Arrowverse Couch Club, October Book Club – Adventures of Supergirl (2016) #1-6

We’ll be saying goodbye to Supergirl on the CW next year after six seasons, but before we get to the end, let’s head back to the beginning! For this month’s book discussion, we’ll be focusing on the opening issues of Adventures of Supergirl, which takes place during the show’s first season. As Kara adjusts to her new life as a superhero, we see her take on several previously unseen threats during her freshman outing, such as a destructive shapeshifter and a deadly hacker, while still having to balance it with the nearly impossible job of being Cat Grant’s assistant. Join us as we look back on a simpler time before Supergirl was on the CW and everyone still thought Martian Manhunter was Hank Henshaw.

  • Did you see any similarities between the sister dynamics of Kara/Alex and Rampage/Moyer?

  • Would you have liked to see villains like Rampage and Vril Dox make appearances on the show as well?

  • There were several notable artists in these opening issues – Bengal, Jonboy Meyers, Pop Mhan and Emanuela Lupacchino. Did you like seeing an assortment of different marquee names over the course of six issues, or would you have preferred the art remain more consistent?

  • Between titles like this and the ones for Flash and Arrow, it seems like ongoing Arrowverse tie-in comics have largely disappeared in the last few years. Since digital-first comics still have a significant presence with DC, do you think books like this should be brought back?

  • Keeping things focused on Supergirl, we got the surprising news last week that the show’s upcoming sixth season will also be its last. Do you think this will be a good place to end the series, or did you want to see it go on for several more seasons?

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I did see Rampage and Moyer as a sort of dark reflection of what could have happened to Kara had she not received the Danvers’ love and support when she arrived. Granted, it’s not like those 2 had no support system at all, but when it’s just the 2 of them against continual oppression, the odds are less likely that they’ll both turn out alright. Kara does kind of address this, and it’s a good reminder that the things that make a hero aren’t just internal. Your character is obviously a significant part of that, but even the best people can be led astray if they don’t have the right support. If Kara had been living w/ a less loving family when she 1st got to earth, it’s entirely possible that she could’ve ended up going down a darker path. In that sense, I thought the Rampage arc was an effective, albeit kind of simple, way to convey that message

If you had asked me this back in season 1, I probably would’ve said yes. But now that the show’s progressed well beyond that, I’m not sure they’d be great fits. I did like Rampage as a villain and thought she was written well, but the problem would come through showing her in her full alien form. They’d probably either have to keep her in her more human appearance a majority of the time or risk not giving her good enough CG to make her look convincing. This is one of many benefits of comics/animation over live action – you can create literally anything you can imaging w/out risking certain elements looking out of place. As for Vril, I just think the show has enough Brainiacs between Indigo, Brainy and all his doppelgängers

I’m a little conflicted on this, but I feel like a little more consistency would’ve made these issues at least a bit stronger and more cohesive. On the one hand, I always like it when I dive into a new title and recognize at least one of the artists’ work, so seeing four notable names was definitely pretty interesting, especially Lupacchino. It’s also nice because having people like this can also help boost the title’s status.

That said, it can also be kind of jarring going through four artists in just six issues, which are already somewhat shorter than regular-sized comics in this case. You can have artists w/ similar styles, but there’s only so much common ground this many pencilers will be able to find in their art. I’m glad Bengal was able to do the opening issues w/ Rampage, but I just found it odd that the next three each had a different artist. I’d be curious to see if that was a creative decision or if scheduling/availability necessitated such changes

Absolutely, and I’m surprised we really haven’t gotten much at all since this and Dark Archer, w/ the Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-ins being the only exception I can remember. It’s possible that maybe they weren’t selling all that well, but that could be easily fixed through better promotion, especially if you advertised even a little bit during commercial breaks on the shows. You can still get some of the show’s writers to do some short scripts and bring in some talented artists to tell stories of these characters we’ve grown to love. It’d be especially great to see more insight into their adventures while everyone’s gone for so long, though any current effort to bring these back wouldn’t lead to us seeing any new titles until after the shows return (not that I’d complain in that instance). The Arrowverse is obviously going through a transitionary period, but w/ several shows still going strong and new ones on the horizon, it also doesn’t seem to be winding down either. W/ that in mind, it’d make sense to try drawing more viewers into comics through tie-ins like these, as it’d reward both newcomers and veteran fans alike

I’m defeintely upset to see the show end, but probably for different reasons than most others. I think the real story of Supergirl’s run is that of missed potential. After season 4 aired, which I absolutely loved, I was so excited for the show’s future. Between some truly compelling storylines and great character development, I thought the show was on top of the Arrowverse and really primed to go on a fantastic run. But then season 5 aired, and I thought the whole thing was just so uneven that it ended up being my least favorite season. There were just too many confusing storylines, instances of Leviathan being confusing, boring or both, out of character moments and instances where characters’ developments were sidelined in favor of elements I had no interest in seeing.

