Supergirl #40
By Andy Frisk
April 25, 2009 - 10:11
DC Comics
Writer(s): Sterling Gates
Penciller(s): Jamal Igle
Inker(s): John Subal
Colourist(s): Nei Ruffino
Letterer(s): Jared K Fletcher
Cover Artist(s): Joshua Middleton
$2.99 US
Supergirl, conducting a secret mission on Earth at the behest of New Krypton's leader who just happens to be her mother, battles with Reactron, her father’s murderer who is powered by Gold Kryptonite. Gold Kryptonite takes away Kryprtonian’s yellow sun generated superpowers. After holding her own in a hand to hand battle with him, since she’s powerless, thanks to her training at the hands of the Amazons and Batman , she tracks down and unmasks Superwoman who is revealed to be…
Disappointing cover doesn't give Kara the credit she's due.
Now, how could I give away this revelation, and it’s a doozy, and deprive those yet to read this great issue of Supergirl? Suffice to say, Supergirl’s role in New Krypton, the current storyline running through the Superman Family books and the great Superman: World of New Krypton mini series currently has been the source of some of the best storytelling we’ve been privy to in Supergirl in quite some time, if ever. Throughout the title’s recent issues and the World of New Krypton story arc, we’ve gotten a storyline where Kara Zor El/Supergirl has had to witness her father’s death, and her mother’s grief and militant reaction to it, while shouldeing the burden of being tapped by her mother to track down and capture her father’s murderer. To top it all off, kara is berated by her mother (and consoled by Lana Lange, who Kara is posing as the niece of so she can have a secret identity), when she fails in part during her mission. Kara has been the picture of a tormented yet optimistic teenage girl, complete with the atypical mood swings and blind leaps into action one might expect from a teenaged super-girl. Best of all, we are seeing her grow up right before our eyes. Particularly in this issue, after being de-powered by Reactron’s Gold Kryptonite power battery, she collects her wits, and pretty intelligently, and confidently battles him hand-to-hand, relying on her combat training, and not her superpowers. When she re-powers, slams Superwoman through a wall and unmasks her, as a follower of her development since she burst on the scene, I can’t help but want to cheer her on since Kara put all of the clues together by herself, and tracked Superwoman down. Next issue promises a “Showdown!” and I can’t wait for it.
Igles’ pencils capture the kinetic energy of this issue quite well with well choreographed fight and flight scenes between Supergirl and Reactron. His detailed backgrounds of Metropolis’ cityscape, even when blurred as Supergirl speeds through the city coupled with the also kinetic power layouts all help create a treat for the eyes.
Several of the Superman Family supporting characters get attention in this issue as well. Lana Lang, Cat Grant and Jimmy Olsen, in particular, take up a good deal of panel space. The biggest development regarding them in this issue surrounds the sudden collapse of Lana physically as she succumbs to a mystery illness.
Overall, Supergirl continues to get better each month, and is a remarkably better book than it was when it started 40 issues ago. It is well written and drawn, and its storyline has been well woven into the overall story arc of World of New Krypton, but still remains strong as a stand alone book. Like all the Superman Family books Supegirl is highly recommended.
Rating: 10/10
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