of H'El on Earth, about as muddle a Superman family crossover as I have read. Thank goodness it is over so I can put it in my rear view mirror.

I have had major issues with this arc, mostly around the inanity in Supergirl's characterization. But I also have had problems with the way the other members of the family have been portrayed as well. The characters read differently from chapter to chapter and from book to book. The Supergirl in this book is much different than the one in her own title. The Superboy in this arc is way more heroic and way more inspired by Superman than he has ever been in his title.

But, as I feared at the end of Supergirl #17, there isn't enough space in this one issue to wrap up this arc in any meaningful way. We are rushed through a simple solution (harming H'El snuffs all his machinations), problems that have cropped up in the plot are simply ignored (Superboy doesn't seem to be dying anymore and in fact seems stronger than ever, it isn't the draining of energy that will blow up our solar system it is the activation of the time ship), characters change their minds dramatically (Supergirl goes from smitten and angry follower to murderous and familial in the span of minutes), and we still don't know anything about H'El or his plot. When there is that many things swept under the rug, the story can't be satisfying.

Now I can imagine that some people will say I should be happy that Kara was the 'hero' here. But I can't forget 7 issues of stupidity. And I can't be happy to see Supergirl try to kill someone.

If there is one bright spot here, it is the art of Kenneth Rocafort which really shines. It is a pretty book to look at. Too bad the words ruin things. Let's start picking at the scabs.

So part of this arc was the introduction of 'The Oracle', a cosmic being of immense power, brought to Earth by the hornblowing alien from Stormwatch. His arrival was part of the cliffhangers of this book. He towered over the Earth last issue. With all that buildup, you would think he would have some role to play in the story.

Instead, through exposition, we learn that the Oracle is called to 'bear witness to threats of time and space'. So he isn't an active part of this story at all.

Superman tries to communicate with the Oracle but all it does is flood his mind with memories things that are and some things that 'should not be'. Most of the memories shown are parts of the origins of the characters as we have seen in the New 52 (see Kal's rocket and Kara in her pod). So I don't know what shouldn't be. Maybe this is some way of saying that the timeline still isn't right? Or is it an out for DC if they want to re-write some of the super-origins if they grow tired of these newer versions?

Either way, the Oracle leaves. He really had no impact on this story ... none. So why include him? Or why spend so much time making it seem like he was part of the story when he wasn't?

As I said before, the plot twists of the earlier issues that need to be resolved are simply ... resolved.

So suddenly Kara, who was shouting her love and praising H'El just moments ago, suddenly says that she and H'El 'never had love'. I suppose I should be happy that Supergirl isn't willing to risk Earth and recognizes the errors of her ways. But the truth is, this is sooo different from the way she acted in the first 7 issues of this arc and not much has changed other than Wonder Woman basically telling Supergirl to open her eyes. The first part of the characterization is idiotic given the cautious nature of Kara in her book.

On top of that, Superboy who was dying moments earlier, genetically twisted and mangled, barely able to stand as Kara pounded him, now looks fine and actually is powerful enough to bring down H'El's energy gathering station. So I guess that has just been forgotten.

I don't mind these heroics ... in fact I applaud them. But just a couple of pages ago, she was enamored and he was almost dead. You can't change things this quickly and have it read right.

How about the plot point that our solar system is going to explode if H'El succeeds. Well, I think it was implied in prior issues that it was the absorbing of all our sun's energy that would lead to that galactic catastrophe.

Now that has been changed. Now he has simply absorbed the energy he needs without threatening the galaxy. It is the actual rip through the time stream from his ship that will destroy us. Of course, this new plot twist means that the time machine can work ... which we see at the end of the book ... I think.

But you can't change that threat from the draining energy to the use of the ship, not in the last issue.

