Precinct1313’s Comic-Book Classics: Supergirl: Being Super

Let’s be honest, origin tales have been spectacularly overused in both the comic-book scene and their spin-off movie counterparts. How many times do we honestly need to witness a baby Superman being catastrophically hurled via an escape pod from the fulminating planet of Krypton, or Batman losing his parents to the smoking gun barrel of villainous Joe Chill… these characters are now so iconic that virtually everyone, comic book fan or not, is overtly familiar with their raison d’etre.

With all that said, you may be feeling slightly bemused that I’m recommending a series that dynamically delves into the past of Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, but there is a very good reason behind that… this series is fantastic. As a matter of fact it’s not only one of the greatest Supergirl comics to have ever been released, but one of the greatest comic-book series ever published… period!

Kara has in recent years found herself back in mainstream public consciousness thanks mainly to the extremely successful CW television show, and also the really rather rousing Steve Orlando – Supergirl Rebirth comic book run, plus the hotly anticipated James Gunn announced feature film – Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, based upon the superb series by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, it seems Superman’s Kryptonian cousin is finally receiving the attention she deserves. 

Which brings us to one of Kara’s more recent triumphs, the superlative – Supergirl: Being Super – the Mariko Tamaki penned opus that transcends previous Kara Danvers origins by offering us a fresh take that focuses more upon her relationships, trials and tribulations of everyday life as a teenager growing up in a small american town. It’s definitely a slower burn as a comic book, less super heroics but more angst, sass and quirky dialogue as we follow Kara in an exceptionally engaging and fantastically well written coming of age story

If you approach this series with atypical expectations of vile villains, super speed, and heat vision, you’re going to go away disappointed, this is a tale that spotlights the character behind the iconic “S” symbol and it’s all the better for it. An emotionally engaging script by Mariko Tamaki is ably backed up by the always stunning visuals of Joelle Jones, Supergirl: Being Super is a revelation in superhero storytelling, and one of the most definitive takes of the classic character to date, highly recommended.