REVIEW: Supergirl #16
Supergirl #16, “Kingdom of Zod: Part One” begins a crossover event between all Superman related titles. Kara is gathering her family and allies to confront the leader of El Caldero over their possession of a Sun Crystal encoded for the heirs of the El family. However, not everyone is keen on Kara bringing Prime on board which may doom this excursion before it even begins.
The standard cover is by Guillem March and connects with the next three installments of the crossover. This section showcases Supergirl and Suberboy (Conner) ready to fight. It also features the new look of the Krypto-Knights as they’ve been upgraded with Kryptonian tech. Connecting covers are always fun and it will be cool to see March’s larger work come together as the crossover continues.
Mark Spears lends his hyper-realistic talents to the variants of the crossover. Spears gives them a fun nuanced connection as well by making the borders look like trading cards. Obviously his work is popular for a reason and having Kara flex on this first instalment feels a bit symbolic as she’s trying to take her place as the head of House El in Superman’s absence.
The variant by Stephanie Hans is an absolute stunning image of Supergirl in space. The way Hans has the lighting hit Kara’s hair adds a celestial body element to her making for a fantastic rendition of the character.
Joe Quinones and Noobovich also have their respective variants available for ‘Supergirl #16’. They’re both great covers and deserve being sought out.
A slight aside before we get into the art and story review. They actually start this saga with exerts from Joe Casey and Dan McDaid’s ‘Kneel Before Zod’ miniseries from 2024. That series also featured Colorist David Baron and Letterer Troy Peteri. This is a fairly clever way to not only bring us up to speed on Zod’s journey but also bring attention back to that specific story.
The interior art team is made up of Artists Paolo Villanelli, Colorist Arif Prianto, and Joe Quinones lending a hand as both artist and colorist. Their work is a definite shift from what Sophie Campbell has established for the series but that’s most likely to give a more cohesive look to the entire crossover. That being said, there’s some great visuals here as the story wastes little time diving into the action. The emotional state of everyone is expertly conveyed and with a cast this large, that’s no easy feat. If the rest of the crossover looks as good as this issue, we’re in for some great eye candy.
Sophie Campbell is credited for scripts on ‘Supergirl’ #16 which indicates the collaborative nature all the writers had with the overall story. Josh Reed and Becca Carey also collaborate as letterers. Two years of story elements from throughout every main Superman related title begins to converge in this opening issue. Not to worry, however, as they do a great job recapping everything we need to know as the story unfolds. We also get to see the new Super Force Kara established last issue in action and the reveal of a reimagined Kryptonian threat. While it’s felt like forever for the threads with Zod to lead anywhere, that time is easily accounted for by the long elaborate plans he’s had in place for quite awhile. If this first issue is any indication, this crossover is going to be one epic ride of a story.
(9/10) My only disappointment is the exclusion of both Power Girl and Super-Man (Kong Kenan), but that’s truly a minor quibble. Overall ‘Supergirl 16’ was a great issue regardless of it being the beginning of a bigger story. If anything it was worth reading just for the rematch between Conner and Prime.
