Welcome to Rob’s Reviews! This week I review Supergirl #1 & #2, published by DC Comics.
SYNOPSIS: Per DC (http://www.dccomics.com/comics/supergirl-2016/supergirl-1)
“REIGN OF THE CYBORG SUPERMAN” part one! Supergirl is back and working for the DEO to defend National City! As Kara Danvers, average American teenager and high school student, Supergirl must balance her life as a superhero with her new life on Earth. But some demons from her Kryptonian past are coming back to haunt her, and Kara will find herself face-to-face with her father: the sinister Cyborg Superman!
“REIGN OF THE CYBORG SUPERMEN” part two! Supergirl battles Cyborg Superman in the Fortress of Solitude—and there can be only one winner! But even a temporary victory can spell certain doom for Kara and her new home as her father’s plan at last comes to light! Meanwhile, the race for Cat Grant’s prized internship heats up, and Kara finds her human competition to be just as challenging!
STORY: Okay, to start off I have never read anything written by Steve Orlando (http://www.dccomics.com/talent/steve-orlando) so I went into this with my eyes wide open, and I was pleasantly surprised. Orlando starts off the series with a classic Superman villain: Cyborg Superman. While Cyborg Superman is primarily a Superman villain, Orlando’s twist on C.S. is fresh and eye-opening. Orlando seems to be orchestrating a new mythos to Supergirl, but one rooted in Superman lore, so it is anchored in the familiar, much to the enjoyment of this long time Superman/Supergirl fan. One aspect that I really enjoyed was Orlando’s take on Kara’s Kryptonian heritage and her superior scientific knowledge. I mean, she is from a highly advanced interstellar race, so Earth technology is very primitive and she knows it, as she was also a very bright and creative Kryptonian before she came to earth. Couple this with her super powers, it makes for a very interesting character development in the issues to come. Also, her secret identity is portrayed brilliantly. She is not a Clark Kent clone like she has been portrayed in the past. Orlando incorporates her uniqueness as a parallel but definitely separate, to that of her cousin.
This series starts off with a good pace, with plenty of action and more character development, including her supporting cast, than I have ever read in a Supergirl comic.
Story gets 5 👍 out of 5 👍
ART: Brian Ching‘s pencils are an interesting accompaniment to Orlando’s writing style. While I know many who are somewhat put-off by the style, I think it works well. If a bit of an acquired taste. It reminds me a lot of Chiang’s work on Wonder Woman.
As I have said previously (Ad nauseam), art is very subjective and my criteria is that I know what is being drawn (i.e. a horse looks like a horse and not a dog) and the art jives with the story, and I believe that Ching’s art is fine, somewhat like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the jelly isn’t your traditional grape of strawberry, but something different but satisfying, like, say, banana curd.
3 ½ 👍 out of 5 👍
PRICE: Supergirl comes in at $2.99 an issue, and is monthly. 3 👍 out of 5 👍
Rob’s Recommendation: Buy! The potential for this is truly fantastic. This is my diamond in the rough pick for the new DC.