I also wonder why Superboy has got such a postive feel to him in this arc. Here he plays the role of Kryptonian conscience wondering if they would approve of H'El's plans. Of course, this is the guy who describes himself as a living weapon, who doesn't care about Superman, has been programmed to kill Superman, and who recently stomped through an issue saying 'kill, maim, destroy'. Again, I actually like Superboy's growth here. It is just felt off given who he has been in his own book and even in some places of this story. Wouldn't that line have come better from Diana?

As I said, the 'dying Superboy' looks pretty spry here as he holds back 'time shards'. Any time the writer has a character apologize for their dialogue (here Kon saying he is making things up as he goes) I cringe.

As for Kara, since she is seeing clearly he realizes it is time to make a stand. Again, I am glad she is asking herself these questions. I just wonder why now and not when she first meets H'El.

As odd as some of the dialogue has been, this rant by H'El stood out as the clunkiest. 'Humans all think they're all so damned special. They're not.' Doesn't that seem a little petty coming from someone who thinks we are below him on an evolutionary scale? Would I say 'Squirrels all think they are so damned special. They're not.' And the 'damned' just seems bitter and  ... well ... human. Why would he say that?

I suppose we haven't really heard H'El's true origin. Maybe this will make more sense then.

As for Supergirl end game, she realizes the H'El is controlling everything psionically. The only way to stop the timeship from leaving and taking the solar system with it is to eliminate H'El.

So, risking herself by holding a chunk of green K, she stabs H'El in the chest.

That's right folks ... Supergirl tries to kill the enemy!

This isn't a wounding attack. This isn't hitting him in the head to knock him out. This is stabbing him in his heart.

Do I like a Supergirl who would risk her own life to save millions? Yes.
Do I want to read about a murderous Supergirl? Not me.

With his bleeding open chest wound, H'El falls into this temporal swirl and disappears.

So H'El isn't stopped.
And he uses his energy to go through a time warp.

So ... why did he need the ship?

I suppose that seeing Kara almost sacrifice herself to save the galaxy is a good thing. That said, seeing a dying Supergirl in Superman's arms is a bit too reminiscent of Crisis #7.

And the heartwarming 'I did it for my cousin' is a complete turnaround from the 'stay out of my business and away from me' Supergirl we have seen throughout this arc. Why would she be so loving of him now when she has shunned him since the inception of the DCNu? If this was an olive branch extended to Superman I suppose it works a little. But it sounded almost too sugary of an answer for that.

I just think that characterization has been so erratic in this story that it is hard to feel like there is any internal consistency. I can only imagine what this would read like if I read all the chapters in one sitting.

As for H'El ...

He really didn't need a big solar-system killing timeship after all. He ends up going back in time and arrives on Krypton. So even moreso, the 'victory' of the heroes is hollow. H'El succeeds!

So let's take a look back at the arc.

Superboy seems to come out of this whole thing looking the best. He has matured and actually sounds reasonably heroic. He is inspired by Superman. Of course, he should still be dying ... but we'll see if that is even addressed. Superman comes out looking okay ... although he basically was a guest star in this arc. He routinely got pummeled by H'El, didn't tell his cousin his concerns and sent friends to throttle her,  and had nothing to do with the outcome. Supergirl comes out the worst because in the opening chapters she is too trusting and naive of H'El (which is the exact opposite of her in her own book). She turns things around in this issue but it is so sudden it makes her seem unstable and immature.

As for H'El. We don't know who he is. We don't know his true origin. We don't know how he got his powers. We know nothing of him.

The Oracle? Why was it even in this story? Or why was their such a buildup about it being here in prior issues if he didn't do anything?

I think I have laid out my concerns about the inconsistent plot points and characterization enough not to reiterate.

I am glad this story is done. Because at least it is done.

Overall grade: D

Sales Review: January 2013

The sales numbers for January have been released and overall it was a good month for comics. Sales were up and Marvel, in particular, continued to ride high on their rolling reboot. As usual, ICv2 is the site I go to for my numbers. Here is the link to their top 300: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/25024.html

As for Supergirl and the other Super-titles, I would say the news isn't that good. The thing is that the books should be riding high right now. They are in the midst of the first super-crossover in the New 52. And Grant Morrison is bringing some energy to the ending of his Action Comics run.

