REVIEW: Supergirl #12

Supergirl #12, “Hero of Kandor: Part Two” sees a drastic outcome to Kara’s defeat last issue. Kandor has erupted into Civil War with Supergirl getting caught in the middle. Also, the truth about Boy Thunder’s appearance is revealed and takes a twisted turn. Hopefully Lena and Conner can provide Kara some well needed back-up before Kandor rips her and itself apart.

The standard cover is by Sophie Campbell. Debuting her Cyborg Supergirl look, Kara takes after her father from the New 52 era. Having been beaten pretty severely in a native Kryptonian environment, Kandor’s medical/science team saved her life as best they could. Time will tell if these “upgrades” are long lasting.

Amy Reeder’s “Things to Come” variant gives us visual clues as to how this story may play out. The most interesting snippet is the involvement of Lena and Conner as it’s unclear if they’ve entered Kandor or if Black Flame ends up outside the bottled city. Either way, it’s clear this arc has a lot going on before it concludes.

The “April Drools” variant is by Marguerite Sauvage. Making a total mess of her cape, Krypto has excitedly drenched Kara with his adoration. Supergirl’s reaction is perfect as we see her being tense over the inconvenience but still smiling at the well meaning Superdog.

Other great variants include works by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin, Pablo “Lobos” Villalobos, and Joshua “Sway” Swaby.

Once again, Sophie Campbell shows off her impressive talents as cover artist, writer, and interior artist for this Supergirl series. Tamra Bonvillain joins her as Colorist on the interiors for an amazing looking book. Tensions are running incredibly high this issue and it’s heightened by extreme close up panels. There’s definitely a feeling of a stand off between Supergirl and Black Flame that dominates this chapter but every scene feels confrontational as we learn more about The Science Council’s Team Thunder Initiative. The colors are also incredibly vibrant adding to the otherworldliness of Kandor and it’s state of ruin.

Sophie Campbell gets lettered by Becca Carey for one of the more difficult situations Kara’s faced in ‘Supergirl’ #12. After her devastating defeat by Black Flame last issue, Kara awakens having her body ravaged by implants and cybernetics. Claiming it was the only way to save her life, The Science Council attempts to assure her the new look is only temporary. However, they also disclose the identity of her rescuer which also doesn’t sit well with Supergirl. Boy Thunder has been cloned multiple times and stripped of their free will. Dubbed Team Thunder, The Council claims they’re the answer to independence from Kara and Clark’s protections. In the mean time, Black Flame and her rebellion are seeking accountability and transparency from The Council in general but are going about getting it by force. This leads to a cliffhanger round two of Supergirl vs. Black Flame as Kara attempts to quell the destructive nature of Zora Vi-Lar.

(8/10) I’m still a little disappointed Conner’s being benched in Supergirl #12 so far, but he and Lena seem to be building towards greater involvement, so I’m intrigued on how that’ll play out. Otherwise, we’re only two issues in on this new arc and it’s proving to be a highly compelling tale. Maybe the best one this series has put up yet.