School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Kara Danvers can't remember anything before she crash-landed on Earth eight years ago. As the teenager struggles to piece together her past, she begins to inexplicably and intermittently lose her powers, leaving her with more questions than answers. When an equally unexplainable earthquake hits Midvale, Kara's life forever changes as she loses someone close to her and starts to uncover dark secrets lurking in town. This four-chapter title works best for readers with little prior knowledge of or investment in the Superman mythos. Existing fans will find that Kara's origin bears a striking resemblance to Superman's, calling into question the time line of each character's arrival on Earth and Superman's awareness of Kara. This character-driven tale deemphasizes existing canon and explores Kara's identity without delving into her more famous cousin's baggage. In this regard, it excels; most of the story's focus is on characterization, even if Tamaki pulls this off by containing most of the action to a frantically paced final chapter. The characters are expressive and authentically flawed. Though some of the secondary characters are from underrepresented communities, the cast is mostly thin, white, and heterosexual. The creative and varied use of panel sizes, shapes, and layouts, as well as dynamic camera angles and character positioning, keeps the story moving even when focusing on internal dialogue. The work brings an elegance to the cool, muted graphics through the artistic use of silhouettes. VERDICT This beautifully depicted origin story is a recommended addition to libraries hoping to pull more teens into the fandom.-Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this reboot of Supergirl, Kara, cousin of Superman, lives a normal high school life with her best friends, sporty Jennifer and purple-haired, girl-crazy Dolly. After Kara fails to save Jennifer from dying in an earthquake, she challenges her adoptive father's insistence that she hide her superpowers. Tan-on, another survivor of Krypton, offers her a connection to her past, but he also seeks revenge upon those who harm Kryptonians. Kara will have to decide what kind of person she wants to become and which moral lines she should cross. Tamaki and Jones have created a fun and sincere version of Supergirl whose relationships are realistic and poignant and who will attract a broad audience. Kara grows as a character as she faces increasingly complex and harrowing circumstances. This first volume gives direction to the protagonist, unpacks her origin story, and pulls her into the larger DC universe, all while delivering a grounded tale that shows Kara as both a person and a hero. Ages 10-up. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
