Supergirl Grows Up, Slain By Foursquare?

Now I read Supergirl religiously every month. I’m one of the older school of fans that hold the character in high regard after the original Earth One version died in the Crisis Of Infinite Earths. Considering that was my introduction to DC, she maybe possesses a greater appeal to me that she deserves.

I lapped up the brilliant struggles of Linda Danvers as she struggled to live up to such a demanding legacy. (Of course it was brilliant, have you ever known Peter David to let us down?) I picked up every story that had a Supergirl in it, even the Cir-El version. I applauded the return of a real Kara Zor-El in the pages of Superman & Batman, although like the previous incarnations, I did not expect her to last.

How wrong I was. Tying her origin to Darkseid I thought was a masterful stroke, and the gradual reintroduction of all of the Golden and Silver Age conventions in modern form was a treat. However, as much as I enjoyed reading the title, I found many of the issues much like their Silver Age counterparts: fun, but essentially forgettable.

With the new writing team of Nick Spencer and James Peaty, that has all changed. I was glued to this weeks issue. Aside from the storyline reflecting the perils of new media such as services like Foursquare, (could this be a fashionable theme currently perchance?) what was the most engaging was not just the excellent scripting, or the beautiful art from Bernard Chang; but the pacing of the story.

From the very first page where we meet the initially seeming innocuous antagonists, to Lois Lane doing her investigative thing, to Supergirl dealing with the trivial distractions of a modern super-heroine’s life; the framing of the peril is slowly woven into place until the climax of the issue is truly a cliff hanger.

This is what I want to see, a story that truly makes me wish the next issue was here already. My only criticism of the issue is that, in line with DC’s policy of a month’s worth of ‘iconic’ covers, the interior art far exceeds the cover art. The cover hardly does enough justice to the new creative team. Do not be put off by the mediocre cover, as you will miss a masterpiece of sequential art.