Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16

Extended Summary and Review

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16
Rating: 3.5

Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Barry Kitson
Inker: Mick Gray
Publisher: DC

Synopsis: The initial scene has the LSH apprehending a criminal in a fun manner. Think of beach volleyball. Since they are teenagers with various super powers, this could happen. Then one of the residents of the area acts like a wiener and confronts the group of LSH, thereby causing a loud raucous that have the rest of the residents go outside. A brief verbal dialogue between the residents and the LSH results in the superheroes leaving the old people. Albeit not before Ultra Boy obnoxiously suggesting the new LSH Headquarters be built in that residential area so that the complaining old people can hang out with them more often. By old, the comic book shows civilians in their 30s and 40s.

The scene then shifts to Earth. United Planet Headquarters to be more precise. Ambassador Arden lets Lightning Lad know of an Unidentified Celestial Object (U.C.O.) heading towards Earth. They have been monitoring this UCO for the last three days. The UCO barely missed Neptune, but caused severe damage in Neptune on its near miss. Here's the best part, there's less than four light hours before the UCO hits Earth. An advanced tachyon image shows that the UCO is an "S" inside a triangle with the probable size of a human being.

The scene goes to Science Police Station in Metropolis. The criminal, a Jardonian terrorist impersonating an S.P. (Science Police) crashes into the lobby area. Ultra Boy did not know his own strength. The SPs told the LSH to get lost and they'll take care of the criminal. The LSH fly off but not before Chameleon Boy addressing his concern about something strange about the SP's defensiveness towards the LSH.

The next scene is at the Legion Plaza where construction of the new LSH headquarters is taking place. You have Cosmic Boy and Colossal Boy are having a discussion on LSH leadership, while moving oversized construction pieces of the headquarters. There are nice bits of information in the dialogue between the two. We learn from Cosmic Boy that there is 127,000 members of the Legion of Super Heroes, and that he suggest holding an open election for a new leader citing it is the fairest and most democratic way of giving everyone a voice. Of course Colossal Boy counters that no one is looking to replace Cosmic Boy as leader of the LSH. At the same time Colossal Boy thinks very little good results of a solution to something that is not a problem. Just leave it as status quo. They are interrupted by Light Lass communicating a "situation" and for Cosmic Boy to assemble a team ASAP.

An assembly of nine LSH are in Earth's space. Each LSH has a thin force field around them. And according to Light Lass's short talk with Karate Kid, the flight ring will protect the wearer from the vacuum and cold. The team was expecting a humanoid to encounter. Instead, they are surprised to see a gigantic UCO hurtling towards them. There was confusion on the team's part, but Cosmic Boy just ordered to attack. Cosmic Boy tries to break down the hurtling object by using his power over magnetism. Star Boy and Light Lass tear part of the UCO. Ultra Boy pours in the flash vision. Element Lad tries to turn as many parts of the UCO to gas as he touches those parts. Lightning Lad has sheared off half of the ports side. Karate Kid is well, karate chopping parts of the UCO. Chameleon Boy has turned to a yellow horned bird-faced thing and munching on some parts. But they cannot stop the UCO. Needless to say, the UCO flies past them. Colossal Boy is the last resort. Now think of Bill Goldberg of WCW and WWE fame "spearing" a jabroni. In this case, Colossal Boy was the jabroni, and he hurt his shoulder and there was damage done to his LSH flight ring. The thing is speeding and crashing in a couple of seconds to Earth. Metropolis to be exact.

Another problem arises as Colossal Boy is affected by the vacuum and coldness of space due to his damaged flight ring. Element Lad could not fix Colossal Boy's flight ring in time due to the complex alloy, it will take too much time. Colossal Boy suddenly disappears. Traces of something Blue, red, and yellow-orange streaks by so fast only a comic book reader could see it.

The scene is now on Metropolis and the populace panic. It seems two missiles are heading towards them, one big and another smaller one. Colossal Boy materializes out of nowhere in Metropolis by the people who are panicking. Or so it seems, there's that blue, red, and yellow-orange streak again. The people focus on Colossal Boy, then simultaneously everyone looks up. And you can almost picture it in different scenarios … look in the sky … it's

And a great splash page Supergirl destroys the missile with a punch. And the missile splinters into pieces and cause a visual fireworks display. The people rejoice. Supergirl lands and the people cheer. Then the LSH appears in the horizon and lands by Supergirl. Cosmic Boy talks to Supergirl. And the people are cheering. Then some start to get annoyed. And then there's arguments among people that this was staged by the LSH. It seems in the 31st century Earth, the Legion of Super Heroes aren't the most popular group around. Cosmic Boy asks Supergirl if she is indeed the genuine article. She whisks him away to a top of an infrastructure of a building. Supergirl confirms to Cosmic Boy that she is indeed the real deal. But she adds that she he is not. The LSH does not exist, she is merely dreaming them.

