SUPERGIRL #26

Breakpoint

March 2008

Written by Kelly Puckett

Pencils by Drew Johnson and Lee Ferguson

Inks by Ray Snyder and Marc Deering

Cover by Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder

Synopsis

In Death Valley, Superman surveys the scene of nuclear explosion resulting from Supergirl’s fight with Reactron.  Superman tells her to just beat the bad guy up.  When they get back to Metropolis, Superman notices structurally unsound buildings.  Supergirl helps to rescue the people, including a little boy that she tells won’t die because she’ll save them.  Meanwhile, Superman battles Reactron, which causes damage to another building.  Supergirl goes to rescue people from that building and does a poor job.  Superman decides to do the rescuing and tells Supergirl to fight Reactron.  She is able to remove his power source, disabling him.  Later, Supergirl visits the little boy she saved.  However, his parents are angry because Supergirl told the boy he would live, which he now believes despite the advanced brain cancer.  Superman tries to convince the boy that his cancer can’t be cured, but Supergirl tells him that it can. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Oh, wow, is that ending just so dumb.  I can not and do not believe that anyone is stupid enough to believe that anyone, in the middle of a crisis in which a building could collapse on them, would believe Supergirl was referring to the boys’ disease.  She meant he wouldn’t die because of the building and it should be easy enough to explain it to the parents and to the boy.  The ending conversation between the parents and Supergirl just seemed so forced and contrived; an attempt to force conflict where there really is none.  Sadly, I really think that a good story could be made out of the situation, but the cliffhanger suggests that Puckett isn’t interested in a story in which Supergirl deals with being able to save someone.  Instead, he seems more interested in, well, frankly, I am not sure where the hell Puckett is taking this thing.  And that is what bothers me because up to this point it doesn’t make much sense and I am afraid to see where it goes next.

There are other just plain stupid moments in this issue as well, such as Superman telling Supergirl to just beat up the bad guy (which makes it sound like Superman punches first, asks questions later), or people not recognizing Supergirl (just some girl? really?  just some girl who can fly and has a big “s” on her costume?  yeah, just some girl) or not wanting her to save them (do people ask to remain in danger while waiting for a hero they recognize to come for them), or Supergirl messing up in the rescue (which is just plain stupid).  I will say that I liked Supergirl’s reaction to learning Reactron was trying to rob a bank, but that was about the only thing I like about this issue.  I am beginning to wonder if Puckett has an idea who Supergirl is.  He seems to have taken her character back to the beginning, ignoring the time she has spent as a hero, both on New Earth or in the future.  At this point, she should be competent and on the top of her game, not the confused rookie that Puckett is writing her to be.

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