Sterling Gates took over the writing reins of the monthly Supergirl comic and has proceeded to deliver a new spin on the Girl of Steel that I love. In the issues he’s written, Kara has become a real person, a teen who reminds me of the daughter I raised, as well as her friends. Not only that, but with Geoff Johns and James Robinson’s leadership into the world of New Krypton, Gates is also building on the deeper Kryptonian heritage that Kara possessed and young Kal-El (Superman) did not.
With the present storyline underway in the Superman book, Kal-El is torn and challenged, but Kara’s memories and place within the New Krypton community are more frail and more fully realized. There are definite responsibilities and expectations.
But I digress. Some of the above is back story that you’ll need to get from other graphic novels to better understand what’s taking place in this one. The first issue collected in this graphic novel is very much a stand-alone piece that sets Gates’s vision of Supergirl in the minds of the fans. I enjoyed the vulnerable side of Kara, seeing how easily she was hurt by words when bullets, bombs, and buses didn’t do the trick.
From there, though, Gates delves deeply into Superman lore and brings an old character from the Superman universe into the forefront. Lucy Lane is Lois Lane’s sister, and she was once the girlfriend of Jimmy Olsen. That Lucy is gone however. In her place is Major Lucy Lane, a military officer that’s a hard-as-nails, by-the-book kind of person who is, quite frankly, a little scary.
Then there is the mystery of Superwoman. Although Kara wants to trust the super-powered heroine that’s stepped into her life and helped her with issues regarding living among Earthlings, Supergirl hasn’t quite been able to trust her.
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