DC’s Supergirl Next Door #1 – CRC Payne, Dorado Quick, Nicole Maines, Nathan Fairbairn, Sarah Kuhn, Rosie Knight, Alex Galer, Dave Wielgosz, Writers; Paulina Ganucheau, Laura Braga, Sweeney Boo, Rafael Perez, Arielle Jovellanos, Michael Shelfer, Max Sarin, Dylan Dietrich/Wade Von Grawbadger, Artists; Kendall Goode, Pressy, Nathan Fairbairn, Olivia Pecini, Dan Brown, Ivan Plascencia, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: DC’s Valentine’s Day special brings us eight new stories of love and superhero chaos from top-tier creative teams. How do they shake up compared to previous years?
“A Dream of Different Stars” by Payne and Ganucheau kicks things off strong with a Supergirl story, focusing on a new character named Allen, a nerdy astronomy-obsessed Midvale High students. He doesn’t have any friends until one day he finds Linda Danvers stargazing on his roof. The two form a bond, and she confides in him about her dream of the stars her parents used to teach her about. Allen is a new character, I believe, but this was a more effective romantic setup than I’ve seen in a while and told a really touching story in less than ten pages.
“Running on Love” by Quick and Braga focuses on something that’s rare to see – a romance between older characters. Jay Garrick is facing off against Doctor Elemental, as his first nemesis seeks to steal his powers. But it’s Jay and Joan’s anniversary, and Jay will not be delayed. There are a series of great flashbacks to the long romance between one of DC’s first couples, incorporating the strange history of Judy Garrick into it, with a gut-punch of a last few pages that raise some questions about continuity. Fantastic characterization,though.
“Harlivy Rehabilitated” by Maines and Boo is another reinvention of the early Harley/Ivy relationship, but this one told entirely from Ivy’s perspective. It follows Ivy’s mindset in Arkham, at first completely dedicated to her belief that humans need to be wiped out. Harley’s constant questions drive her nuts at first, but she comes to appreciate her company in the cell next door – only to be enraged when Harley is returned beaten and injured by Joker. That motivates her to make the move they both need to begin their life together. Amazing creative team and one of the best explorations yet of a well-trod story.
“Guy Gardner: Lover” by Fairbairn and Perez takes Guy Gardner back to his 1990s-era characterization with some modern twists. He shows up at a bar, is oblivious enough to try to give a gay guy advice on how to pick up the ladies, and is revealed to have an alpha-male podcast with Booster Gold. He then gets pulled away for a superhero mission, and encounters a beautiful alien woman with a water-like body and untranslatable language, and tires to hit on her. It goes…badly. Funny, but a bit overly broad with a very unlikable take on Guy,
“Runaway Romantasy” by Kuhn and Jovellanos is a wild and wacky tale as a young Wonder Woman settles in after a day of crimefighting to read her favorite romantasy series, where the daring princess is torn between her handsome betrothed prince, the dastardly-but-redeemable sorcerer, and possibly her badass lady bodyguard? But when Diana finds herself pulled into the world of her favorite book with herself cast as the chosen one, it’s up to her to sort out this romantic quagmire. This was silly, but brilliantly executed with great art.
“So Long & Good Night” by Knight and Shelfer is a tale of the classic Alec Holland Swamp Thing, and finds him watching over a young Abigail Holland as she explores his twisted swamp for the first time. A sinister force is watching her as well, forcing him to intervene. It’s a great look back at the first time they met, although it’s very much set in an old Vertigo continuity that might not be too familiar to modern Swamp Thing fans. Also, I love the idea that these two share a love language – and it’s mushrooms.
“Like Home” by Haler and Sarin is a J’onn J’onnz story, and while there are some great stories in this, this has to be my favorite. It’s a love story, but a very different one – introducing us to the parental bond that J’onn formed with M’gann and showing us the early days of their bond for the first time. This story does an amazing job of exploring both their trauma and how they start to heal each other in only eight pages, and is probably the most story-packed installment in this book. Sarin is a brilliant cartoonist, and DC just needs to offer this creative team a Miss Martian book ASAP and let them go nuts.
“I Love You Too” by Wielgosz and Dietrich wraps things up with a Green Arrow and Black Canary story set during the early days of the Justice League. Ollie is back at base monitoring a mission when Dinah is seemingly overcome by her enemies. Ollie jumps into the portal and tears through an entire platoon of powered villains to get to her in an impressive display of agility – and of love. This is a great way to show how strong the bond between the two of them is, with a ton of action in the process.
Overall, this might be one of the best anthologies DC has put out in a very long time. Some incredibly strong stories here, with a few all-timers in the mix.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
