DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERGIRL #8

Candor Part Three

September 2006

Written by Joe Kelly

Pencils by Ron Adrian

Inks by Rob Lea & Norm Rapmund

Cover by Joe Benitez, Victor Llamas, and Edgar Delgado

Synopsis

As news spreads over the city of Kandor that there heretic Nightwing has been captured, Kara (aka Supergirl, aka Flamebird) prepares for her upcoming wedding to “Kal-el” with her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Eve (aka Saturn Queen).  Later, Eve visits Karen (aka Power Girl, aka Nightwing) to tell her that her end is near.  Karen realizes that Saturn Queen is telepathically controlling Kara, a link that seems to be suddenly severed.  Elsewhere, “Kal-el” (aka Ultraman) is bathing in the rays of the yellow sun, when Kara comes to visit.  When she also steps in the yellow light, the telepathic link is broken.  Saturn Queen returns and restores the link, but Kara breaks free.  Elsewhere, Karen is about to be executed when Kara frees her.  Together, Kara and Karen attack and defeat Ultraman.  Kara has Ultraman at her mercy.  She hears her mother and father imploring her to kill “Kal-el.”  Saturn Queen offers a bargain:  Ultraman’s life for knowledge on Argo City.  When she gets the information, Kara releases Ultraman and she flies off with Karen.

Review

Aaaand I don’t like the ending.  But at least this series will leave Kandor and head back to the main DCU and I take some comfort in that.  This entire three story arc does not add up to much and has not added much to our knowledge (what little there really is of it) to who Supergirl really is.  I am not sure if the problem was the switch in writers, the use of villains for alternate dimensions, or something else but ultimately I just could not get into these stories. 

I hope that the information regarding Argo City actually means something later in this series.  It would annoy me if the information was nothing special, like it was a dream or a telepathic suggestion.  Because if that is the case, why not just state it in this issue?  The only reason I can think on why not provide the explanation now is that it will become a key later on the book.  I am not that optimistic, however.  In the first issues of this arc, Argo was key.  In the second issue, it was barely mentioned.  In the third, it is missing, except for the ending.  Saturn Queen’s info seems almost like an afterthought, a clever little way to end the story without having to confront Kara’s decision to kill or not kill “Kal-el.” 

The art in this issue is somewhat confusing.  Although the story can be told there were moments that I had to pause and determine what exactly was supposed to be happening.  Take for instance the first page, bottom right-hand panel.  At first I thought that creature was supposed to be crying tears out of his mouth.  But then I flipped the page and I realized that he is probably spitting on Karen, which was confirmed a few pages later.  Other scenes that baffled me was them other’s lost control of the link or Kara yelling “get out of my mind” but then holding on tightly to “mother,” or the shot of Kara holding up bloody hands (from where? how? a dream?).  -- MRB