Fancier Face Times – Supergirl (2013) #18

What Kryptonite Does Not Kill… It Only Makes Stronger…

Supergirl (volume 6) #18
Cover Date: May 2013
Released: 20th March 2013

  • Writers: Frank Hannah
  • Pencilers: Robson Rocha
  • Inker: Oclair Albert / Julio Ferreira / Mariah Benes
  • Colourists: Dave McCaig
  • Letterer: Rob Leigh
  • Editors: Eddie Berganza / Rickey Purdin

Ever since they killed off the original Supergirl back in ’86 whenever they bring her back, and it always seems to happen, the writers want a “modern” darker and edgier Kara. And it never stick because it’s hard to keep a character like that both heroic and interesting, and in general most fans of the characters don’t want that version of the character. And before I get e-mails, I know Matrix didn’t go through this, but she was kind of an outlier in many, many ways. So what generally happens is that we get a point where the character is softened down to a more less angst character.

Whilst I didn’t follow New 52 Supergirl it feel like this is what happening to Kara, though the era we just left had a sort of fake out redemption and just drops straight back into all that. What can I say it was the ’00s!

In the ’10s we start with Lex Luthor sunning himself in super prison, do science shenanigans. Inside his mind palace he’s having a meeting with his team, a really high tech face time call if you will.

But what of the Supergirl? You know the character who’s name on the cover, well she’s also sunning herself, in a space station in the corona of the sun, where Kara is recovering from Kryptonite poisoning. Her slightly less fancy holo call from Dr Veritas wants her to come back to Earth to undergo some tests, so Supergirl gets into costume to return home.

Luthor apparently is keen on this so one of his allies Alphina, a villains half woman / half techno octopus, is nearby spying on Supergirl. Except Supergirl has teleported to inside the Earth, apparently near the core so she’s around 2,000°F (1,100°C in real temperature), so she’s a little tetchy.

But enough about that, we finally have Power Girl, or at least Karen Starr, head of Starr Enterprises. She’s watching footage of the last battle Supergirl had with a villain, with her intern mentioning how the two looks familiar! Pee Gee mentions how she feels some sort of connection between her and Supergirl, that right now is making her feel ill.

But enough of that Supergirl is flying through the mantle when she’s attacked by another villain, and unnamed lava villains. Who’s powerful enough to throw Supergirl all the way to the surface. The woman get’s a chance to attack as Kara suddenly feels weak and dizzy, suspiciously the same time that Pee Gee does…

And to confirm this observation whilst Supergirl lies in a crater unconscious Pee Gee, who’s was holding a meeting, collapses with the final text box telling us that there can be only on Kara!

As someone jumping from comic to comic it’s hard for me to judge how good this comics is, as it’s obviously a continuation from what came before whilst adding in new stuff, with the new stuff being the reason why I’m here in the first place. It’s competently told but with so many things being juggled it’s hard to get a reading on Kara, apart from being a little grouchy. Hopefully we’ll get something a little more substantial as we get to the next issue…