Supergirl: Being Super #1 Review

Zit Juice

Written by: Mariko Tamaki
Art by: Joёlle Jones, Sandu Florea, Kelly Fitzpatrick and Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: December 28, 2016

I love Supergirl and I can never get enough of her!  So, this is a great time to be a fan since after a overlong drought, we are getting Supergirl in spades.  When this comic was announced, I got so excited and grabbed it to review immediatley.  So, did my enthusiasm pay off with a great book to review?  Let's find out...


The issue begins with a very quick origin.  I mean QUICK.  We see Kara's ship crashing to Earth and then head off to the scary world that is...High School!  Yep, this issue really is more about Kara than Supergirl and I'd love to say that is it's strength, but it isn't really the case here.

I guess that is a bit of a misnomer.  If you are looking for a book that has more of an indie feel about a girl finding her place in life that is devoid (for the most part) of capes and cowls, then this may be your cup of tea.

We are quickly introduced to Kara and her friends, Dolly and Jen, and Mariko Tamaki does a really good job of making them feel "real" through their dialogue and interactions.  This really is a book about teen girls and Tamaki let's you know it.  We also get introduced to the Danvers and again, they are well fleshed out characters even in such a very limited space.

Amongst these introductions are Kara's big problems...a zit and some ominous dreams.  The zit part was just gross and the dreams should come into play before the series is done.  However, those things are kind of pushed aside to show us Kara's kick ass friends throwing her a 16th birthday party and the big track meet.  That's where we end the issue and as these things usually go, the cliffhanger involves a lot of people in peril.

I kind of glossed over a few things...Kara's hands start glowing at one point and the track coach made all the girls put heart monitors on, but these are left dangling so that Tamaki can set the tone for the series.  The tone...girl before hero.

I hate when I see a reviewer say, "this book just isn't for me", but I'm going to have to use it here.  I already told you that I love Supergirl, but this is such an odd title to score, let alone recommend.  I don't mind seeing Kara out of the Supergirl costume, but nothing really goes on in this issue.  That is magnified by the fact that it's twice the size of a normal issue and costs $5.99.  I am still keeping an open mind that Tamaki will make things right, but right now I am not so sure.

Joelle Jones' art is the highlight here, but even that is a bit inconsistent.  Overall, though, it is a good looking book with some really nice looking big panel pages.

Bits and Pieces:

If you are looking for a Supergirl book with a more indie feel to it, your search may be over.  Mariko Tamaki gives readers a very grounded look at Supergirl with some fully fleshed out characters.  However, the story as it is presented here is paper thin and nothing really makes me want or need to come back for more.

6.0/10