That’s a lovely cover from writer/artist Sophie Campbell, it’s so nice to see Supergirl back in her regular outfit after that unprepossessing white and blue number she picked up last issue. Inside, though, she’s still in the costume that came with her repairs after a brief period as a cyborg. The good news is that she changes into a third look. The bad? Wait and see.
The issue opens with the restored Supergirl once again fighting Kandorian supervillain Black Flame. Zora sees herself as a rebel, a freedom fighter, but she’s off her rocker. Luckily Kara has plenty of help. Lena Luthor is down for the count, but Lesla-Lar has woken up to her cousin’s evil, Superboy Kon-El is recovered from previous injuries and clone Thunder Girl is finding out she has something to say.
Wanting to stop Zora once and for all, Kara lures her from the bottle city of Kandor and into the Arctic air.
Black Flame’s new look seems to be linked to the biological anomaly that’s confined Kandorian young people to the bottle city – and it’s not healthy.
In fact, Zora starts shrivelling as she and Supergirl have what must be their third or fourth brutal battle. This time, Kara has a convincing win.
Back in Kandor, Lesla-Lar presents the ruling Science Council with her blueprint for a better world. Adults and kids working together to rebuild Kandor, find a cure for the genetic anomaly and generally become a saner society. Oh, and she doesn’t want Zora, who smashed up the city, sent to the Phantom zone.
Kara tells Lesla how proud she is of her, and invites her to become the hero Kandor needs.
The ring allows a Kryptonian to have super-powers under Kandor’s artificial red sun and stronger gravity, which is how Lesla gets to be cover girl Luminary again.
As she prepares to return to Midvale, Kara has a word with Thunder Girl.
And back in the Fortress, Supergirl comes to a decision.
But she’s not willing her regular costume back.
Nice hair. As for the rest of the new look, brrrr. I guess her thinking is that if she’s stepping up to take Superman’s place, she should wear the costume. Or as near as gosh darn it.
What’s more, Kara decides it’s time for a leadership role.
Oh come on Kara, Super-Squad is right there.
Also, what a weird line-up. Lena I get, she’s proven useful over and over again, but Princess Shark? Nightflame? Thunder Girl? That’s one mercurial ocean predator, one creature of nightmare and one traumatised newborn super-clone. As for that blue sperm thing, that’s psychic pal Luna Lustrum’s new look. Yeesh.
We’ve not even seen Nightflame since Supergirl #6, cowering among a bunch of ‘Innerverse’ monsters after Kara defeated her. How can she function outside of Kara’s subconscious. Why does Supergirl think she’s remotely trustworthy?
I really do think Kara is taking the whole ‘Help, hope and compassion for all’ motto a bit far – apparently she can’t help hoping her compassion will make misfits and madwomen into faithful companions. But look at her recent record. Lesla was introduced as a delusional single white superheroine, trying to steal her life. Kara forgave her and after months of friendship, Lesla is helping Zora lay ravaged to Kandor, building her super-flunkies and standing by as she eviscerates Kara. That should surely give Kara pause, but here she congratulates a calm Lesla on lecturing her parents about how Zora doesn’t deserve space jail.
That’s Zora, who Kara saw murdering people – that goes a tad beyond the acceptable bounds of rebel with a cause. She’s not shown one iota of regret over her actions, but has grimaced and snarked and cursed at every act of kindness shown her. By going along with Lesla’s ideas Supergirl is lining up a lot of trouble for the future.
And her ragtag ‘Super-Force’ may as well be called ‘Zod, meet the Redshirts’.
Supergirl #15 finally wraps up the ‘Hero of Kandor’ story that began in issue 11. We’ve had some good moments – Supergirl’s determination has been amazing… but so has her naivety. The overall brutality of the storyline has been a turnoff, and Lesla’s failure as a friend has been equally off-putting. We’re at the point where we need to be told Lesla is a person living with a bipolar disorder… or something. She needs help, Supergirl is ignoring this and people are getting hurt. And Zora needs to be behind bars, phantom or otherwise.
I’ve enjoyed seeing what’s been going on in Kandor, but it’s a bit much that every adult we’ve seen has been obnoxious and/or useless. Hopefully this really will be a new beginning, but looking at the expressions as Lesla lectures, I doubt it.
Those expressions are an indication of how great Campbell’s art is – every character is well differentiated, the storytelling is spot on, the action impressive. I may disagree with some of Campbell’s story choices, but the craft is inarguable. Extra points for Lena’s costume, a riff on Lex Luthor’s super-outfit from the Supergirl feature in 1963’s Action Comics #298.
Campbell’s art is blessed with the colour work of Tamra Bonvillain, who uses a bright palette without comprising on moodiness. I do like how much the sun-swollen Zora reminds me of old Superman enemy Rampage, and the super-sized savage also benefits from Becca Carey’s considered lettering.
It’s been great having Kon-El in this storyline, he’s been a tremendous support, here showing great faith in his kinda sorta cousin – why isn’t he in this new Super-Force? There’s no reason it has to be all-girl, and it could use Superboy’s experience.
I do like that comics Kara – unlike big-screen Kara – is vehemently anti-killing, as we see again here.
But I don’t understand her determination to be ‘the true heir to the House of El’ – what does that even mean? She certainly doesn’t need to be a Kal-El knock-off, and Clark would be the first to agree.
I love that this Supergirl series always gets me thinking if there’s one thing it’s not, it’s boring!
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 