Love Really Does Hurt — Reviewing ‘Supergirl’ #10

Beware, while love is grand, there is also the powerful all-encompassing consuming type that can hit anyone at any time. Especially when such love is pushed by things from outside this world and plane.

Kara Danvers struggles with this type of love in the Valentine’s rich Supergirl #10 from Sophie Campbell, Joe Quinones, and Dave Sharpe.

Comic books often are inherently silly.

Concepts that are beyond belief that are handled in askew comical but still firm ways. Some of the best comics embrace the fact that things are meant to be fun. It’s all while not losing their more serious and grounded character edge but grabbing onto the camp or ridiculousness in the best ways possible.

Campbell has really mastered that with this series, as she has in various other works. She really taps into some light and playful energies that were common in the classic era of superhero comic books, intertwining it with the more modern comic book sensibilities for a perfect combination.

Pink Kryptonite and Kryptonian ghosts trying to force love are already silly concepts on paper. Here they are given bombasity but also fierce weight that makes them dangerous. Everything Lena comes up with using her super brain again seems far-fetched and so out of our realm that it’s humorous. However, it fits the atmosphere and feels perfectly in line with her abilities and what the world needs.

We get another issue of Quinones’ gorgeous, dense and powerful artwork. Once more, capturing the fun and emotional aspects with aplomb. Characters have sharper-honed features that flow smoothly in the moment. Their faces and bodies are pure canvases that display their feelings and thoughts vividly.

Saturated and rich colors play with the lighter elements of the story while adding to the panel density with darker heavier colors. He comes up with a solid baseline of a more natural toned down color palette which gives the setting flavor. It calls into play the flashier vibrant beats when absolutely necessary to hammer home the fantastical nature.

Lettering takes a shift as Sharpe pops in for the usual Becca Carey. Just like Carey, Sharpe captures the lightness of the series in each bit of lettering. Their unique voices shine through as the font and bubbles morph to best convey the right volume, tone, and emotional range. All the thought bubbles have a dreamy ethereal definitely in the mind feeling at every glance.

Supergirl #10 is now available from DC Comics.