Still, I wanted to believe that the series could correct course over the course of several seasons, but now it’ll never have that chance. Even if the last season pulls an Arrow and makes the last season fantastic, I still feel like there was so much more potential that we’ll just never get to see. Characters like Nia and Kelly could’ve had a lot more time to make their mark on television since we don’t get to characters like them very much, but now we just have to take what we can get. I feel like a lot of people are going to give Supergirl a pass because it does seem like an incredibly progressive show on the surface, but simply having these interesting characters as part of your representation isn’t the same as utilizing them properly. We shouldn’t be content w/ simply having these elements introduced at all, we should still be demanding compelling stories, character development and representation. These are things I really feel Supergirl failed to consistently deliver last season, and it’s just a shame that the show will be ending before it has a chance to restore that consistency

It’s been a while since I read this but I don’t remember thinking that. Kara was told to hide her abilities by her sister but she was never kept in a cage and forcibly held back from the world. I mean I guess in the shows timeline that could have happened with the DEO? Kara/Alex have other support rather than just themselves also. If anything I see Kara and Rampage relating because they are aliens that had to adjust. But while Kara is out in the world, rampage has had to literally hide from it.

No. You barely see Jonn in his larger Martian form on the show, I don’t know how they would make Rampage look good enough. And I think we have enough Braniacs on the show. I love the doppelgänger brainys though.

If they are done well. There was recently a Supergirl/batwoman one. (At least I believe that’s the name) and it was excellent in my opinion. It actually shows Kara deciding on something based on her smarts and not because she’s trying to assimilate to being human. It’s only 2 issues but I would have read many more.

Of course not, I’m a fan, I want it to go on forever, haha. I just had a feeling it was coming to an end and I was only disappointed in the confirmation. Hopefully they make up for the horribly inconsistent stories and give us a good arc in the last season. Arrow had an amazing last season and Flash splitting their storylines into two parts I also liked (despite Iris being sent away too long, but let’s move on).

I guess I’m also not super bummed because the Arrowverse (never calling it CWverse) is still around and the characters can still show up at anytime. Even though realistically that’s few and far between, as actors move on. My main love is DC and it looks like there is many more years to come.

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I had this exact conversation with my dad yesterday! This is not DC but I’ve been trying to get my dad to watch Star Wars Clone wars with me and he won’t because it’s animated.

I was even surprised they did one for this.

Who’s Kelly? Jk. I definitely feel like the Alex/Kelly romance was rushed. They did a bit to establish her character, but I didn’t really feel their chemistry, I was actually surprised when they kissed. Then I thought Kelly was a doctor, but then she’s fixing the tech for the lenses, then she’s helping Alex break into a server room in season 5? Where did she learn all this? Lol and nia definitely felt sidelined in season 5. While we are here I really liked what they did with Andreas character in the first half of season 5 and I felt she would be a great character going forward, but that was all forgotten about post-crisis and then she’s basically a background character. Maybe we will get that in season 6?

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Which one was that? The only comic I remember seeing Arrowverse Kate appear in was the Crisis tie-in, and even then she was barely in it

I’d have to disagree on this. While I certainly wouldn’t call it a slowburn, I felt like they dedicated just enough time to allow them to get to know each other and start falling before they started dating to make it feel earned. For comparison, Alex and Maggie shared their 1st proper kiss just 4 episodes after they met, whereas it was 7 for Alex and Kelly

It’s not an Arrowverse one specifically but it has Kate kane and Kara Danvers. It’s a digital first

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I’ll just take your word for it on this. But in my opinion Alex/Maggie was done better than Alex/Kelly. I just “felt” it more I guess. I would say that Alex/Maggie got engaged way too fast. And I think we can all agree Alex/Kelly is still a better couple than Lena/James. :rofl:

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Gotcha. That definitely looks like it’s capitalizing on the shows’ popularity, though I’m still hoping for more comics directly tying into the Arrowverse

It probably would’ve done them some good to establish where they stood on having kids before jumping in like that

The only couple that would be worse than them is Kara and William :face_vomiting:

