Like the previous issue of Supergirl, this one is kind of a one-off story. Most of the issue is Supergirl hanging out with Superman, her Kryptonian Cousin.
Written by Steve Orlando, Supergirl 8 shows the Kryptonian Cousins doing a variety of things. They fight a magically based supervillain, Emerald Empress, one of the few things that they’re just as venerable to as normal humans. The fight scene maybe a bit too quick, but it shows Supergirl thinking on her feet, and there’s a strong hint that the Empress might return sooner rather than later. They also take a tour through National City, hang out with Clark’s family and play catch all the way from Earth to the Moon. You know, like typical cousins spending a day together, just with all the powers of Superman involved.
There’s not too much to talk about specifically, besides the writing behind the story. Their dialogue is well-written, highlighting differences between Superman’s more natural speaking and Supergirl’s use of language, showing how she’s still adjusting to life on Earth. The quick scene with Supergirl talking with Jon Kent is cute, with Superman’s son asking somewhat silly questions about life on Krypton. The scenes with just the cousins are a bit more dramatic to help balance the comic out. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this issue also touches on several major story arcs. One is the recent crossover between Superman and Action Comics, where it explains what happened a bit better than the main crossover. It’s still a little vague as to how things might change for Superman, and I’m not quite sure why it’s necessary to mention it here. This issue ends by teasing the next story arc, which will also feature Batgirl.
The art by Matias Bergara is good. It’s mostly a cute, somewhat cartoony look, which fits the comic’s mood perfectly. By far the most detailed portion of this comic is the fight scene with Emerald Empress. There’s magical energy flying around, vehicles being blown over, and an engine torn out of its truck complete with all its different parts and cables hanging off of it. Backgrounds, and sometimes the foreground, are often used to help set the scene. There’s one page taking place in National City where a family in the foreground is enjoying a picnic, both kids wearing Supergirl logo shirts. It’s a nice moment that’s also touched on in the dialogue. When Clark’s family shows up, it shows Superman cooking meat with his heat vision and rushing all around to chop vegetables, also a fun little touch. My only complaint, and this is minor, is that this comic might have gone a little overboard with the smiling. I know the characters are having fun, and there are other looks that show concern, reflection and sadness, but there are times when characters are smiling when perhaps a determined or curious look would work better. Michael Atiyeh’s colouring is bright and well varied.
Overall, this is an enjoyable comic. There aren’t enough issues that show Superman and Supergirl just hanging around. Usually it’s a crossover instead, and sometimes they’ve even fought each other during such crossovers. I’m not sure if this is a good jumping on point, unless you’re a Superman fan who’s curious about his teenaged Kryptonian cousin, but those who enjoy the TV series will probably enjoy this series. It strikes a good balance between borrowing elements of the TV series while remaining faithful to Kara Zor-L’s comic origin.
7/10
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