Round Two: Newsarama Polls

 Want to celebrate the recent run on Supergirl by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle? Well go vote for them in Newsarama's round-robin tournament for best ongoing title. Here is the link:
 http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-ongoing-2010-round-2-101217.html

Supergirl escaped the first round, beating American Vampire. In what is a very difficult match-up, the title is going up against multi-media giant The Walking Dead. These books are wildly different. In many ways, this vote is like asking what's better a pear or a pomegranate.

But I'd love to see Supergirl win, or at least have a good showing.

Best Ongoing isn't the only category Supergirl advanced in. Amy Reeder's excellent cover of Supergirl #58 made it into the second round in the Best Cover category. Here is that link:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-cover-2010-round-2-101215.html

She is up against a dramatic cover of Steve Rogers putting on the Nova helmet. I think it lacks significant gravitas, so I feel confidant Supergirl #58 and Reeder will advance. But go and vote.

Unfortunately, neither Sterling Gates (best writer) or Jamal Igle (best artist) escaped the first round. But, of course, it was a nice 'tip of the hat' to be nominated.

Given the sudden unclear future of the title, I was happy that I had even this small way of further promoting this last year of Supergirl stories.

"Best Of" Newsarama Polls

The end of the year is approaching and that means people are starting to put together 'best of' lists. Trust me, I am already putting together my thoughts about the "Top Ten Supergirl Moments of 2010".

Newsarama is doing the same, looking back at 2010, picking their favorites from the comic world, and doing a round robin tournament for a number of categories. In a nice nod to the current Supergirl creative team, both the title and the individual creators all made it into the tournament. If you like the job they have done, please click the links below and vote.

Here is the link for the Ongoing title: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-ongoing-2010-round-1-101210.html

Supergirl drew the 5th seed in the opening round and is going up against a very good American Vampire book. In theory, this means the Newsarama crew thought that Supergirl was the 5th best title on the market last year. How fantastic is that! I think we should vote early and often to get the book through the first round!

But the title couldn't be fantastic without the creators working on the book.

 Sterling Gates was nominated in the 'Favorite Writer' category.

Here is the link for the best writer: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-writers-2010-round-1-101206.html

In what is a tough pull, Gates is the 15 seed going up against the juggernaut of Robert Kirkman. In the NCAA College Basketball tourney, 2-15 upsets are exceedingly rare. I am glad that Gates was recognized for the great work that he did this last year, seeing Kara through some tough times.

Jamal Igle has done such wonderful work on the book, so I was happy to see him nominated in the "Favorite Artist" category.

Here is the link: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-artists-2010-round-1-101207.html

Igle drew a very high 4 seed in this opening round. Samnee's work on Thor was beloved so I am hoping an upset doesn't happen. Igle really shined this year drawing some very emotional scenes intermixed with high action scenes as well. As for me, I adore the 'Closet of Solitude' splash page. His work was so polished; he deserves the high seed.

And newcomer to the book, Amy Reeder, has done such wonderful eye-catching covers since joining Supergirl. How fantastic that in that short time, her work was noticed. Supergirl #58 was nominated for the 'Favorite Cover" category.

Here is the link for that category: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/favorite-covers-2010-round-1-101208.html

In what appears to be a grudge match between Supergirl and American Vampire, the two titles square off again. This really is a great angelic pose for Kara, deserving of recognition.

As they say in Chicago, vote early and vote often.

And as a Supergirl fan, it was great to see the title recognized for the high quality it has shown this last year in all phases of the book. Congratulations to Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, and Amy Reeder for being nominated.

Sales Review: November 2010

Comic sales in general took another beating in November with sales being down 10% from the same time period last year. The top comic did not break the 100K mark in sales. Sales went down for 20 out of the top 25 comics in sales. That is rough. This news from ICv2: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/18920.html

Here is the link to the top 300 titles in sales: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/18918.html

In the first of interesting wrinkles, DC basically was in a dead heat with Marvel for overall sales for the month ( http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/18913.html ).

As always, my compliments to ICv2 for breaking all this stuff down.

