Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3 – Tom King, Writer; Bilquis Evely, Artist; Matheus Lopes, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: When this series was first announced, I think many people assumed it would be closer to King’s mainstream work. That was incorrect—despite the brighter art, this is a series very much in the vein of King’s grittier work, featuring a Supergirl who is hardened by the trauma she’s suffered but is no less heroic. When this issue starts, Kara and Ruthye find themselves in a mysterious little town that has a bit of the aesthetic of 1950s Americana. There were reports that Krem, the killer of Ruthye’s father, passed through the town. But as they try to get information, they’re stymied at every turn. Not just that, but every time they ask too many questions, they’re met with belligerence and find more and more cracks around the town’s surface. Why did the town inn have two color-coded listings, but only one’s been used for a long time? Why have signs in the town been painted over? There’s a sense of foreboding over the whole town.
And it’s only getting worse from there. Each interaction gets tenser than the last, and the two soon find themselves isolated. A brutal attack on their hotel room proves just how far their enemies are willing to go to protect their secret, and also gives a great demonstration of what it’s like to actually be under the protection of a Super. Brilliant visuals, all building to an absolutely brutal last act that reveals the truth behind the town’s secrets and the bloody secret lurking on the outside. I’ve read a lot of Supergirl comics over the years, and few have been as good as this one. The events that go on here could easily fit into another character’s story, but the youth of the two main characters and the way it affects them on a more personal level really sell the events here. We’re almost halfway through Kara and Ruthye’s story, and this could easily become one of the best Super-family stories in recent memory.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