Comments: There are 32 pages in this comic book excluding the cover and back pages of course. Ten pages are ads. The most distracting ad is on page 27 which is a Batman: Secrets splash page ad penciled by that book's illustrator, Sam Kieth. If you really want to spoil a reading experience that was it. The page before had Supergirl just saving Metropolis and its citizens and having a dialogue with Cosmic Boy inquiring where she is. The art by Barry Kitson is a nice dynamic art and smooth. And you turn the page to follow the story, and you get the rough demonic art with Batman strangling and preparing to overhand power-punch a bloodied and laughing Joker. So you go from ice cream to sour grapes. It turns off the eye candy image inside the reader's mind. Therefore this distraction can make the reader somewhat let down from the good mood that was happening before. There's nothing wrong with ads, just bunch them up together at the last 10 pages of the comic book. That way reading experience from the audience can fully absorb the material with no distraction. The way these ads were systematically placed is like watching a really great movie in network television, and being distracted and annoyed by the abundance of commercial throughout the movie. You do not concentrate on all the parts. You kind of walk away a little annoyed.

Mark Waid wrote a good piece here. It's not really as good as it could have been. The first five pages could have been shortened to one page or two. I know that Mark probably wanted to convey a mood that Metropolis is against the LSH. But that could've been limited to a brief page or so, and then use up the remaining 3 to 4 pages on interaction amongst the LSH. Or better yet, those 3 to 4 pages could have been used to extend the scene in the United Planet HQ to show the gravity of the situation. That one page where a glowing fiery-like UCO could have been shown multiple angles and then a splash page with eye candy from Kitson on some destruction instead of a near miss off-Neptune. It could have brought it over the top with a sort of impending doom. It could have increased the tension and make the reader eager for more.

At the same time, this ensemble group of nine LSH could not stop a speeding meteor. This reminds me of the time a jabroni jobber in the WWF days would take on and get crushed by a name superstar WWF heel on network television. Or better yet three jabronis would take on Andre the Giant and he crushes them. This is not the best way to show the Legion of Super-Heroes to a new reader. It shows they are lacking the firepower to meet a take care of a threat of unearthly proportion. I kind of wished that perhaps the LSH could have somehow really slowed down the threat. Okay they did slow it down somewhat. What I meant was if only the threat did not go past them. It's like they were still in front of the threat and not handling it from the side or from behind it. It would make the reader care more for these characters. Reckless endangerment of their self to save the people. Instead of being a jabroni and taking on the problem from the side or behind. Even though Colossal Boy looked like he was the recipient of a concussion-causing tackle, he was in front of the problem and took the brunt. You kind of care for him, because he even suffered a near fatal experience with his flight ring being damaged.

Enough negatives. On to what was good about the book. Kitson shows that Supergirl is The Franchise Player of this comic book and group. She is the only superhero with a Splash Page. At the same time he draws Supergirl as the only female in the whole comic book who actually seems and feels to be flying and moving. Her hair is the only one that is waving through every movement. Supergirl comes out alive. All the females civilian and superhero alike either have short hair or hair that is in place. My guess is in the 31st century, all the girls use industrial strength gel or hairspray. Supergirl's face has that girl next door feeling. It's definitely not a type that rhymes with witch. Kitson draws Kara with an engaging look. It's not like a look that conveys a pushing-away look. It's an inviting look that wants to propel the reader to lean closer and find out more. On page 29, the bottom left panel has Cos asking Supergirl if she is the genuine article, and Kara looking at the reader with a slight grin as if she is saying "Duh!" and about to do something mischievous at the same time. And she whisks Cosmic Boy away. And once again Kitson gives Kara the main event status as she flies and all faces in the area look up.

I like the way Mark Waid would throw bits of information about the LSH through various interaction amongst its members. I never knew that their number reached six figures. It's epic in scale if you really think about it. No matter where there is a problem, there will be a Legionnaire around to save the day. The scene in space where Karate Kid was assured by Light Lass that Karate Kid's flight ring would protect him from the space elements. And he in turn asked Lass who was the first to test the flight ring's protection in space. What made the scene funny was the combination interaction and Kitson's drawing of a serious look on Karate Kid's face. The ending was a feel good ending. You expected Supergirl to save the day. After all her introduction had to deal with something of an impending doom kind of magnitude. The prevailing attitude of the time was conveyed well.

Final Words: I have just read an occasional LSH story or comic book here and there. And perhaps that is why I call Cos, Cosmic Boy, and not Cosmic Kid. This is 1001 years later from the beginning of the 52 series. It's not too bad. You get a heroic and cool Supergirl to join a group of LSH and see how they would mesh together. At the same time, seeing Supergirl only interact with Cosmic Boy and the look he got from the rest of the group of LSH foreshadows that perhaps she's not wholly accepted by the group. See the frowns on two or three LSH members towards her. All in all a good starting point for new readers.