Supergirl #46 review

I really enjoy the Supergirl comic. Could we please have one? For this book is now so tightly tied into the New Krypton sequence that Kara is almost a bystander in her own book, This issue Kara's flying around with Flamebird and Nightwing in the World Against S-Shield With an X Through It crossover, fighting Reactron. As he's the fella who killed her father, it's understandable she's involved, and Flamebird is her sometime best friend, but I'm getting sick of all Krypton, all the time.

A few months ago we met Linda Lang, Supergirl's new secret identity. Since then we've been thrown barely a crumb. Linda went to the bank in the Annual and that's pretty much it. I want to see Linda develop her new life on Earth, not spend her days as a lapdog of New Krypton. I suppose I should get used to it, as Kara has picked a guild to join on her mother's terraformed world, but I get enough of that place in the World of New Krypton book. I want something different here.

This issue isn't even written in total by regular writer Sterling Gates, with Greg Rucka pitching in - most likely on the parts featuring his Action Comics characters, Thara and Chris. The pair were actually interesting here, but I'd rather they were interesting there. Let every Superman book have a different angle on the New Krypton story, and can the crossovers.

Besides, the more Kryptonian heroes in one story, the harder it is to believe the likes of Reactron are a threat. I get it, he has a gold kryptonite heart that can switch powers off for 15 seconds at a time. Big deal. He can't continuously be flashing his organ at three Kryptonians with superspeed and a bunch of other powers.

Then there's Nightwing's tactile telekinesis, which he should be using a little more effectively by now. Thank goodness Flamebird inadvertently plays her fiery ace in the hole here, ending this less than thrilling crossover.

Kara and Thara are reconciled, and Lana Lang has to stop denying she's sick - it's just a shame Kara is so weirdly hard on her at the end of the issue. So there is some actual Supergirl-specific story movement. But I want more.

Still, this looks to be the end of the Nightwing and Flamebird guest shot for now, meaning we should see the back of that infernal Kryptonian dialogue that brings the story to a dead stop every time it appears. Which is often. (Click to make image bigger/more annoying) What's Kryptonian for blah blah? Could someone please invent a virus, hack the DC computers and kill that self-satisfied font?

I'm not keen on Joshua Middleton's cover. On the one hand, Reactron vs Nightwing is the focal point, on the other, one has his back to us and is in shadow, while the other is faint behind his gold kryptonite heart. Kara and Thara, meanwhile, lie indistinct in the foreground, in the shade.

Inside, regular art team Jamal Igle and Jon Sibal are joined by Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira and they do good work. I can't be specific as I'm not sure who drew what, although it looks like Jamal at least handled the quieter, characterisation scenes. Whatever the case, the storytelling is good and the money shots earn their keep.

One thing I'd like to see Jamal do is redesign Reactron's look. Talk about fussy costumes, he looks like a Donna Troy tribute act. Next issue: the final fate of Reactron. Thank God.