Supergirl: Being Super #2 Review

Something's in My Eye

Written by: Mariko Tamaki
Art by: Joelle Jones, Kelly Fitzpatrick and Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: February 22, 2017

Okay, I admit that I was planning on laying low and skipping this title.  However, our "review everything" policy along with the accolades from the Get Fresh Crew (whoop whoop) made me think twice about being lazy and here I am, putting my review hat on later in the week than usual.  Some of you might know that Supergirl is one of my favorite characters, but after the first issue of Being Super, I kind of wrote it off and filed in in the "not for me" cabinet.  Now that I've read this issue, do I realize that I was a bit too hasty in my decision or am I going to seek out the GFC and take revenge on each and every one of them?  Let's find out...


The issue opens with the continuation of last issue's cliffhanger...an earthquake (?) has ripped Midvale in two, including the school track where Kara and her friends were.  Alright, this is the point in any book with "Super" in the title for the lead character to run up to the camera and yell, "This is a job for (insert name here)" and save the day, right?  Boy do I wish!

Nope, Mariko Tamaki goes for the jugular right away by showing us that Kara's heart might be giving a 110%. but her powers just can't keep pace.  I know that is a bit of a spoiler, but I won't tell you anymore of what happened except it's a defining moment in a young (super) girls life and Tamaki shows that the weight of it is not something you can just punch and make it better.  That's good because Supergirl was never really about that, but she also usually can save the day...or a friend.  Especially a friend.

It's not just Kara who is feeling the aftereffects of it all either, it's the whole town including Kara's parents.  Her father tries to make things a little better, but this is definitely something that Kara has to work through herself.  We see her and Dolly start their healing together, but after a jog, we see there is so much more to go.

Then we get to Jen's funeral and when her little sister got up to talk, I realized that I wasn't ready to let Jen go either.  Yep, it's true.  I was suddenly wishing a character from an issue that I wrote off would come back NOW!  I will also admit that my vision got a little blurry, but I swear they weren't tears...I swear!

Continuing on, we get one of the best explanations of blossoming super powers through a little girls eyes and an almost silent explanation of the bond and rift between her and her dad because of them.  It's one of those scenes that make you like both characters even more even as you feel bad for them and also want to slap them and make them talk more to each other.  To take a phrase from the Reviewers 101 handbook...it's a roller coaster ride of emotions.

If all of this wasn't enough, Kara then meets Dolly at the Burger Shack for what appears to be a feast for an army, but in the end it's just the two of them talking, laughing and yes, still hurting over the loss of their best friend.  I wasn't crying again (I swear!) when they hugged goodnight and went on their way, but I was starting to wonder about the track coach.  Earlier she told Kara to call her if she needed anything which Kara thought was a little odd, but coupled with the tracking/stat bracelets she only gave Jen, Dolly and Kara, things are looking more and more suspicious.  Hmmm...Jen had one on and they never did recover her body.  Hmmm...

After yet another great and loving moment, this time with her mom, Kara has a dream that leads her to the barn, to her pod,  to her cape and maybe to some answers.  I hope so because as the issue ends, we see that there is more to all of this than just a girl growing up and dealing with the biggest tragedy of her life.  Outside forces people...outside forces.

Okay, I loved this issue.  There I said it and will fully defer any and all review drops to the Get Fresh Crew (whoop whoop).  Mariko Tamaki showed me that she can write a hell of a Supergirl book by putting the cape and costume on the back burner and show us a real girl with a real life and real problems I never want to have to deal with.  I mentioned it above, but I will again...these are things that most superhero books don't deal with and things that heat vision or being a great detective can't solve.  That's what makes it all that much more powerful and I can't wait to see more.

I haven't mentioned Joelle Jones and the art team on this book yet, but that isn't because this issue doesn't look awesome because it does. It's a bit more subtle here as there isn't much in terms of big, flashy scenes...just a young girl and her life.  That's where Jones impressed me the most because she lets the story do it's work while she makes it all look so good that it flows from scene to scene.  Excellent work here.

Bits and Pieces:

Mariko Tamaki has won me over with an issue that is more focused and emotional than what I'm used to reading lately.  Seeing Supergirl realize that superpowers are not always enough to save the day was heart breaking and I just wanted to be able to tell her everything will be alright even though I know that's not always how it works.  That's the point that Tamaki nails here...everything may not work itself out in the end, but there is always hope and isn't that what Supergirl is all about?  The story and art are top notch here and I recommend this issue to everyone, even those who wrote off the first issue like myself.  Again, the Get Fresh Crew were right!  Whoop Whoop!!!

9.5/10