Perhaps the most interesting wrinkle was sales on Supergirl #58. In this absolutely dismal month, Supergirl sales went up 6 % from 23,842 in sales in October to 25,412 in November.

I can't explain it. Could it be that some readers who left the title missed it enough to come back? Readers who left a while ago decided to come back to see the resolution of the Cat Grant story? Amy Reeder's angelic cover mesmerized people into giving the book a shot? Casual fans have heard about the quality of the book for so long they decided to give it a shot? People who are interested in Nick Spencer's story decided to pick up the book early to get an understanding of the character? All of the above?

I can't explain it and to be honest I don't care. I am glad sales rebounded a little. And I am glad that Gates/Igle will leave on a high note. This was like an early Christmas gift.

I am wondering if the 25K mark is the sort of water level for the young female hero book. Batgirl, Supergirl, and even Spider-Girl all were hovering there.

And the underdogs? Well sales on R.E.B.E.L.S. and Doom Patrol mirrored the state of comics.

Both R.E.B.E.L.S. #22 and Doom Patrol #16 bled a bit, losing 1K in sales, about 10%. That can't be good.

But let's not dwell on the negative. Let's accentuate the positive! Supergirl sales went up 6%!

Thanksgiving Post From Sterling Gates

Yesterday, Sterling Gates left the following comment on the Supergirl #58 review post from earlier in the week. It was too fantastic to leave just tucked away in there. I wanted to make sure that everyone who comes to this blog read it. Here it is:

Thanks for the kind review, Anj, and thank you all for your comments.


I've been extremely flattered by your support the last two years, and I really appreciate all of you, the Supergirl fan base.


I'm very happy and proud of the note Jamal and I are going out on, and it's a note which really shows how Kara and Cat have grown the last couple years. I can't wait for all of you to read it next month.


On a day of giving thanks, I just wanted to express my thanks for your support.


Thank you.


As long as Supergirl has fans as passionate and as vocal as all of you, she'll continue to soar and thrive.


And that's all that we can ask for Kara, isn't it? :)


Thanks again,
-Sterling

Well, I think we owe you and Jamal some thanks as well for bringing us this Supergirl, one we could be proud of when we said we were fans. I think the Supergirl fanbase is a passionate group and we occasionally can bicker amongst ourselves. But our love of the character is always present.

And thank you for coming here and posting as often as you did. It was fantastic to know that you cared enough about the fanbase to reach out like you did. I am sure you made lifelong fans here.

I can't wait to read your last issue. I am sure it will be a fitting capstone for such a phenomenal run. And I look forward to seeing what you are working on next.

Review: Supergirl #58

We are rounding the last turn and heading into the home stretch of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle run on Supergirl. Supergirl #58 is the penultimate issue of this great run but the team shows no signs of losing momentum here.

This was a very good issue, addressing the long-standing plot of Cat Grant's feud with Supergirl. It was the 'Why the world doesn't need Supergirl' editorial was really the catalyst of a lot of what Gates has accomplished here. So what better way to end this run than by proving to Cat that the world ... that Cat ... needs Supergirl.

But this issue also shows just how far Supergirl has come since Supergirl #34. The Supergirl in that issue bursts into tears when she read that editorial, questioning herself, wondering what she should do. In this issue, we see how decisive and confidant Kara is now ... even in the face of some withering criticism by Cat.

This issue had smart dialogue, great art, and a solid story. It looks like Gates and Igle will be ending their tenure on a high note.

I know I have shown it before when it was posted on the DC Source blog, but here is the DC75th variant cover of the issue by Amanda Conner. Based on Action Comics #252, this cover even includes the exact dialogue bubbles and issue banner that the original issue did, down to the font. This really was wonderful. I love Amanda Conner's work. I hope she gets a monthly title soon.

The opening scene of the issue has Supergirl and Cat entering Arkham, walking down the asylum's corridors, and sitting and talking to the Toyman.

