
Mild Mannered Reviews - Supergirl Comics

Supergirl #15
Scheduled to arrive in stores: March 21, 2007Cover date: May 2007
Writer: Joe Kelly
Penciller: Ian Churchill
Inker: Norm Rapmund
"Love The Ones We Hurt"
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Bridges
Supergirl and Powerboy, oooh, kiss kiss in the sky outside Boomer's hospital window. Powerboy talks about how it's his mission in life to help Kara, who wants to go see Boomer now that he's awake, which makes Powerboy spout red electricity (and really, why wouldn't it?) and sends Kara crashing into Boomer's hospital room. Powerboy drags her off and beats her up some because Kara won't listen to him. Powerboy, you see, harnesses emotions and turns them into... red electricity (and really, why not?).
Then the thorny-shouldered woman who hired the League of Assassins from last issue is sitting around a pool in the middle of Stonehenge, talking to some... blob in a pool of water. Then Faust appears for no given reason and asks if the thorny-shouldered woman is the one who wants to go to hell. Uh... 'kay.
Then Powerboy's got Kara on a bed of rose petals in front of his WALL O' KARA and in "strength dampeners"... which Kara annihilates in seconds (tip: get a new strength inhibitor, Powerboy, because yours... aren't). Powerboy relates how he's from Apokolips and "felt" Kara when she was there and she was so beautiful, blah blah blah he had to come to Earth to be with her and he only hits her because he loves her, baby. She trashes his... airplane hangar in the desert (siiigh) and he ends up out in space with a Father Box, and Kara instantly shows up and Super-knees him to the groin. She crushes the Father Box and it starts glowing and Powerboy begs her to throw it into the sun, and she does, but before it gets there it... explodes? Maybe.
Story - 3: Powerboy harnesses emotions and turns them into red electricity. Kara's been swooning over him for several issues now. Nothing from that? Really? Nothing from the people trying to kill her? Ain't that strange. It's almost like they just made up the power when they got to this issue.
Ha ha. Don't be silly. That could never have happened.
Ahem.
Boomer was horribly wounded and has feelings for Kara, and then she makes out with another guy while Boomer's trying to recover from being attacked by people who wanted to kill... Kara. My dear Kara, you get classier and classier by the moment. Have you not a single ounce of yourself that isn't completely self-centered?
What became of Cassandra Cain? Supergirl's spiky spine (I am so depressed that I just wrote that line...) stabbed her and left her in a puddle of blood, and then they DON'T TELL US IF SHE SURVIVED? Of course, she's a fairly major character in the DCU so I don't expect she's dead, but my concern here is nor for Miss Cain. It's for what Kara did to her. Figuring no one expects Cassandra Cain is really dead does not give the book license to simply ignore this MAJOR STORY POINT and not only not tell us if Kara has killed or not, but not even have Kara WONDER if she's killed her or not. She doesn't think about it? Talk about it? OR EVEN MENTION IT?
Is that A LOT OF CAPITAL LETTERS?
Maybe, then, my anger comes across.
This issue served mostly as an "abusive boyfriends are jerks!" parable, and while that is true enough, it was done in such a base manner that it felt like reading an issue the point of which was to tell me the sky was blue. Really? You don't say.
Thanks for the help. Never would have guessed.
Powerboy is devoid of any character or personality, which may be part of the point, but at this moment in time I really don't feel I can give Kelly that kind of credit as his track record on this book has been what I would say is "not filled with win".
I was going to give this issue a two, but then I realized... hey, no lame, repetitive, redundant, reiterative, repeating, pleonastic, prolix flashbacks. See what I did there? I'm clever, I tell you.
Anyway, those have become so despised in my mind that the mere lack of them warranted a rating boost of one point.
Next issue promises to reveal all about Kara's past... yeah, and I've got a choice presidential suite on the moon to sell you. Regardless, if it ends the flashbacks permanently, I'm all for it.
Art - 3: I believe this is Churchill's last book. Considering the second page of this book was a full-page splash of Supergirl and Powerboy kissing in four different stages, I say that can't come too soon.
The art on this book has been as repetitive and monotonous as the flashbacks and... well, that says a lot, I think.
Bring on someone... else.
Cover Art - 3: Well. Um.
The tattered cape and the coloring are cool.
