Supergirl #1

[history79]

Comments

[trooper924]

That splash panel looks like they're trying to punch each other's boobs.

[locuatico]

A really inneficient tactic, I must say, since everyone knows that boobs in superhero comics are actually water balloons artist glue into the female characters chest...

[thatnickguy]

"You punched me in the boob! Prepare to die, OBVIOUSLY!"
-Roxy Richter, Scott Pilgrim vs the World

[lucean]

I do appreciate how cool afterwards JSA is with Power Girl just going berserk, causing massive destruction and trying to actively kill someone she just met. I mean Mr. Terrific had an explanation and all, so why take any precautions on the subject outside of stating that Supergirl and PG shouldn't physically touch each other anymore.

[goattoucher]

I intensely dislike that new supergirl was portrayed as being more powerful than PG. PG is much more experienced and more muscular, compared to the downright waifish SG, so why make SG stronger and all around more powerful?

I have never heard a satisfying answer to this other than a vain "Because... reasons..."

[onsokumaru]

Better solar absorption?
I mean, they are strong to a point where muscles don't mean anything.

[goattoucher]

I have heard this argument before, and then someone else pointed out that Non, who is larger than Kal-El, is considerably stronger.

If they wanted to make a point about SG's physical superiority, they could have at least shown PG as the better fighter due to training and experience.

They did not. They did not seem interested in exploring the concept other than to reveal that SG was more powerful than PG.

[pantswilder]

Also, why would their muscle size not matter? Their powers come from the comic-science of their cells being super charged by yellow sun light. Bigger muscles mean way more cells to be powered up.

Sure some versions of super strength are not necessarily tied to physiology (like Juggernaut's which comes from his magic armor, or green lantern's which is really just ring-tk), but the Kryptonians' version is pretty clearly tied to it*.

*Unless you buy the theory that their power is really subconscious telekinesis to explain how they can pick up cruise ships and the like without them breaking in the middle.

[locuatico]

Theory: It is canon (at least in this era of DC) that Kryptonite from the main Earth doesn't work on kryptonians from others Earths becase............................. anyways, maybe something similar happens with yellow sun radiation, only not to the same extreme? PG doesn't absorb it as quick as eaither SG or Supes?

[goattoucher]

You and I could come up with a number of interesting answers to the question, I am sure, as could DC writers, if they cared to bother. They did not appear to. They never seemed interested in explaining -why- SG is more powerful than PG. They just wanted to establish that she was, in fact, more powerful, and then move on.

[locuatico]

Yes. the doylist answer is that the writers do not actually care and, as Kurt Busiek once famously said, all fights are fixed.

But there is a reason why people enjoy looking for watsonian answers as well.

[jlbarnett]

unfortunately writers don't seem to enjoy writing them

[goattoucher]

I would have preferred the writers provide an answer themselves. The comparative power levels were clearly important to them. I just would have liked to have seen them explored.

Really, the idea of telling the story of a primary universe SG without involving PG seems like a missed opportunity. It just seems like they were on such a big "Trinity" kick that they only wanted to involve the big three in SGs story.

I have never heard the doylist/watsonist comparison to literary criticism before, and I think it is a wonderful concept, so thank you for that. I suppose I just would have rather had Watson say something on the subject rather than inventing what he might have said, had he bothered. It seems such a glaring commission that it does draw the eye upward to the Writers' Realm.

[q99]

Iirc they later said that Supergirl, unlike Superman, hasn't learned to hold back. That should apply here too- it's a teen throwing more into each punch vs an adult used to pulling.

And I think in another fairly-early story, they have the two together and Power Girl comes across as overall the better fighter.

[pantswilder]

That would work well as an excuse, as it would explain why when PG loses control she is suddenly stronger than SG.

[thezmage]

Well, PG is from pre-crisis Earth 2, and Kryptonians from pre-crisis Earth 2 were inherently weaker than Earth 1 Kryptonians. Since they were getting back into the multiverse game, it seems like a reasonable choice.

[bruinsfan]

Was this before or after Infinite Crisis? If before, Power Girl's powers had been significantly diminished when the Gray Man almost killed her back in '89, and only slowly built back up to full New Earth Kryptonian levels over the following years.

If after, I've got nuthin'. Contact with the original Earth-2 Superman and Lois Lane in Infinite Crisis supposedly restored her Pre-Crisis memories and stabilized the weird hiccuppy thing going on with her multiple retconned origins and powers. By all rights, from that point onward she should have had the powers of a Pre-Crisis Earth-2 Kryptonian, which should have been considerably more than that of New Earth's Superman and Supergirl.

[q99]

I'm pretty sure before, or maybe even in the lead-up too.

Also it soon gets established that Kara just isn't holding back as much as Kal- and presumably Karen- do.

[onsokumaru]

Every time I see this level of fan service with this kind or art, I weep at the thought of what could have been and will never be: the same fan service, but with Caselli, Schitti, or basically any italian artist.

[goattoucher]

To be honest, I don't think that this is particularly good fanservice. The proportions are -way- off (SUPER-TORSO, and look at how long SG's arm is in the second panel, first scan), and the non-breast (and PGs biceps) portions of the female bodies are very same-y.

I see what you mean about fanservice from Italian erotic artists, but remember the Manara Spider-Woman? It went over like a lead balloon.

[kd_the_movie]

Ah, Super-Torso. Now theres a name i haven't heard in awhile.

[ozaline]

While I have been more charitable yo Loeb then others here, this is just blah.

[wizardru]

Were they holding a contest to see whether the poor writing or poor art could be more distracting due to their lack of quality? Because I think it's a draw, here.

All I hear in my head is "TIT PUNCH!"

Also, the thing that immediately stands out for me is how Kara is immediately certain that Power Girl shouldn't be that strong...how would she know? She's met her for about two minutes and they never talked (nor did this 'crossing wires' nonsense happen there). This is...just so bad.

[beyondthefringe]

I found myself unpleasantly distracted by how... nipply Supergirl is on that first scan. Remember, she's a 16-year-old girl. No matter how tight the costume, we don't need her to be that pointy.
Sigh.
And the ass shot on Power Girl later on...