Back Issue Box: Supergirl #14

Supergirl #14 continues the Blackstarr storyline mixing incredible super-heroics with the backdrop of racism and prejudice. Feels like a good time in America to review this story.

Writer Paul Kupperberg focuses on Nazis and anti-semitism but the truth is any organized and systemic prejudice is villainous and this is just one example. and Kupperberg has a very goo approach. There are basically three levels to this story. One is the story of the Nazi party organizing in Chicago and how the city is responding. There is the superhero story of Supergirl fighting the immensely powerful Blackstarr, the leader of the Nazis. And then there is the personal story, how this is effecting Kara's landlord, Mrs. Berkowitz who survived the camps in Nazi Germany. By giving us all these perspectives, we get a full and enriching story.

The art is by Carmin Infantino and Bob Oksner who continue to bring their style to the affairs. They need to show their chops given the story layers as well. You need to convey crazy powers on top of personal scenes. These guys are legends so it flows seamlessly. But the show stopper is the Gil Kane cover which dazzles. I am not a Gil Kane fan usually but this one feels dynamic. Kara looks like she is feeling that blast.

On to the book.

We start with a nice opening page, three vertical panels showing Supergirl, Blackstarr, and then the beginning of the battle. The art here is fantastic. The panel of Blackstarr, sort of energy based in a cloak is frightening. Kuppernerg's succinct 'a Nazi' works in its starkness.

This new costume for Supergirl feels more like a figure skater's outfit. So even though we often see the blue bottoms under the skirt, it never feels like a panty shot as much as a unitard with an overlying skirt. This differs from the feel you got from the belly shirt outfit where the shots from below felt more like a creepy peek.

Blackstarr's powers seem limitless. From early on, we learn that her energy blasts can hurt Supergirl. Here we get a sort of layout of all her abilities. Black holes, photons, electromagnetic waves, and more.

She seems to have the whole gamut of cosmic energies at her disposal. And Infantino does a good job varying the looks of these attacks I particularly love the black hole energy blasts, inky tentacle-like blast.

Still, despite this array, Kara keeps coming.

And as I always say, Supergirl is fierce when battling injustice.

She challenges Blackstarr and the villain's belief that the Jewish people need to be eradicated. Kara talks about how she will never tolerate hatred and violence. Love this whole exchange.

It seems like the two combatants are evenly matched, maybe surprising Blackstarr a bit. With victory uncertain, she teleports away.

With the battle over, Supergirl slips back into her Linda attire and meets back up with Phil. He seems quite worried with Linda's disappearance. He was truly scared.

As usual, Infantino and Oknser make Linda quite lovely here. Too bad Phil is such a drip.

Back at her apartment building, Linda is struck by something surprising. In a family photo in Mrs. Berkowitz's apartment, Linda sees that Mrs. Berkowitz's daughter, presumed dead in the camps, is actually Blackstarr.

The math doesn't add up. Blackstarr is too young to be Rachael. But this is a DC world with magic, Phantom Zones, and aliens. So nothing is impossible.

Now this does have a bit of the serendipity of Bronze Age comics. Imagine that Linda's landlady is the mother of the villain! Crazy coincidence!

Upset at her defeat, Blackstarr arrives at her political party's headquarters and is quite miffed at her stalemate with Supergirl.

She demands that her ground troops go out and be violent in the name of their party. And these guys know how to follow orders.

This is how riots start.

Once again, we get a quiet scene with Phil and Linda. She looks quite fetching in a black shirt with an open white blouse over it. But how she can be so smitten with a guy who is dodgy and never around is beyond me.

But forget all that, how could I not include this panel with Linda getting some love and licks from Streaky!!

Blackstarr's men hear the word and go out ready to fulfill her mission.

The first act? To light a synagogue on fire.

Supergirl springs into action to save this rabbi who does everything in his power to save the most precious symbols of their faith from the place.

Again, putting things on this sort of personal level helps humanize this issue and also helps drive home the point. This is how comics can teach.

The fire brings out the fight again. Once more, Blackstarr comes out to fight Supergirl. The battle unfolds as before but this time Blackstarr seems to have the upper hand.

And then we learn how. She has solved Einstein's unsolvable Unified Field Theory. She understands how the universe works. And she can control it.

By battering Supergirl with zones of high and low gravity, she tries to tear the Maid of Might apart. And it looks like it just might work!

Great coloring here.

But then, a new wrinkle.

And I think this is pretty brilliant by Kupperberg. Blackstarr is distracted by the sudden appearance of Mrs. Berkowitz, her mother!

Suddenly the big story of super-powered gods fighting is interwoven with the personal story we have been seeing. We can see how prejudice impacts all levels of society.

How will it end??

I said last review that I learned a lot about what being a hero means from Supergirl. Seeing her here, so committed to her fight against Blackstarr, so adamant in her fight against racism, taught me a ton as a kid.

This series definitely cemented my love of Supergirl. And kudos to Kupperberg for continuing to layer in continuity into the book. Streaky!!!

Incredible.

Overall grade: B

Posted in: Reviews