Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Supergirl)
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"Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes"

I can’t say I’ve really enjoyed Supergirl since she joined the Legion of Super-Heroes.  She entered the series several months ago, convinced that her experience there constituted an extended dream essential to a Kryptonian right of passage.  She disbelieved in the destruction of Krypton, her relationship with Superman, and her mysterious appearance in the 31^st century – all figments of her imagination, of which she’d become aware.  The Legionnaires argued with her and explained her mistake, but she wouldn’t believe them.  It got really annoying.  It’s like being friends with someone who thinks they’re psychic. 

In this issue, Cosmic Boy, Braniac 5, and a few of the other Legionnaires decided to shine the ray of cold hard truth on Kara Zor-El by taking her to Kandor – the shrunken Kryptonian city, since expanded and instated on the planet Rokyn.  The Legionnaires turn Supergirl over to the Kryptonian scientists, hoping to prove her lineage and convince her of the history we all know.  At the same time, Element Lad and Triplicate Girl investigate the ruins of a failed robot rebellion mentioned several issues ago.  There, they discover an alien that can grow plant life at will.  He seems friendly enough, though the reader learns more than the characters before they depart for Legion headquarters.  All the while, Shadow Lass and Atom Girl visit the former’s home world, where the populace heaps honors on her for her family’s continued defense of the planet.  And then, back on Kandor, things get really interesting when a handful of super-villains arrive and trash the museum.   

If that seems like a lot to take in, rest assured that you aren’t alone.  But, Mark Waid deftly interweaves the different arcs.  Whether they will unite in a single climax remains to be seen.  However, given the huge roster of characters available, Waid manages to hold it together.  I don’t normally care much for team books, but Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes manages to economically dole out effective human moments to its plethora of characters.  Laudably, Waid never writes his characters interchangeably.   

Barry Kitson has drawn the series since its inception and he continues to offer a subdued take on the excesses of comic art.  Granted, everyone looks like they spend a lot of time in the gym, but not beyond anything one would see in the real world.  He occasionally resorts to blank backgrounds – an annoying practice that I nonetheless understand.  Otherwise, Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes continues to look great. 

This is still one of the best books from DC on the shelves.  It doesn’t have the muddled continuity bogging down some of the other DC Universe titles, and it still tells a series of fascinating, human stories culled from a team with a huge roster.  This is as good a place as any to start reading.

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@mania.com.