The first issue of Supergirl: Survive presents a powerful new take on the Girl of Steel. This new Elseworlds miniseries does not succeed because it radically changes the details of how Kara Zor-El becomes a hero. It works because it does something few other Superman comics have bothered to do regarding her character.
The story opens on Krypton, with the birth of Kal-El. The teenage Kara is fond of her infant cousin, but her focus is on her own problems. Chief among these is her crush on fellow student Ben-Lo, and her place on her school’s barrageball team. Compared to her daily dramas, the apparent unease in the government is a distant thing, even with daily atomic attack drills.
All of this is quickly forgotten, however, when the long-feared war led by General Zod finally erupts. Soon, Kara finds herself and her cousin stuffed into an experimental rocket bound for a strange world. However, things don’t go to plan. Instead of traveling to Earth, Kara is stranded on another world, with none of the powers associated with Supergirl.
Supergirl: Survive explores rarely examined side of Kara Zor-El
Supergirl: Survive introduces several major changes from the classic Superman origin. Chief among these is Krypton being destroyed by atomic war rather than natural disaster and the cousins sharing a spaceship. However, what truly makes this series interesting is how it handles the character of Kara Zor-El.
Most Supergirl origins barely touch upon Kara’s life on Krypton. Even Woman of Tomorrow, for all it did to examine Kara’s survivor’s guilt, didn’t really explore who she is outside of being a hero. In contrast, Survive starts out like a slice-of-life young adult novel, before shifting gears into a science-fiction disaster story. This makes Survive all the more powerful, as we get a true sense of scale regarding everything Kara loses.
The script by Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan does a fantastic job of subtly defining both the setting and this version of Supergirl. Superman purists may decry little touches like Kryptonian teens texting, the school’s active shooter drills, and Kara rolling her eyes when her parents ask how her day was. However, I personally thought these touches grounded the story and made Kara seem like a real teen, even as her family enacts a desperate plan to save their children.
The artwork by Rod Reis is similarly nuanced. Color plays an important role, with the bland neutral tones of Krypton being punctuated by the life breathed into the world by Kara and other spirited individuals. Light pencils and thin inks are combined with bright colors to forge a unique visual aesthetic throughout.
Supergirl: Survive #1 will be the perfect introduction to Kara Zor-El for young readers who want more after seeing the Supergirl movie. Conversely, it’s an interesting take on the classic origin for longtime Superman fans. Its only real flaw is taking the whole of this first issue to set up what DC Comics says will be a survival story. Time will tell how it reads as a whole novel, but this first chapter has me hooked.
Grade: 8/10
Supergirl: Survive #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