Unfortunately, I think the H'El on Earth has been fairly lackluster. Sure there has been a lot of noise and action. But the story hasn't wowed me. H'El remains inscrutable. Supergirl has been played as the hysterical, gullible, lovesick fool. Superboy has been impressed and unimpressed by Superman simultaneously it seems. And Superman, of all of them, isn't exactly showing super-intelligence. He has left Supergirl hanging out to dry, not giving her the information she needs, and acting rather tempestuous.

Not surprisingly, there has been no bump in sales for any of the titles.

Supergirl #16 had the bonus of guest starring the Justice League and showcasing the Flash. In this story, Supergirl remains oblivious to the galactic carnage that H'El is planning. And The Flash decides that it makes more sense to wrestle her or find and fire a weapon at her than to tell her that H'El plans to implode our sun. Sooo ... not too good. Thankfully, Mike Johnson has her say the right thing.

Despite the guest stars and the crossover, Supergirl tread water in sales. I suppose I should be happy that there wasn't further erosion on the title. Supergirl #16 ranked 69th overall (the book was 70th last month) and sales went down by only about 500 issues.

In the end, Supergirl is no where near the danger zone. But certainly her behavior in this arc has to be considered a low point for the character since her debut in the New 52. Hopefully the loyal Supergirl fans will stick around to see if the new creative team is able to elevate the character from these doldrums.

I will add that it is interesting to review the lower selling books given the announcements of the canceled books. Still hidden down there in the weeds and not canceled are Legion of Super-Heroes and Demon Knights. I hope DC lets these books breathe a bit.

Review: Superboy #17

Superboy #17 came out this week another chapter in H'El on Earth, and thankfully another step closer to the end of H'El on Earth.  It is hard for me to read H'El in any sort of unbiased way because, unfortunately, Supergirl is the villain of the story. And ... let me tell you something ... in this issue, she is the villain. She is the hysterical, deluded, angry, ignorant villain.

And if making a long time Supergirl fan dislike this Supergirl character was a goal of Tom DeFalco, Scott Lobdell, and Eddie Berganza, then congratulations are in order. Because after I read this issue, I really really disliked this Kara. And my condolences to Mike Johnson and Michael Green because the powers that be have simply undone everything that those guys were creating over in the main book.

Should Superman fans be happy with H'El? Well, he acts a bit erratic and his plans are often muddled. But at least he is a hero and leading the charge to prevent Earth from being destroyed.

Should Superboy fans be happy with H'El? Hell yeah. He comes off great in this book, realizing what it means to be a hero and working hard to be a hero! In this book, he comes off as selfless and strong. In fact, most of the parts of the book I am going to highlight show just how far Superboy has come on the hero's journey.

In fact, I am not hating on Superboy when I say that I find it amazing that his character, the guy with violent mind programming and a deep-seeded hatred of Superman, is the guy to rise above the fray and be the hero. Meanwhile, Supergirl plays the patsy.

I have always been a fan of RB Silva, especially when he is inked by Rob Lean, and his art is slick here. For some reason it works best in a sci-fi setting and so he shines here.

The book opens with the Justice League organizing their attack against H'El and his star chamber. The draining sun is creating havoc with our weather, resulting in natural disasters. While the rest of the Leaguers go on rescue duties around the world, Superboy, Wonder Woman, and Superman will take the battle to H'El himself.

One thing I like here is that while, once again, Superboy opens the book by saying he is a living weapon, he also calls Kal and Diana living weapons as well. But they are calm, confidant, and clearly in control of their decisions. It is yet another way to show that Kon is starting to think of himself more as a person and less as an automaton. Living weapons can be in charge of their own lives too.

Meanwhile, listen to how starstruck Supergirl sounds when talking to H'El.

