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katarik (katarik) wrote,
@ 2007-08-08 08:55:00

Entry tags:

kara

Quick Thoughts on Supergirl 20
Supergirl looks amazing. Full stop. I love the art, no questions asked.

I don't so much like *her*.

That isn't entirely true. I like her quite a lot. She's eminently likeable: she's caring, compassionate, passionate, and believably flawed.

What she isn't is the Kara I'd been coming to recognize. She isn't snarky, she isn't bratty, she isn't "a crazy chick." This Supergirl is simple. She's sweet, uncomplicated, a genuinely nice person who makes teenage mistakes. Impulsive, young, confused, A Good Person. If you've ever pictured a Supergirl in your head as The Iconic Supergirl, this one probably has a lot in common with that portrayal.

She's kind of like Steph. Only without any of Steph's edges, and I *like* edges.

I liked the crazy, messed-up, fucked-up, Bat Supergirl. (Even though the crystals were stupid.) I liked the Kara from the Infinite Holiday Special, the one from the last few issues of SUPERGIRL, the one who hit my Even Robin buttons. ~~The one I desperately wanted to introduce to Rose.~~ This one... doesn't ping me. She pings a lot of other people, and I see why Ami Angelwings adores her.

Me? I find her kind of boring.

I'll buy the book, though, with art like that. Because Supergirl looks *human*, she looks like a teenage girl, and I am ecstatic about that. People, her boots have *tread*. She has *shorts* under that skirt, and the upskirt shot *made sense for the story*. It was stunning. I am still in happy gleeful shock. Supergirl and Cassie looked a little too much alike for my tastes, but man, oh man, as long as Renato Guedes is on this title DC has my money.

P.S. Check out this piece for auction. Got $70 USD clunking around? There are worse things it could be spent on than this picture.

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	sockich 2007-08-08 03:50 pm UTC (link)
	hugs this post like CRAZY So very, very much with the yes. I like my fucked up Kara. But, I shall deal. Because the art is fucking awesome. nods (Reply to this) (Thread)

katarik
2007-08-08 04:48 pm UTC (link)

I confess, the reason I said it in a post instead of just in my head was you and Todd.

There aren't any stories I want to tell with this Supergirl. And I can't tell them with My Kara anymore, because what am I going to say? "The Supergirl meeting Rose here isn't actually canon's Supergirl, she's the Supergirl from these particular issues of these titles, here's what you need to know." Meh.

(I also can't see any reason for *this* Supergirl to be in the Cave at all, or for Bruce to let her be there. But it's just one issue. Maybe she'll be more like My Kara later on.)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Anonymous)
2007-08-09 12:33 pm UTC (link)

I agree with you. Mostly at least.

I agree that the art is better in terms of making Kara look more "real" but I really don't like the style. There's a lot of inconsitency in some panels. I don't think Kara looks fat as some idiots claim but I do think that the way her costume is drawn looks odd. Like she's still growing into it. Frumpy, almost.

I think there has got to be some sort of happy middle between the insectoid "naughty cheerleader" of Churchhill and the "Hayden Panettiere in what she wears on laundry day" look of Guedes.

Story-wise - well, I'm waiting until after Amazons Attack and the tie-ins are over to pass judgement. I'm not normally a fan of Bedard's work, but I have enjoyed what he's done with Black Canary in her mini-series. I'm not impressed with his take on Kara as a character so far though and agree that she does seem to have regressed somewhat into "shiny, happy, perfect daughter". I'm hoping that's just because - going along with the story so far - she is trying to plead for peace in a desperate situation and is trying to keep her friends among the Amazons from getting killed.

We shall see.

"Starman" Matt Morrison
http://looking2dastars.livejournal.com

(Reply to this) (Thread)

katarik
2007-08-09 02:39 pm UTC (link)

Oddly enough, I like that she looks like she's growing into her costume. It makes her look more like a teenager to me -- I can sure sympathize with having clothes that don't fit *quite* right.

*nods* I'm hoping she'll show more of the "crazy chick" aspect later, though I doubt it based on stuff he's said in interviews. This Supergirl will almost certainly sell better than Kara as she's been depicted in earlier issues, but I personally don't like her as well.

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(Anonymous)
2007-08-10 01:03 pm UTC (link)

Point taken - it LOOKS more natural to those of us who had to take up our older brother's school uniform so mom and dad can save money on clothes. But there's a world of difference between a super-suit and a school uniform - well, unless you're Sailor Moon. ;)

And it's not like Kara can't get Ma Kent to tailor it a bit or that she's flying around in Clark's hand-me-downs. Actually, that raises some interesting questions if she IS flying in Clark's hand-me-downs. ;)

Okay, I am joking around a little bit. But all my comments about not liking the look of the costume, I think Kara herself looks great and that any way you nit-pick this is still head-over-heels above Churchhill.

