2010 In Review And The Top Ten Supergirl Moments

Has there been a better year for Supergirl in history than 2010?

If you are a Supergirl fan, 2010 just might be the gold standard for the character. And given the wondrous nature of this year, in some ways I am sad to see it in the rear view mirror. It has really felt this year that Supergirl mattered in the DCU. She seemed to be everywhere. Her own title had fantastic and mature stories that had Kara grow emotionally and heroically.

But 2010 is behind us and so that means that we need to take a closer look back. So here is 2010 in review and the top ten Supergirl moments.

The year kicked off with Supergirl in the midst of the New Krypton storyline. In the middle of the year, that arc culminated with War of the Supermen. Supergirl had a huge role in that story, the big finale of a 2 year opus. In rereading War, you might say Supergirl had more screen time, did more than Superman! With New Krypton over, Sterling Gates had free hand to write more pure Supergirl stories, not tied down to the bigger super-arc. Those stories were the only ones that seemed to deal with the fallout of New Krypton. On top of that, Supergirl joined James Robinson's Justice League. She was a member of the biggest team in the DCU and flourished.

But comics weren't the only place we saw Supergirl thrive in 2010. We also had the return of Laura Vandervoort as Supergirl in Smallville. In that episode she wears some base uniforms and acts as the heroic mentor for Clark. And we saw the release of Superman/Batman:Apocalypse. Although not named in the title, the movie is the origin story of Supergirl and actually improved on the Loeb/Turner original story, smoothing out some of the rougher patches.

Both of these projects were great, showcasing Supergirl in a positive light. In particular, Apocalypse really was fantastic, being far better than I thought it would be. How great to see an animated Supergirl again!

And DC must have realized that there is a market for Supergirl merchandise. In 2010, the DC Dynamics Supergirl statue was released. The maquette statue of the Apocalypse Supergirl was released. A Superwoman action figure was released.

On top of that, the Michael Turner Supergirl mini-statue, the Adam Hughes Women of the DCU full statue, and the Supergirl/Steel component of the Superman family statue were all solicited!

So Supergirl really was everywhere, in multiple media outlets and in merchandising. I can't recall a better year for Supergirl fans to see their favorite character all over the place.

But really it was the comics of this year that made it so spectacular. The Supergirl title was phenomenal, especially the issues not related to New Krypton. The BizarroGirl and Dollmaker stories ended the year (and the Gates/Igle run) on a high note as they took a mature look at a young hero on a journey. Her appearances in the Justice League have been for the most part wonderful. And the team-ups with the younger members of the Bat-family were the right mix of fun and action.

So on to the top ten Supergirl comic book moments of 2010 !!

#10 - Photo Booth Fun - Batgirl #14 - Bryan Q Miller and Lee Garbett

Batgirl #14 was such a fun romp that it would make my top ten issues list (if I did such a thing). There was such an easy camaraderie between Supergirl and Batgirl. You could see just how they would be such quick friends. Their personalities shine throughout, with Batgirl seemingly thinking that Supergirl is the perfect hero, something we know isn't true.

This scene stuck out in an issue full of silly moments. Here is a classic sitcom moment, the strip of amusing photos from a photo booth. I love the playful Supergirl putting rabbit ears over the faux Dracula. But that last photo show how close Steph and Kara are. That is what friends do ... make goofy faces in photos together!

#9 - Ain't Love Grand - Supergirl Annual #2 - Sterling Gates and Matt Camp

I have sung the praises of Sterling Gates many times here. But one thing that sets him apart is his appreciation for the history of Supergirl. One thing that was an important part of the original Supergirl's mythos was her relationship with Brainiac 5 and her being a part of the Legion. Supergirl Annual #2 brought both of those historical aspects back in a great way, laden with homages to those great Silver Age story.

While their relationship was hinted at in Supergirl #52 with the older Brainy, this panel resonated as the Supergirl/Brainy moment of the year. After barely surviving their encounter with Satan Girl, Supergirl takes the initiative and kisses Brainy. I love the shocked look in his eyes. Man, that Matt Camp is a great artist.

It just feels right to have Supergirl and Brainy in some sort of relationship. I was thrilled to see this in current continuity.

#8 - Always - Supergirl #50 - Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle

I love this scene. Love it. When I first read these panels, I knew it would make my top ten list. I thought for sure it would be the #1 moment. The fact that it lands at #8 tells me what a great year it has been.

There is something so wonderful about this exchange. Gangbuster knows that storming a hive filled with giant super-strong bugs is a recipe for getting the crap kicked out of you. But look at Supergirl's expression. She knows it too. The subtle half smile, like she is laughing on the inside about what she is going to do, is perfect. When you are a hero, sometimes you have to jump into the fire to do the right thing. The fact that Supergirl was a character that now was 'always' ready for that challenge showed how far she had come on the hero's journey.

There are many panels I could give as examples of how great Jamal Igle's work was on this title. This would be on that list too. You get so much information out of Supergirl's expression. When art and words work together, comics become a special medium.

I wish I could own this page!

#7 - Muscle of the JLA - Justice League of America #51 - James Robinson and Mark Bagley

Throughout the last couple of years there has been a concern about Supergirl's ability in a fight. Was she strong enough to defeat a major power threat on her own? Or did she always need Superman or someone else to pull her bacon out of the fire? I was hoping that her defeating Ursa would finally answer that question but she lost that fight.

In an even better moment, James Robinson and Mark Bagley show Supergirl going toe-to-toe with Ultraman in the Justice League. Ultraman is no slouch, having fought Superman to a standstill in the past. So to see Supergirl step up to the challenge, skirmish over Washington DC, spewing heat vision from her eyes was great.

But it ended with an exclamation point. When Batman calls for Supergirl, she ends the fight quickly and efficiently, smashing Ultraman in the jaw with a wicked right cross. She knocks out Ultraman!

It was clear that Supergirl was the legacy muscle of the JLA. Not a bad place to be in the pecking order of the DCU!

