DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERGIRL #34

Why The World Doesn't Need Supergirl

December 2008

Written by James Peaty

Pencils by Ron Randall

Inks by Ron Randall

Cover by Stephane Roux

Synopsis

The front page of the “Daily Planet” asks the question, “Why the World Doesn’t Need Supergirl” with an article written by Cat Grant.  Now, Supergirl battles Banshee.  The fight ends at the baseball stadium.  While Supergirl is able to defeat Banshee, she does cause destruction and the game is forced to be canceled.  The fans are not happy with her.  Elsewhere, Supergirl confides to Superman that it is tough being a hero.  Superman advises her to take on a secret identity so she doesn’t have to be Supergirl all the time; that might ease the pressure.  Supergirl then talks to the Teen Titans and Wonder Woman, who all provide advice on a secret identity.  Worried about Supergirl, Ma and Pa Kent ask Lana Lang to talk to her.  Lana tells Supergirl they are the same, they are trying too hard to be what everyone else wants them to be.  Later, Lana accepts a position at the Daily Planet and introduces her niece (and Supergirl’s new secret identity), Linda Lang.   

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This issue feels like a re-boot.  We get a new secret identity and a new status quo for Supergirl.  But what I like about this re-boot is that this is not a complete wipe of previous continuity to reach the new status quo.  Rather, Gates builds upon all of the previous stories to reach this point.  There are a lot of references, not only to events that have occurred in this book, but to others as well, from the Amazons Attack mini to the current Atlas arc in Superman and Brainiac in Action Comics.  Not only does Gates manage to incorporate Supergirl into the current Superman world, but also attempts to make sense of Supergirl’s muddled past since she arrived in the DCU.  And the best part?  It all works.  This is a wonderful issue, especially compared to previous attempts to define the character of the Maid of Might.  It doesn’t feel forced or rushed, nor does it feel like the story exists solely to “fix” Supergirl.  Granted, that is what this story manages to accomplish, but it doesn’t feel that way.  Ultimately, it is just a decent story of a teenager looking to find her place in the world.  I like the fact that she sought out help, not only from family but friends and mentors.  And in each case the conversations felt natural and seemed to grow organically out of the character that we have known for some time as well as the characters she talks to.  As much as I like this issue, however, I am cautious because there have been others who started well and then it went downhill from that first issue.  So Gates is going to have to prove that he can do it consistently.

There was a nice moment of continuity when Robin told Supergirl that he could not get the paperwork for her secret identity.  Robin told a similar thing to Miss Martian in the Teen Titans (issue #58) a little while ago.  I am not sure if the scene was written with the first one in mind, but I like the continuity.  It is these small little touches that make the DC universe feel like a lived-in place. 

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