Review: Supergirl Age of Atlantis

It took a little bit of time but I finally finished Supergirl Age of Atlantis, the YA novel which is to tie-in to the show. The book was written by Jo Whittemore and she does a great job capturing the voices of the characters. This is clearly a season two story as Kara and Mon-El are still dating, Alex and Maggie are still together, and Snapper Carr is still a big part of the CatCo magazine.

I definitely enjoyed the book as a fun little side adventure for the crew as they deal with normal folks in National City suddenly gaining super-powers. Some decide to use these new powers for good. Others for more nefarious purposes. The whole crew needs to work together with a new friend from Atlantis (the source of the power-up metal) to get things under control. But not before the usual missteps and intrigue.

For those looking to relieve the feel of Season Two or want something to carry them over during the winter hiatus, or are just big fans, I would recommend the book. It is a breezy, easy read and certainly a perfect thing to give the younger fan of the show.

On to some specifics.

As I said, one thing I really love about the book is how easily Whittemore captures the voices of the main characters. For example, Kara here thinking that she always thinks about the consequences of her actions and contrasting that to the more haphazard work by the citizens makes sense.

Hearing how James actually wants to have powers and is tempted to keep the ones he obtains is an interesting wrinkle for him and makes sense.

And Alex, Winn, and Mon-El all sound perfect.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is James and Mon-El on a stake out. These two are something of an odd couple. Seeing how differently they operate and how they got on each other's nerves a bit all while still getting the job done was fun.

I almost want a 'buddy cop' episode with these two. I know it can't easily happen anymore. But wouldn't that be a perfect filler next year when Melissa and Chyler are out working on the crossover?

But the other thing I very much liked was how much Whittemore peppered in continuity to give this book some feeling of depth.


So things like James and his powers shows an understanding of character. But we also get allusions to Mxyzptlk, Maggie's love of tiramisu, and even Kara's  miscues with the rescue of the oil tanker and creating Livewire. Those two events were early in Season One.It just shows that Whittemore wanted to place this solidly in this universe, especially for big fans.

And even outside the show's universe, Whittemore threw in a bunch of Easter Eggs for the more savvy DC and Supergirl fan.

I mean you better not have a Supergirl story involving someone from Atlantis and not name drop Jerro. It took a while but we finally got one!

And then a reference to the first Superman movie by Richard Donner.

This is too much fun.

And then we get a veiled cameo by Vicki Vale.  CatCo is driving her batty? Just wait until you move!

Between this and some other stuff in the show, we know Gotham exists on Earth-38.

There are too many too count. I also saw Legion of Doom and Wonder Twins in the book.

Anyways, if you are a fan of the show or now a younger fan, I would recommend the book. It reads like an episode and therefore is something of an untold tale. Totally worth a buy and a read.

Posted in: Reviews