Talk about gushing. She takes about his vision ... his tireless dedication. Does anyone outside of the most infatuated, most inane say such things?

Yes, she is still thinking H'El is the good guy. And she is so blinded by love for this guy she met maybe 2 days ago that she can't see straight.

So she is gullible. And she is infatuated. And she falls exceedingly quickly into a superficial kind of love.

How does that make Supergirl a likeable character.

Before the heroes can intercede, H'El teleports in and again lays some serious damage on Superboy. He rips the healing Kryptonian armor off him and throws Superboy aside.

I said it before, there is a little too much venom in H'El surrounding Superboy. I think this is transference of some sort of self-loathing. H'El has to be a clone of some sort.

But it is here that we see the best of Superboy.

Despite being battered, despite his genome being unraveled, despite no real dog in this fight, Superboy decides he isn't ready to thrown in the towel. He is going to pull himself together, maybe literally, and fight on and try to stop H'El and his plans.

When the Hornblower arrives and says that he is calling The Oracle to come to the doomed planet, Superboy even goes one step further, attacking the alien, and saying the world still has hope ... Superman.

So pulls himself together, recognizes Superman as a hero, attacks the Hornblower, and then navigates around the raging atmospheric chaos to get to the Star Chamber.

After all my worries about Superboy, his dark side, his bank-robbing, his hatred of Superman, it turns out he is the brightest star in H'El on Earth.

Now contrast that to Supergirl.


Here is the thing, one of my biggest complaints about this arc is that no one has told Supergirl that H'El is going to implode the solar system. Superboy finally ... finally ...tells her the imminent danger.

So what does Supergirl do with this new information?

She attacks the ailing Superboy when he arrives. She calls him a time bomb, someone willing to kill Krypton again, someone who she can't trust in the way she trusts H'El. She says he is lying. And she is vicious in battering Kon despite the fact that he is obviously dying in front of her.

And let's add more.

Despite Superboy telling her over and over that Earth will die, telling her that she can't be naive and must realize what is happening, Supergirl still doesn't believe him. She doesn't even pause.

And here she basically says she is going to kill him if he doesn't walk away.

Supergirl is too blind and too stupid to recognize the impending cataclysm, pounds on a dying boy, and then plans to kill him.

How am I supposed to like this Supergirl? How am I supposed to feel empathy for her?

I'll say it again, I am a life long Supergirl fan and I don't like the character right now. I haven't felt this way since the issue by Kelly/Garza where we saw her gun down her high school classmates on Krypton.

Supergirl as a stupid killer ... who can honestly think this was the right direction for the character.

Luckily before she can deliver the killing blow, Wonder Woman shows up and the two begin to battle.

So now Supergirl is fighting all of Earth's heroes.

It makes me so sad.

Again, contrast that to Superboy. Despite dying, despite being bloodied and bruised, he wills himself on ... striving to 'make like a hero and save the world'.

Unbelievable.

I have to say this was a tale of two issues. If there has been an upside to H'El on Earth, it has been the character development of Superboy. He has really changed during this short time with Superman. Suddenly he isn't interested in living in the posh apartment and clubbing. There are bigger things in life. He really is becoming the hero.

On the other hand, Supergirl has de-evolved from the smart, sad, over-cautious young woman in her book to this lovestruck idiot who can't see the truth even when it is shoved in her face.

Again, congratulations to Tom DeFalco, Scott Lobdell, and Eddie Berganza. You have made Supergirl pathetic and unlikeable. The writing has been on the wall since the beginning of this arc.

And to Superboy fans, I hope you like the new direction he is taking here.

Overall grade: C+ (B+ for Superboy characterization, D- for Supergirl stuff)

Review: Superman #16

Superman #16 came out this week, one step closer to the end of H'El on Earth. There is only one more month of this crossover, one more issue in each title. Given the rather dramatic ending to this issue, I wonder just what will be in the next 3 issues. At least there will be enough time to wrap up this leg of the story, knowing the 'time travel' piece is probably months away.

