REVIEW: Supergirl #4
Supergirl #4, “Misadventures in Midvale: Part 4”, introduces a new superhero/sidekick for Kara as her hometown visit continues to be complicated. There’s also the possibility of a new member joining the cast. The story direction may have taken a turn, but the misadventure hijinks are far from over.
Sophie Campbell is still “doing it all” with the standard cover as proof. Campbell introduces two new characters in one image as Kara goes up against the creature called Decay and someone mysterious is listed with Lesla and Lena. This issue sets up reasons for Kara to stick around in Midvale and this cover does a nice job teasing us why.
Amy Reeder’s variant is a colorful and whimsical depiction of Supergirl. Shown here surrounded by plushies and giving us the heart hand gesture, Kara embraces her youthful demeanour.
Leaning towards the more dramatic takes on Supergirl, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s variant sets a more serious and darker tone. Assessing an emergency situation, Kara is all business in this fantastic piece.
Ejikure’s variant is also a hyper-realistic take on Supergirl and Streaky. This one is a bit softer as Kara appears to be holding out a hand to join her and Streaky in flight. It’s simply a beautiful work of art.
Sophie Campbell and Colorist Tamra Bonvillain continue their amazing interior art work. Their animation style approach makes this one of the more visually inviting books on the shelves right now. With the more Young Adult approach to the story it would be easy to lean into some silly or wacky aesthetics, but these two keep it vibrant without compromising the integrity of the tone. It’s a style that definitely works for this series thus far.
Sophie Campbell, lettered by Dave Sharpe, gives us an unexpected turn of events is Supergirl #4. Picking up where issue #3 left off, Kara and Lesla face Kryptonian judgement for the events that transpired in Midvale. Feeling a sense of responsibility for Lesla’s actions, Kara decides to take her on as a ward effectively making Lesla her new sidekick, Luminary. To mark the occasion, Lena has the three of them go out on the town where Lesla’s alien social cues make for an eventful evening. This turn in the story may not seem like much, but it alters Lesla’s relationship with and towards Kara in very impactful ways. It also puts Kara in a role we’ve not seen her in often, that of a mentor. Along with these new developments, there’s also new characters being introduced while they’re clubbing which drives Kara’s curiosity into staying in Midvale longer than she had expected.
(9/10) To be honest, I didn’t feel this series had a very strong start, but these last two issues and specifically ‘Supergirl #4’ have really grabbed my attention. Sophie Campbell is just a beast of a creator and has successfully added a nuance to Supergirl that I didn’t see coming.
