Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Art By: Kevin Maguire, Sean Parsons, Chris Sotomayor
Letters By: Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 8, 2019
*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*
I really love this book but the last issue did make me take a pause for a moment. Don’t get me wrong, the book is still a ton of fun to read and I have been anxiously awaiting the new issue. That being said, the last issue really did turn the speed up to 11 and not in a good way. I think it was pretty clear that the book suddenly rushed through the story that was being told until we got to a point near the end. I’m not really sure why this is the way things went but I wasn’t a big fan of it. That being said, the last issue was still pretty dang good and I’m looking forward to seeing where this new issue takes us so how about we just jump right in and see where it takes us.
We begin our issue with Kara yelling at Zn’dr for betraying her. This was something that was kind of glossed over in the previous issue and I’m glad that Andreyko chose to return to it because it’s kind of a big deal. Zn’dr tries to explain himself but he keeps getting interrupted by an angry Kara and his mother who is putting fuel on the fire. Zn’dr finally gets to make his case and while it’s not a great explanation, Kara believes there is some truth to it. She freezes Zn’dr where he stands and tells him that she will deal with him afterward. She then turns her attention to Gandelo and the fight begins. Kara immediately has an advantage as her all-out assault seems to give her an edge over Gandelo. However, despite her assault and her confidence, she soon finds herself surrounded by a mass of crystals all controlled by Gandelo, taking away Kara’s advantage.
Krypto, who is guarding Zn’dr, watches from a distance. Zn’dr encourages him to go help Kara but he refuses to listen to him. However, Krypto can’t hide the worry on his face as he watches the battle from afar. We return to the fight but while Kara has escaped her initial predicament, the battle has turned in Gandelo’s favor. We learn more about Gandelo’s motives and it’s a good thing to note that we get fully fleshed out motives. While there are exceptions, good villains believe that they are in the right and that really shows in this scene. So kudos to Andreyko for that. Eventually, the thoughts of what Gandelo has done flood Kara’s mind and she is consumed by her anger. She slams the ground with enough force that Zn’dr (who is a safe distance from the battle) is shaken free from his icy restraints and he sends Krypto out to help Kara.
Back in the fight, Kara’s anger has awakened Zaar’s axe and she attacks Gandelo with it. She goes as far as to commit to killing Gandelo but just before she is able to strike a killing blow, Krypto stands in front of her, stopping her from making the kill. Kara realizes her mistake and throws away Zaar’s ax. She embraces Krypto and thanks to him for what he did. Gandelo then comes back with a final assault but Kara strikes the ground causing the magma underneath the surface to rise up and strike Gandelo. Kara freezes her until she can be taken to the proper authorities but before she can continue, Zaar’s axe begins to act strangely. Kara is taken away on a piece of rock as the axe flies with it into space, even creating an atmosphere for her. It takes her to an ongoing space battle where she meets up with none other than Superman and his son. This is where the issue leaves us.
Well, I think it is safe to say that we know why this book rushed things near the end of this story. It was all to prepare for an upcoming crossover with the Superman book. Now, don’t get me wrong, I tend to enjoy small crossovers but not at the expense of one’s story. Supergirl is one of the most consistent books in DC’s lineup but it took a quality dip just so the company could do another crossover. It’s very frustrating. That being said, while I am disappointed by that situation, this issue is really good. Lots of action as it is mostly a big fight scene but that scene has so much going on in it. We have the issues with Zn’dr, Gandelo’s motives being explored, Kara’s use of Zaar’s ax and her eventually overcoming her anger. For such a simple fight scene, it’s surprisingly deep. I also really enjoyed the art in this issue. Now, I’m not too keen on the upcoming issues that are going to crossover with Superman but this book rarely disappoints so I’m sure it will be able to change my mind when that time comes. Until then, this was a great issue and I cannot sing enough praises for this book.
Bits and Pieces:
This issue is basically just one long fight scene which normally, while exciting, doesn’t usually add very much to a story. Well, that is not the case with this issue. Among the exciting fight scenes, we also get really well-done storytelling by Andreyko. I’m honestly very impressed by it. Add that with this art team and you have one hell of an issue. There is one part that is a bit disappointing but that is a reflection on the comic industry and not a fault of this book at all.
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