I have had some issues with this arc, mostly in the shabby characterization of Supergirl. Superman and Superboy recognize H'El is demented, realize he is going to implode the solar system, and battle valiantly as a team against everything that H'El has thrown at them. Heck, they have even grown closer to each other, revealing some secrets and becoming almost chummy. Superboy has had several key moments in the action, breaking into the Fortress, saving Superman from the internal prison device, and here eradicating an alien monster. Superman has saved Kon, donating his family suit, and is fighting what seems to be a never-ending battle.

Meanwhile, Kara has been bratty to Superman, swooned over H'El's promises, not asked any natural questions about plans, and has basically fallen in love with the villain. It is pretty clear that writer Scott Lobdell, who wrote Superboy and currently writes Superman, has his favorites.

At least in this issue, Kara starts to see some of the gaps in H'El's story and maybe is questioning her loyalty and love for him. There is even a nice moment in the heat of battle where she shows some control. That said, it is hard to read this as a Supergirl fan.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Rocafort continues to just shine in these issues with very kinetic art and page composition. While I still think there is a lot of negative space in some places, his stuff is gorgeous.

The issue opens with H'El telling more of his origin to Supergirl ... at least what he claims is his origin. Again, he is a celebrated scientist, a one-time student and now colleague of Jor-El, about to be blasted into space. It isn't a small event. Kryptonians have flocked to the launch site, hoping to see this foray into space.

And part of the story is Jor-El accepting this scientist into his home and family, being given the S-shield, the family crest. Even Lara seems to be taken in.

I do think it is an interesting twist here. Superman gave Kon his armor, sharing the family crest. It mirrors this scene. I don't think H'El is telling the truth so this might be replayed, maybe explaining another reason why H'El seems to hate Superboy more than anyone.

And maybe the first glimmer of doubt seems to creep into Supergirl's mind. If this was a planet-changing event, if H'El was famous for this flight, why doesn't Supergirl remember it? H'El says it is because of her suspended animation. But we just saw a few issues ago that Sanctuary returned all of Kara's memories. She remembered it all.

Of course, in line with all that has happened before, Supergirl not only accepts this excuse for her selective amnesia but also gives H'El a big old kiss. it seems ludicrous.

One thing I have really enjoyed about this arc has been the sort of madcap tour of the Fortress. It really smacks a bit of the Silver/Bronze age Fortress complete with interplanetary zoo and weapon cache.

Here a self-replicating and ever mutating monster is set upon Superman, Superboy, and the JL, stalling them from finding H'El.

There is a sort of galactic policeman feel to Lobdell's Superman as he uses the Fortress as a place where dangerous things from around the universe are held safely.

This is a nice interaction with Kon.

Now I read the Azzarello/Chiang Wonder Woman and that title seems completely separate from the Diana I see in Justice League. I almost feel like that is an Elseworld or 'Other Earth' book. For the most part, I like that book.

Now here, she is a lover, defending Superman from the most meaningless slight, and seems very much like the girl sidekick. Don't get me wrong, her battle prowess is nicely on display. But her words seem off just a bit.

With the heroes being slowed down by this creature, Superboy jacks up his tactile TK and obliterates the monster. Another nice moment for Superboy.

And then there is more for Supergirl to chew over. When she questions if H'El is being honest with her, he pauses. And then she ... FINALLY ... asks what the machine does and what Earth will need to sacrifice.

It should be obvious to her that something isn't right here. But before she can push the matter, Superman and the rest of the heroes show up.

Okay, here is one small shining moment for Supergirl. She doesn't attack Superman to stop him. Instead she grabs is fist, I assume to talk about things maybe convince Superman that H'El isn't all that bad. At least it wasn't a 'fists first' Kara.

Unfortunately, rather than Superman saying 'H'El's machine is going to blow up the solar system!', he states "take your hand off me or I will be forced to hurt you". So as much as Supergirl is to blame for buying into all this, Superman is at fault for not telling her his concerns. The bottom line is, the deck has been stacked from both ends against Supergirl in this arc.