#6 - Death of Alura - War of the Supermen #1 - James Robinson, Sterling Gates, and Jamal Igle

We had already seen a tender death scene between Supergirl and Zor-El way back in Supergirl #36. In that issue, the two characters have that chance to say goodbye, to let each other know how much they mean to each other.

The death of Alura stands in stark contrast. It happened so fast that the mother and daughter can't say anything to each other. Instead we get that empty word balloon, symbolic of all the words that should have been said.

Alura was such a compelling and complex character. She could be an overbearing mother or a rage-filled leader. Or she could be a grieving wife or an insecure leader. We saw it all, so much that it was hard to get a handle on who she really was. She loved Kara in her own way, just showed it bizarrely.

But this is the sadness and the suddenness of death. The last words these two said to each other were an argument about Reactron. They had so much more to say to each other but weren't given the chance. If she knew this would happen I am sure Supergirl would have hugged her mother, cherished their time together. But life doesn't work that way. That empty word balloon is the perfect symbol of their relationship.

This scene really is that much more powerful when you contrast it to that Zor-El scene. I am sure father and daughter knew how they felt about each other, didn't need to say it but did. Here Kara may never know or understand Alura's feelings.

I miss Alura as a character.

#5 - Self-discovery - Supergirl #57 - Sterling Gates and Bernard Chang

Supergirl's relationship with BizarroGirl was just comic gold in that storyline. BizarroGirl wasn't an imperfect duplicate of Kara, but more of a carnival mirror reflection, magnifying all the rage, self-doubt, and fear that Supergirl was feeling after the destruction of New Krypton. The potential destruction of BizarroWorld was a tangible way for Supergirl to work out her issues with her home world's destruction. Her talks with BizarroGirl were like self-analysis about those same feelings.

This scene, where BizarroGirl feels so helpless and guilty that she hides in a cave, was the best place to see the juxtaposition. Everything BizarroGirl was feeling, Supergirl had felt on Earth, rejecting her place as a hero for a while.

Their conversation is touching, to the point that Kara's words would have worked if she was talking to her reflection in a mirror. In the end, BizarroGirl wasn't a new rogue but a sort of twisted friend and ally. I thought for sure this scene would be #1 as well.

#4 - Damien Gets an Earful - World's Finest #4 - Sterling Gates and Phil Noto

It's a short interlude at the end of World's Finest, a scene that consisted of one panel. But how great was it to see Supergirl holding Damien up by the scruff of the neck and chastise him for calling Steph 'Fatgirl'.

It was a comeuppance that was well deserved and needed to happen to put this Robin in his place. This is probably where Damien first started to get his crush on Supergirl.

It also showed how Steph and Kara would back each other up.

#3 - The Closet of Solitude - Supergirl #54 - Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle

Supergirl has been reeling from the death of her mother and her people, the destruction of her world. She has cut her hair, given up the Supergirl persona, and wants to live a simple life.

And then BizarroGirl started killing people and Supergirl was needed once more. So she entered her 'closet of solitude' to get her uniform. Surrounded by trophies and mementos of her super-hero career, she dons the uniform once more.

It was the sheer volume of items seen here that impressed me so much. Again, this was another sign of Gates and Igle respecting and acknowledging the character's history so far. Yes, a lot of what is there is from their run, including some heart-wrenching items as Zor-El's headband and a piece of Alura's S-shield. But it also had things from the earlier issues of the title: "Claire Kent's" wig, Flamebird's helmet, her Amazon spear, the other belts she has been shown in. It was like looking in a time capsule for Kara.

This is another one of those pages that I wished I owned the original art for. Just wonderful.

#2 - The Death of Supergirl - Supergirl Annual #2 - Sterling Gates and Matt Camp

The concern for Supergirl being killed off again is one that lingers in most of her fans. When she was wiped out in Crisis, it scarred us. It is the elephant in the room, the worry that unites us. Supergirl was killed off once before. Why wouldn't DC do it again? It is as if fans of Supergirl have some sort of fandom PTSD about it. We sometimes act like we are waiting for the axe to drop. So when Brainiac 5 talked about Kara's death in Supergirl #52, some folks thought it was imminent.

There is almost too much energy there for creators to ignore. It is something that should be tapped into or addressed. And Sterling Gates and Matt Camp did that in this powerful scene in Supergirl Annual #2. Flying through the Supergirl wing of the Supergirl museum, she comes across how she is going to die, a death that occurs while she is saving the universe from some threat. It echoes of Crisis ... but we aren't allowed to see it. We only see Supergirl's reaction. And Camp does such a great job here, hands clasped in front of her face, her expression with just a hint of horror.

Now of course Supergirl will be a deceased historical figure come the 31st century. But this scene brought back all the old fears and gave me goose bumps. When you can get a reaction like that out of a cranky old comic fan like me you are doing something right.

I doubt DC is planning on killing of Supergirl any time soon. But this scene was a great way to tap into the worries of her fans.

#1 - Full Circle - Supergirl #59 - Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle

Could the best moment for Supergirl in 2010 really have come out only 3 weeks ago? The answer is yes.

I think this moment struck me not only because of its own power but also because it represented the end of the Gates/Igle run. Or maybe it should be called the Gates/Igle era.

This scene represents everything the two have done for the character, a contrast to the opening page of their run way back in Supergirl #34. Then it was 'Does the world need Supergirl?' with a picture of a snarling Kara flying at the camera. Here it was 'The day I needed Supergirl' with a smiling Kara, bathed in a halo of sunshine, flying to the clouds. Even her words echo that first issue. Then she simply said 'I'm Supergirl. This is my life.' Now she says 'I'm Supergirl. This is my life ... I'm pretty happy with it.'

And gone are the stories of her downing Air Force One, killing her classmates, trying to kill Superman, rave dancing while dinosaurs destroy the city. Instead, she grew up a little, matured, worked her way through some major personal issues, and persevered. Sure she struggled at times, even failed. But that is part of the journey.

So much of what was good about this year for Supergirl was the main title. And this ending page was just the perfect capstone for the year, for Gates and Igle's run. This is the Supergirl that I have always wanted to read but rarely got to. I guess I have to tip my cap to those guys one last time. So that makes this the #1 moment of the year!

