"Hope, Help and Compassion for All"

What does Supergirl stand for?

Sterling Gates story, across a six-issue mini-series focuses on the life and adventures of Kara as Supergirl. Defining moments. Facet attempted to define her as a judge, following in the footsteps of her birth-mother Alura. Stripping away the life and relationships she had developed over her time on Earth, in order to be a guard and judge of the criminals of Fort Rozz. Facet engineered the efforts of Rampage, Vril Dox and Psi in a confused devotion to Alura. It was her desire to retrain Kara.

Kara and Alex manage to calm Rampage, dampen Vril Dox - with some help from Director Henshaw - and finally perform last rights and burial for Psi.

Supergirl manages to brace herself and prepare for a final conflict with Facet. Gates manages to wrap things up on a high note with art by Emma Vieceli, colors by Sandra Molina, lettering by Saida Temofonte under a truly super cover by Cat Staggs.

Gates defines the conclusion of the series that Supergirl stands for "hope, help and compassion for all."

The Adventures of Supergirl 6 wraps with five stars. 

Alura Dearest... The Adventures of Supergirl 5 Review

Facet sends Kara to her mother Alura for answers. The mystery of why Supergirl and her associates have been targeted by Rampage, Vril Dox and Psi. Kara and Alex head back to DEO headquarters to interrogate the AI version of Alura. What challenges credibility is that Supergirl - along with Superman - would arrive on Earth with some sort of accompanying program from their parents. It's a convenient trope. A little too convenient. The Superman Family seems overwhelmingly burdened by the past.

Another troubling aspect is Alura's ethics and morality. It's one thing to face a generation gap, and another thing to see a parent as basically evil, unethical and immoral. Kara comes to a point where she questions Alura's sense of right and wrong.

The first half of the issue "Who is Facet?" features art by cover artist Cat Stagg and comes close to the look of the live action series. "Pieces" with art by Emma Vieceli retreats back to the standard comic book style.

Vril manages to commandeer DEO headquarters! Rampage is free and on the loose! The cliffhanger finds Facet at Eliza Danvers' front door!

Sterling Gates' story leans on a couple of troubling tropes. Yes, it's true that the past stays with us. It's never really gone. It catches up to us, haunts us and sometimes traumatizes us. Too often that's somewhat overwhelming. Your mileage may vary on that.

DC seems to be leaning more into digital first, splitting an issue in half for online chapters. It's particularly noticeable here, as the art is so different from one chapter to the next.

The Adventures of Supergirl 5 earns two stars.

I Hate a Mystery! The Adventures of Supergirl 4 Review!

Previously, when Kara encountered Psi in a dream-state, the disembodied figure planted a seed sending The Girl of Steel to the Fort Rozz crash site in the desert. Kara believes that she and sister Alex are there to collect Psi's physical form - her body - from the crash site and re-bury it so she can finally be at peace. In reality, the sisters encounter Kryptonian robots. They discover that Facet, one of Fort Rozz's guards has been watching Kara from afar.

Now, Facet is ready to complete Supergirl's training so she can become one of Krypton's Finest.

Meanwhile, Vril Dox monitors the DEO agents that are supposed to be monitoring him.

Sterling Gates deepens the mystery. Gates reveals that Kara is not so much a fan of mysteries as Clark is. Carmen Carnera and Sandra Molina handle the imagery.

Red Tornado is once again mentioned.

Facet tells Kara to ask her mother for more answers. That's where the trail leads...

The Adventures of Supergirl 4, "Sistery Mystery (Reprise)" and "our Backs to the Wall" earns three stars.  

Super Strength and Super Intelligent! The Adventures of Supergirl 3 Review

Kara confronts Vril Dox in his cell at DEO headquarters. He responds by taking control of the DEO agents beside her and turning them into zombies. She "wakes" from that nightmare and is confronted by another - the destruction of DEO headquarters and Director Henshaw and her sister Alex transformed into zombies! Through one alternate reality after another, Kara fights a "never-ending battle", nearly reaching the one controlling her dream. Finally, through determination and persistence, she confronts her tormenter: the disembodied Psi! Who was used as a tool at Fort Rozz to keep all the alien super-criminals calm and under control.

