Supergirl #1
Written by Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Art by Mahmud Asrar, Dan Green, and Dave McCaig
I wouldn’t have said this before this week. If DC is looking to establish a new Trinity in the DCU, Superman’s cousin should take one of the spots. Amidst the barrage of superheroines that hit last week, Supergirl #1 clearly blitzes to the front of the pack with honest, classic superheroic storytelling and the best art seen in any book in the New 52. These are the kinds of books that are going to carry the relaunch, enticing new readers and impressing the old. And I honestly wouldn’t have thought that about Supergirl just off of the old solicitations.
The writing team of Michael Green and Mike Johnson start off right with a simple detail: keeping readers up to speed on what’s new and what’s not in this tumultuous time of reinterpretating DC’s portfolio. The issue opens with a meteor shower rocketing the newest Kryptonian to Russia. She awakens in full Kryptonian uniform wandering through a dream…until she’s attacked by a squad of soldiers in mechanized suits.
That essentially sums up the entire issue, with a lengthy and satisfying action sequence carrying most of it, but what makes this comic book work is the details.
The writing team and art team aren’t just on the same page, they clearly were in synch before the page was written, as the little things make this a must-read. There’s the way our little blonde heroine wanders from her crash site, disoriented, vulnerable, and yes, contrary to the solicitations that sold her like an angsty teenager, happy. When she’s assaulted, the emotions run higher as she tries to make sense of it all. It’s only a few pages, but Green and Johnson have managed to establish a classic origin story in only a few pages, successfully leaving some of the more obvious details to the reader’s intelligence. They don’t phone one in, they don’t skip it over, there’s a clear narrative intent that was missing in Wonder Woman or Batwoman.
And through this brief private moment with Kara, it’s also established, quite clearly, that Supergirl is a fresh concept in this DCU, with no continuity mindgames to puzzle out. This is especially made clear when her foes identify the symbol on her chest, and a yellow sun rises and shines upon our heroine.
Supergirl in action is one of the most satisfying origin sequences I’ve seen in a comic book in years. Heat vision flares up as the adrenaline and confusion of being attacked fuel her. With a classic Superman punch she fends off an assailant, only to wonder how she did it. She flees the scene with super speed, collapses under the chaos of super hearing. It’s a blunt showcase of her abilities that flows perfectly well in the action sequence.
From a writer’s standpoint, Supergirl does everything that I was looking for in the New 52. It firmly establishes it’s scenarios with clear intent. It takes chances and plays with some concepts without seemingly “changing things just to change things while still trying to keep things the same”. There are some subtle hooks seeded throughout for the future. And it’s accessible. By all means is it accessible. Johnson and Green are just the kind of fresh blood an endeavor like this needed, bringing a sense of wonder and enthusiasm to the title that synchs perfectly with Kara’s own point of view.
I’ve long admired Mahmud Asrar’s art, and from the moment Kara emerged from her crater I knew he was passionate about this book. The remaining 18 pages proved it. Kara’s design is a soft and gentle Girl of Steel, even when enraged in battle she looks like a teenager. And not in a waifish way. She isn’t some 16 year old sexpot, Asrar’s Supergirl looks like a teenaged girl in the costume, and there’s a youthful softness and life to the face that most artists honestly miss when they draw teenaged characters. I strongly believe Asrar will go down as one of the definitive Supergirl artists. And that’s not even getting into the settings and mechs he’s devised.
The panel layouts are clean and to the point, with Asrar opting for a more classic look, just like the script seems to be written for, with simple three or four panel pages keeping the book clipping along, but still packed with content.
Asrar does wonderful marker and ink work, but here he’s aided by inker Dan Green who compliments and enhances the art perfectly (I’ve seen the original marker and pencils). Colorist Dave McCaig brings a fairytale tone to the opening sequence, but suddenly breaks the dreamy haze when the action hits. A big part of the story is Kara seemingly dreaming, and McCaig’s colors are bright and ethereal which really sells the surreal experience Kara is feeling. The sun rising and the sky turning gold as the issue runs on are nice touches. And of course, the red, blue, and yellow truly pop, once again making this book and it’s heroine feel like a comic book while still feeling like something more. I love when colorists can actually use color and not just infuse dark mood.
Supergirl #1 is my favorite title out of the New 52 by far. For all the big league dream teams involved, Mike Johnson and Michael Green have delivered the best classic DC first issue while still keeping things new. Mahmud Asrar, Dan Green, and Dave McCaig bring an iconic touch to every panel, making this feel like the epic the Superfamily deserves. I wish I knew what it was like to be editor Wil Moss and see these drafts and pages come across my desk and know that I had DC’s best title in my hands.