Anyways, that's the year as I saw it. As always, I would love to hear if I skipped over any moments people thought should be on the list, anything that I overlooked.

Review: War Of The Supermen #4

It all came down to this.

War of the Supermen #4, out this week, was the big finale, the wrap-up of nearly two years worth of stories, the final chapter.

As I have said throughout this mini-series, this couldn't have been an easy task for writers Sterling Gates and James Robinson. They had to be walking a fine line between keeping the plot moving, touching on all the storylines, and having them reach their conclusion and doing so in a very compressed format. Which scenes can happen off screen? Which happen on screen? If on screen, how much space do they deserve? 2 panels ... 4 ... 6 ... 2 pages?

I am sure that there are scenes that the writers wish they had the space to play out in a much more in depth way. There are some scenes I wish were longer.

In many ways, this I felt like this series was trying to be a sort of giant reset button, removing most of the New Krypton arc so that the new directions of Superman can be started with a clean slate. But I think that is wrong. The events of this long arc should be long-standing. This should be something that effects the characters for some time, something they should be reflecting on.

As with most 'big issues', this review is long.

I had to show the Aaron Lopresti variant cover before getting to the story. Sure, the main focus is Superman, sporting the scars of battle.

But I love the two inset panels too. That is one angry Supergirl throttling General Lane, eyes glowing. I also love that Donna Troy and Congorilla somehow made the cut to show that the war is effecting all the DCU.

I wouldn't mind if Lopresti drew the Supergirl 75th variant cover. I really hope that he ends up on some DC monthly title soon.

But on to the story.

The issue starts out scanning the globe, showing the various battlefronts on Earth.

Zod is facing off against Superman in Metropolis. As blocks of the city get leveled, Zod gloats that every one on the planet will suffer. There is a nice shot of Zod spiking a battleship onto a city street, a very nice demostration of just how crazy this war would be.

On a separate front, Project 7734 soldiers are ordered by General Lane to slaughter Kryptonian soldiers that have been captured and are helpless. This is a war with no prisoners, even the helpless will be amongst the casualties.

Again, these scenes show nicely that this war has happened because two madmen have had control of their planets armed forces. Neither want a simple victory. They will only be satisfied if the enemy is completely annihilated. Their really isn't a 'right side' of this war.

But the scene I was waiting for was the Supergirl/Ursa brawl. Well, after getting a shot in, Supergirl is defeated and about to be executed by Ursa. Ursa feels that Supergirl is a traitor for fighting the Kryptonian army. It is only the timely arrival of the Superman family that saves Kara.

I don't think that Superman and Supergirl have really picked sides here. I think they are trying to limit the death and destruction. They want both sides to stand down and let the truth come out. They want the people responsible for this to face justice. So I don't think Kara is a traitor to her race.

As for her losing the battle, I don't mind Supergirl being defeated here. Ursa is a grizzled war veteran who is in full battle frenzy mode. I think Superman might lose a fight with her right now. If anything, I think it was fantastic that Supergirl stood up to Ursa knowing she was probably outmatched.


With Ursa captured, the Superman family regroups. It was a bit of serendipity that they even were there to save Supergirl. They were all headed to the Project 7734 headquarters when they saw her.

Conner realizes that the Phantom Zone has returned and that is probably the best place to deposit Ursa for the time being. He sends Krypto off to the Fortress to grab the Phantom Zone projector.

One thing that has made me cringe throughout this long arc is how relatively easy it has become to harm a Kryptonian. Magic satellites, Black Lightning wielding 'red sun lightning', sonic screamers, white dwarf grenades, red sun rifles, red sun shackles, green K machine guns, green Kryptonite Metal Men armies ... we have seen them all. Know we see synthetic Gold K handcuffs? My guess is that all this ordnance will 'disappear' from the DCU once the threat of the Kryptonian threat is gone. If not, couldn't almost anybody defeat or kill Superman and Supergirl? I understand how the creative teams needed to for the Earth forces to be able to mount a threat or there would be no conflict. But it seems like it was almost too easy to hurt a Kryptonian throughout this arc. Will that ease remain once we are back to 2 Kryptonians?

At last though, we see Superman and Zod face off and trade blows.

I talked about the writers walking a fine line in this series. Another place I see that is with the characterization of General Zod. Let's face it, while both sides have done wrong, Earth has been the aggressor here. Zod could almost be a sympathetic character. His planet destroyed, his people decimated by Lane's villainy ... I can see why Zod would be filled with righteous fury. That said, we know that Zod hasn't been an angel here.

So I was glad that Gates and Robinson included the line above. Sure Zod is angry at Earth. But he is really angry at the House of El. That line sort of casts Zod into a different light. He isn't defending his people. He is out for revenge. It's personal. Zod even asks for his men to find Lois. Just like Lane, Zod doesn't want to simple win the war, he wants to erase humanity from the face of the planet. Once you cross that line, there is no justification.


While Superman deals with Zod, Superboy begins a whirlwind tour of the Earth, zapping as many Kryptonians as he can into the Phantom Zone. Conner is able to stop Non from murdering the JLA.

This is another one of those things that I had to ruminate over for a bit. Could one hero with one Phantom Zone projector really scrub the Earth of all the Kryptonian soldiers? Wouldn't the Kryptonian army swarm Superboy so he couldn't capture all of them? Wouldn't one of them destroy it long range with heat vision? Wasn't this too easy?

Anyways, the remainder of the Superman Family takes the fight to Lane on his home turf.

This is one of those scenes which I wish was given more space. While I am thrilled ... thrilled ... to see an angry Supergirl towering over Superwoman, I would have loved to see how that happened. And Steel is able to defeat Atlas. And The Guardian is able to exact some justice and defeats Agent Assassin. The thing is, Superwoman and (in particular) Atlas have been formidable foes. Atlas was able to stand toe-to-toe with Superman and has thrashed Steel in the past. It felt, just a little, like this was too easy. Maybe seeing more of the battle would have explained the victories a bit more.

