Review: Supergirl #40

Supergirl #40 came out this week.

That should be my review.

Supergirl is my favorite character.
This book is so terrible I am glad that the book starring my favorite character is being canceled.
The character assassination has to stop.
And maybe something surgical like this is the best way to end it.

Because this book is horrible.

It isn't a Supergirl book.

Why am I not surprised?

I actually don't fault writer Jody Houser or artist Rachael Stott. I wouldn't mind seeing what they would do with an honest-to-goodness Kara book. But they were handed this abomination and are probably trying to do their best with it.

I am a Supergirl fan.
I am glad Supergirl is being canceled.
That's simply wrong.

Last issue Supergirl mutated into something even more grim and gritty when she was exposed to government-issued Kryptonite and a brawl.

Now I don't know who designed this 'ultimate form' of the envenomed Supergirl  but this look with long tendrils of hair covering her eyes is ridiculous. She looks like cousin It or the sheep dog in the 'hello Sam' 'hello Ralph' Looney Tunes cartoons.

But there is more than just that to be bothered by here. The shifting tone of Wonder Woman throughout the book is weird. The utter lack of understanding this book or the character's history is also weird.

For example, Supergirl has been infected for a long time. Wonder Woman saying that it is the recent presence of this Kryptonite stopping Kara's natural immune system makes little sense.

I had to include this just to again show how ludicrous this Supergirl character has become with all that hair in her face, her 6 inch long nails (how can she make a fist in that first panel?), and her trying to stab Wonder Woman with an infected spike.

Sorry ... not Supergirl.

For most of the story, Diana has tried to take a high road with Supergirl.

Here Wonder Woman tries to reason why Kara is fighting or why Kara has embraced the virus.

It is because she doesn't want to be alone any more.

Again, this shows a pretty big lack of understanding of recent Supergirl history. First off, she had a network of friends in her Kara Danvers life; she had family.

Also, I keep thinking of how in the Superman books, Brian Michael Bendis stressed the El family so much it was the #1 Supergirl moment in 2019. In 2019, more than in many recent years, Kara wasn't alone and was part of a loving family.

But instead we backslide.

Flip a few pages and Diana is suddenly flippant with Supergirl, calling her a child.

Now maybe that is Diana finally upset enough with Kara to call it as she sees it. But this is a big flip from the more sentimental approach just a couple of pages ago. And Diana's understanding of Kara's reasoning is the same.

So that seemed off.

We then get plenty of fight.

It looks like Kara has the top hand and is about to stab Diana with the infected spike when ....

That's right!

For the umpteenth time since the Man of Steel mini-series reset the Superman books, Krypto flies in and stops Kara from doing something horrible.

Much like in the Andreyko run, Houser has Supergirl about to kill someone only to be stopped by those soulful canine eyes.

In fact, without question, the biggest hero in this book for the last 2 years has been Krypto.

Maybe if this was the first time we saw this, it would be more effective. But instead my reaction was "again??"

And then more problems.

Wonder Woman asks Kara to listen to what the Smallville citizens are saying about the situation.

And Kara is surprised to hear they are afraid of her.

Didn't a bunch of them quake in fear in a silo in front of her just last issue?

I don't understand this. Why would if affect Kara at all. She keeps saying she knows better than these people anyways.

And then Kara sees the joke behind it all.

The Batman Who Laughs told her no one would ever accept Kara as a hero.

Which doesn't make sense either.

Because National City had embraced Supergirl as their hero and celebrated when she returned home from space.

They did accept her as a hero. This moment was so great it was my #2 Supergirl moment in 2019.

Finally seeing that what she is doing is wrong, Kara decides her best chance at purging her system of the virus is to fly into space and get a mega dose of yellow sun radiation.

I have loved Krypto as an addition to the Supergirl book, even if he does steal the spotlight. But that little lick on Kara's cheek as she streaks off is precious.

But it isn't a cure.

Instead it just burns away the latest form and sends her back to the 'Crow' style goth.  Picture it like in Dragon Ball Z when Perfect Cell vomits someone of power and de-evolves.

Anyways, Kara's ultimate cure apparently takes place in Hell Arisen #4, a book I didn't purchase and can't get to easily given the recent pandemic. Maybe that is for the better.

Look this book is a mess, an afterthought for the DCU and a poison pill for Supergirl fans.

Time to dust off the Gates/Igle trades!

Overall grade: D

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