Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Supergirl #5

By Avi Weinryb
January 17, 2017 - 00:11

There isn’t any new ground being broken here. This is another paint-by-numbers tale in which a member of the Super-family, in this case Supergirl, is confronted by elements of her Kryptonian heritage and the threat it poses to the safety of Metropolis. Whether it’s Zod, Doomsday or in this case, Zor-El, there is always a danger from the past that needs a good beat down. It’s a tired cliche of the Super-series. This Supergirl title is no-where as imaginative as Jeph Loeb’s reboot of the series from a few years back. It’s a bummer.

It seems the Cyborg Superman we experience here is not Hank Henshaw, the typical carrier of the mantle, but rather some form of Supergirl’s Kryptonian father. That makes him Superman’s uncle, a force to be reckoned with. He is defender of yet another lost city of Krypton. As revealed over the years, several of the planet’s cities survived. This, coupled with all the other prominent survivor characters certainly seems to less the impact of Krypton’s survival. It’s kind of like finding out in Star Wars that thousands of citizens of Alderaan survived the destruction wrought by the Death Star. At first it’s rather miraculous, but as time goes on and more cities are found, we begin to wonder what the whole point of that loss is anyhow. Lessens the blow somewhat.

The highly stylized look of this title is fun and cheery. Brian Ching is a talented artist and although what is on display here would be hard-pressed to fit into a more serious book, it works wonder in this title.

If this “Rebirth” series can find its footing and celebrate the Supergirl character via some original storytelling, we’ll be on the path to greatness. Otherwise, there won’t be much to see here other than another reboot coming a short ride down the line. Here’s hoping that isn’t necessary.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12