Supergirl #21
DC Comics
Written by: Mark Andreyko
Art by: Kevin Maguire
Inks by: Sean Parsons
Colors by: Fco Plascencia
Following a battle with a monster who claims to be the killer of Krypton, the Girl of Steel sets herself upon a mission to uncover the truth and learn the reason behind the fate of her home planet. Steadfast in her resolve, Supergirl refuses to let anything or anyone stand in her way. We are treated to a handful of other name characters that Kara meets with in preparation for her fact-finding mission, including a very special travel companion towards the end of the issue. In addition the desire to look into Rogol Zaar’s claim to having destroyed Krypton, and if he truly did, why. Along with a determined mission and interactions with household name favorite characters, Kara introduces a few new gadgets to aid her in her intergalactic travels.
The story Andreyko paints for us throughout the issue is nothing short of phenomenal. With the ability to jump right into the story at this issue and know everything you need to in order to follow the story is a testament to a great writer. I thoroughly enjoy the iteration of Kara that Mark is bringing into the fold. A powerful mix of emotional and strong, mature but young and nostalgic. The dialogue exchange and interactions with the other characters gives Kara a foundation of a fully fleshed out personality and an established place within the DC Verse, which unfortunately has not always been the case with handlings of the character, so I’m very excited to see her treated properly.
The art providing the images to Andreyko’s story fits the bill perfectly. Managing to convey a great deal while not working towards being the hyper-detailed style aesthetic shows a real strong grasp of the character and her world. The colors are bright and vivid without leaning too much towards cartoony, a perfect level for a Super’s book. The looming unknown presence alluded to mid-way through the issue manages to establish a great deal of tension and worry despite the brighter color palate. I’m looking forward to seeing how the art style explores the inevitable more ominous or action riddled panels.
Supergirl #21 is a fantastic jumping off point for the Girl of Steel. It provides a well-paced and smartly told story, brought to life through vivid and well-coined art. The knowledge that this book is going to weave throughout other books while maintaining its own jam-packed storyline is a very intriguing detail that makes this book a sure bet for my pull list. If you’re a fan of the Kryptonian Heroes or just looking for a good title to add to your collection, I strongly recommend picking up Part One of the Killers of Krypton. Her cousin has 1,000 issues under his belt, it’s time that Supergirl gets a lot more love!