Supergirl #16 review

It’s the start of a Super-Family event and first to hold the baton is Supergirl. With Superman awol, she’s decided to step up and deal with the El Caldero problem. Recently a massive Green Kryptonite meteor fell to Earth, bringing with it pieces of Kryptonian culture and technology. Kara is particularly irked that a sunstone she sees as part of the El family’s birthright is in the hands of self-declared Kryptonite King Eduardo Castilho. He’s masterminded the transformation of the formerly poor country into an economic powerhouse, using world demands for Green K. But while not an instant threat to human life, as it is to Kryptonians, it is known to have harmed Earthlings, just more slowly.

Before he vanished after the DC KO event Superman had been talking to Castilho about the Green K problem.

But she’s not going in alone, she’s enlisted the various Supers operating in Metropolis. And as they make plans, Lois Lane gets a call from El Caldero, where there’s been a coup – Castilho has been replaced by the mysterious Bruno, head of his Krypto Knights brigade.

It’s an obvious trap, but also an opportunity for Kara and co – from left, Tomorrow Man Jon Kent, Superboy Prime CK, Superdog Krypto, Kandorian clone Thundergirl and Superboy Kon-El to get into the country.

Thundergirl isn’t a regular member of the Lois and Clark crew, she’s come from Midvale, along with Supergirl’s motley group of allies.

Again, from left, we have Lex Luthor’s Brainiac-boosted daughter Lena, witch from Kara’s subconscious Nightflame, psychic Luna Lustrum aka Phantasmogoria and the Barbie of the oceans, Princess Shark.

Of course, Lois agrees to the meeting – accompanied by a rather large Daily Planet news crew.

Jon isn’t there, Kara’s sent him to Steelworks to liaise with Super Family Friends John Henry Irons and neice Natasha, both going by Steel, and Superwoman Lana Lang. As everyone else flies to the Kryptonite Kingdom, the burdens of leadership weigh on Kara.

When the aircraft carrying the heroes reaches El Caldero, they learn that ‘Bruno’ isn’t actually a native.

Consider the touchpaper lit on a nine-part summer crossover picking up on several years of Superman stories.

Starting a storyline moving through all the Super books in Supergirl sounds like a weird idea – while this series isn’t afraid of going dark, the last story closed with Kara forming one of the goofiest hero teams ever. I expected Princess Shark and co to be left behind to watch over Midvale as we head for what sounds like a high stakes Zod story, but Kara is taking them right into the action.

So far, though, writer Sophie Campbell is giving us a straight down the line Super story, with whimsy saved for another day. Well, if you squint at this moment.

I mean, I know he’s a very clever dog, but still…

It does actually make sense Lena being on the mission, as she came over to the Supergirl series from the Superman book, so we get to see her delivering that rather relevant information to Lois. And I love Conner, half of whose DNA comes from Lex, calling Lena ‘Sis’. I do hope their connection is further explored.

I’ve been keen to see Zod and Lois learn she’s the one who ‘stole’ his super-ness at the end of the Absolute Power story a couple of years, and that subplot comes to a head in the final pages.

Kara stepping up as head of the Super Family makes for some great moments, such as her handling the tension between Conner and CK, handing out of assignments, chat with Luna and attempt to converse with Thundergirl. The latter really should be handed over to Ma and Pa Kent’s Home for Confused Superheroes – she’s too new and emotionally vulnerable for a job like this.

And of course, rather than throw the first punch, Kara suggests Zod talks with them about his grievances with the House of El. You can guess his response.

One thing that goes unmentioned, but not unnoticed, is the dumping of Kara’s new ‘I’m Superman, me’ outfit, dramatically drawn by visiting artist Paulo Villanelli. Thank Rao.

And speaking of looks, I got a real kick out of how the issue’s co-artist, Joe Quinones, evokes a TV Kara Danvers vibe when Supergirl appears in reporter guise.

If my eyes are right, as well as that majestic Supergirl, Villanelli handles flashback sequences – the origin of the Kryptonite Kingdom, and the fight between Prime and Superboy which kicked off last issue. A further-back flashback on the recent history of Zod is made up panels from the Kneel Before Zod maxi-series of a few years back.

Quinones is in charge of the flight to El Caldero and meeting with Zod and the battle that breaks out – at 24 pages, there’s a lot going on in this issue and I’d be here all day if I recapped everything – buy this book!

Seriously, it features one of Campbell’s most assured scripts, Villanelli brings an intensity not commonly seen in this series and Quinones once again matching the spirit of Campbell’s own art, his own colours helping keep the mood consistent – Arif Prianto deftly handles Villanelli’s work. We also have two letterers in Josh Reed and Becca Carey, presumably one for each artist; it all looks great.

The only thing I’m not keen on this issue is the busy, yet lifeless, cover by Guillem March; I’ve enjoyed a lot of the artist’s work, but Supergirl looks spaced out and Superboy seems to be randomly posing. Mind, the image is handicapped by being part of one of those connecting covers DC occasionally ‘gifts’ us. I suspect my cover reviews for this potential epic will be much of a muchness…

Oh, and a welcome to new editor Kathleen Wisneski, keep up the great work!

Supergirl #16 gets the Kingdom of Zod off to a great start. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. And happily, we don’t have to wait as part 2 is in Action Comics #1101 this very week.