DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERGIRL #5

Power - Chapter Five:  Supergirls

March 2006

Written by Jeph Loeb

Pencils by Ian Churchill

Inks by Norm Rapmund

Cover by Ian Churchill and Michael Turner

Synopsis

Evil Supergirl relates to Good Supergirl that their father sent her to Earth to kill Kal-El.  She was originally sent as an innocent so she can earn his trust before her true nature is revealed and she can kill him.  Good Supergirl does not believe it.  Evil Supergirl asks how she can explain her.  Good Supergirl says she is a copy made by Lex Luthor.  The two fight each other.  The Justice League demands an explanation.  Evil Supergirl flies away; Good Supergirl follows.  Martian Manhunter tells the Justice League to stand firm; he will take care of them.  Good Supergirl catches up to Evil Supergirl and the two fall to Earth and land in Gotham City, in front of Batman.  Evil Supergirl attacks Batman.  Good Supergirl joins the fight until Superman and Wonder Woman arrive.  Evil Supergirl hits Good Supergirl and they crash into a building.  When they reappear, one of the Supergirls states the Evil Supergirl switched costumes, so it is difficult to tell who is who.  They all fight each other, but nothing is settled.  Wonder Woman uses her lasso to bind the Supergirls together and the two merge together to create one Supergirl.

Review

This final issue from Loeb was not the greatest in the world, but at least he tied the loose ends to his original storyline.  The story was supposed to be six issues, but due to the delays and probably due to Loeb signing an exclusive contract with Marvel, the final issue was squeezed into this extra sized version we have here.  I will credit Loeb with being able to tie up this story arc and to tie it back to the first Supergirl story arc that appeared in Superman/Batman.  It is obvious he had a plan with what he wanted to do and looking back on it, the story does work.  My problem with the story is that it really should not have taken a mere five issues (or even six issues).  The basic idea of Supergirl’s nature and who she is seems to me, at least, to be a story that could have taken years.  Hell, the split into the Evil Supergirl could have taken several issues on its own.  As it stands, the story feels rushed, hurried.  In order to even feel the Evil Supergirl is remotely her true nature, we would need to understand who Kara really is.  Yet, in these five issues, there was no sense of Kara’s personality.  Loeb seemed to be too enamored with getting her to meet and fight the various teams that her “innocence” does not shine through enough.  Moreover, her capacity for evil also does not shine through at all.  When the split occurred, it felt more like a gimmick that an outgrowth of Kara Zora-El.  Here’s hoping the new creative team can manage to find a way to let us know who she really is. 

As I mentioned, this issue was super-sized because the original arc length was supposed to be six issues.  I think this is part of the problem.  The last half of the issue seems forced and rushed.  There is no resolution to the Evil Supergirl plot.  We do not get a rebuttal from Kal-El regarding his uncle or his father.  I realize he was a baby when he was sent to Earth, but stories have shown him interacting with his father, so he might have some insight to his family.  Beyond that, there was no sense of what happened to the Evil Supergirl.  Does this mean Kara has a split personality?  Can Evil Supergirl reappear if Kara is hit with black kryptonite?  Can the same happen to Kal-El? 

On the big two-page splash featuring Batman, the boat in the bottom left hand side is called the Loeb III.  It makes me wonder about the other two. 

As usual, here is the translation of Evil Supergirl’s Kryptonian speech:  “How like your father, Kal-El. You arrogant buffoon.  I am so going to enjoy killing you.”-- MRB