To make matters worse, Superboy has a score to settle and pulls Supergirl by the hair and body slams her. As if being overly emotional, near hysterical, and easily wooed wasn't bad enough, she is pulled by her hair like a little girl in a playground fight. It just furthers a feeling that Supergirl is simply immature. That has never been seen in her main book. So why change it here.

We still don't exactly know H'El's powers. All I know is that he hasn't been slowed down at all by anything thrown at him. Here he actually teleports the entire Fortress somewhere, leaving Superman, Superboy, and the League in the snow.

And then, he actually turns on his machine. And the power is so great that the best minds on Earth can sense it. Veritas is intrigued. Luthor knows things aren't good. And the Oracle's vanguard, the Horn Blower, knows he has to bring his master to Earth.

I am starting to wonder if the Oracle is a sort of DC version of Marvel's Uatu the Watcher. Is be being called here only to witness a disaster? And what was the other time he came here? I actually am curious about this.

And the machine fires, supposedly draining the energy from out galaxy, having it implode and killing everyone.

So where the heck do we go from here? Nice cliffhanger!

I am of two minds in regards to this issue. It is as if we somehow turned a corner here. The action was great. The art was great. And Supergirl is starting to put it together. She even tries to talk to Superman rather than attack. All of that is good.

But Supergirl is only starting to put it together. She is still, eventually, believing H'El. She is still behind him despite all the clues in front of her. It makes her seem stupid and gullible. And then to be kissing H'El, proclaiming her love, and then having her hair pulled ... it makes her seem like a school girl, infatuated and slapping. And that just feels so wrong ... so wrong it sort of taints the other stuff.

Still, I have to say, this has been the best issue of the H'El arc. Hopefully Kara somehow is able to put two and two together and remain a hero.

Overall grade: B

Review: Superboy Annual #1

Superboy Annual #1 came out this week, a sort of ancillary chapter to the H'El On Earth storyline.

There is a lot to talk about in regards to this annual, unfortunately not much of it revolves around the story. This is an annual, a bigger issue than the standard monthly book, but the story seems small. It feels like this could have easily been told in 20 pages (or less) but instead we have a sort of retread of scenes and even dialogue within the issue itself. As the two heroes battle monsters in several 'dimensions', Superboy states he is snarky many times, he says Superman lectures several times, Superman denies lecturing but then wonders if he does twice. Superboy says "egocentric much" and "paranoid much" within a 3 panel sequence.

So even though there are some nice scenes where Superman and Superboy are getting to know each other, revealing some of their backgrounds to each other, and maybe appreciating each others' viewpoint a little, the problem is these scenes seem to repeat themselves here, as if the story needed to be stretched to fill the page count.

And I don't think I am wrong in my guess that there were some last minute rewrites and finagling of this book. For one, look at that art list. Could some of these artists be brought in last minute to redraw some pages to fit the new script?

And let's not forget the original cover and solicit  for this book.

SUPERBOY ANNUAL #1
Written by TOM DeFALCO
Art by YVEL GUICHET

• As the battle to stop H’El rages on, Superman learns the truth about just what Superboy is...But is it the whole truth?
• Rose Wilson of The Ravagers crashes back into Superboy’s life — and she’s got some dangerous new ideas about his destiny!
• And if you thought the drama between Superboy and Superman was intense...Just wait until Rose’s father enters the mix!

While Rose appears in one flashback panel, there is no Deathstroke to be seen here. Now there is a man/woman pair within the story that might just be placeholders for the Deathstroke/Ravager spots in the original story.

So what we get is a book which only touches on H'El on Earth tangentially. It is a muddled story. And in the end, this feeling that things aren't quite right here takes away from some interesting introspection by Superboy.

I'll also add that Tom DeFalco's script has Superboy talk in some places like an older guy trying to sound like a young kid. The slang and sarcasm seems forced in some places.

