SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #1

Secret Identities

November 2009

Written by Sterling Gates

Pencils by Fernando Dagnino

Inks by Raul Fernandez

Cover by Renato Guedes

Synopsis

Yesterday, the Guardian and Science Police inform the customers of a bank in which a robbery attempt failed that one of them is Kryptonian.  Before, Kara hears the robbery progress and decides to help, knocking out the thieves in civilian clothes.  Now, the Science Police expose the people to red Kryptonite.  Just before they reach Kara, a woman’s son runs away.  Then he mutates, caused by the Kryptonite, revealing him to be Kryptonian.  He smashes through the building, causing it to start collapsing.  As the Science Police save the people, Supergirl rushes after the boy.  She catches him, then takes him towards the sun to eradicate the Kryptonite.  Then the boy’s mother flies to the sun, punches Supergirl, and takes her son back.  Later, Kara wonders if she did the right thing saving the people in the bank or if she made things worse.    

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Why is this part of the Annual?  Is it because of the different artist?  Is it to pad the page count of the book since the second feature definitely isn’t part of the current timelines, so therefore DC needed another story to make it worthy of being called an “Annual?” (whew, that was a long sentence).  Anyway, there doesn’t seem to be any logical reason not to include this as part of the Supergirl book.  Not only is a story about Supergirl, it is also part of the “New Krypton” story with all of that background and it fits logically at the end of the previous issue.  It sure feels like a continuation of the current storylines (as opposed to a flashback like the second feature).  And given what happens to Supergirl in this issue, the events of the story and the emotions Kara is going through make it feel like this may be an important part of future stories, especially in relation to her alter ego, Linda Lang.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a strong story and I like what happens, but I suppose my own misconceptions of “Annual” made me curious about the decision to include it here. 

I do like how Kara was unable to answer any questions surrounding Linda’s identity.  Since she decided to become Linda, we have not seen much of her actually being Linda, so this strengthens that point by showing how unprepared she was to act as Linda.  She was more impressed with herself stopping the robbers with no one finding out that she didn’t stop to consider that her presence in the bank would generate questions about herself. 

I was a little annoyed at the bait and switch in the bank.  I mean, really, a Kryptonian just happens to be in the bank at that exact moment?  What are the odds of that happening?  It felt too much like Gates got himself into a corner and found an easy way out of the situation.  Having said that, I will like how Gates is able to tie it together with the woman admonishing Kara with opinions about her father, leading to Kara’s questioning her decision later. 

Second Born:  The Secret Origin of Superwoman

Written by Sterling Gates

Art by Fernando Dagnino and Raul Fernandez

Synopsis

In Maine, a man is running on Mt. Katahdin when he disintegrates.  And Superwoman is reborn.  Lucy Lane remembers her life, remembers always being in the shadow of her older sister, Lois.  When their father dies, Lucy decided to enlist in the army.  When she is nearly killed in battle, she is brought to a secure location, where she learns her father never died.  There, Lucy is trained and given the Superwoman, because Lucy is better than her sister and the only one who can wear it.  Meanwhile, Lucy is discovered by Project 7734 to still be alive, something the soldiers think will not please General Lane. 

Review

This was a decent story, although to be fair it is less of a story and more of an expositional narration to define Lucy Lane and to provide background for the reasons why she became Superwoman.  On the one hand, it helps to flesh out the character and her convoluted relationship to her father, but on the other hand telling this story after the main “Who Is Superwoman” story makes you wonder why Gates could not have gotten some of the points across during the story.  About the only things of compelling interest, besides the father/daughter dynamic were the tidbit (not even elaborated on, but still there) that the suit was part technology and part magic thank to Mirabai and the ending that suggests Lane would not be happy his daughter was alive.  The rest, while enjoyable and welcome in terms of the characterization, seems like it is just a tad too late. 

It is interesting to note that no mention is made of Lucy Lane’s marriage to Ron Troupe and the birth of her child.  I am not sure if this was an oversight, a deliberate choice by Gates since it is really not part of the story, or a retcon of those events.  Ron Troupe has been seen at the Daily Planet in various scenes in the past year or so, which makes me think it is a retcon.  Not that it makes that much of a difference, but curious nonetheless. 

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