Supergirl #21

I usually try to avoid jokes that everybody is going to make. But sometimes I can't help it because I'm still about 78% the person I was in elementary school. And being someone with a name that's easy to joke about as well, I should feel bad and stupid and unoriginal for pointing out that Dick Bonk is a funny name.

Last issue, Supergirl's Fortress of Sanctuary accused her of being a clone. In retaliation for the insult, she killed her home. Or thought she killed her home since her home housed a Brainiac AI unit and those things are really hard to kill. I don't know what happened to Simon Tycho the Jelly Man encased in crystal. He's probably safe and sound encased in crystal on the bottom of the ocean. I'm sure he'll be back. And Sanctuary will probably be back as well.

Kara is currently zipping through space on a space motorcycle built by Dr. Omnitruth. Since the Doctor couldn't cure Supergirl of her toxic Kryptonite poisoning, Kara decided to go on a space road death trip. On her ride, she encounters a gigantic city in space vomiting fireballs in all directions. Normally this would probably be the first picture I scan but it's a double page spread and I'd rather scan this panel:

Diogenes Neves captures the same adorableness with which Mahmud Asrar infused his Supergirl.

The style of Neves's panels and lines are quite different from Mahmud Asrar's. And even though I love Asrar's Supergirl work, I can't be too disappointed when someone like Neves is taking over the duties. I don't know for how long, of course. I never know anything like that! But for now, I can accept this change.

But before the reader can learn the secret of this multicultural city in space (Kara heard a bunch of cries for help in various languages), she has to go visit Siobhan the Silver Banshee two days earlier to say goodbye. Because Kara is dying from that Kryptonite poisoning I mentioned earlier!

Well, to be fair, it's very unlikely the crap is going to kill you. So Kryptonite poisoning still worse.

I don't think that's really Siobhan! Where's her accent?! Although if her super power is to speak any language fluently, then Michael Alan Nelson is finally writing her correctly by dropping the brogue from her speech.

So Siobhan yells at Supergirl for a bit to buck up because I'm sure Siobhan's feelings are a bit hurt that Supergirl hasn't stopped by just to say hi and Siobhan is dealing with a major apartment disaster and a dick for an upstairs neighbor. Besides, Supergirl never actually comes right out and tells Siobhan that she's dying. I'm pretty sure that would induce hugs instead of scoldings about self-pity. It would at least allow for a proper goodbye. But Kara doesn't know how to tell Siobhan, so their goodbye just leaves both of them feeling pretty crappy.

Siobhan with the best line all year. She must have improvised it because Supergirl had to cover her face and pretend to cry so we wouldn't see her laughing.

Back to the present, a couple of aliens are discussing how the big flaming city with cries of help is all just a ruse to lure Supergirl to them. They set up a scenario where a Crix is destroying the city. Apparently a Crix is a monstrous threat but not monstrous enough that Supergirl won't be able to handle it. After arriving and saving some civilians, Supergirl comes eyes to eye with the gigantic creature.

Wait. What?! Why now?! Supergirl finally finds herself in a situation where punching in the face seems pretty appropriate and she holds back? I guess I should admire the fact that she finally realized she had a problem with first impressions.

Needless to say although I'm saying it anyway unless I get completely distracted as to why the fuck that phrase even if exists? "Needless to say?" Every time somebody says "needless to say" they say whatever they were going to say anyway! Shouldn't people just say, "Needless to say." And then everyone around them nods their heads in silent agreement. So what I was going to say whether or not it needs to be said is this: The Crix punches Supergirl in the face.

It then tries to eat her which is the gravest mistake a gigantic something can do! In the first few months of DC's New 52, there was a rash of creatures making that mistake and swallowing protagonists whole, even when they have lots and lots of razor sharp teeth like this Crix has. But the giant monsters seemed to have learned their lesson. Until now.

Why do all of these creatures think putting a dangerous thing in their mouths is the smart thing to do? Didn't they learn any lessons as babies? Oh, this might be a robot so it's not at fault. It's the programmer's fault.

Afterword, one of the aliens comes out to talk with Supergirl. He explains how the entire city is made of a material that can restructure and reshape itself. It's called N-10nth Metal! That's like a bunch of times more powerful than Nth metal! These people, the I'noxians, travel around the universe building scale models of destroyed planets. But they arrived at Krypton too late to get any information about it. Instead, they just collected a bunch of rubble floating in Krypton's orbit. Part of that is a statue that Supergirl remembers of a hero named Val-Ro battling a creature called Dramonicus. Supergirl thinks about the unbroken statue and Delacore the I'noxian creates it. And then he turns himself into Val-Ro and brings Dramonicus to life.

So whatever these aliens actually want, they're using the knowledge of Supergirl's desperate belief in H'el to bring back Krypton to manipulate her.

And then the second alien introduces himself to Supergirl as Cyborg Superman! I don't really know what that means. But I don't think Cyborg Superman is a shapechanging I'noxian. I'm sure he has some connection to Krypton which is why he needs Supergirl and he needs the N-10nth Metal for some nefarious purpose.

Supergirl #21 Rating: +3 Ranking. This comic book has always been far lower in the Rankings than I've been comfortable with. I actually like it a lot but it was too slow paced with the majority of each book being fight scenes. But the character and the plots I generally really liked. Now with Michaels Alan Nelson at the helm, the pacing is much, much better. And I'm still enjoying all the other aspects as well!