Truly A Girl Of Steel — Reviewing ‘Supergirl’ #12

Youth versus elders is a battle as old as time itself. The bottle city of Kandor is in grave danger. Secrets and grievances are laid bare as the battle for Kandor reaches a turning point with Supergirl #12.

Part two of this Next Level story arc comes from Sophie Campbell, Tamra Bonvillain, and Becca Carey.

— Spoilers Follow —

Big changes go down with the title character, as her life and body are irrevocably changed. Campbell pulls it off as the issue becomes one part character development, another part continuity explorer, a third part social commentary, and final fourth part action packed battle. Not a single bit of that feels forced or lost in the shuffle. Per usual, Campbell intertwines the various threads to create a beautiful tapestry.

Kara gets a big shift here as she loses her powers and becomes part cyborg. This is an intriguing twist as it really mixes things up for the character. Not just physical appearance wise, but also in how she will work against the Black Flame and other forces in Kandor, giving the whole “Girl of Steel” moniker a whole new meaning. In the New 52 era Kara’s father, Zor-El, was reimagined as the villainous Cyborg Superman. While I’m not certain if that played any part in this little change, it’s a nice bit of reflective calling back either way.

This series has employed a good number of artists, but I do have a soft spot for Campbell writing and drawing. There is just something really deep, strong, and whimsical about the style of art she employs. It’s really heartening and rough around the edges without falling too far into that space. Just the right touches of rougher textures provide more depth and visual punch. All the characters have a liveliness to them that goes beyond the page.

Colors that have a rougher and more toned-down nature pair well with that style of artwork. That’s been a good space for Bonvillain in the past in this series. She allows the backdrops and foregrounds to feel very natural, even in this unnatural space. As a tactic this allows the more vibrant poppier colors to stand out and dominate in their chosen capacities (that would be the Cyborg lights, weaponry glows, usages of powers, the creepy clone chamber, and so much more).

There is a lot of exposition to get through in this issue. Lots of secrets to be spilled, connections to be made, and declarations to sound. Even on pages where the bubbles are hefty and plentiful it never feels overwhelming to read or take in. Carey masterfully weaves the lettering through the issue to maximize its impact and visual appeal. She crafts the right levels of unique voice and emotional energy for each character, no matter how many there are and how different they might be.

On a final note, I love how this series utilizes canon and continuity. Nothing is swung around hard like a bat nor is it an anchor on the overall storyline. Through the usage of these historical bits and character elements Campbell enhances the story and gives it a different sort of depth. One that assures that these are things which have grown over time and have a history to them, without having to turn it into a historical text book for new readers.

Supergirl #12 is now available from DC Comics.