We are approaching the end of the Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane series, which will merge into Superman Family. The new series will rotate their stories with Supergirl.
We last left the Girl of Steel in a quick recap of her terrible Adventure Comics run, so much like that one let’s just breeze through Supergirl’s very first series and see if there’s anything worth discussing.
Considering the series only lasted ten issues and I’m doing nine in a single quick review, you can probably guess the results.
This a one-off thing: regular full-size reviews will resume.
SUPERGIRL v1 #1 (1972)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
Superman’s first cover, the iconic Action Comics #1, showed him smashing a car.
Supergirl’s first cover in her first regular series shows her being attacked by construction equipment.
The first story sees the “Maid of Might” (I never liked that name) leave her forgettable job and move to San Francisco.
She attends Vandyre University university now, and she has a new roommate: Wanda Five, who has sculptures made of alien metals in her room.
And who also might be able to tell the future, helping Supergirl investigate a murder case.
With a name like Wanda Five, mind powers and an alien connection, she’s certainly a mystery. I’m sure Wanda is going to be at the center of several interesting plots!
She never appears after this issue and we don’t discover a single thing about her. SERIOUSLY!!!!!
SUPERGIRL v1 #2 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
With a cover like that…
…this is obviously a story about fighting a real life disease.
It’s about this professor who’s trying to find a cure against sickle cell anemia while suffering from another disease himself, and the solution turns out to be in Kandor.
Where I’m sure Supergirl exterminated everyone by doing THIS:
This one introduces Supergirl’s new love interest, Jeff.
He never appears after this issue and we don’t discover a single thing about him.
It’s not a big loss, trust me.
SUPERGIRL v1 #3 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
You might get the sense that Supergirl’s private life is not going so well.
And you’d be right.
At least this one includes the most hilarious case of a murderer hiding bodies.
SUPERGIRL v1 #4 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
This cover is AWESOMELY stupid.
This one introduces new love interest David, a criminal sociologist.
And he’s secretly a gang leader. Supergirl sure can pick them!
Since he gets injured Supergirl has to save him by SHOOTING ENERGY INTO HER BRAIN.
I was hoping this would turn Supergirl into a woman-girl-werewolf hybrid like on the cover… instead it just gives David superpowers for a while.
Talk about false advertising!!!
He never appears again after this issue.
Are you starting to sense a theme here?
SUPERGIRL v1 #5 (1973)
by Arnold Drake & John Rosenberger
cover by Bob Oksner
Cary Bates is replaced by Arnold Drake.
I might have been spoiled by the 70s Legion, but I’m surprised it took this long for some fanservice.
As well as a completely unnecessary Superman cameo.
Supergirl is de-powered for most of the story, so at least we get to see her ride the bus in costume.
This one introduces interdimensional villain Dax, who blackmails Supergirl into helping him stop an uprising against his regime (and naturally she ends up liberating the place).
He never appears again after this issue.
SUPERGIRL v1 #6 (1973)
by Arnold Drake & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
We’re really pushing the soap opera feeling here.
This one introduces new love interest Rick, who Supergirl saves from a gang.
He never appears again after this issue.
Think at least the gang war is interesting?
Nope!
SUPERGIRL v1 #7 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
Zatanna was sharing the title, having her own personal series as the second feature. This time she teams up with Supergirl.
I guess it’s appropriate, since Zatanna’s father Zatara first appeared in Action Comics #1.
We discover that Supergirl has a potential love interest we have never seen.
This guy must’ve been quite a catch, because it turns out he also had a fling with Zatanna.
He’s lost in the Himalayas, so that leads Supergirl fighting Unfrozen Cavemen and an ice monster.
And it turns out that the whole adventure was for nothing since the guy is not even interested in either Supergirl or Zatanna anymore.
Do I really need to tell you that he never appears again after this issue?
SUPERGIRL v1 #8 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
Yes. This actually happens.
This one introduces new love interest Mitch.
Take a wild guess how many more times he will show up.
But let’s be serious, everyone who bought this issue was only interested in one thing.
We have Supergirl fighting the Justice League while wearing her cape as a turban, and Batman is flying around sitting on a floating device create by Green Lantern.
The world’s greatest heroes, everybody.
With Supergirl having the power of Medusa, naturally Mitch ends up being possessed by the spirit of Perseus, which gives him superpowers.
It’s just how these things work.
The real Medusa doesn’t even show up in person: it’s just her spirit placing a curse on Supergirl to resurrect her. Which fails.
SUPERGIRL v1 #9 (1973)
by Cary Bates & Art Saaf
cover by Bob Oksner
Remember a couple of issues back, when Supergirl was done with men?
This time she’s dumped by her new love interest Dale who, say it with me, never shows up again after this issue.
So that leads to Supergirl joining the Amazons (!!!) and being asked by Wonder Woman’s mother Hippolyta to adopt her.
WHICH SHE DOES.
Supergirl’s biological parents are still alive, as are the Danvers. Which means that currently:
Superman = 0 living parents
Supergirl = 5 living parents
Supergirl is sent on a mission to save another Amazon; she meets a boy and ends up losing her powers AGAIN.
The guy is played off like some sort of wise gentle soul, but he’s an ass.
With Supergirl joining the Amazons, naturally most of the story is spent on a throwaway jungle island where she has to deal with witch doctors and albino gorillas.
The guy makes such an impression on her that she decides to leave the Amazons.
So OF COURSE he never shows up again after this issue.
And that’s where we’re going to end this quick readthrough. There’s still one issue left, but it’s insane enough to warrant its own full review.
Historical significance: 0/10
YOU DON’T SAY.
Silver Age-ness: 8/10
There’s some variance, but overall this is WAY too silly for 1972/73.
Does it stand the test of time? 2/10
This was boooooooring. I’ll grant there was at least an attempt to develop a cast of recurring civilians, but everything was so inconsistent… characters show up and leave, and even the few who remain fail to make an impression.
Supergirl herself is quite bland. They’re clearly trying to use the Spider-Man formula… follow the private life, the secret identity who loses in real life whenever the hero triumphs… but it’s clearly not working out.
“But let’s be serious, everyone who bought this issue was only interested in one thing.”
LOL. I actually bought #8–it’s the only issue of Supergirl I did buy–but I bought it for the JLA, not the snakes. In reading the review, I remember almost nothing of the story. I agree: Boring!
By comparison, around the same time I read Teen Titans #42, which focused on Wonder Girl and a mystical brooch she is given by a mysterious man. The Titans help her resolve the mystery as they take a trip on a raft through the Yucatan. That story stayed with me for a very long time. It has nothing to do with Supergirl, but teen female superheroes were rare in those days.