Mild Mannered Reviews - Supergirl Comics
Supergirl #47
Scheduled to arrive in stores: November 18, 2009
Cover date: January 2010
"Pain and Responsibility"
Writer: Sterling Gates
Penciller: Matt Camp
Inker: Matt Camp
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Bridges
Click to enlarge
Zor and Alura are talking on Old Krypton, before its destruction. Alura grapples with thinking love is only a chemical reaction in the brain and yet wanting it to be more.
In the present, Alura informs Reactron that tomorrow he will be tried and sentenced for his crimes against Kryptonians.
Tal-Ox and Dor-Ox visit Alura in her office, saying they know Reactron is on New Krypton and that he doesn't deserve a trial. Alura punches Tal-Ox and they leave, and Alura is worried someone will try to assassinate Reactron before his trial.
Alura dreams flashback to Old Krypton, Alura and Zor-El talk about getting married, and then of Reactron killing Zor-El.
Reactron has a hearing to determine his competency to stand trial, and his lawyer (a Kryptonian) says they have no right to try him, as he's from a different world he was forcibly removed by Kara and no extradition was granted. He also argues Reactron's not getting a fair trial, and just when Alura has heard enough, Tal-Ox and Dor-Ox and a host of other Kryptonian's break into the chamber and try to vaporize Reactron with heat vision.
Alura jumps in the way of the blast, and flashes back to when Superman was fighting Brainiac for their freedom. She wished Brainiac dead so that they could escape the bottle city, but Zor-El reminded her that they needed to be better than that.
Alura tries to stop the attack, but Reactron had burned through his shackles and vaporized a Kryptonian with a Red Sun gun and had to be stopped and Commander Gor killed him. All that remains of him is a shadow on the wall.
Alura visits Zor-El's grave and promises him not to forget the things he taught her. Then she says because of that she'll have to keep secret the fact that Reactron is NOT dead, and is instead going to be tortured by Commander Gor for information.
 Story - 4: This is pretty much, from start to finish, the best issue of "Supergirl" ever. Character, emotion, depth, action, plot movement... it had absolutely EVERYTHING I want out of a comic.
Except Supergirl.
Were this book called "Alura, Leader of New Krypton!" it would have been perfect. But as a book about SUPERGIRL, there is virtually no Supergirl to be had.
Again.
How many months has this been going on? This book is not "Supergirl's Mom!" or "Other People Who Are Not Supergirl!" This book is not just a random Kryptonian showcase to feature stories about ANY old Kryptonian, or the people involved with them.
Or maybe it is, and that's the problem.
Regardless, brilliant writing.
But not really about and only tangentially relating to Supergirl.
One day she might actually star in the stories in her own book.
One day.
 Art - 5: This is as perfect comic book art as I could ask for. I don't have a single complaint, and my list of kudos could be ten pages long.
Absolutely stunning.
Cover Art - 5: Very nicely done, very apropos to the issue at hand, and Kara actually looks her age for once.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2010
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
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