SUPERGIRL #9

Big Girl, Small World

October 2006

Written by Joe Kelly

Pencils by Ian Churchill

Inks by Norm Rapmund

Cover by Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund

Synopsis

At a bar, Supergirl is talking to an unidentified person about trying to find her way in the world, getting her head together.  Previous, Power Girl and Supergirl had returned fro the bottle city of Kandor.  Power Girl, however, is upset that they left before they were able to help the people of Kandor.  Supergirl tells her it was not their fight.  This does not comfort Power Girl.  Meanwhile, Kara and her “date” go out dancing and then shoot pool.  Previous, Wonder Girl and Supergirl flew over the Atlantic Ocean to the spot Themyscria once occupied to pay tribute to the missing Amazons.  Afterward, Kara goes to visit Ma and Pa Kent and to visit Superboy’s old room.  Later, Kara and her “date” break up a domestic abuse situation as Kara recalls her father hitting her mother.  Previous, Kara visited the batcave to sell Batman a piece of Kryptonian technology so that she would have money without having to rely on Superman.  Now, Kara says goodnight to her “date” Captain Boomerang.  She then saves a little girl from getting run over by a car before heading up to her apartment.  A few minutes, Wonder Girl arrives after a fight with her parents.   Kara tells her everything will be fine, they will figure it out together.

Review

“Supergirl shouldn’t wear black.  Too dark.”

On the credit page to this issue, there is a special thanks to “Papa Loeb,” or to Jeph Loeb, the creator of this particular Supergirl, first in the pages of Superman/Batman and then for the first 5 issues of this series.  I think this thanks is well placed as Kelly seems to be channeling Loeb’s first arc in which Kara is trying to find her way in the world.  However, and this is a very big “however,” this issue is much, much better than any of the Loeb issues.  For one, there is no needless fighting.  This was essentially Kara talking to Boomerang and talking to others, trying to understand who she is and what she is trying to accomplish with her life.  Second, there are no unnecessary guest spots like the rest of the Teen Titans or the Outsiders.  While I am not exactly sure why Boomerang was her “date” for the night, at least it gave her someone to talk to and in one sense, someone who can relate given that Boomerang’s parents were villains but he is trying to be a good guy.  Cassie’s brief appearance was also well done, especially the visit to Paradise Island, where both would have spent a great deal of time.  For the first time in this series, I really got the sense that Kara is lost and unsure and looking for ways to connect to others while finding herself.

While this issue was much better than Loeb’s material, I do not think this was the greatest issue at all.  I am still annoyed that the whole Argo and Kandor situation has not been resolved or addressed properly and I am with Power Girl in the disgust at the way it was handled.  I am also unsure exactly what kind of kid or adult Supergirl is supposed to be.  She is shown smoking and dancing in night clubs frequented by adults, but she is also referred to as a 16-year-old kid and as “jail-bait.”  So is she a teenager or a young adult?  Regardless of the answer, a slutty, bar-hopping, smoker is not the type of thing that is needed right now,.   

On the first page, I believe the pictures on the wall behind Supergirl are those of the various writers and artists that have worked on the book.  The big picture on the bottom left is Greg Rucka. 

The cover of this issue is a tribute to Frank Quietly’s cover to the first issue of All-Star Superman.-- MRB

PREVIOUS	Main		Page	NEXT