That whole scene, from the worker pointing to the room Toyman is in to the room interview itself to the 'we came to talk' line echoes the opening scene of The Killing Joke. I am probably a bigger continuity nut and comic historian than many but I love when books acknowledge the past. I don't look at things like this as copying the past, more like recognizing it. Here it even set the tone of the scene. I know how dark The Killing Joke is so I felt some added dread to this scene here.

Now I am not saying that Supergirl #58 is like The Killing Joke. But I thought this was a very nice homage, adding to the impact of the scene.

Cat asks the Toyman why he is sending her dolls and what it has to do with the missing children around Metropolis. Toyman protests, saying he loves children and has done anything.

Supergirl has no patience for his talk, not when children are in peril. Even though just last issue she listed it as a problem she has, she 'thinks with her fists' here. She threatens Toyman, even wondering if she should check to see if he is a robot or not.

I had no problem with this response though. Kara is still working through her grief and the Toyman had a small part of the destruction of New Krypton (his Luthor-bot triggered Reactron's explosion) and might be harming children. Supergirl simply doesn't have the time to go back and forth with questions and answers. She acts decisively, trying to bring this problem to a close.

Toyman still says he hasn't done anything to the children and certainly hasn't sent Cat any dolls. With that, Cat actually shows him the dolls she received after each child disappeared.

Schott seems to recognize the handiwork of the doll, wondering where Cat got it from. But suddenly ... and shockingly ... the doll animates, attacking the Toyman, stabbing him in the chest and nearly killing him.

Since Supergirl #38 when the first doll was seen, I thought the Toyman was behind what was happening. So I loved this surprise. If it isn't the Toyman, who is it?

Supergirl is able to whisk the Toyman to the hospital where he undergoes emergency surgery.

As Cat and Kara await news, they lay out their problems with each other. I really wish we could have seen the scene where Cat asks Supergirl for help. That would have been great. Instead we only hear that Cat seemed to 'blackmail' Lana into getting Kara to help here. Luckily, there was no concern that Cat knew Linda Lang was Supergirl.

Despite the help Supergirl has given Cat, Cat still rips into her. She still thinks Supergirl is out of control, making bad situations worse. Supergirl realizes she doesn't need to sit there and take the abuse. When she hears that the Toyman is stable she leaves Cat alone. The Toyman lead was a dead end; Supergirl will try looking for the children on her own.

I am glad that the two characters aren't suddenly chummy, that their problems aren't simply water under the bridge. They shouldn't suddenly become friends because of this one time interaction. And again, the old Supergirl might have wondered if Cat was saying the truth here. Instead Supergirl knows that the best response is to simply leave.

As usual, Jamal Igle does a very nice job here, especially conveying the emotions the two are feeling in this heated discussion.

As she hunts down the children and whoever is kidnapping them, Supergirl takes out her frustrations on Riot. I love how she thrashes this C-list villain.

During this, Supergirl is talking to Lana about why Cat is the way she is. Lana talks about how one of the Toyman's robots killed Adam Grant. Again, here is a nice homage.

Lana remembers that death and how it effected everybody and her thoughts show Superman holding Adam's body just as it was represented by this great Dan Jurgens' cover on Superman #84. I think flourishes like this are great,

It turns out that Cat became angry in her heart after the death of Adam. And that anger became directed at teenagers who are out of control, who are ruining their lives.

How could those children waste their lives when her son lost his.

I always knew that Adam's death was part of her anger, her bitterness, her cold nature. But I thought this spelled it out nicely, especially when paired with her more traditional grief with this grave site scene.

Back at her apartment, Cat is attacked by a claw-wielding doll-like creature. Using a stun-gun, Cat is able to subdue her attacker only to have it turn out to be one of the missing children, albeit one who appears to have been surgically altered, turned into a cyborg assassin.

Things like this ... the creepy doll like exterior with the heavily seamed masks and outfits ... they are so eerie.

Cat isn't quite safe yet. The Dollmaker arrives at her apartment, with the other two missing children flanking him in their own weird doll outfits. He says he is Anton Schott. Who is that? Toyman's son? His brother? Another self-aware robot? And what is his problem with Cat? Why is he keying in on her. Could Anton be a robot Toyman was building to replace Adam for Cat?

