Supergirl to an extent even before Crisis on Infinite Earths made it trendy often went through a lot of re-inventions. She was an orphan who operated in secret as Superman’s secret weapon, Linda Danvers, the post crisis version that wasn’t even an actual Krptonian, the post-crisis one who WAS Superman’s cousin again, the new 52 version, Rebirth, not to mention the TV show which has borrowed from several but is not truly an adaption of one particular era of Supergirl.
So… which is everyone’s favorite? Seems a good question to ask on this her 60th Anniversary.
Personally I can’t help but like the Matrix, Peter David era Supergirl. She may have been the one who was never truly related to Superman, and who had the most different powers (although once she got the Peter David book they did take away a lot of the powers that made her the least like a Kryptonian). I think Peter David did some of his best work on Supergirl, and while some more recent ones have done the character justice, none have truly been as interesting a character to me as that one.
Peter David era Supergirl is also my favorite. I read the most during that particular era. She just spoke to me more. I also enjoyed some of the stories that came from the Supergirl that returned to being related to Superman after Matrix Supergirl. There is one issue in particular where it focuses more on her secret identity that was truly awesome. I am looking forward to getting to read some more of these titles than I had the opportunity to do. Wonderful post Dan!
Melissa Benoist seems most genuine, relatable and compassionate which makes her the sexiest and most beautiful in my eyes. My favorite Supergirl by far.
Laura Vandervoort from Smallville is missing that compassion somehow, she wants to become a model and just be accepted so while she was beautiful, she was less attractive to me because she seemed selfish and less worried for others.
Helen Slater was classic and lovely to look at but not very convincing. Spending most of her time flying aimlessly on camera in a dance like pattern didn’t make the character wow me, I admit.
In cartoons…
The one I like is the one from Superman: The Animated Adventures. White t-shirt and blue shorts for the fact that she’s cute and confident. I just like her design and I want the Diamond statue of her because I love her smile.
As a comic book i liked supergirl by Peter David best. She had the most interesting personality. And the best storirs.
But she was not the real supergirl.
The best version is
Cousin to Superman
Left Krypton at age 16 or thereabouts, with a good knowledge of the planet.
Her schooling was such that she was a scientific genius.
Some versions of Power Girl are like that, but then you lose Clark and Lois being her parents since she was very young. There is something great about PG calling Lois Mommy, like in Earth 2 title.
The Supergirl movie wasn’t a great movie, but I will say Helen Slater did seem to embody Supergirl of the time. To this day if I read a comic with Supergirl I hear Helen Slaters voice (well not as much after Batman/Superman when they started drawing and writing her to play so young, but even up to the Peter David era in my head Supergirl sounded like Helen Slater).
As a kid, I thought the Matrix was a truly awesome idea for a character. Again, it was DC firing on all cylinders. They didn’t want the Pre-Crisis Supergirl, but they wanted the character. So they invented an imaginative storyline to get her back, and still not break their own rules.
I remember a couple issues where Supergirl got a hold of a Red Lantern Ring. I was hoping the Benoit series would show Supergirl get pissed off and really let loose. Not as a, “Oh my, that’s scary,” but more as a, “Hell yeah!”
So far, the show’s been a let down. It’s too self assured. Supergirl and pals are always right. Always. Instead, I’d like to see her stop being the female version of Superman.
From what I’ve read, the New 52 incarnation. It was the first time I really felt like I was reading about a teenager who had lost her world, and felt her struggle with having to continue living and adapting to a strange, new world, and all the more rewarding to see her rise above it and embrace her heroic side.
Hmm…probably the DCAU version. She’s cute, spunky and a badass on STAS and JLU.
Helen Slater fits the look of Supergirl as well as Reeve did Superman. Its too bad she didn’t get a better movie to showcase her talent in.
Then again, Ms. Slater played Talia on BTAS, guest starred on Smallville, wrote a story in issue 50 of the pre-New 52 Supergirl ongoing, voiced Martha Kent on the original iteration of DC Superhero Girls and has guest starred on the Supergirl TV series. So, we’ve been graced many times by her talent and in quality material too. Lucky us =)
I think the CW/Melissa Benoist version is becoming solidified as my definitive version. While I do thing that it’s relying a lot on the “female Superman” characterization and that’s not necessarily what Kara should be, the way Benoist plays it is just straight up lovable. Plus Benoist is gorgeousness wrapped in a cape.
I like the way they added a little anger to Kara with the New52/Rebirth version. It made sense for her to be a pissed off teenager at times. So I don’t mind that.
But if I can stretch it… My favorite version of Supergirl is Power Girl! PeeGee is my favorite DC hero.
Yeah, took a while to get use to Melissa as Supergirl because in my mind she wasn’t Supergirl but after awhile she just grew more and more on me.
Smallville’s Supwrgirl being a model was all eye-candy, easy to accept but when you compare the two, it’s easy to see who’d I rather hang out with at the end of the day. No disrespect to Laura, as it’s probably more of the director/producers’ fault than hers.
I’d probably roll with either Sterling Gates’ Supergirl or Jeph Loebs.’ That said, I actually really liked the N52 Supergirl. I just couldn’t get into the Peter David stuff. I’d love to see Mariko Tamaki write Supergirl though. Supergirl: Being Super was so good and I’d love to see her write the main book.
Personally my fave is the JLU version. Supes cousin, as it should be. Finding her own identity & the conflict with Stargirl was a nice touch. And in the end, I think her one true love should always be Brainiac 5. The Mon-El love story in the CW series just don’t work for me. Super (girl or man) having a romantic relationship with someone with those same or similar abilities just goes against the grain. (Supes & Lois or Lana work because they are different. Same with Kara and Brainiac 5)
Also the JLU/Cadmus/Waller Galeta story arch was so much better than the current Lex controlled “duplicate” we see in CW. (It like a paltry knock off of Red Sun)
Place, the crop top and boots look is great.
The Superman/Batman Apocalypse version was good in the sense of having her train with the Amazons. That really should be part of her definitive canon along with being Superman’s cousin.