As for the art, you can't get that many artists on one book without it feeling disjointed in some places.

I'll try to focus on the highlights.

We open up with a warped Superboy realizing that he has done something important. He has made a choice, on his own, to do something good ... to do something for someone else.

I think about Superboy right now as a sort of character in a Philip K. Dick novel. He is trying to figure out is he a human or is he an automaton, is he in control or being controlled, is he 'real' or not. And so these critical moments where he takes a stand, breaks out of his 'I am a weapon' speeches show some growth.

Superman reveals this place is a prison used by a space pirate named Garso, someplace he could send his enemies. And, the conversation is being observed by someone from afar.

Now why this first dimension had to have warped physics, stretching the characters like taffy, I don't know. It doesn't seem to impact things other than to let the artists have some fun with perspective. Because soon after landing here, they end up in another dimension.

I think I have mentioned in some places that Supergirl is being treated shabbily in this arc.

Even here she wonders out loud why Superman would be against the resurrection of Superman. You would think she would want to ask him his reasons. You would think she might ask H'El how he is going to save things.

And the irony of her constantly talking about how the fate of a world is in the balance knowing that it is the fate of Earth not Krypton just makes her sound that much more doltish.

I want an intelligent and strong Supergirl. Someone taken in so quickly by a stranger is neither.

Leaving the warped dimension, the two heroes end up in something more Kansas-like. However, the soil itself comes alive and attacks them. And here is the first of the 'lecturing' back and forth.

What is nice is that Superman reveals his background, growing up on a farm, living his whole life on Earth. In return, Superboy reveals his clone origins, N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and the subliminals he was raised on.

Superman, naturally, has questions about how his DNA got taken and who Superboy is supposed to kill. So I thought these interactions were good as the two seem to be engaging in some camaraderie, Superboy taking in the good things about Superman and Superman listening to how he is perceived. But it is weighed down by some fairly stilted dialogue.

"Paranoid much" just sounds forced, especially one panel away from 'egocentric much'. And this leads Superman to talk about how snarky Superboy is.

This whole aspect of Superboy becoming more independent and recognizing his self-worth is probably the thing I am most intrigued about with his character.

Throughout his stay in this place he feels echoes of pain and sorrow which turn out to be from the place itself. Originally built to be something good (a hospital) she has been corrupted by the pirates into a 'murdering prison', basically weaponized. Of course Superboy is going to feel that this place is a kindred spirit. And of course he is going to want to help her if only to give himself hope.

I don't know how I feel about him having latent telepathy though. This weird version of tactile TK still confuses me.

But those moments seem lost in this rushed and repetitive narrative.

Even simple things like Kara's s-shield being backwards just stand out as this being a rush job.

When it becomes clear that Superboy can communicate with the planetary entity, the two criminals who were peeping decide to show up, hoping Superboy can free them.

Now it is a man and a woman, Garso's brother and his consort, who have been trapped there for years.

Could this pair have been Deathstroke and Rose in some prior incarnation of the script? Could that have been part of the rewrite?

Luckily Superboy can still communicate with this thing and together they send the two criminals away, marooned on some distant asteroid. With them gone, this place can begin to heal and become a healing place again. And now in control of its functions, the planet spits the Supers out, back on Earth just a couple of minutes after they were sucked in.

In the end, it is sort of a 'whatever' moment. We don't know these villains. We don't know this place. It is unlikely we will ever see them again. And the two Supers are back too soon for their disappearance to really effect things.

So does a couple of good character moments between Superboy and Superman save this book? Does Superboy helping someone in his predicament reach independence elevate this? No matter how good those moments are, I just don't think so. There are too many repetitive scenes, too much disconnects in the art flow, too much that makes this just read like a rush job.

And, most of all, it just doesn't progress H'El on Earth at all.

Still, Superboy seems to be moving along on his hero's journey while Supergirl is taking some steps back.

Overall grade: C