Psi developed a bond with Rampage and her sister. Her actions are in retaliation to what Alex Danvers did to Rampage's sister.

Sterling Gates once again provides enjoyable storytelling under a Cat Staggs psychedelic cover. Emanuela Luppachino and Ray McCarthy handle the trippy dreamscape, with Hi-Fi colors and Saida Temofonte providing characters an individual voice through lettering.

There are references to instances of the CBS live action series. Red Tornado is name-dropped. It may not be essential; however, it may be helpful to follow the series to appreciate the companion comic.

Overall, Adventures of Supergirl earns three stars.     

Not Just a Pretty Face! The Adventures of Supergirl 2 Review

After stopping a hold-up at her favorite newsstand, Supergirl races to work at Catco Worldwide Media, where a National City Police SWAT team is arresting Winn Schott as a terrorist! He's accused of bombing Leesburg, VA!

Kara and Jimmy Olsen start digging into Winn's computer. In addition to domestic terrorism, Winn is accused of "Doxxing", dumping personal information openly on the internet. The duo come across the real culprit - VRIL; Virtual Remote Integration Logistics. otherwise known as Vril Dox!

Supergirl races to rescue Winn. He leads her to a super-hacker, who manages to correct most of the damage Vril has done. However, Kara has left Jimmy vulnerable. Together, they have to rescue Jimmy and disconnect Vril!

"The Strange Case of the Smiling Computer" shows Kara's super-smarts along with invulnerability and super-strength. Kudos to Sterling Gates.

Cat Staggs provides another awesome Melissa Benoist cover. Jonboy Meyers handles the art on Chapter Four, with Pop Mahan on Chapter Five, "Attack Edge", with colorist John Rauch and letterer Saida Temofonte. Although the series ties into the live action CBS Supergirl series, the comic art bears no likeness resemblance. Which is somewhat odd. Maybe an oversight, or a conscious choice. Who knows.

Vril Dox poses a major threat here, a definite challenge to The Lady of Steel.

Adventures of Supergirl 2 earns three stars.  

 
 

As Seen On TV! The Adventures of Supergirl 1 Review

Rocketing from the flatscreen on your living room wall back into four-color print, The Maid of Steel! The Adventures of Supergirl with an awesome photo realistic cover by Cat Staggs! Melissa Benoist in mid-flight!

Disclaimer: I believe I've seen a handful of Season One episodes of Supergirl. It's set on an alternate Earth in the Arrowverse. I enjoyed what I saw and thought I would pick up the companion comic book, as I did with the '90's The Flash and Smallville.

This is definitely a different version of Kara. She seems quite fun and light-hearted.

"This Is My Life" opens with a slugfest between Supergirl and Rampage at a National City Sharks game. Sterling Gates manages to provide a brief and brisk recap of Kara's origin from Krypton to Earth. While Gates' story is all super-hero fare, the core is sisterhood. Rampage's relationship with her sister compared with Kara and Alex's relationship.

Bengal's art is all comic book. The characters from the CBS series are the same, however there is really no attempt to use the live action likenesses. It's an interesting direction to go in. 

What makes the issue enjoyable is the story has heart. Kara develops sympathy for Rampage as an individual, not just an alien adversary. Gates' take on the character provides some redeeming qualities.

The Adventures of Supergirl, "Based on the Hit CBS Series" earns three stars.

The Girl of Steel! Action Comics 252 Facsimile Reprint Review!

 

In December 2025, DC Comics reprinted Action Comics 252, May 1959, featuring the first appearance of Supergirl and Metallo! The issue was previously reprinted at the turn of the century as a Millenium Edition issue.

The classic issue features an equally classic cover: Supergirl zooming out of her Kryptonian rocket announcing to Superman and the world who and what she is! Definitely a memorable cover by the legendary Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.

Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino present the debut of Metallo! He's murderous reporter, John Corbin! And, apparently, a reckless driver! Taking a curve to sharp, he flips his car! If not for Professor Vale passing by driven by his housekeeper Edith, Metallo might never have come to be! Humanitarian Vale saves Corbin and continues his treacherous ways. His new metal body requires a Uranium or Kryptonite heart to power him! Coincidentally, he's also a near identical twin to The Man of Steel! Only the fickle finger of fate is able to stop him!

