DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERGIRL #38

Who Is Superwoman? Part Two:  Clashes

April 2009

Written by Sterling Gates

Pencils by Jamal Igle

Inks by Keith Champagne

Cover by Joshua Middleton

Synopsis

[continued from Action Comics #874] On Earth, Superwoman tries to get Supergirl to return to New Krypton.  However, she is ordered to leave Supergirl alone for a different mission.  At Metropolis City Hospital, Detective Henderson is about to oversee the removal of Agent Liberty’s biometric suit when Lucy Lane arrives to halt the operation.  Lane has been ordered by the President to investigate the death of Agent Liberty.  At the Daily Planet, Cat Grant is excited to report the news on the ban of Kryptonians.  Elsewhere, Supergirl finds Lana Lang’s apartment, where she collapses.  Meanwhile, Reactron visits his former girlfriend, looking for revenge, but is stopped by the arrival of Superwoman.  Reactron blasts her with Gold Kryptonite, but it has no effect on her.  She tells him she is not Kryptonian.    [continued in Superman #685]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Let’s see, there is good news and bad news.  The good news is that this is a pretty decent issue, with some intriguing plot developments that has me curious to see what happens next.  The bad news is that there is very little Supergirl in it.  Yes, yes, she appears heavily at the beginning, but those are fight scenes and don’t really showcase Supergirl the character so much as showcase the conflict and the action.  Except for that fight scene, issue essentially features all of the supporting characters in one or another before we get back to Superwoman and the little tidbits about who she may be.  Really, Superwoman has kinda taken over this book.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, providing when Superwoman’s identity is revealed it has some kinda of deep meaning for Kara, either in terms of a previous relationship or connection to her family, rather than just some random Kryptonian (or not) doing General Lane’s bidding. 

I wonder if Superwoman is from the planet Daxam, the same place as Mon-el (and Sodam Yat over in the Green Lantern Corps).  The yellow sun gives Daxamites the same powers as Kryptonites, but not the same weaknesses.  Just different weakness (the lead poisoning).  Well, wait, I guess that discounts a Daxamite since it was revealed earlier that the suit is lead line (to avoid Kara suing her x-ray vision to look through the cowl).   

I found the whole section with Cat to be interesting foreboding, especially when you consider her son (his picture visible on her desk in one panel) was killed by the Toyman and she just received a toy in the mail.  It doesn’t necessarily mean the Toyman is back (although it could mean that).  It could mean someone is playing with Cat’s head, using the Toyman as leverage in mind games. 

Origins & Omens

Written by Sterling Gates

Art by Matthew Clark

COMMENTARY

Again, this was less of an origin and more of a story that fits in with the rest of the issue.  Actually, this it fits in more so than some of the others as the conversation with Lana comes directly after Supergirl arrived in the front part of the story.  Moreover, the story seems to be more about Lana, and her apparent illness, than it is about Supergirl.  Is it too hard to ask to have a story about Supergirl and what she is going through rather than Lana coughing blood?

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