Up in the Sky! It's a Bait! It's a Switch!
Written by: Tom King
Art by: Bilquis Evely
Colors by: Matheus Lopes
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover price: $4.99
Cover art by: Bilquis Evely, Matheus Lopes
Release date: February 15, 2022
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 ends the grand experiment by Ruthye confronting Krem with an opportunity to avenge her father's murder. Will she take the irreversible step?
Was It Good?
What the $%^& is wrong with Tom King? Truly, I'm asking a serious question. What the $%^& is wrong with Tom King?
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 ends this bizarre amalgam of Supergirl lore and True Grit by getting back to the odd statement made in the very first issue. "Supergirl kills Krem" is what Ruthye said. But does she? Does Supergirl violate the famous "no killing" rule that's so codified in the Super-family?
The answer is yes and no and not exactly but also kind of.
This is a stunning-looking series. All props go to Evely and Lopes for crafting a masterfully poignant, rich, gorgeous work of art on every page. Regardless of what you think of this story, it's beautifully presented. There's not much to critique about the art because it's just... that... good.
Now, as for the story. [SPOILERS AHEAD]
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Yes, Krem dies at the end (maybe) but not how you think. After a duel of sorts with Ruthye, she finds she can't outright kill him. In a shared moment of acceptance (or is it catharsis), Supergirl and Ruthye decide killing won't make things right, so they decide to imprison Krem in the Phantom Zone.
...for 300 years.
When he gets out, he's a changed man. Old and withered, he's had more than enough time to reflect, repent, and become a better man by accepting the error of this ways. When his time is up, and we see Ruthye (now a very older woman) and Supergirl standing in a field to release him from his imprisonment, the final moments are revealed.
Ruthye bludgeons him, possibly to death, where he stands without Supergirl lifting a finger to stop her. Ruthye explains in her narration that she wrote a book about her adventures and told the world Supergirl killed Krem on that beach so long ago. But now, we're left with the same question we always seem to have at the end of every Tom King series these days - What was the point?
Is the point to say that it's okay to portray Supergirl as a murderer to the world when it's not true? Is the point to say that life in prison, after you've already taken off most of the criminal's hand with a sword, is not enough? What is the point, and what the $%^& is wrong with Tom King that he can't get a clear point across without using pain and misery to do it?
Bits and Pieces
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 ends the latest Tom King experiment with a bait-and-switch ending, misery, suffering, and lies. Of course, this is a Tom King series, so it's to be expected. That said, the art is exquisite, and if nothing else, you'll be happy with the visuals.
6.5/10
Ruthye doesn't kill Krem. She hits him in the head with her kane and shows that she hasn't forgiven him even if she is no longer seeking vengeance. In each of the three panels after Krem is hit you see his arm move.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you got that wrong. What he asks for, after pondering his life and what he has done to others, for forgiveness and she rejects him. He is not worthy of her forgiveness for what he has done. I can see why you thought the way you did. What you're reading in the yellow text is what Ruthyie wrote so that the brigands would leave her alone and blame Supergirl. But Ruthyie and Supergirl do not kill him. Ruthyie beats him and leaves him with his guilt and shame for what he has done. But he's alive.
ReplyDeleteI find it deeply troubling by how Tom King's values come from a corrupted intelligence organization that have abandoned any concepts of values of human life and dignity. That he would then be put in such a position in DC Comics. Question. If this were not the USA, but it were Russia, or CCP, or (fill-in-the-blank), if a former member of the Russian FGS/KGB intelligence organization retired, and then got involved in writing comics on costumed heroes to affect human values, how would the world react?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the world would care since it's not like comic books are that important. And DC just sees someone whose books sell and who is prolific. They also have an active duty soldier writing Superman now. That doesn't seem to bother anyone, either.
DeleteIn King's case, though, I think it's not that he worked for the CIA but that he came home broken and isn't getting the care he needs. His comics seems to be instead of therapy for his PTSD.
These comments here are wild. Krem didn't die and it's clear. 🧐
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