But the day when Powerboy warrants a solo cover of any book is a sad day in the DCU as far as I'm concerned.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2007
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2007
- Action Comics #845
- Superman #658
- Superman/Batman #31
- Superman Confidential #1
- Supergirl #12
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #24
- 52: Week 26
- 52: Week 27
- 52: Week 28
- 52: Week 29
- 52: Week 30
- Justice League of America #4
- JLA Classified #29
- Justice League Unlimited #27
- Krypto The Superdog #3
- Action Comics #846
- Superman #659
- Superman/Batman #32
- Superman Confidential #2
- Supergirl #13
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #25
- 52: Week 31
- 52: Week 32
- 52: Week 33
- 52: Week 34
- Justice League of America #5
- JLA Classified #30
- Infinite Holiday Special #1
- Justice #9
- Justice Society of America #1
- Justice League Unlimited #28
- Krypto The Superdog #4
- Superman #660
- Superman/Batman #33
- Superman Confidential #3
- All Star Superman #6
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #26
- 52: Week 35
- 52: Week 36
- 52: Week 37
- 52: Week 38
- 52: Week 39
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #1
- JLA Classified #31
- JLA Classified #32
- JLA Classified #33
- Justice Society of America #2
- Justice League Unlimited #29
- Krypto The Superdog #5
- Action Comics #847
- Superman #661
- Action Comics Annual #10
- Superman Confidential #4
- Supergirl #14
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #27
- 52: Week 40
- 52: Week 41
- 52: Week 42
- 52: Week 43
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #2
- Justice League of America #6
- JLA Classified #34
- JLA Classified #35
- Justice #10
- Justice Society of America #3
- Justice League Unlimited #30
- Krypto The Superdog #6
- Action Comics #848
- Superman #662
- Superman/Batman #34
- Supergirl #15
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #28
- 52: Week 44
- 52: Week 45
- 52: Week 46
- 52: Week 47
- Justice League of America #7
- JLA Classified #36
- Justice Society of America #4
- Justice League Unlimited #31
- Superman Confidential #5
- All Star Superman #7
- Supergirl #16
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29
- 52: Week 48
- 52: Week 49
- 52: Week 50
- 52: Week 51
- World War III - Book One: A Call to Arms
- World War III - Book Two: The Valiant
- World War III - Book Three: Hell is for Heroes
- World War III - Book Four: United We Stand
- Justice League of America #8
- JLA Classified #37
- Justice #11
- Justice Society of America #5
- Justice League Unlimited #32
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #1
- Action Comics #849
- Action Comics #850
- Superman #663
- Superman/Batman #35
- Supergirl #17
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #30
- 52: Week 52
- Countdown 51
- Countdown 50
- Countdown 49
- Countdown 48
- Justice League of America #9
- JLA Classified #38
- Justice Society of America #6
- Justice League Unlimited #33
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #2
- Action Comics #851
- Superman #664
- Superman/Batman #36
- Superman/Batman #37
- All Star Superman #8
- Supergirl #18
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31
- Countdown 47
- Countdown 46
- Countdown 45
- Countdown 44
- Justice League of America #10
- JLA Classified #39
- Justice #12
- Justice League Unlimited #34
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #3
- Action Comics #852
- Superman #665
- Superman/Batman #38
- Supergirl #19
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #32
- Countdown 43
- Countdown 42
- Countdown 41
- Countdown 40
- Justice League of America #11
- JLA Classified #40
- Justice Society of America #7
- Justice League Unlimited #35
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #4
- Action Comics #853
- Action Comics #854
- Action Comics #855
- Superman #666
- Superman/Batman #39
- Supergirl #20
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #33
- Countdown 39
- Countdown 38
- Countdown 37
- Countdown 36
- Countdown 35
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #1
- Justice League of America #12
- JLA Classified #41
- Justice Society of America #8
- Justice League Unlimited #36
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #5
- Action Comics #856
- Superman #667
- Superman/Batman #40
- Superman Confidential #6
- Supergirl #21
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34
- Countdown 34
- Countdown 33
- Countdown 32
- Countdown 31
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #2
- JLA Wedding Special #1
- Justice League of America #13
- JLA Classified #42
- JLA Classified #43
- JLA/Hitman #1
- Infinity Inc. #1
- Justice Society of America #9
- Justice League Unlimited #37
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #6
- Action Comics #857
- Action Comics #858
- Superman #668
- Superman #669
- Superman/Batman #41
- Superman Confidential #7
- Superman Confidential #8
- All Star Superman #9
- Supergirl #22
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #35
- Teen Titans #52
- Countdown 30
- Countdown 29
- Countdown 28
- Countdown 27
- Countdown 26
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #3
- Justice League of America #14
- JLA Classified #44
- JLA Classified #45
- JLA/Hitman #2
- Infinity Inc. #2
- Justice Society of America #10
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Cyborg Superman #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Superman Prime #1
- Infinite Halloween Special #1
- Justice League Unlimited #38
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #7
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2007.