Supergirl #8

It's a good rule of thumb that if a comic book set during Thanksgiving ends with a 'to be continued', the next issue will be set at Christmas time. Even if the Turkey Day story was resolved, if it is a monthly series, you can expect the next chapter to involve either Christmas, Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa. Maybe even a combination of the 3! I would say such a thing occurs 90% of the time. 

Last month, I was treated to a Supergirl Thanksgiving issue. While I wasn't impressed with it, my devotion to the Maid of Might hasn't wavered. In fact, when I saw that last panel with a promise of 'to be continued ', I was actually excited at the prospect of spending Christmas with Supergirl. 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I HATE cliffhangers. Yet, since I knew that I would be buying the December issue, it didn't bug me so much. But I did make sure to wait until when I bought the book to check and see if it was a holiday themed issue. 

Another holiday comic book rule of thumb is that if there's snow on the cover, either just starting to fall or full on blizzard, the contents inside involve the holidays. The only real exception is if the book stars an ice powered hero, like X-Man Bobby Drake or guest stars a frigid foe like Mr. Freeze. Well, this issue had a cover with Supergirl and some freaky looking robot standing in a snowy forest. So my chances of this being a Christmas comic shot up even more! Man, was I so full of the holiday spirit when I opened up the book to page 8 and there's a mention of Hanukkah and Christmas!!!

The holidays are hard for Kara. While she loves the Danvers, her adopted parents, and her cousin Kal-El, Kara misses her family who perished after the destruction of Krypton. The night before Christmas Eve, or what my mom would call Christmas Eve Eve, someone has broken into the Danvers home and it appears that they know that Kara Danvers is Supergirl!

Supergirl, along with her fellow Kryptonian Lesla-Lar, AKA Luminary, decide to investigate the break-in. Anything to get her mind off the holidays. The trail leads Kara to the orphanage where she grew up, bringing her face-to-face with a forgotten part of her past.

This was a much better issue than the last. And it didn't even have a different writer from the last. I'm not sure what Sophie Campbell did, but this felt worlds different than the last issue. Now, there was a different by Taiwan artist, Haining. Their talent really showed. All of the annoying double L characters was gone. And Lesla-Lar is really starting to grow on me. Notice, she is NOT an annoying double L character. She's got this rugged, yet bungling fish out of water attitude like Thorfinn on Ghosts. Definitely someone I would want watching my back. Not someone I'd want on my trivia night team.

This comic didn't do anything to restore my Christmas spirit. Mostly, because I haven't lost that despite the constant mystery pain I've been in for over 4 years. What this issue did restore is my faith that this current Supergirl is not completely terrible and that I will still keep this on my pull list.

I just wish Supergirl was more cheery. I like it when she's overly positive, like on Superman: The Animated Series instead of sulking like a platinum blonde Batman.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Supergirl #7

This issue of Supergirl was an unexpected surprise! It's Thanksgiving themed! The Danvers family is hosting a Turkey Day feast. But first, Supergirl has to deal with the effects of exposure to turquoise kryptonite: she's been turned into a fish!

I love Supergirl. Huge fan. I'm either trying to collect everything that has ever starred the Maid of Might. Or I'm trying to collect her current runs. Being that I hate cliffhangers, I haven't read any of the previous 6 issues of this latest series so far. And from what I read here, I am not really sure that I want to. 

Have things gotten so bad at DC? The dialogue was so corny. The characters were absurd. Princess Shark? Really? Everyone Kara Danvers knows has the initials LL. If you thought Clark Kent was gravely afflicted by this anomaly, you haven't seen anything yet. 

And speaking of Clark Kent, obviously Lex Luthor knows that he's Superman because the Man of Steel comes to dinner in uniform with Lois Lane in tow. And right in front of Lena Luthor! Who in the comics is the child of Lex; not his sister. It just seems so implausible. And stupid.

Let's talk about the art. I was very on the fence about the work of Sophie Campbell, who also penned It's got a Jack Davis caricature quality, and I am a fan of his. But the art lacks the liveliness of a Jack Davis piece. Everyone and everything seems so dull here!

Maybe I am getting to that age where I don't think that the next generation understands the characters of my childhood. But that's not quite right. I at least enjoyed a good sized chunk of what I read. It just feels so bleak. Even Superman, who is like the most positive and inspiring character in the entire DC Universe, felt devoid of cheer. It just lacked that holiday magic that made me so excited and impatient to own and read this issue. 

Just really disappointed with the end result.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.