With the troops taken out, Supergirl faces her mother's killer ... her world's destroyer. She is barely able to contain her rage when Lois talks her down. Supergirl isn't a murderer. She shouldn't sink to Lane's level.

It is simplistic ... and maybe a bit hackneyed ... but it works here. Unlike Superman, Supergirl is still on her journey. In the past ... heck even in the recent past ... she may have immolated Lane. So I was glad to see her struggle a bit, to come close to crossing the line but in the end do the right thing.

Lois vows to tell the world the truth about her father. He will face an international court for his crime.

But to Lane, this is a war without prisoners.

He ends his life.

I don't know about this. It didn't seem exactly right here. I think Lane is deluded about what happened. I don't know if he would fear a courtroom. He doesn't think he has done anything wrong. So for him to commit suicide so quickly, seemed off. Maybe if this scene was longer showing Lane realize that the evidence against him was so damning that he had no other choice.

Meanwhile, Superboy arrives in time to help Superman fight General Zod.

In this battle, Zod claims that he destroyed the Phantom Zone. Maybe I am forgetting something, this seemed to come out of nowhere with no explanation. This is another one of those things about New Krypton that won't have a satisfactory explanation and I need to move on from.

During the fight, Krypto takes a Kryptonite knife meant for Superboy. Is there any better way to make Zod a villain by having him hurt a dog? Luckily it looks like Krypto will survive.

With the remaining Kryptonians besides Zod in the Zone, Superman decides to end the war. With Zod in his clutches, Superman sets the Phantom Zone projector to self-destruct, sending the two of them into the Zone and sealing it off from the inside.


Inside the Zone, Nightwing arrives to settle things once and for all.

The Kryptonian demi-god will seal the Zone permanently. But it has granted his human host one last wish. He is able to send Superman home to Earth.

I do like how the Nightwing dragon grabs the Zod wraith and flies off with him. It is a nice image, like a demon taking a fallen soul to hell.

Cast from the Zone, Superman returns to Earth. With the Kryptonian threat removed, it is time for everyone to heal.


Supergirl mourns the loss of her people, setting up this memorial in deep space.

The capstone reads "Hail the Lost Souls of New Krypton. May Rao Guide You Into His Embrace". Before translating, I thought this would have been a grave site for Alura. It is interesting that the marker is for everyone rather than just her. Of everyone, Supergirl lost the most here ... her father, her mother, her best friend. I don't think Supergirl is going to be able to just move on from this.

And the other stories wrap up as well. The Guardian quits the Science Police to raise his 'daughter'. His niece Billi reveals she is pregnant with Mon-El's child.

In the zone, Chris has reverted to his child form and he and Mon-El set out to explore the Zone.

And Superman and Lois?

They begin the slow process of grieving and healing.

Despite the evidence stripped from Natasha Irons' mind, General Lane is viewed as a hero. Lois says she will continue to tell the truth about her father.

Clark admits that some Kryptonians may have escaped Conner's sweep.

But no matter what, both worlds lost.


The last words are from Lois.

This was a war that was born from ignorance and prejudice. She hopes that eventually everyone can live together in peace.

Whew ...

I know that this review may have read that I was disappointed by this issue. The truth is I'm not. What I am disappointed in is the fact that it felt so rushed. What I wouldn't give to have had this be a 6 issue miniseries, with some space to flesh out some of these scenes, allowing the plot lines to be wrapped up more organically. I think it is a compliment to everyone involved that I am left wanting more stories. Part of that disappointment is that the buildup to this miniseries was over a year of stories ... issues which sometimes seemed to be treading water rather than moving forward. It's like the New Krypton arc was a cross country skiing marathon ... slow and plodding in places but with a sprint at the end.

Given the lack of space to wrap up all those storylines, I don't think Gates and Robinson could have done any better. I applaud them for their efforts here, expanding and contracting scenes effectively.

And I guess this is more evidence that Eddy Barrows can never truly be a monthly artist. Once again, the art chores are split. Barrows art is slick and I really like it. But couldn't he finish this issue? Instead, we have three artists finishing the issue. Not exactly as smooth a ride as I am sure DC would hope. That said, I guess it could have been worse. The fill-in pages are beautiful. Cafu's pages really shine here. And Eddie Pansica has some of the more dramatic pages ... the climax in General Lane's lair. Still, the change in art from page to page is something I never like seeing.

I am still amazed how tight this mini-series was given it's mission to wrap up all of New Krypton in 4 issues. And I am elated that Supergirl was such a big part of this mini-series. Kara was really a star here.

So the New Krypton chapter in the super-books is over. And we have new directions coming up. To be honest I can't wait. I am especially looking forward to the Supergirl title and some stand alone Kara issues.

Overall grade (issue): B+
Overall grade (mini): B+/B
Overall grade (all of the New Krypton arc): B-/C+

Review: Superman: War Of The Supermen #3

War of the Supermen #3 is the penultimate chapter of the mini-series and the story continues to rumble along at breakneck speed. What a daunting task the creators set up for themselves! Two years worth of plot needed to be settled in 4 issues. That can't be easy. As a result of the sheer volume of story needed to be covered in fairly limited pages, some of the scenes have felt a little short ... some of the action has happened 'off-screen'.

But I give James Robinson and Sterling Gates a lot of credit for pulling it off so far. This has been a wild ride. More importantly, despite the story moving quickly in this issue, for me it didn't have that rushed feeling that War of the Supermen #2 did.

Add to that some seriously beautiful art by Cafu, and this was a great issue. I have been eager to see just how fantastic Cafu would draw Supergirl and trust me, he did not disappoint. This whole book is just beautiful.

But a lot got settled in this issue. So let's get to it!

While General Lane gloats over his red sun missile attack and the subsequent deaths of countless Kryptonian soldiers, the Superman Family is busy breaking down his back door. The super-squad breaks into Project 7734's Mount Rushmore headquarters and successfully rescue Natasha Irons. Irons has information that can take down General Lane, showing him as the insane war monger he is. The heroes overrun the Human Defense Corps. We barely see any of this fight. This is one of those off-screen scenes.

