Back to basics for the Girl of Steel.
Of the many aspects to DC’s Rebirth, finding the right balance between continuities has thus far proved the trickiest. While some titles have more or less hit the ground running with little to no backtracking, others are forced to clean up their collective pieces before the real story can begin. Supergirl Rebirth falls into that second category. As a result the debut from Steve Orlando and Emanuela Lupacchino is an overstuffed affair, though by issue’s end there’s enough of a clear direction to get fans excited for the further adventures of the Girl of Steel.
Given Kara Zor-El’s somewhat rocky New 52 tenure, Orlando had a fair amount of cleanup going into this new series. And to his credit, this first issue manages to ease into most of those past beats, such as Kara being without her powers, without overloading the read with exposition. That said, the issue has a fair amount of ground to cover, and new readers may have trouble keeping up with the sheer amount of specific information. Beyond that, Orlando also has to set up the ongoing tone of the read, establishing Kara’s new civilian identity, her relationship with her “parents”, and her role as a member of the Department of Extranormal Operations. Add in the serendipitous return of a Kryptonian werewolf, the rebirth of Kara’s Super-powers and a good amount of parental innuendo, and you get a read that’s bursting with content, sometimes to its detriment.
Where the debut does succeed, however, is Orlando’s handle on Kara herself. With so much going on we don’t get the deepest of dives into her personality, but the traits presented here fall well in line with her traditional character values. This proves especially important, as with Superman out of the picture, Orlando’s Supergirl must rise to the ideals he once instilled. And so far she’s off to a good start – she’s confident, empathetic and, most notably, fun, carrying a noticeable lightness that many will likely attribute to the similar representation of her live action counterpart. She’s not fully formed yet, but the pieces we see here are definitely promising.
Also promising, if tease-worthy, is the book’s art. Lupacchino isn’t the primary series artist – Brian Ching takes over in September - but she nonetheless acquits herself well to the subject matter. The book’s constant momentum plays well to Lupacchino’s similarly energetic flair, her action beats kinetic in their detailing. This is especially apparent through her use of double page spreads. No moment in the book captures the sheer joy of the character such like the return of Kara’s powers, the heroine blasting out of the sun in a wonderfully classic new suit. It’s a bit of a shame we won’t get to see more of Lupacchino’s Supergirl in the future, but she succeeds in getting this new direction off to a strong visual start.
Supergirl Rebirth has its fair share of issues, from an overstuffed bit of setup to a strong learning curve. Nevertheless, it succeeds on its primary goal—getting readers excited for things to come. Steve Orlando and Emanuela Lupacchino bring a much needed sense of energy and personality to the Girl of Steel’s new direction, something that will hopefully remain intact by the time her official #1 hits the rack next month.
The Verdict
Supergirl: Rebirth is a stage-setting affair, tying up loose ends even as it introduces new ones. Steve Orlando’s script has a few too many moving parts, but it also provides plenty to look forward to with some well placed setup and strong initial character. We won’t know till September just how well this new look will hold up, but early indications point to a promising return for Kara Zor-El.
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