Going back to 1980s, thought-balloon filled, endlessly omnisciently narrated comic books is a bit of a chore. It shouldn’t be–a well-written thought-balloon or a well-written omniscient narrator should be fine… and maybe they are. Except Paul Kupperberg is annoying when he does the second–this issue of Supergirl is constant, explanatory narration and it’s exhausting to read. The thought-balloons aren’t bad.
Here’s the problem, giving Kupperberg all the benefit of artistic doubt. This issue is supposed to set Supergirl up for her titular daring new adventures, which requires a recap and an establishing. The recap is handled poorly… it doesn’t need to be here. It’s a number one, an “electrifying” one if a person were to believe the cover, so conventional wisdom says it needs the origin recap. Except Kupperberg’s Supergirl is not Kara Zor-El, she’s Linda Danvers and, at most, Linda Danvers needs a recap of saying goodbye to her foster parents. The Argo City stuff, even meeting Superman, all a waste of time. But, what Kupperberg seems to be trying is a going to college, change-of-life story and many of the real boring narrated panels are dealing with Supergirl reacting to the change, to her new life. Carmine Infantino does a fine job, but he’s the not guy for introspective, staring at the waves scenes. He’s just not–and Kupperberg either makes up for it with lots of narration or he just didn’t know staring at the waves doesn’t require narrative explanation.
He creates a likable Supergirl with a terrible supporting cast. Her instant best friend, very annoying; her romantic interest (named John Ostrander no less) also very annoying. The villain is stupid.
Kupperberg’s portrayal of Chicago is also interesting. It’s practically a Foder’s guide synopsis–I do have to wonder if, when this comic came out, Rogers Park was such a dangerous neighborhood. “Rape capital of the world,” a friend who lived there once described it to me. Now, a Supergirl series where she dealt with dangers to women as opposed to going to idyllic colleges, that one would be interesting… though it certainly falls under Tom Mankiewicz’s observation Superman (and, ergo, Supergirl) should not deal with real world problems because it breaks the suspension of disbelief.
Anyway, I’m shocked I’m actually going to read another issue but I am… maybe half of this issue’s problems seem to be because it’s a number one. And usually, a bad number one is number two.
(I couldn’t resist).
D
Recommend on Mahalo
2 responses so far ↓
1 Paul Kupperberg // Oct 1, 2007 at 6:26 am
Back when that comic came out–or at least up until a few years earlier–Rogers Park was a perfectly lovely neighborhood with a Moonie house (as in Rev. Sun Yung Moon) just a block off the lake on Argyle at one corner, and a heavy Russian emigrant population southwest of there–and grungy Howard Street just north. I lived on Argyle…at Supergirl’s address, in fact!…from 1978 to 1981. John Ostrander, a struggling young actor and playwright and bigtime comic book fan, lived across the street from me. He was still a few years from First Comics and funnybook fame; at the time, he was just a friend whose name I used for a character.
As for the rest of it…hey, it was the 80s. That was the style of writing back then. Orgin-itis aside, it is what it is…and, hey, the USPS chose that cover for one of its DC Comics stamps, so I kind’a look at it as if I’d gotten my own stamp (c’mon…you KNOW it’s cool!).
So, what’d you think of the second issue…?
Paul Kupperberg
2 Supergirl's Number One Fan // Jan 3, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Wow! Paul Kupperberg commented (and oops, I’ve been spelling his last name wrong … sorry, Mr. K!).
(I’m going backwards with the posts here.)
TDNAOS was the series actually that made me fall in love with Supergirl. Ish 12 was the first Supergirl comic I remember picking up when I was seven years old. (I’ve been into comics since age three.)
Although I had picked up Superman comics with her in it, it was this issue that cemented my life long passion for Kara Zor-El.
My mom read that issue over and over; I made her read it as my bedtime story, and I then read it myself over and over.
Kara was so angry and determined and courageous; I would later realize she had a great dry sense of humor among other great character traits that I didn’t find in Superman.
Not only that she was a female, and in a world where females were supposed to be the “weaker” sex, even as a child, I thought this was fantastic.
To this day I love that, and I love Supergirl’s anger. I still love (and miss) Kara’s humor, her ability to chastise her cousin as being “stodgy,” and my passion for Supergirl is proven by my apartment being decked out in SGirl stuff (and about 7 or 8 of the 10 grand I’m in debt is all because of that. heh!)
As for this issue (finally), I’m not sure why so down on the recap. It wasn’t that long, and it was designed to set up the series of a reader who hadn’t encountered Supergirl before.
I hate how today’s DC Comics offer very little in being able to figure out what has happened before, and though I’m not suggesting a massive retelling in each issue, I’m merely saying that for this number one issue, it certainly made sense.
Perhaps not as “electrifying” as David’s Supergirl number one, with murder and mayhem and the merging of two characters into one, this was still a good start to the series. (Although of course, the controversy over her being de-aged and continuity being wiped out,) this number one issue was definitely a treat for fans over her original “if I can’t get a date, I’m useless as Supergirl, kill me now” series.
Anyway, if Mr. Kupperberg is reading this, thank you soo much. I may not have become obsessed with all things Supergirl if not for you!
Again, thanks for the reviews. It’s very cool to this otaku fan.
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