This one didn't bother me much as the Irons subplot was one that really is background story. It's not like I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering about Natasha's fate.

With Irons free, Jimmy 'downloads' her brain of it's incriminating General Lane information and turns it into streaming information. Olsen then hacks the whole internet, sending Irons' evidence to all the major on-line news outlets. It seems the revolution will be televised.

While this device seemed as 'out of the blue' as Luthor's red sun missile, I didn't mind it much. Maybe it is because I really want to see General Lane get his comeuppance. Or maybe it is because no exposition is necessary for something like this. Or maybe, and most likely, it is because I got a big kick out of Jimmy's group of hackers being called the Newsboy Legion, a nice tip of the cap to Jack Kirby's group of the same name. I like small touches like that.

But there is no time for the super-team to rest on their laurels.

Somehow Thara/Flamebird "senses a disturbance in the force". She suddenyl gets flooded with visions of Luthor's Rao-missile and the Kryptonians dying in space. Hmmm ... shouldn't they have noticed that the sun is now red and they are powerless?

Of course, Thara is also powered by the Flamebird entity. The use of even a false Rao as part of a weapon must be particularly egregious for someone as devout as Thara. There is something sacrilegious about a god-bomb.

While it may have made better sense for the 'all-seeing' Nightwing to have had these visions, we have seen Thara have visions before as well. And the response to the red sun threat is better suited for Flamebird.


Flamebird and Nightwing take off into space (presumably with the demi-god based powers since under the red sun they are devoid of their genetic Kryptonian power) and dive into the sun, determined to save their people and be together to the end. I have really come to enjoy these 'star-crossed lovers' and their attempts to maintain this doomed relationship.

Before either can do much of anything, the Nightwing entity takes Chris away, saying that his final fate lies elsewhere. Since the original Nightwing spirit became the Phantom Zone, my guess is Chris somehow 'becomes' the zone. And since I think Zod and his flunkies are going to end up back in the zone, Chris will become Zod's jailer and tormentor. That would be ironic.

Now alone, although secure in Chris' love for her, Thara pushes her body to the limit, destroying the Rao-bomb, returning the sun to yellow, but immolating herself in the process. And there is no doubt about it ... we see what is left of her body.

If Thara needed to be killed, I liked that she went out heroically like this. Also, as this Rao was made by Jax-Ur/Vohc and Thara/Flamebird's role was to destroy all Vohc created, there was some internal Kryptonian mythology logic here.

But I have to say I am saddened by Thara's death. I had really come to like her character quite a bit. She seemed tortured in many ways. Her life was tumultuous and horrifying and yet she kept her faith and eventually found love. I was hoping she would somehow survive this war. Her death also is another blow to Kara's psyche. She had finally reconciled her friendship with Thara and now she is gone too.

With the sun now yellow, the Kryptonians in deep-space regain their powers. Some thankfully survive ... including Superman and Supergirl. I wonder if those Kryptonians who have absorbed more yellow sun energy were able to hold out for a longer period of time. Since the cousins have been absorbing energy for years, they should survive for a short period of time.

Unfortunately, many Kryptonians die. Included in that is Superman's Red Shard friend Lieutenant Asha Del-Nar (I assume this is her). While I am sure that all the deaths bother Superman, this one is a little personal and right in front of him (unlike Alura). He is both saddened and angry. He takes off for Earth.

Again, I really feel for Supergirl and hope that we see her dealing with the horrors of war. After watching her mother disintegrate in front of her eyes, she now has to soak hundreds ... thousands ... of dead Kryptonians floating around her. I know that sight would bother me.


The Kryptonian race, which had been 100,000 strong at the beginning of the day, is down suddenly to a mere 7,000 people. You would think that Zod would consider ... at least for a second ... a tactical retreat. But that isn't Zod's way. And besides, 7000 Kryptonians can do a lot of damage ... and we see it.

This is what I expected to see in this war. Page after page, we see Kryptonians laying waste to the Earth. Chief among them is Ursa who seems to be everywhere at once. Here we see her destroying London (reminiscent of Miracleman #15?).

We also see the Kryptonian army over-running Earth's heroes, slaughtering armies, and causing major property damage to famous landmarks throughout.

Interesting enough, Lane's men seem to be the only group holding their own. Here Metallo is leading some Project 7734 troops.

I am sure that just as Zod thought this would be a bloodless war, Lane probably thought this would be an easier war to win as well. Did he really think that there wouldn't be this much devastation? Lane is a madman.

As I have mentioned before, I have some sort of twisted admiration for Ursa. I know ... it isn't right. But it was great to see her cut loose ... destroying London, smashing the Sphinx, killing Argentinian leaders, and here hold the next dead Agent Liberty as she looks for the President.

This assassination won't be easy. A determined Supergirl is there to stop here. Wonderful!

I think most Supergirl fans have been spoiling for this fight for some time. The two fly towards each other. We'll have to wait a week to see the outcome.

I hope Kara wipes the floor with her.

I also have to say how much I love Cafu's take on Supergirl. It reminded me of Gary Frank's early Supergirl issues with Peter David with a healthy hit of Kevin Nowlan. And I love that the S-shield is so huge. It should always be that big.

Thanks to the Gates and Robinson for making Supergirl such a big part of this major mini-series.


While Ursa and Kara duke it out in Washington D.C., Zod mobilizes a large group of his remaining troops and heads towards Metropolis for a showdown with Superman. Yet another nice cliffhanger.

Wow.

I am glad we finally got to see the war hit Earth. I think we all knew that any amount of Kryptonians was going to mean carnage and tremendous collateral damage. It was great to see just how massive the destruction was. While there were a number of those pages, I thought as readers we needed to see the devastation the Kryptonians are capable off. You needed to see that both up close in personal combat and written large on city landscapes. Personally, I loved seeing Ursa in so many pages wreaking havoc. She is like a wild animal that is loosed from a cage.

