Writer: Tom King
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Colors: Matheus Lopes
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Evely and Lopes
Tom King is one of the most interesting writers in comics today. Not necessarily due to the content of the art he produces, though there is certainly much to discuss on that front. It is the different ways the work is viewed that is most fascinating.
Unlike Grant Morrison or Jonathon Hickman, who can also be
quite divisive, detractors do not need to admit King and his partners are trying
something new and creative. Because they are not. Emphasizing the man over the bat
in Batman was not a new idea, but it was the central tenet of the his time with
the character. Heroes in Crisis was nominally about superheroes dealing
with trauma, arguably the driving force behind cape comics as a whole. This is
the story of King’s work.
Similarly, Kara struggling under the weight of expectation
is nothing new, though it is presented in a borderline out of character fashion
in this issue. She has gone to planet with a red sun to drink and wallow in her
sorrow as a way to celebrate her 21st birthday. When the girl from True
Grit—in the former of new character Ruthye—arrives, Kara refuses to help
her find her father’s killer. By the final page, she can no longer refuse the
role of Rooster Cogburn as said killer has absconded with her spacecraft.
It is a truly strange position in which to place Kara
Zor-El. Depressed, traumatized, or under the crushing weight of expectation are
not new feelings to her. What differentiates her from John Constantine is she
is a hero based in compassion and love all the way through. There should be no
doubt she would assist Ruthye in tracking her while convincing her revenge is
not the correct path. Instead, this issue states in no uncertain terms Kara
will kill this man. Though knowing King, it’s a lie or there is a loophole in
the phrasing.
The other important factor is King often works with top
talent in the other disciplines. From Mikel Janin and Jeremy Cox to Gabriel
Hernandez Walta to Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey. That continues to be true on Supergirl
as Evely and Lopes put on a clinic.
The art here manages to mix westerns, classic sword and sorcery comics, and the best of mainstream superhero art. The sweeping vistas that fill early pages are particularly impressive in their ability to draw genuine emotion despite the obscene amount of clunky narration. Looking at this comic is delightful and a reason to consider picking up the next issue.
Overall, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 is more
mediocre than bad or disappointing. Everything in all King’s other projects are
here: a sad protagonist, a secondary character awkwardly narrating from a
future perspective, the unnecessary
death of beloved characters—this time it’s Krypto—and an issue carried by the
art team. There are seven remaining issues to correct the issues present here. Hopefully
it happens and a classic Supergirl story is born.
No comments:
Post a Comment