Review: Supergirl #27

Supergirl #27 came out this week and continues a concerning trend in the book for me. As this space odyssey has progressed, it has seemed less and less like a true Supergirl story. The impetus for this quest was for Kara to find out what role Rogol Zaar had in the destruction of Krypton. I wasn't sure then if that was a strong enough cause for Kara to abandon Earth. But at least it was something personal, something tied to her history.

As we have moved 6 issues into this new direction, we have barely made much headway. There is something of a forced plot point of Appa Ali Apsa having split up redacted information into crystals scattered over the galaxy, making a longer quest a necessity. We have a memory that maybe Zor-El was involved in creating the bomb that Zaar uses. We have crime boss Gandelo trying to hunt or delay Supergirl. But really there hasn't been much movement. It is glaring enough that Supergirl says it herself in this book.

Moreover, these last couple of issues read more like an Omega Man story than a Supergirl one. Seeing Supergirl spitting on villains, shooting a Liefeldian gun, and overall being a bit nasty just pushes this further away from what I am looking for in a Supergirl book. Again, I shouldn't be surprised. This is the wash/rinse/dry/repeat Supergirl 3 year cycle. We seem to have to get mired in angst, have that approach fail, and then reboot every so often.

As for the art, Eddie Pansica does a good job here. I have liked his art in the past and he certainly brings his A game here. But when a book has many different artists in a short period of time it makes me worry that it isn't of prime importance to either the creators or the producers. And I love Yanick Paquette's cover even if it is Supergirl screaming as she fires her rifle.

So let's see what happened in the book.

Since his arrival, I have been skeptical of Z'ndr Kol. our presumably Coluan space adventurer. Part Indiana Jones, part Brainiac 5, he seemed a bit too perfect to be a good guy. And since her inception, Supergirl has always struggled in her love life with undercover creeps trying to get on her good side.

So I can honestly say I wasn't surprised when we learn that he was hired by Gandelo to track Supergirl and observe. Of course, Kol had ample opportunity to let Supergirl die. He even probably had some chances to kill her himself. So it doesn't seem like his mission (or Gandelo's) is to off Supergirl.

It is clear that Gandelo is upset with Kol. Z'ndr has helped Supergirl. That wasn't part of the deal.

I will say I was surprised when Gandelo called Kol his son. I assumed this was something of an adoptive mother relationship, or more personal connection. I mean, Thulsa Doom called Conan 'son' once. That simply wasn't true.

While this family reunion happens on the bridge of Harry Hokum's starship, Supergirl and the Omega Men lead a slave revolt on the other side.

Nothing says Supergirl like her firing a gun at a villain's torso while screaming 'War is Hell'. Am I right?

Of course, the answer is that I am not right. This doesn't seem like the Supergirl I am used to reading or want to read. This isn't the shy, awkward girl we read just last year, struggling to balance schoolwork and life.

When did she become Gamora?

Anyways, Splyce isn't falling for the solar blast trick again. The genetically modified assassin won't power up Kara again. Instead she uses the Tamaranean blast to collapse the ceiling.

During the skirmish, a young alien slave is killed before Kara can save her. Seeing this innocent child killed before her eyes enrages Supergirl. Once more she cries of the need to avenge this young girl. In fact, since Andreyko took over, vengeance has been the primary motivator for Supergirl. Not wanting to do good ... not wanting to spare people the pain she has felt ... vengeance.

Again it doesn't sit right.

So even when Andreyko has her saying the right things, like caring about the vulnerable being her biggest strength, he has her saying it for the wrong reasons.

And, since this is the gritty, harder edged Supergirl, she says it as she maims Splyce, ripping out the assassin's tongue.

I'll also remind people that this is supposed to be a completely depleted and powerless Supergirl. How is she holding off the huge jaws of Splyce and ripping out those tongues?

At the very least, Pansica gives this the weight it should have. Hair flying, blood spattering, Kara yelling. It is a powerful image.

Meanwhile, we learn that Gandelo saved Z'ndr at some point in the past. He was alone, in danger, and she plucked him out of that situation and raised him.

