After arriving on Earth last issue, Supergirl had no idea where she was or why she was being attacked. With Superman on the scene, will he have the answers she's looking for? More importantly, will she actually give him a chance to talk?
The Good
With Supergirl's arrival on Earth 'now,' we've pretty much been told that any previous story with her is a casualty of 'The New 52.' Superboy is undergoing a slightly different origin in his book and we weren't sure how Kara's past would play out. On the very first page, we get some confirmation about what she was doing shortly before leaving Krypton. There was one little detail given that I was overjoyed to see is still true for Kara.
When Superman arrives, you wouldn't expect Kara to listen to anything he has to say. Sure he might be able to speak her language but she doesn't even know why she was on a ship that crashed on Earth let alone who this guy is wearing her family crest. We get a typical superhero versus superhero fight but the way it plays out is what's important.
Things are moving along nicely and I can't wait to see where she's going to fit in with Superman and the DC Universe. We have a nice set up for future conflicts and there are still plenty of questions that will make us come back for more.
Mahmud Asrar's art really works for Supergirl. She isn't an adult and shouldn't be drawn as one. The way she's depicted here fits perfectly. As Supergirl discovers the different ways her powers work, it's all drawn as it should be.
The Bad
We've been seeing Superman in several different 'New 52' comics now but he almost feels different in each one. The fact that he's here to try to help Supergirl almost feels weird when compared to the detachment he almost seems to have in other issues. While I did like the way Supergirl was drawn, Superman face felt off at times as well. He is younger than the Superman we've known for years so maybe it's just going to take some getting used to.
I understand that 'The New 52' is a way to jump start the entire DC Universe but I'm still torn over the decision to update Supergirl since this version arrived only seven years ago and there was an animated movie just last year. It doesn't feel like it was necessary to wipe out what is a short time in terms of comic book continuity since a lot of character development with Supergirl happened there. But I am willing to see where this version will fit into the DC Universe now.
The Verdict
Supergirl has been a pleasant surprise. I was worried with the changes that were going to be made. I'm not thrilled that the past that we've known could essentially be gone but we're off to a good start here. Seeing Kara on Krypton before she left was great. We still have a lot of questions in finding out how and why she arrived and why she has no memory of it. I'm not crazy that Supergirl has to start over and her pre-New 52 continuity appears to be gone but Michael Green and Mike Johnson seem to be guiding her in a good direction. Superman's appearance right away is welcome but with all the appearances he's been making in his two titles, Justice League, Swamp Thing, etc, it feels like we're getting different versions of Superman. With this new start, there are a lot of questions that remain for Supergirl and where she's going to fit in with the DC Universe. This version is showing us she clearly has what it takes to survive and I can't wait to see her take on some real enemies.