Adventures of Supergirl #1 review

Talk about strange sports stories. The National City Sharks football game has some unplanned entertainment - Supergirl vs Rampage. Maid of Might against Orange Ogress. They're going at it like Billy-O, because while Kara would always prefer to talk things out, Rampage seems to have left her vocabulary at home. 

It's the first chapter of DC Digital's tie-in to the hit Supergirl TV series, behind a joyful Cat Staggs cover. Sterling Gates is a great choice as writer. He penned one of the best Supergirl comic book runs we've seen, and immediately captures the CBS take on the heroine. 
Wouldn't this sound just perfect coming out of actor Melissa Benoist's lips? And Gates' previous experience of pacing a comic pays off here - in the equivalent of just nine regular comic pages he gives us a recap of Kara's history and mission, a knock-down, drag-out fight and bags of characterisation. 

And as a bonus for the more ardent Kara fans, a terrific Easter egg. 
That's a nod to the fantastic, under-appreciated, please-get-on-with-the-sequel-DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, which saw a school-age Kara bouncing off Frenemy Belinda Zee. 
Thank you Sterling Gates, it's safe to say I never saw that one coming. 
And thank you Bengal, for capturing Benoist's Kara via some wonderfully breezy full-colour art. Rather than try for photorealism, Bengal channels the spirit of the show; I suspect DC hasn't the license to use Benoist's likeness, but by cracky, the artist captures her body language. And his Hank Henshaw, when first seen from behind, is unmistakable. 

Rampage, a Superman villain of the Eighties, fits the TV world nicely, being physically imposing and gifted with the strength to give Kara a good fight. I hope we get to see whether Rampage has her traditional background, or is something different. 

DC Digital regular Saida Temofonte provides the cheery lettering, while Kristy Quinn and Jessica Chen edit with the light touch they've shown on the unmissable Legend of Wonder Woman. 

Adventures of Supergirl is here for a limited run, but on the basis of this dynamite debut, needs to be made ongoing. 

Now, one last question for Sterling Gates - what was Kara's first choice? Does it perhaps start with P?

Comments

  1. Just finished reading this and loved it. Sterling Gates previous Supergirl run was my all-time favourite for the character. I really don't understand why he's not been writing an ongoing for DC.
    And you were so right about Bengal capturing Benoist's Kara so well. When I saw that panel she was instantly recognisable.
    DC's tv tie-ins never really grab my attention, but this is going to be a must buy in the weeks to come.

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    1. Great stuff, the more people who buy, the more likely it'll get s longer run.

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  2. I immediately thought of how DC said no tie-ins were planned with the show and thought they must have rushed this one out, but the show's been going for three months now, and Shirley that's plenty of time to get a digital-sized issue or two in the bag?
    A strange about-face, all the same - between this and Legends Of Tomorrow rebranding as DC's Legends of Tomorrow, do I detect a hint of corporate cracking the whip?

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    1. Could be, there certainly seems to have been an unusual reluctance to have tie-ins.

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  3. I'm still baffled why no in continuity book. Yes, the Supergirl title became toxic with a new creative team and set up every six months but there's no reason it can't be relaunched with a positive spin to spiritually match the show...

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    1. I think that'll happen now, there should be a wave of new book announcements soon.

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  4. I hope we get to see the live action versions of Rampage and Belinda (as depicted here) on the show.

    Gene

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  5. I read in an interview that Sterling Gates was approached months before the show debuted to write this series. If so, it shows a lack of faith on DC's part, that is wasn't released simultaneously with Supergirl's initial episodes. Now, if they could just get Jamal Igle on the book, I'd be more than happy, I'd be content.

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    1. That would be amazing. They were my Supergirl dream team!

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    2. I hadn't heard that about Sterling, thanks for the info. That puts a different perspective on things.

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  6. The podcast Supergirl Radio had an interview with Sterling Gates published on January 29.

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    1. Thanks for the tip, Paul, I shall search it out!

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