DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERGIRL #41

Who Is Superwoman? Part 5:  Daughters Of Krypton

July 2009

Written by Sterling Gates

Pencils by Fernando Dagnino

Inks by Raul Fernandez

Cover by Joshua Middleton

Synopsis

At Ellsworth Memorial Hospital, Lana Lang is wheeled into the emergency room.  At Project 7734, General Lane monitors the battle between Supergirl and Major Lucy Lane (aka Superwoman).  The two exchange blows, landing on the ninth floor of the police department.  There, Reactron blasts Supergirl with Gold Kryptonite, leaving her powerless.  Police officers arrive to help, but Reactron takes care of them while Superwoman takes care of Supergirl.  Suddenly, Detective Henderson appears and shoots Reactron.  The shot distracts Superwoman long enough for Supergirl to wait for her power to return.  She flies Superwoman away from the building.  Supergirl then rips off Superowman’s suit, which causes her powers to malfunction.  There is an explosion.  On the monitors, General Lane is told the suit is destroyed and the subject is deceased.  Supergirl realizes she may have just killed Lois’s sister.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I will give credit to Gates and Dagnino to crafting an exciting and riveting issue.  It oozes with action and suspense and if it weren’t for the fact I had to turn the pages, I think my knuckles would’ve been white from holding onto my chair.  Well, okay, maybe not that exciting.  But still, the issue is good and exciting, until I started to think about it a little bit.  I came to the conclusion that there is a lot going on in this issue that doesn’t need to be.  Both of the returns of Reactron and Henderson add little value to the Big fight, other than to prolong it.  Granted, the 15-second countdown adds a little to the suspense (and I like Kara’s fist when time’s up), but ultimately both entrances and exits add little value to the story.  The other problem, and one that is not quite noticeable at first, is that for all of Kara’s questions and Lucy’s responses, not much is answered explained.  We still don’t know how Lucy got her powers, why she wears a containment suit (and what it is containing), or why she has such a grudge against the House of El.  On a certain level, I am fine with that, but with the prolonged fight and the misdirection in the conversation and you begin to realize that the only important scenes at the last couple of pages.  The rest of it just marking time to get the point.  But, I have to admit, it was a good time to be marked. 

How does someone survive a bullet to the head?  Reactron is shot in the head, more accurately in the eyes, and he is only unconscious.  I suppose one could say the bullet was lodged in the brain, leaving Reactron paralyzed and lobotomized.  Technically, it takes Reactron off the board much like being dead, but since he isn’t dead, he can come back (thanks to advanced science in the DC universe that can cure anything but Barbara Gordon) whenever a writer needs him. 

On page 13, there is a brief news flash of an event that occurred in Wonder Woman, issue #31, which appeared last month.  It is a small moment, but it is the type of thing that helps to make the books feel like they are connected.  The DC universe feels like a living, breathing place with events in books reflected in other books.  As I said, a small thing, but rewarding for people who read a lot of DC books and possibly might lead someone to check it out to see what might be happening. 

The cover states this is the finale of the “Who is Superwoman?” storyline, yet the credit page only lists this issue as part five of the story.  I am guessing there will be an epilogue of sorts next month to close up the loose ends. 

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