Supergirl: Survive #1 – Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Writers; Rod Reis, Artist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: DC is reviving Elseworlds in a big way lately, and right on the heels of Superman: Father of Tomorrow last week, we’ve got another unique take on the end of Krypton. One of the big butterfly effects of the DCU is that Kara Zor-El was initially sent to Earth at the same time as baby Kal-El, with the intention of her looking after him. Of course, she arrived decades later. But in this story, we see it unfold as it was supposed to – at least at first. Most of this first issue focuses on Kara in the dying days of Krypton. She first meets her baby cousin as her father and uncle argue about Krypton’s future in the background, and she attends school as the growing sense of apocalypse builds around her. Strange earthquakes force frequent “Atom Drills” in school while she and her classmates plan for school dances, the government kills protesters, and a demagogue named Zod seeks power.
Then, one night, Kara is woken up by her parents and rushed into a room where the rocket is waiting. Jor-El shows up with his toddler son in tow, and in a blindingly-fast series of pages, Kara’s whole future is decided for her. This issue does an amazing job of capturing Kara’s genuine fear and naivete as the future she had laid out for herself is upended by a series of choices made by adults long before she was born. Suddenly, she’s not just a refugee – she’s forced into parenthood long before her time. But then, the story takes a turn, as she and her young charge don’t make it to Earth. They land somewhere else, somewhere hostile, as their journey through the cosmos begins. This is obviously a big summer for Supergirl, with a graphic novel, an acclaimed ongoing series, a hardcover anthology, and this series. And based on this first issue, it’s an excellent start to another great evergreen Supergirl tale.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
