The preview for December’s Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade has been getting a lot of overwhelmingly positive reaction around various blogs.
Anj of Supergirl Comic Box Commentary is very excited:
I have been excited about this comic since first hearing about it. Written by Landry Walker and drawn by Eric Jones, it should be a great comic for tweeners. And, of course, it will introduce the character of Supergirl to a new generation of devotees.
We have already learned that in this comic her secret identity will be Linda Lee. We already have heard that Streaky will show up. I think I read that Comet the Super-horse may also appear. And now that dialogue has been added to the preview, a reporter asks her if she is Superman’s emergency secret weapon. All of that harkens back to a simpler time, a more innocent time for Kara.
Randy of Comic Pants is also looking forward to it because it is looking forward to it (if with some pessimism):
The book that DC has to offer this month that I’m most excited about is: A) Totally not aimed at me and B) All but guaranteed to tank in the direct market. But Landry Walker and Eric Jones have done some great stuff in the indie comics world (I was a fan of their X-Ray Comics, other’s probably know them better from Little Gloomy) and the concept here, an eighth grade, fun, non-cheesecake take on Supergirl, is such a no-brainer that it’s the complete opposite of everything the comics industry has ever done with the character. My 5-year-old daughter is looking forward to this one. And that makes me happy. A Supergirl comic for young girls? It’s just crazy enough to work!
While livejournalist gdwessel’s reaction is short and sweet:
You mean, DC is actually going to put out a Supergirl book I can, like, show my daughter without feeling embarrassed?
So what do you think?
October 19th, 2008 at 3:02 am
This is not a statement about this particular comic, which may be excellent, but about the context in which it appears:
What does it say about the editorial outlook at DC that Supergirl and Mary Marvel can be fun and idealistic and heroic so long as they’re twelve years old…but if the exact same characters are just a few years older, they only get to be ineffectual and neurotic or highly sexualized bad girls in fetish gear?
I’m just wondering, that’s all.
October 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
RAB, I think the problem is that the character portrayed in Jonny DC is not something a 15 year old reader wants to read about. Thats not to say they can’t make supergirl optimistic and heroic in her own main book but 15 year old girls and even younger don’t want to read a character that is a)subservient to her older cousin b) portrayed as weak in comparison c) gets lectured by authority and if we go too deep into the silver age for material that is what we are going to get.
I think we should look at stuff teens like such as Harry Potter and Twilight more than the history of the DCU. Supergirl for 15 year olds shouldn’t be sunshine and roses like the cosmic adventures. Most wouldn’t accept that. The two examples I gave are sometimes horrific, they are romantic and they are ‘the otherworldly in the world’ and they allow your teen fan fic writer to go crazy.
As for gdwessel, there is nothing in Supergirl that you wouldn’t want your daughter to be. Maybe you don’t want her fashion sense imprinted on your child and thats fine but Kara is brave and strong. She learns from her mistakes and moves on. She’s a pretty damn good role model flaws and all.
October 19th, 2008 at 11:56 am
RAB, Mary Marvel is a sexualized bad girl in fetish gear because she’s been corrupted by the Darkseid, the god of gorram evil. Spider-Man 3 (in which “evil” Peter Parker is merely emo) this is not.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Logic would follow that if it’s a book about an eighth grader, with a younger tone, it’d appeal to elementary school kids and younger, not other eighth grade girls…for younger kids who can’t wait till their “old” and in junior high.
Minx was supposed to be for the eighth grade girls. Kids want things that seem older, so this does have an audience, just not an eighth grade one.
October 19th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
@jedidotflow
I laughed at the visual of an evil PP looking much like Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes, lol…which he kinda did in the movie.
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