With Kara Danvers winning over our hearts each week on TV, it should be no surprise that DC are looking to capitalise on one of the best feel good superhero shows of all time. With the second half of Supergirl‘s first season in full swing, Sterling Gates and Bengal have brought National City to comics in the digital first series, “Adventures Of Supergirl”.
Read on below for our full spoiler free review on the first chapter of “Adventures Of Supergirl”.
Written by Sterling Gates
Illustrated by Bengal
When an escaped prisoner from Fort Rozz interrupts a football game, Supergirl is on the scene to take her down. But Rampage is mad about more important things than a sporting event-and no pesky superhero can stop her quest for revenge!
So this is kind of a weird thing. Supergirl is, after all, a TV show that adapts the character from DC’s comics. “Adventures Of Supergirl” is a comic book that takes place within the world of the show that’s been adapted from comics. It always comes in roundabouts. This first chapter of “Adventures Of Supergirl”, from writer Sterling Gates and artist Bengal, does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit and heart of the world of the show while bringing it to comics. It brings everything we’ve grown to love about the show and merges it with everything we love about comics while being a solid introduction to the character that anyone could get into.
The juxtaposition between introducing the world and characters of Supergirl and Kara’s past to the reader with a new story that has her facing off against a new and powerful foe is really well balanced in such a way that fans of the show and the character will get just as much out of this chapter as entirely new readers. This ensures that this opening chapter is the perfect level ground for all readers as it’s fun, action packed and, most importantly, charming and adorable while also covering Kara’s origins in a similar way to the show’s opening. Sure, that does mean that it’s covering stuff you already know if you’ve watched even one episode of the show, but it’s a worthy inclusion for those who haven’t and is beautifully illustrated by Bengal.
Speaking of Bengal, the art is really what makes this chapter special. Bengal’s style is incredibly bright, vibrant and a little cartoon-y in a way that perfectly fits the tone of the show. Instead of trying to fit with the real world vibe of the show, Bengal brings a little more comic book flair to the proceedings and does so by perfectly capturing the heart of the show in the visuals. Instead of trying to capture the likeness of Melissa Benoist, Bengal has instead captured her grace and warmth as the character in his visuals that, in a way, feels like a much more fitting tribute than a photorealistic rendition of the show could. Add on top of that the warm and vibrant, almost paint-like colours and the comic is just a joy to look at.
If there’s only one downside to the chapter, it’s that, being a digital first chapter, it’s essentially one third of a full print comic. What that means is that it’s a slight read and while I do stand by my stance that covering Kara’s origins is a worthwhile inclusion, it does take up most of the issue. That could certainly be annoying for some as it may feel like there’s not a lot of new content to the chapter, but I would say that for 99 cents it remains a fun and engaging read that shows a lot of potential and when it’s finally published in print, it will feel like a solid introduction to the issue.
So, overall, “Adventures Of Supergirl” is a fun and engaging start to the series that feels like a genuine and heartfelt continuation of what makes the show so fun to watch. Sterling Gates and Bengal have done a fantastic job capturing the magic of Supergirl while keeping the issue open and accessible to readers who haven’t seen the show (kids, I’m talking about kids, this is the perfect comic to give to kids) which also makes it a great segue into the show for people who haven’t checked it out. The real star here is Bengal’s art which is simply beautiful throughout and perfectly captures the charm of the character. With New 52 currently nowhere to be seen or heard of, this is probably the only place you’ll be able to read about the girl of steel for the time being and if this chapter is any indication, you’ll definitely want to be reading this.
Final Verdict: 7.6 – It’s fun, it’s charming, it’s got action and warmth. What more could you want from a Supergirl comic? Nothing, that’s what. Read this!
