Review: Supergirl Rebirth #1
Submitted by:
Kelly Aliano, PhD, Comics News Editor
17 August 2016
**Spoilers to
Follow**
Supergirl Rebirth #1 begins with events on Krypton, before the
planet’s destruction, but after Kara Zor-El’s departure. We see her father punish a man named Lar-On,
sending him off-world to the Phantom Zone, for bringing a disease amongst the
citizens. Zor-El reminds readers of the
sacrifice he himself had to make for the safety of his only daughter, sending
her away so that she might survive. It
is a clever way for the story to begin with exposition in a way that is not
simply Supergirl retelling her origin story to a willing listener.
The issue,
written by Steve Orlando, with penciller Emanuela Lupacchino, inker Ray
McCarthy, and colorist Michael Atiyeh, then takes us to the present day, where
Supergirl’s life is much like it is on the “Supergirl” television series, about
to return for a second season, albeit on The CW, as opposed to CBS. Supergirl is participating in a mission for
the D.E.O., but this time, it is her Earth parents who are her handlers, as
opposed to her adoptive sister on the television program. As might be expected, the villain they
encounter is none other than Lar-On, who has just escaped the Phantom Zone and
who is too powerful for the D.E.O. to battle on their own. Supergirl swoops in to assist; Lar-On
recognizes the symbol on her chest and swears he will kill her, as revenge for
what her father did to him back on Krypton.
The best part of
the book comes when Kara is actually attempting to settle things with
Lar-On. She realizes that his pain and
anger is not so different from her own, as they are the lasts of their kind on
a foreign world. She tries to explain to
him what has happened, and draw attention to the similarities in their
experiences. From there, the action
slows so that it can set up the narrative for future books: that this follows
the death of Superman, that she has not yet assumed her secret identity as Kara
Danvers, and that she owes a great deal to the D.E.O. and therefore must follow
orders. There is also a terrific little
epilogue that I won’t spoil here, but it really is a highlight of the
issue.
The Verdict: This is not particularly original Supergirl territory,
especially if you watch the television show or have read its comic book
tie-ins. I was somewhat disappointed
that the storytelling borrowed so many elements from the show, which is not
necessarily the strongest representation of the character in recent years. Still, the incarnation of Supergirl is
beautifully drawn and her personality seems to be even more compelling than her
tv-counterpart. Therefore, I am excited
to see where they take her next, now that her exposition has been
(re)established.
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