"Starman" Matt Morrison
http://looking2dastars.livejournal.com

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katarik
2007-08-10 01:41 pm UTC (link)

That is an excellent point! Ma Kent is certainly a seamstress who could tailor it -- my inner fanwank was that she'd made it a bit big on purpose so that Kara *could* grow into it. She raised Clark; she knows how big Kryptonians can get, and there's limited amounts of Kryptonian cloth. (Unless we're in the part of canon that says the AI makes the fabric now... ? I'm never sure.)

*nod nod* The suit doesn't look very... sleek might be the word? But *she* looks fantastic.

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	amilliondays 2007-08-09 03:28 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, I - had about the same feelings on the matter. She's - too, well nice, not crazy or fucked up, and - I want fucked-up Battish Kara. But I can "settle" for Silver-Age-ish nice!Kara, for now. Even if I find her too uninteresting to keep on my pull list anymore. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	katarik 2007-08-09 03:56 pm UTC (link)
	I knew you and I and Sockich would be pretty much as one, wrt which Kara we liked better. I'd rather have nice!Kara than no Kara at all. But yeah. Uninteresting. (Although as long as she looks like a teenager, I'll buy it. Just for the novelty factor -- her boots have tread!) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2007-08-09 10:27 pm UTC (link)
	:O I'm mentioned! XD I think she'll become more interesting tho? :o I like edges too? But I dun like it when that's ALL she is. I think this is a better base to build from. :) But that's just me :) Also I guess I just dun feel Supergirl needs to be a crazy angry selfish mean character? Other characters can be. Just that Supergirl shouldn't be :) - Ami :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

katarik
2007-08-10 03:53 am UTC (link)

You were most vocal about disliking Kara's previous characterization, as well as most vocal about liking this new Supergirl. (Plus I'd just finished reading the post about why Supergirl as a concept mattered to you, so your name was in my head.)

I'm hoping she will -- it isn't that she is uninteresting by her very nature, because she's not. She's cute and smart and believably young; she's not some perfect cookie-cutter girl.

Why shouldn't Supergirl be? That's not what the S means to us, I know, but is there something intrinsic to Supergirl that means she can't be fucked-up?

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(Anonymous)
2007-08-11 03:12 am UTC (link)

Why can't Superman be a murderer? Or a wife beater?

There's nothing wrong with having angst, or being snarky (I like snark XD I'm snarky). Or having a bad life.

I'VE had a bad life. :\ As I've said before I should be associating with Kelly's Supergirl so much according to him. I had a bad father, an abusive father, one who abused my mom in front of me. And he died when I was young too.

But that doesn't mean that I'm a bad person. That I dun want to help others or be a hero. :\

The S is about heroism. It's not about being perfect or about being boring.

But it IS about doing the right thing and being good :)

The S DOES mean something, for better or for worse, it means a lot. Ppl buy the S and wear the S b/c of this. But it's true. :\

From what Bedard's shown tho, it seems like this Supergirl isn't going to be without her issues. Or even snark (it's 1 issue >.> and if you read Waid's Supergirl, she's both snarky AND good).

This is prolly just a difference of opinion me and others may never agree on. xD

I know that other ppl will wonder "how come Supergirl can't be more of an anti-hero like *I* want"

That's just.. unfair I guess?

Superman's never gonna be anti-hero either. Batman's never gonna be a super sunny character.

There are different characters for different ppl. But I think that Supergirl does mean something to the general consciousness, like Superman, except for women to relate to.

It's unfair there's only one Supergirl and she can't be EVERYTHING, but personally I like this Supergirl. :) And I feel bad that other ppl dun and they miss Kelly's Supergirl, but I'm quite happy with Bedard's (but I luff Waid's to death) and I guess I can only say mebbe we need a better Batgirl too so we're not all hanging onto 1 character and pulling her into a billion directions :)

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	katarik 2007-08-11 01:06 pm UTC (link)
	Hey, I really do want to have this discussion; you're a really smart person, and I'd love to meta with you. The problem is that it's hard for me to read what you're saying because of all the shortened words and emoticons. (Also it's horrendously early in the morning.) If you're in my journal, could you quit with the chatspeak, please? (Reply to this) (Parent)

sora50.livejournal.com
2007-08-10 02:49 am UTC (link)

That's what was missing! Thanks for reaching deep in my head and ripping that post out. Kelly's Kara was snarky and I <3 snark.

Sigh. That's the fun of comics. Each writer brings his or her own twist to the character, so might get "the goddamn Batman" from one writer and "have you seen my robot Bat-monkey" Batman from another. I'm willing to give wholesome Supergirl a shot. Plus, McKeever's will be writing her in Titans and I'm sure he'll give her a little bit of snark.

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	katarik 2007-08-10 03:55 am UTC (link)
	She was so snarky. She was a wee little bratty child. I adore her. Mm-hmm, it'll be interesting to see how she interacts with the Titans -- I had Thoughts about Kara and Rose. (Reply to this) (Parent)