She is also confused by his love of all cultures and civilizations. Remember, he is sort of an Indiana Jones type.

I did like this little peek into Gandelo's ideas about Kryptonians (and similar races). Those that expand and invade are like vermin carrying disease. They must be eradicated. No wonder she fell in line with Zaar and his desire to eliminate Krypton.

Of course, it is a little hypocritical. Kol reminds her that she could have left him to die. But she didn't. When faced with her own inconsistencies, she loses her mind and threatens her son.

Seeing this unfold, Krypto (luckily recovered) blasts her left hand off with heat vision. With his eyes now open to his mother's insanity, Kol takes off.

Do we really need Krypto to blast hands off of people? Is this Forever Evil? Couldn't he have just flown into her and body checked her into the wall? Again, this feels like an 'EXTREME' take on these characters.

Still fuming from Splyce's killing that young slave, Kara's vengeance flares. Somehow it calls Zaar's axe to her hand. So she now has some sort of psychic link to this weapon.

And then, hot with vengeance, she wields the axe screaming it is time for Splyce to die.

How the depowered Kara wields this enormous battle axe is beyond me. And this sounds way way too much like the Kara that embraced rage and became a Red Lantern years ago. Didn't this very character already go through this personal growth? Didn't she already see the errors of this way?

At the very least, she stops herself. She isn't a killer.

Whew ...

Of course, she also, just pages earlier, shot a laser rifle at Splyce's chest. So she seemed pretty okay with potentially killing before.

Now I'll say this is a very important moment for me. Maybe ... just maybe ... it will turn out that the axe is somehow amping up this vengeance thing in Supergirl. Maybe this is some cursed weapon, feeding the more negative feelings someone has. So maybe there is an underlying explanation for this odd character turn in the character.

To be honest, I hope that is true. Because it would neatly explain why this Kara is so different from the one we just read in the Orlando/Houser issues which preceded this.

Nice panel progression here. The background color brightening, mirroring Kara's feelings, as her expression calms ... it all works.

It is time to flee the ship. Kara sees Kol and Krypto take off and says she'll find them. But she has no choice but to join the Omega Men on their ship. The heroes grab their fallen comrades and as many refugees as they can and head to their headquarters. She even has a little meet-cute moment with Ryand'r.

Now a little meta-moment.

I have been slightly irked at the lack of story progression. We are 6 issues into Andreyko's run and Supergirl has barely moved forward on her quest.

Maybe realizing we have been treading water, Andreyko has Kara acknowledge the lack of plot movement. Maybe separated from the axe she is starting to think more clearly.

I can only hope this acknowledgment in text means Andreyko realizes he needs to kick this thing into the next gear.

Remember that the Omega Men found their supposedly long dead allies of Nimbus, Harpis, and Demonia on Hokum's ship. Kara spies a scar on Demonia's neck.

Once more Kara remembers a conversation with Zor-El possibly building the bomb Zaar used to destroy the planet. That jogs her memory. That scar is part of Kryptonian cloning.

I really love the middle panel. That is a surprise and horrified face right out of a horror movie. Great work by Pansica.

I just hope Zor-El isn't sullied more. Poor guy.

Turns out the presumed dead Omega Men are actually Hokum clone slaves. They attack the Omega Men from within. And their presence has led Hokum's fleet to the hidden headquarters. Hokum then releases his latest trick! Horribly mutated Kara clones!

Okay. That's a decent hook.

So I am sort of split about this issue.

Kara saying her defense of the helpless is her greatest strength is great. I was glad Kara's internal barometer calmed her and stopped her from killing Splyce. That sounded like the old Kara I love. The idea that maybe this new vengeance fueled Supergirl is being stoked by Zaar's weapon is a decent theory.

But so much else here seemed off. Ripping off of tongues. Firing weapons at an opponent's chest. Krypto frying off someone's hand. It seems like a step back to the more grim New 52 style stuff. And then there is an actual acknowledgment that this arc is spinning it's wheels.

I have to hope we are turning a corner here.

Overall grade: C+

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