American Honda Presents DC Comics' Supergirl (1984)

 

This comic was a giveaway to school children in 1984. Published by DC Comics in cooperation with American Honda and the US Department of Transportation's National Safety Belt Campaign. I vaguely remember getting one of these as a school kid. Though there was another version released around 1986, so I could be remembering that one instead. As with most educational giveaways, it's a little preachy but with thanks to a supporting role of the Man of Steel, it's also a fun read.

   The story starts with a boyfriend of Linda Danvers getting in a massive car wreck. He didn't wear a safety belt despite numerous warnings (told ya this was preachy) and now the lad is in a coma. Diagnosis is not good and now if someone doesn't make a connection with the boy soon, he's going to die.
 
    Supergirl arrives at Superman's Fortress of Solitude in hopes of using a Kryptonian dream device that should help Supergirl enter the boy's subconscious to save him. Since the victim was on his way to see a movie, Supergirl must trek through a slew of film genres. From an Indiana Jones type flick to a dungeons and dragons world, Supergirl keeps trying but just can't get the young man over the hump to recovery.

    I enjoyed this comic. Like those old school training films, I have a thing for educational comics. They have a slight cornball factor to them and often feature outdated terms and philosophies. This one involving automobile safety is pretty timeless. Although the teacher/ student discussion questions at the end of the book involve some really silly scenarios.
   
    Speaking of scenarios, there was one segment of this comic that I thought was clever. Within the dream world of the young patient, he imagines himself as a Mad Max type character in search of fuel and food. The only difference is that instead of taking place in the Australian desert, it occurs in a frigid wasteland. Why hasn't there been a Max Mad in Alaska? This would be an instant classic! (And if someone does make this film, I expect a pair of tickets to the premier and free night's stay in a classy hotel.)

   A great comic with an important message.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars