REVIEW: Supergirl #13

Supergirl #13, “Hero of Kandor: Part Three”, takes an unexpected turn which raises the stakes in Kara’s conflict with The Black Flame. Also, Conner and Lena finally enter the fray with possibly devastating results. Kandor’s future hangs in the balance as this segment of “The Reign of The Superboys” continues.

The standard cover is by Sophie Campbell. So far Black Flame has proven to be a very formidable foe and this piece highlights that fact. Locking Kara in a choke hold doesn’t normally seem too threatening, but keep in mind, Supergirl no longer has her invulnerability so this could spell trouble.

Chloe Brailsford’s variant is a great rendition of Kara and Conner. Expressing their more punk fashion sense, Kara is giving us the classic tear away into Supergirl move while Conner tightens his gloves. It really is a wonder these two don’t team-up more often.

The variant by Matteo Scalera and Moreno Dinisio seems fairly dark and foreboding at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, it’s just a sweet scene of Kara relaxing with Krypto and Streaky under a night sky.

Skylar Patridge’s variant showcases Supergirl’s indomitable spirit as she keeps a large object aloft. Her eyes glowing red indicates she means business while the cracks around her hands suggests the object is nowhere near as durable as her.

Sophie Campbell gets colored by Tamra Bonvillain for ‘Supergirl’ #13. Bonvillain proves to be a perfect match for Campbell’s style as the colors are both vibrant and gritty. This gives the story a bit of weight and depth without overhauling the tone of the series thus far. This is an action packed issue with some fairly major consequences, but the violence doesn’t get incredibly graphic. The visuals give us the right amount of context to understand the devastating impact Black Flame’s action impose. Place that besides Kara’s emotional upheaval to this issue’s final page revelation and you have a book that perfectly conveys the story through art alone.

Sophie Campbell continues her Herculean efforts as the major creative force behind this Supergirl series. Lettered by Becca Carey, this issue has an explosive start as the fight between Supergirl and Black Flame continues from last month. Even as the confrontation shifts gears, the action doesn’t slow down as Conner and Lena finally get involved. Black Flame seems nearly unstoppable at this point and we’re left with a major cliffhanger as the issue refocuses elsewhere. This in and of itself would make for an exciting, quick read of an issue, but the last few pages adds a whole new wrinkle to what this entire rebellion is about. All things considered, make sure to pace yourself through the action sequences and appreciate the emotional stakes playing out with all the characters.

(9/10) The major reveal of Supergirl #13 could really have long term implications for Kara and was worth the rest of the book to witness. I’m still disappointed with the underuse of Conner thus far, but this issue really sets him up to be a bigger player going forward.