And, it may sound peculiar, but I felt more for the loss of Thara than I did from the death of Alura. Maybe that is because the Alura death was so fast with little time to wring out my emotions whereas Thara has several pages to be ripped from Chris and then sacrifice herself. It may also be that I like Thara as a character.

As I mentioned, the art throughout here was top-notch. Cafu can certainly handle action scenes both big and small. And his Supergirl is really slick.

So was there a downside here? Just one. Where was Superman in this issue? We see him mourn Asha. And we see him in Metropolis. That's it. He doesn't even have any dialogue here. In fact, throughout this series, Superman has been sort of a bystander. Outside of his discussion with Supergirl in last issue, he hasn't had much to say or do. In many ways, this is a Superman Family series. But it also is a Superman series, closing off the last year of his stories and setting him up to be back in his main titles.

Now I may be getting ahead of myself. Maybe the last issue is almost exclusively a Superman book and he gets the big action in the finale. I hope so. We need Superman to again rise above it all and be the ultimate super-hero.

All that said, don't get me wrong. I love how much face time Supergirl is getting here. She has been a major player here.

One more week to go. Hard to believe!

Overall grade: A-

Review: Superman: War Of The Superman #2

This weekly release of War of the Supermen certainly has ratcheted up the momentum of this story. As a reader, you barely have the time to contemplate the last issue before the next issue is in your hands. Counting the Free Comic Book Day prologue, we've had three issues released in 11 days!

There is a downside to this compressed storyline, this breakneck pace. With only 4 issues to wrap this arc up, some scenes are shorter than I would like them to be. The Alura death scene was remarkably short. And other elements of the plot seem to be plucked out of the blue without much back story or explanation.

And that sort of rushed feeling seemed to dominate War of the Supermen #2. A lot happens, a lot is resolved, a lot is revealed ... but maybe too much? Is this moving story too fast? Are we missing out on good story-telling because scenes are truncated as we move on to the next thing?

Sterling Gates and James Robinson certainly kept their creative feet on the gas pedal as this issue speeds forward. Still, despite that pace, we don't lose track of any of the Superman Family. We get a peek at what everybody is doing. Eddie Pansica does a serviceable job on art here. And Eddy Barrows does a very nice job on the cover.

I don't always get variant covers but how could I turn down this stunning cover showcasing Supergirl by Aaron Lopresti. I basically drooled over his art on Wonder Woman and always knew he would draw a silky smooth Supergirl. This proves it. I hope Lopresti finds work on another title soon.

But on to the story.

The news of New Krypton's destruction has reached Earth and Lois knows her father is responsible. Despite her self-imposed exile from the Daily Planet, she knows the paper is the best way she can expose his act of genocide and the other nefarious acts of Project 7734.

Before Lois can tell Perry the whole story, Superwoman crashes into the Planet's newsroom, grabs Lois, and takes off.

How twisted is Lucy? Clearly her father either never loved her or had very conditional love for his second daughter. And yet she has somehow taken that destructive background and transformed it into unquestioning loyalty to her father and outright hatred of her sister. Lucy shouts at Lois that 'she isn't worthy' of saying General Lane's name. I think Superwoman is going to be an interesting super-villain for Supergirl to deal with long into the future.


Meanwhile, the grieving Supergirl streaks towards the Kryptonian fleet to join the fight. Superman, hoping to calm his cousin down, tries to stop her. At first Supergirl doesn't take to kindly to it, lashing out and Superman, and starting a fight.

Am I wrong to be happy that Supergirl got in a couple of good shots before this thing ended. I am glad she wasn't easily dispatched by Superman.


The fight is brief as Supergirl breaks down.

Part of her rage is born from guilt. She feels responsible for New Krypton's destruction. After all, she was the one who brought Reactron to the planet. Without Reactron, there would be no 'Gold K nuke', there would be no explosion.

That feeling is, of course, nonsense. How could Supergirl think that far ahead? How could she anticipate the lengths that General Lane would go to? It isn't her fault anymore than it is Alura's fault for keeping Reactron around for so long. Still, I wonder if that feeling of responsibility is going to gnaw at her a bit in the future.

No matter whose fault it was, Reactron's death was effective. There were no survivors. The scene ends with the cousins hugging, happy that at least they are still alive and together. I am glad that the 'Supergirl vs. Superman' part of this series was so short. I think Kara has come too far to become that blind with rage, to battle her cousin for a prolonged period of time. And her initial reaction to him, that explosion of violence, was completely understandable.

I love this panel's layout. The cousins are only a small part of the panel and off to the side, eliciting that sense of 'alone-ness' they have. Their people are dead. In fact, the central object in the panel is the Krypton flag, lying on the ground. It is a nice symbolic way of putting the destruction of Krypton into the panel, adding to the cousins' melancholy. This story, the dialogue, would not be as powerful if the cousins were front and center and up close.


Just as I feel that Supergirl has grown too much to remain blindly enraged for so long, I also think she has grown too much to be overwhelmed with grief to the point of being catatonic.

She is a hero now ... at least on the hero's journey. Sometimes the greater good needs to come first. There comes a time you need to wipe your tears away, steel yourself, and do the right thing. There will be time to grieve later. Superman realizes that the two cousins need to put themselves between Zod and Lane, to block this conflict before it destroys two worlds. Supergirl says the only thing she should say ... "what do we do now?'

It is clear that this war is the byproduct of the two madmen Lane and Zod. I doubt that this war was inevitable. I doubt Zor-El would have raced towards oblivion the way these two have.

Still, I am happy that the writers have not made the Generals two-dimensional 'cartoon villains'. They aren't cackling on their thrones, wallowing in their evil. They both think they are the good guys. And while they certainly have very personal motives for this war, they can cloak it in justifications.

Another thing that I like is the occasional crack in the stony facade in the Generals. We need to see some emotion, some humanity in them, to make them more believable. I don't think it makes them sympathetic. But it at least makes them more realistic. For example, I liked seeing General Lane's sadness when he saw Lucy 'die'.

