Must Every Comic Be Dark? (A Supergirl Rant)

When someone picks up a copy of Supergirl they make an active choice.

They look at the comics shelf and see a Batman comic with some laughing bdsm joker with spikes and think: “No, I want to read something more wholesome.”

So they pick up a comic about someone who carries the mantra of hope, help and compassion for all. Someone who sits down and talks with villains and reforms them. Someone who stands by the bullied. Someone who provides comfort for those in need.

Then every once in a while somebody at DC gets a stroke and forgets that. And gives us this bs.

Who was this comic made for?

If Batman wants a perverted version of good to fight, keep that crap over in his comics. He has like a billion comics coming out each week. Supergirl comes out once a month, and appears almost nowhere else.

If you want to involve her in the year of villains - cool. Use her as she was meant. Be the good. Be the change. Be the hope. Don’t do this.

Please!

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SPOILERS! Dang it, I was trying to avoid spoilers on who the infected were! So thanks for that!

Anyways… I see your point. I don’t think that this story is that bad of an idea as you seem to think, but I can understand why a Supergirl fan would be upset that the only issue they’re getting that month is something completely different than what they read Supergirl for.

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Wait. You did label it a spoiler! Sorry! It definitely showed me the image before I clicked the thread though. DC Universe is glitching.

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It did it for the Identity Crisis thread too. Weird.

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Must every comic be dark? No. By that same token, not every comic has to be light and airy.

Even the brightest, most optimistic and joyful characters need to have dark periods in their storytelling – otherwise it feels fake and undeserved. What makes these characters great as role models and heroes is that they rise above the darkness, not that it never happens to them.

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Yeah, there’s a difference between a dark story and a pessimistic one.

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I might be completely wrong about this, so if people could help me with a poll I would most appreciate it.

If you see this thread. Please add somewhere in your comment something like this:

Seeing Supergirl become infected is something I would like to read: (Yes/No)

I am a regular Supergirl reader (subscribes or buys it every month): (yes/no)

Thanks to everyone helping out.

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@Coville Good idea

Seeing Supergirl as one one of the infected is something that I’m interested in reading.

I am not a regular Supergirl reader.

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I think it’s fine she is likely temporarily infected. There was a storyline where she lost it and became a Darkseid puppet for a few issues back in the day as well.

I am not currently monthly on her book.

However, part of being a hero is recognizing that there is a line. That being a hero is a conscious choice & if the opposite choice were made the damage that can be done. It gives the character a trauma to cling to that once “infected” as it were, they must also be conscious to keep themselves in check, that they don’t cross that line.

Yes, we probably see it most in Batman as he lives on that line. But the potential exist in everyone. Even heroes of hope. One could argue that crossing the line is a bigger innate fear the greater the “hope” hero is.

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The point of this part of Year of the Villain is taking (nearly) pure good heroes (Shazam, Supergirl) and turning them into the worst versions of themselves. It’s meant to ruin the reputations of the heroes.

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Didn’t they pull this same stunt with Mary Marvel in Countdown and Final Crisis?

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Isn’t the whole point of doing a story like this so we can see how the hero overcomes the obstacle. This is literally the never-ending cycle of serialized superhero storytelling.

She’ll be fine in a couple issues. Don’t take it personally.

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Not to mention that one of the best stories she’s had in recent years was Red Daughter of Krypton, where she literally becomes a screaming rage monster.

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can sympathize with this, though occasionally it helps to know Kara can’t keep it together all the time, can’t be everything to everyone, can’t resolve her inner conflict, can’t save every tree from a kitten … I appreciate the struggle that even super people can give in against better judgment, or to red kryptonite, but am also thankful it’s rare and short-lived in Supergirl

still months away, but, for such a provocative cover, the impetus must be terrible and unavoidable …

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@Coville To answer your questions:

  1. Yes. Supergirl will get over it eventually, which will then lay the foundation for another story.

  2. I am a regular Supergirl reader and have been of her various series since 2005 (2004, if you want to count “The Supergirl from Krypton” arc of Superman/Batman).

My only break from Supergirl since 2005 was in the summer of 2011 in the lead-up to her New 52 series debuting in September of that year.

I passed on issues 63-67 of her then-current series as I was really psyched for the upcoming New 52 book and felt I could play catch-up later (and did).

Other than that, I’ve read all of her books (including her tenure as headliner of the LOSH in Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes) since 2005.

As Jay_Kay noted, Kara went red with rage in her New 52 series and came out fine. I’m sure that the same will happen, more or less, with this upcoming story.

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I did like the Red Daughter of Krypton storyline with the Red Lanterna / Guy Gardner. One reason is, we all have some level of anger / temper and that was an interesting thing to see her work through.

But, I’ll also admit, I have about zero interest in Year of the Villain or in the Batman who Laughs (or reading about an infected version of a hero). I just can’t rationally buy into the fictional-world building from the ground up on that whole Source Wall is Shattered opps storyline, but there’s lots of comics out there right, including a second whole series on the Clue world, more Legion that I can read in 6 years, a new Legion and new Adam Strange series coming and a Warren Ellis Batman series I see excetera on this site, so I think we can all be okay.

You’re not crazy to sense the dark.

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i think it’s a cool concept, but i like when heros go bad. for ex, injustice and white knight. thing is, if they’re gonna do that, they need to keep giving you the good/ normal version of that character as well. we need our supergirl :heart:

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Well since this topic was ressurected -

Lol, hi, I am Pariah. I know when something is doomed in advance, but I am cursed to bear witness.

pariah-dc-crisis-the-end

:joy:

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Digging up this old topic for a different but positive reason.

There are no rules without exception.

Just watched part I of DCSHG League of Shadows, and wow. You want to turn Kara dark for the umpteenth time that IS the way to go. I might be prepared to say that the best thing to come out of DC in 2020 was a Dark Kara transformation. :joy:

Well done DC, well done! That was an A-grade musical animation.

60ea6f9f6334f28c2448cd329a761417

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If we want the Kryptonians to be iconic representations of good, I’d avoid turning them dark and evil so often. Maybe I have been reading comics too long, but I feel like I have seen the Supergirl-converted-to-evil so many times, it almost feels like the norm.

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