Comic Info
Comic Name: Supergirl (Volume 6)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Michael Green/Mike Johnson
Artist: Mahmud Asrar
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2012
Supergirl (6) #2
Reprints Supergirl (6) #1-7 (November 2011-May 2012). Kara Zor-El’s world has been turned upside down. One day she is in her home of Argo City on Krypton and the next day she’s waking up on a planet called Earth with superhuman powers. There is a man called Superman who claims to be her infant cousin Kal-El, and he claims that their world of Krypton is gone. Now Kara is off to find out for herself and encounters a man named Simon Tycho who is determined to learn the source of her power. Pointed to her destroyed home, Kara’s journey to Argo City ends in tragedy. A woman named Reign and her team called the Worldbreakers could hold the key to Krypton’s destruction and Kara learns they could destroy her new world of Earth.
Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson, Supergirl Volume 1: Last Daughter of Krypton is the first collection of the New 52 relaunch of Supergirl in the post-Flashpoint DC Universe. The series was received positively by critics and fans.
Supergirl always is a fun character. Essentially, a female “clone” of Superman, Supergirl has always had to find her own direction to distinguish herself from her more popular. First appearing (sort of) in Superman (1) #123 (August 1958) as an invented character by Jimmy Olsen, the real Supergirl first appeared in Action Comics (1) #252 (May 1959). She’s gone through a bunch of transformations over the years, had a spin-off film in 1984 starring Helen Slater, and died in Crisis on Infinite Earth #7 (October 1985), was reborn as “The Matrix”, had a season devoted to her in Smallville where she was played by Laura Vandervoort, and also has a confusing past with her Earth-2 counterpart Power Girl.
Supergirl (6) #6
Here, the traditional Supergirl has been restored and it is a good thing. The story is basically two parts: Supergirl versus Simon Tycho and Supergirl versus the Worldbreakers. Both stories do a good job reintroducing the character and now with the New 52, the differences between her and Power Girl are cleared up (Power Girl has her own appearances in both Mister Terrific and World’s Finest). The new Supergirl is fun and has a lot of room for growth (and hopefully a rocky relationship with her cousin Superman).
Mahmud Asrar’s art is fun and is both “classic” and modern at the same time. Included in the graphic novel collection of the story are some fun alternate costumes, and I know it would be going against purists, but I kind of wish they had picked to alter the costume (if they can give Superman that stupid costume, couldn’t they take a risk with Supergirl?)
Supergirl 1: Last Daughter of Krypton is a fun add to the DC Universe. It isn’t the best comic you’ll read, but it is fun and worth checking out. I hope that Supergirl gets a chance to grow and that this series won’t just be another volume in the growing list of Supergirl’s cancelled series. Supergirl 1: Last Daughter of Krypton is followed by Supergirl 2: Girl in the World.