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I am sorry for being late to the party. Unfortunately I have never really got into Supergirl as a show so I was struggling with what to write. This being said, I still enjoyed the comic series. I have not seen any of the series beyond when it crosses over so I do not know the sister dynamic but the new characters seemed almost like one sister had more control and could calm down the other like a certain competitor from another company. I did not like the secrets Alex seemed to be keeping only because this trope is too often played out where the character is keeping secrets from the other so they feel betrayed even if there is a good reason.
I did not feel the artwork changes were too jarring. Until you mentioned them I did not notice them as much as I did in some of the other book selections. It seemed to fit with the bright upbeat tone of the series.
I think the digital tie ins should be used to flesh out backstory or other information that would slow down the pace of the show. This way it ties in more directly and provides a bonus to readers. I kinda would not mind if it was like Untold Tales of you know who where they fit in between the original series but added more information. I’d also like them to be reviewed and approved by the show writers do they tie in more cohesively and we don’t have the continuity issues mentioned on others.
I really wish I had more to say on the show but it’s not my cup of tea. I think they just built up the justice league just to remove one key hero. However I just saw how they said this is not the last we see of her so maybe she will make appearances on the other shows maybe visit her cousin?

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That’s very true, this is definitely 1 of the most overused cliches in drama series. If I ever become a showrunner, 1 of my 1st moves will be to ban the phrase “I was just trying to protect you” or anything similar

All of the artists certainly fit the light tone of the book on an individual basis, I just thought it was somewhat jarring seeing those changes happen so frequently in just 6 issues

This could definitely be a good move to give work to other writers who’ve seen the show(s) in question while still keeping the series writers in the loop. W/ enough care and effort, more tie-ins like these can be a huge benefit to the Arrowverse fanbase, so it seems to mainly be a matter of whether or not DC/WB feels that these are worth that effort

2 key heroes when you remember that Kate’s also gonna disappear, and it wouldn’t make sense for the group to immediately welcome Ryan into the fold fully just because she’s wearing the Batsuit, though hopefully that’d come in due time. As for Kara, it would make sense to have her make occasional guest appearances on other shows, especially Superman and Lois, assuming they don’t kill her off like Oliver, which I really can’t see happening

Do it! I’m pretty sure this was also Karas answer when the “big secret” was told to Lena, by Kara, in 501.

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She did work that in, but I gave it a pass because she also acknowledged that it was just an excuse to hide how scared and selfish she was being, and I liked that kind of brutal honesty. It’s also why I hated the way she yelled at Lena in the finale about how “I kept my identity from you because I wanted to protect you,” which she had already contradicted directly

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I also liked what she said in the premiere but 19 episodes later I was like come on Kara! I thought it was weird when she said “I made ONE mistake.” I was like years of lies is one mistake? Also, I feel like we were missing some of the “make-up” if you want to call it that, because of the shortened season.

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There was also the fact that she said Myriad was too dangerous for anyone to use and then proceeded to use it herself, and she suspected Lena of being part of Leviathan despite absolutely no proof. Thank god Lena saved her own soul in the end, because I hate to think of what Kara might’ve done had Lena not shown up at her door like she did

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That’s why Lena is the best.

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Haha, Love it. A+ meme game. :clap:t3::clap:t3:

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Did you see any similarities between the sister dynamics of Kara/Alex and Rampage/Moyer?
Actually, i did not. I was more distracted with “Oh, they made Rampage an alien”.

Would you have liked to see villains like Rampage and Vril Dox make appearances on the show as well?
If done well, but given how things have played out: “not required” is my final answer. Isn’t Vril Dox Brainiac 5’s real name? I was surprised to see the green skinned blond as the big bad. But I was just as happy to see Brainy show the same colors when he removed the dampeners on the show.

There were several notable artists in these opening issues – Bengal, Jonboy Meyers, Pop Mhan and Emanuela Lupacchino. Did you like seeing an assortment of different marquee names over the course of six issues, or would you have preferred the art remain more consistent?
I know I should pay more attention to the credits. the artist changes didn’t bother me. I wasn’t too keen on Cat Grant’s depiction for some reason.

Between titles like this and the ones for Flash and Arrow, it seems like ongoing Arrowverse tie-in comics have largely disappeared in the last few years. Since digital-first comics still have a significant presence with DC, do you think books like this should be brought back?
I do like the idea of getting a show writer to review the tie-in book to keep it similar in tone and make for a tighter tie-in.

Keeping things focused on Supergirl, we got the surprising news last week that the show’s upcoming sixth season will also be its last. Do you think this will be a good place to end the series, or did you want to see it go on for several more seasons?
I’d rather see the show end on a high note. and even better if we see the occasional team up on another show. she could be regular guest star on Superman & Lois. The show could be ending because of the inconsistencies and other “lacks” you’ve mentioned.

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