Here, I love seeing Zod slump momentarily, the weight of his world's destruction suddenly on his shoulders. He goes from shouting out angry rhetoric about killing Lane to stopping and nearly breaking down. It is a nice moment. My guess is Zod (like me) thought this would be a 100 second war, with no casualties on the Kryptonian side. Zod probably feels responsible for the death of his people and that weighs him down. He wasn't expecting this.

But that moment is just that ... a moment. Rather than turn around and keep the rest of the Kryptonians safe, rather than calling off this war, he furrows his brow and moves forward. I would have loved another page here.


On Earth, the Superman Family continues to search for Natasha Irons, knowing that she will be the linchpin to take down General Lane. It seems to me that these heroes could probably scrounge up the evidence on their own without this rescue mission.

Anyways, their investigation leads them to a secret base tucked inside Mount Rushmore of all places! Looks like I'll need to dust off my copy of North by Northwest!

I don't know if I am going to like Chris' 'all-seeing Nightwing vision'. Here it looks like he is using the force to sense Natasha.

I still hope Thara and Chris survive this whole mess.

As much as I liked the moment of humanity in Zod, I enjoyed this moment of insanity by General Lane. He is clearly a psychopath. He just committed an act of genocide and he is the happiest he has been in his life?

Let's face it, Lane is as big a 'bad guy' as Zod. Both of these guys need to be brought down at the end of this story. I won't be happy if either one escapes justice.


I do have to say that I find myself questioning some of the military decisions that these tactical geniuses make.

For some reason, General Zod sends a bulk of his troops to the Human Defense Corps Mars base. I just don't get it. I know that the Mars base is the 'first line of defense' and Zod probably wants to eliminate them. But Mars is pretty far away from Earth, those troops can't get to Earth quickly, and Zod can simply go around them. Why endanger even one troop fighting these guys?

With the fight going on, Superman and Supergirl show up and basically try to run interference between the two sides, trying to save as many lives on both sides as they can. The HDC fleet is destroyed before it can mobilize. I thought it was great to see Superman and Supergirl now fighting side by side, working together as a team.

Another nice writing technique used throughout this fight scene is having the two Generals in panels side by side, completing each other's sentences. It is a simple method of showin just how similar they are, how they are the same side of the same coin.

Zod has split his army into two flanks. While his fights over Mars, a second wave of troops is flying at top speed towards Earth. The countdown is on ... they will arrive in less than a minute.

With time running out before oblivion, General Lane calls upon Luthor to finish his 'second project'. Using the false Rao corpse and time-pool technology, Luthor develops the ultimate weapon. As payback, Lane gives Luthor LexCorp back.

Luthor launches his missile and suddenly ...


Earth has a red sun!

I don't know ... this is the one part of the book that seemed a bit rushed to me and maybe a bit too easy. A red sun missile? Seems a bit deus ex machina for me. I know that the 'Rao' component was probably necessary for the weapon and Luthor only got that recently (2 weeks ago our time), but really ... a red sun missile? It felt a bit forced.

Now from the beginning I have felt that Earth shouldn't have a chance in this war. And certainly a walking planet-busting Gold K nuclear bomb and a red sun missile tip the scales back even. But doesn't it seem like those ideas came out of nowhere? And for some reason I can buy the Reactron stratagem much more than I can swallow this one. Again, this might be a place where a little more time spent on the development of these things would have gone a long way. And where will all these lethal anti-Kryptonian weapons going to go when this story ends. Will there be weapons that can kill Superman ... red sun guns, sonic screamers, gold K, red sun shackles, red sun missiles, Green K bullet machine guns ... all over the DCU?

Regardless, the sun is red so suddenly the Kryptonians are powerless. Nice cliffhanger.

Well, we are halfway done with War of the Supermen! And I have to say that so far Earth has to be looked upon as winning the war.

I am torn a bit with my grade on the book. I think there were plenty of small moments that were fantastic ... the Superman/Supergirl conversation at the beginning, Zod slumped on his ship ... fantastic. But they were oh so brief. I would have loved to read those scenes a bit more. I think there was more dramatic juice that could be squeezed from those scenes.

Add to that the inclusion of some sudden plot elements and I felt like the story is being rushed along.

But am I a hypocrite? After intermittently complaining for the last year that the whole New Krypton storyline was moving along too slowly, do I have the right to complain about things moving too fast? The middle chapters in these things are the hardest to pull off.

That said, I can't get away from just how great those moments were. If I could get so much out of such short scenes, it means the writing by Gates and Robinson is great.

Eddie Pansica was bound to suffer in comparison with last issue's Jamal Igle and my anticipation for the next issues by Cafu and Eddy Barrows. His layouts were very good. But I sometimes felt the characters' faces looked a bit off.

Overall grade: B+/B

Review: War Of The Supermen #1

War of the Supermen has the unenviable task of wrapping up over a year's worth of plots in ths super-titles in just 4 issues. 4 issues!! It can't be an easy job for writers Sterling Gates and James Robinson.

War of the Supermen #1 was released this week and it certainly moved the story along at the necessary pace to wrap up in time. It also answered a couple of lingering questions I have had stick un my mind during this long arc. It also had 2 major plot elements ... major plot elements.

Surprisingly, War of the Supermen #1 was a Supergirl issue, with her pieces of the main plot dominating the book. With Sterling Gates co-writing with James Robinson and Jamal Igle on art, it even felt like a Supergirl issue. I am glad Jamal was chosen to pencil this issue as it really has long-standing implications for Kara. He has such a handle on her character; I can't imagine anyone doing this issue better.


With the Kryptonian army set to flood Earth, General Zod holds Superman at bay, making Kal be a witness to the destruction that is about to unfold. Zod estimates that it will take 2 hours for the Kryptonian troops to overrun the planet. That might be being a bit generous for Eath's defenses. The one thing I have to point out is that Earth won't be facing 100,000 Kryptonians. It appears that only the Military Guild has been pressed into duty.

Superman, being Superman, tells Zod that there is 'always hope', hope to stop the war. He breaks free of Non's clutches. This scene takes place on page 2. That is the last line Superman will utter in this book. While present throughout the book, it is always a silent presence ... either battling or consoling.

