Supergirl #34 Review and *SPOILERS*

It Was a Set-Up!

Written By: Marc Andreyko
Art By: Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, FCO Plascencia
Letters By: Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 18, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Supergirl has been in crossover hell for the better part of this year and even though we are going to be coming out of the Leviathan Rising one-shot, we are finally going to be going forward with a stand alone Supergirl story. At least, that seems to be the intent at this time. Marc Andreyko was really doing a great job with the space adventure story arc before it got interrupted and hurried along by the crossover. So, the idea of Marc Andreyko getting to work on his own once again is a welcome idea. Hopefully, this new start will bring us the quality storytelling that we’ve been missing in this book. Let’s just jump into it and see where it takes us.

Our issue begins in the Bermuda Triangle where Brainiac-1 is meeting with Lex Luthor. Luthor gives Brainiac-1 away into the Fortress of Solitude. He wants Brainiac-1 to take all of the information hidden inside and use to become the one true Brainiac. After he arrives at the Fortress and is able to enter without issue, Brainiac-1 begins to agree with Luthor’s plan. We cut to Supergirl who is wondering about Leviathan after the events of Leviathan Rising. She and Krypto then take to the skies. Some passersby get excited to see Supergirl return and one by the name of Ben Rubel tries to get her attention but she flies past. We see a missing poster for Kara Danvers before returning to Brainiac-1. He finally accesses the computers inside and with all the new information he’s gathered, he fully buys into what Lex Luthor was talking about and declares himself to be Brainiac.

We cut to a Black Site where Supergirl meets up with Dr. Veritas. Veritas informs Supergirl that people in her business all seem to have a target on them these days thanks to Leviathan. Kara tells her that she’s there to deal with Leviathan since they were responsible for Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers disappearing. Veritas was responsible for making Eliza’s cybernetic hand and so she was looking to track it. Veritas tries to give an excuse but Supergirl knows that she is lying and calls her on it. Veritas caves and uses her computer to pinpoint the location. She finds her somewhere in Pennsylvania and her tone changes when she reveals where the location is at. She is at the Allegeny County Medical Examiner’s Office. On location, Kara waits for the medical examiner to leave before she locates Eliza’s location. She opens a body bag to find a dead body with Eliza’s cybernetic hand being kept with it.

Kara mourns Eliza as she remembers a fond memory of the two of them in a kitchen. The moment is over quickly though as three men ambush her. They reveal themselves as part of Leviathan and Kara uses her x-ray vision in order to locate Krypto who has been netted. She quickly runs through the three men and frees Krypto before turning her attention back to the men. As she does though, the men each reveal batons glowing green with Kryptonite. The three try to capture Kara but she fights back with what energy she is able to muster. Just before being overpowered though, she is saved by a man in a mask, who blows a hole in one of her attackers. The attacker's bodies get teleported away and she turns her attention to the new man in a mask. Just before the meeting turns confrontational, the man removes his mask and reveals that it is none other than Jeremiah Danvers. This is where the issue leaves us.

This issue is not very exciting. There’s really two parts of this issue that are dragging it down. First off, the issue is coming out of the Leviathan Rising one-shot which if the readers didn’t read, they might find a little confusing. The other part is the fact that this issue is all about setting up what’s to come in the future. Only occasionally is there an issue that is all about the set-up that really blows us away. It’s completely normal to be underwhelmed by the first issue of a new story. That being said, the first issue is incredibly important. If readers aren’t interested in the first issue, they may choose to tune out instead of continuing on with the story. This issue should have been a brand new jumping-on point. Supergirl is back on Earth. We basically have a blank slate and instead, we are leaning on the set up from Leviathan Rising. I’m honestly disappointed.

Bits and Pieces

While set up issues are only occasionally really exciting, this issue is a disappointment. Instead of using our blank slate to come up with something that will entice new readers who may be looking to jump on to this book, we lean too heavily on the events of the Leviathan Rising story and how that affects Supergirl going forward. Sure, the rest of this story may prove to be something we really enjoy, but it has stumbled out of the gate.

5.5/10