Bernstein and Howard Sherman present another Congo Bill/Congorilla adventure! Congorilla must rescue Bill, the Comandant and his troops at an oasis commandeered by highwaymen bent on pathway piracy!

Finally, Otto Binder and Al Plastino introduce The Maid of Might, "The Supergirl from Krypton"! The story hinges heavily on coincidence and serendipity. It's all very convenient and somewhat predictable. The nitpick I have with this is that DC Comics decided to kill off the Kents. Granted, Supergirl gets her own, individual area. Yet, had the Kents lived, Supergirl could have lived and gone to school in Smallville. Maybe that would have been even more redundant, but it would have avoided what might be considered "super-dickery": Superman shunting his cousin off to an orphanage in Midvale far away from Smallville. It just seems more complicated than less, especially for the newest addition to The Superman Family. Yes, it would have seemed creepy for Superman to have his young "cousin" living with him in Metropolis. Maybe it would have been too revealing to have another superhuman alien in Smallville. Is that where they grow them?

For what it is, Action Comics 252, featuring the famous first appearances of Supergirl and Metallo is fine. It could have been more or better. It is what it is for the time.

Action Comics 252 earns two stars.     

    

CBS And Super-Heroes

Variety us reporting that CBS is developing DC Comics' The Secret Six for live action. (You can click Secret Six to learn more about the origin and history of the team.)

That's awesome!

The first thing that popped up into mind was, Remember that one time CBS aired Supergirl before it went over to the CW? Ha!

There's two things I like about this story. First is that it's a DC Comics property. Let's set aside as painfully obvious that Warner Bros./DC Comics have absolutely no blueprint, map or plan in bringing their characters to live action. Their stated plan is to do the exact opposite of whatever Marvel is doing. This goes back to 2008, when Marvel rolled out the first Iron Man film; and, as time went on, released information that everything was connecting and connected in a larger Cinematic Universe. Your mileage may vary; but, it has been brilliant, and enjoyable. Each film over the last ten years has built to the next to where we are now on the precipice of Captain Marvel and Avengers 4! DC, doing the exact opposite could work. Unfortunately, DC has seperated most of their properties into television and film universes. Now there's possibly an even bigger splinter between the CW's Arrowverse, the streaming Titans, and now CBS' Secret Six. Grant Gustin should have been The Flash in the Justice League film. #CyborgIsATitan. Instead of the Justice League film we got, we should have gotten Starro as a villain or an adaptation of JLA: Liberty and Justice.

But, like I said, let's set that aside. We could argue all day. Let's just agree to disagree.

The second thing I find interesting is that CBS is developing a DC Comics live action super-hero series.

Being a geezer, I remember when The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond from The Sound of Music was on CBS. There were only three major networks at the time. The series looked nothing like the late '60's cartoon or the comic book. It lasted thirteen episodes over two seasons. Take as long as you need with that. Most series have a season of twenty-two episodes. CBS aired thirteen episodes from '77 to '79. CBS aired two Captain America television films and a Dr. Strange television film. The network picked up Wonder Woman for two seasons after ABC cancelled the series. To be fair, Wonder Woman, a DC character, was set during World War II; and, like most of the super-hero shows on at the time not named Batman, looked nothing like the comic book inspiration. Even contemporized on CBS, it still looked nothing like the comic book. And it was still a DC Comics character (rimshot! "Hiyo!")

The most successful super-hero series on CBS was The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Like The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hulk looked nothing like the comic book or cartoon series before it. Kenneth Johnson said on The Incredible Hulk Season One box set that he had just finished reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, and based the series on the chase between Javert and Veljean. It looked more like an updating of David Janssen's The Fugitive, with Gerard chasing Dr. Richard Kimble. The Hulk lasted eighty-two episodes across five seasons. NBC aired the three reunion television films in the early '90's.

So, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Secret Six. Will it look like the comic book? Which iteration will it be?

The ultimate question is this: How long will it last on CBS before it A) Goes to the DC streaming service; or, 2) merges with the CW Arrowverse.

Honestly, since Supergirl started on CBS and then moved to the CW, I am surprised that CBS is developing another comic book series.