At least we know that the 'Day of Dollmaker' adventure mentioned in Supergirl Annual #2 is an adventure we will see.

The book ends with the opening scene replayed except now it is Lois talking her way into STAR labs to talk to Superwoman. Again, the framework nature of the two scenes made the opening and closing of the book tight. And I am glad that Superwoman isn't being forgotten by Gates before he leaves the book.

So much happened in this issue and at an almost breakneck speed. I wonder if Sterling Gates felt rushed to get this story done in two issues. Could he have used another issue to flesh this story out?

For me, as usual, the best moments in this book are the character moments. Seeing Supergirl react to Toyman's responses was great. She doesn't waver in her actions; she is acting decisively and heroically. But even better than that was her getting up and walking out on Cat. Supergirl doesn't need to hear it, and she isn't going to shed any tears over nonsensical ravings. That shows confidence ... and pride. Supergirl has grown so much since she was hit in the face with a soda in Supergirl #34. She is a hero. And that really made this feel like a great ending to the Gates/Igle run.

When this creative team took over, they listed the things they were hoping to do while they were on the title.

First off, they wanted to add to Supergirl's rogue's gallery. We now have Superwoman, Satan Girl, Bizarro Girl, Insect Queen, Silver Banshee, and the Dollmaker. We had Reactron.

They wanted to add a supporting cast. We have Lana, Cat, Jimmy, Inspector Henderson, and even Dr. Light as a members of this book.

But foremost, they wanted to make Supergirl a respectable hero and a likeable character. And I think they succeeded. And this is what I appreciate the most from this run.

It makes these last two issues almost bittersweet.

Overall grade: B+

Amanda Conner Variant

I usually don't post on Sunday but things are a little hectic here between reviews coming up, news that has been announced, and some back issue trips I am planning. Plus, I think it's time we had another poll on this blog ... but that's all coming up.

Anyways, I think that Amanda Conner's Supergirl #58 variant, one of the DC 75th anniversary covers deserved it's own post. It was announced on the DC Source blog and here is that link: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/10/22/amanda-conner%e2%80%99s-variant-cover-to-supergirl-58/

I have not hidden the fact that I love Conner's art. But I think there definitely needs to be a marriage of the material and her art to work best.

Her style clearly worked for Supergirl in Wednesday Comics or Power Girl where a little more lighthearted tone is evident.

Here it works nicely as an homage to Action Comics #252, Supergirl's first appearance. The happy-go-lucky feel is certainly retro and appropriate for the source material. I also like that it is part of the current storyline as this is Supergirl returning from Bizarro World. How I wish I got a commission from Conner at Baltimore. This is really a beautiful piece.

I figured this cover has seen it's share of renditions so why not review the covers of Action #252.

Here is the original Action Comics #252, as drawn by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.

That cover, in and of itself, has been reprinted in other formats. My favorite is the 'Millenium Edition' reprinted in 2000. It comes with such a fancy shiny emblem making it seem important. A number of 'essential' comics were done in this format. This was also reprinted as a 'Silver Age Classic' in 1992 and as the cover of the Supergirl Showcase Volume 1.


And now onto some homage covers.

Rob Haynes did this version for Supergirl #75, the first part of the Many Happy Returns storyline. Here Linda Danvers is in Superman's place as the Earth-1 Kara Zor-El leaps from her rocket. It is very stylized but feels too rough.

It is dramatically improved by this Ed Benes version for the Many Happy Returns trade paperback.

And then finally this take on the famous cover. For the third printing of Supergirl #1 of the current series, Ian Churchill, then artist on the series, did this version. This one is interesting with Batman in the Superman role, and it being underwater and all. It's almost silly. I can't imagine Batman saying the 'Great guns ..' line. Also, the Supergirl in the series at that point was about as far away as you can get from the sweet innocent girl from Action Comics #252. Still, I am sort of fond of this one just for those idiosyncracies.


The bottom line is I am glad DC recognized Supergirl with a 75th anniversary cover and that it is as wonderful as Amanda Conner made it. I don't think every title had a 75th variant.