Supergirl Rebirth #1
Written by: Steve Orlando
Illustrator: Emanuela Lupacchino
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics
Review by Gregory Brothers

10-supergirlrebirth01bWith the introduction of the Rebirth line DC has had the chance to introduce and clear up some of the continuity issues that have plagued some of their characters over the years. One of those characters who have had several different origins is Supergirl, so giving her a rebirth comic allows for DC to not only clean up confusion as to which version of Supergirl is cannon, but also bring a character that is being featured in other medias such as TV to the forefront.

The way that this issue is handled makes Supergirl Rebirth #1 literally a rebirth for the character. Kara Zor-El has lost her powers and with no Superman alive in the DC Universe she feels that she needs to step forward and fill the void. Much like her cousin, Kara Zor-El’s powers are attached to the energy that comes from the Sun, so it is decided the best way to reboot her powers is to launce her into the energy source. I do not think it would be a spoiler to mention that this plan ends up being successful, otherwise this would have been one of the shortest relaunches of a comic of all time.

Besides giving Supergirl her powers back Supergirl Rebirth #1 also sets up the new status quos for the character going forward. Orlando introduces several elements from the TV show into the comic which will allow a good jumping on point for people who are familiar with that version of the character. The Department of Extra Normal Operations is one of those things that is brought over from the show and it is shown that moving forward Supergirl will be working with them to investigate and protect the world from threats. The use of Kara Danvers as Supergirls secret identity is also used again although there are some major changes within the rest of her secret life. Orlando does a great job making it obvious that although Supergirl might have the best intentions at heart not everyone in the DC universe is going to trust someone who shows up so soon after the death of Superman claiming they just want to help in his absence.

Lupacchino’s art really plays well to the action that is within the issue. The splash page of Supergirl emerging from the Sun is especially impressive with the classic suit and billowing cape behind her. While the panels are done in a traditional way having the action bleed over from one panel to another really adds to the fast paced action of the read. While I do not know if it was written in the script or just the way that Lupacchino drew it but there are a couple of scenes where Supergirl uses her cape as more of a weapon which is a unique use of something that you see on many superheroes. A couple of small issues that did stand out through reading that may need to be addressed later in some way. The first is that in several panels the sleeves on Supergirls suit are different, sometimes they just go up to her wrist while other times it seems to go around her hands. The bigger issue is that there are three main female characters in Supergirl Rebirth and all three of them have long blonde hair. While things like Supergirls suit helps her to stand out it can make it difficult to follow who is talking when the suit is not obvious.

Verdict:
Buy!
Supergirl Rebirth does what I think most of the rebirth line was designed to do and that is to take characters and make you care about them again by eliminating lots of the baggage that came along with them. Orlando takes parts of the TV show and ties them into the character so that it will provide some familiarity to new readers, but changes enough that it doesn’t feel as if it is just and extension of the show. By the end of Supergirl Rebirth #1 all the pieces are in place to build deeper and entertaining stories upon and could lead to a defining series for the character.

Gregory Brothers
greghbrothers@gmail.com
Ohio born and raised. Avid comicbook fan who is always trying to find time to get through my ever growing read pile. When not working on that I Teach, coach youth sports, and cheer on my hometown Cincinnati teams, and Buckeyes. Can also be heard talking comics and pop-culture on The Comics Agenda Podcast.

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