So in many ways, Superman isn't the star here, sort of echoing the feeling of the prior year. That said, this isn't just a Superman story, it's a Superman Family story, a Krypton story. There are a lot of pieces to the plot that need to be covered.


One of those lingering pieces is Alura and Reactron.

We are once again shown Reactron getting tortured, this time by Alura herself.
All along, Alura has been one of the toughest character for me to get a handle on. She has been confident and insecure, stoic and overly emotional, loving and harsh ... she has been a roiling tempest of emotions. Early on she was the one who called the murdered Science Police officers 'collateral damage'. And yet she sobs nightly at Zor-El's tomb, bemoaning what she has become. With all the trauma in her life, I can see why she is psychologically uneven.

Kara walks in on Alura and is shocked at what she sees. She brings up the 'watch out for your mother' line Zor-El told her way back in Supergirl #36. Supergirl realizes it was a warning about Alura and what she is capable of. Hey ... I said that way back when Zor-El first said it! Here is what I said way back on December 18, 2008 in my review of the issue - But not before he tells her that she should watch out for her mother. “Watch out” as in “take care of her”? Or “watch out” like a warning?

I am so rarely right with my guesses, I have to take it where I can get it.

With only 4 issues to tell the story, some things I would like to see just can't be shown. I would have liked to see some surprise by Supergirl seeing Reactron alive, someone she thinks has been dead since the end of Supergirl #47. But there isn't enough page space to merit that.


I can remember when Supergirl would kowtow to Alura. Those days are over. Shocked and disgusted by her mother's torture, she chastises her mother.

More importantly, Kara recognizes this incident directly impacts her. Supergirl brought Reactron to New Krypton. She is responsible for him. Alura's actions make her a war criminal. This is probably bluster on Supergirl's part. No one would say she has any responsibility in this. But I can understand her anger at being deceived by her mother yet again.

Alura is steadfast in her stance. Information that can help New Krypton is worth obtaining regardless of how it is obtained; the ends justify the means.


Reactron is another one of those charismatic nutjobs I love to read.

In this scene he answers one of the bothersome questions I had during this Year Without Superman. I can recall being befuddled when Project 7734 captured Supergirl, Nightwing, and Flamebird only to then release them. At the time, I wondered why Lane wouldn't keep them captive or simply kill them. It made no sense. Reactron answers the question. Project 7734 wanted Reactron to be brought to New Kandor ... and the easiest way to do that was release Supergirl and have her capture him and bring him to justice.

Don't ask me why Reactron would agree. He must have been told it would be 3 hot meals and a cot ... not Kvorn torture. I still am happy to have some answer. It really bugged me that Lane set the 'Metropolis Three' free.

Reactron chuckles at Alura's ethical conversation with Kara. He is thrilled at having the opportunity to kill the two women, completing the 'set of the house of El' murders. Luthor's trip to New Krypton included a slight modification to Reactron ... a parting gift. Reactron suddenly seems to be approaching critical mass. Did he know all along he was going to be a suicide bomb?

With Reactron glowing brightly, Alura shoves Kara into a radiation deck room and seals it, protecting Supergirl and sacrificing herself. Reactron explodes.


And then, New Krypton explodes! Unbelievable!!

Could ... or should ... Reactron house that much power? Enough to destroy a planet? Seems a bit much.

That said, everyone who voted in the recent poll 'New Krypton explodes', consider yourself high-fived.

New Krypton is gone and so are the majority of her citizens, almost everyone on the surface. That means every guild other than the military guild has been eradicated.


While these events are unfolding on the other side of the sun, Lois and Jimmy are working on exposing General Lane and what he has been doing. They need help and contact the rest of the super-family: the Guardian, Steel, Nightwing, Flamebird, and Superboy.

But they aren't the only super-family member listening in. Superwoman is back and eavesdropping. I love how her face is shrouded by the cowl. It makes her look inhuman.


With New Krypton gone, Superman breaks off his skirmish with Zod and starts to scan the planetary debris. He comes upon Supergirl, saved by the containment cell she was thrown into.
The carnage is everywhere. And Supergirl grieves. This one of those 'big moments, big art' pages. The cousins thought they were alone ... then suddenly have a family, a world again ... only to have it taken away again.


Supergirl is clutching a piece of Alura's S-shield. Alura is among the dead.

What a blow to Supergirl! To lose both Zor-El and Alura so soon after finding them again is horrible. Suddenly Supergirl finds herself pretty much alone in the universe, no family but Kal. This should have major ramifications in the title for some time to come.


It also has immediate ramifications too.

Enraged by her mother's death at the hands of Reactron ... of Luthor ... of Earth ... Supergirl grabs the flag of Krypton, carrying the standard into battle, racing to Earth to join the war effort.

These all are such powerful images by Jamal Igle. There is no dialogue on these pages, the silence of space and all. And yet so much is conveyed by the art ... the body language, the expressions. Great stuff.

I can understand this snap decision by Supergirl to join Krypton in war. To be honest, neither Earth or Krypton is fighting a justifiable war here.


Despite their overwhelming grief, Zod is able to rally his army. This war suddenly has more meaning, a stronger cause.

As a Supergirl fan, I loved this issue. She was really the hub that the issue revolved around. But I wonder if Superman fans have the same feeling. Are they happy with his limited presence and dialogue here?

And while I was happy to hear Reactron answer my question about General Lane freeing Supergirl, there are some answers I don't think I will get answered. The destruction of New Krypton erases all plot threads hanging from World of New Krypton. Questions like what were those silver pelts in the military base?

But those are the small things. The big events here are the destruction of New Krypton and the death of Alura. The death of Alura took me completely by surprise. I hope it doesn't further isolate Supergirl from everyone else and she grieves and deals with this tragedy. But very emotional and dramatic moments here.

As a fan, I am sad because the friction between Alura and Kara always made for good reading. And Alura was complicated and as a result a very compelling character to read.

This issue kicked of the mini-series in an explosive way. Can the rest of the story keep the adrenaline this high and wrap it all up? I hope so.

Overall grade: B+/A