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Supergirl #80
After five pretty spectacular sooperhero comics, Peter David and Ed Benes bring this series to a close in a rather disappointing conclusion. The good stuff includes an absolutely perfect cover by John Romita Sr., Benes's appealing but not appalling cheescakey artwork, and the one very human condition Linda places on saving the universe in her deal with The Spectre.
Unfortunately, David's meta-commentary on the book's demise in the form The Fatalist's explanation for everything that's gone on these past few months falls seriously flat (unless, maybe, you've read all previous 79 issues -- and chances are pretty slim on that one), and given that it's the raison d'être for what has otherwise been six of the best DC superhero comics in recent years, that's pretty unfortunate. There is also a vagueness of storytelling in the final three pages; clearly Linda is no longer Supergirl. Clearly Kara is gone. Clearly Clark and Lois are -- uh, sad? Befuddled? Something? Whatever it is that happens in these pages, it's unfocused compared to the events of the previous five issues and serves to undermine their impact more than a little.
Despite that, and probably to the shock of anyone who knows me, I am still going to recommend you pre-order the trade paperback collection of these issues (arriving in stores in June). For five-and-a-half issues (or so), Peter David made this title exciting, nostalgic yet modern. The relationship between the two Supergirls was touching and genuine fun, something I would have read forever under this creative team (a scenario David was apparently planning before he was undone by lack of support on the first few issues of this arc).
Ed Benes's artwork was the strongest I've ever see him deliver, sexy but grounded in the very human and humane story David was telling. I'm not sure why I found the last few pages of this issue so unsatisfactory, but perhaps they are a nod to longtime Supegirl readers -- certainly they feel more like the earlier issues of the series that failed to catch my sustained interest. More likely they provide some lead-in to Fallen Angel, an apparent sequel to this series that will suffer from a lack of two of the key elements that made the past few months so entertaining -- Benes's artwork and the interaction between the two Supergirls.
Despite my minor complaints, Supergirl definitely went out with a much bigger bang than the previous 74 issues would have led you to expect, and overall this has been an above-average and very appealing set of comics. There's more good than bad about this issue, and the cover alone gives it an extra half-point. Grade: 4/5
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