Review: Supergirl #16

“Fast and Faster” begins with a flashback to Hel’s arrival on Earth. After crash landing in the Himalayas, the space oddity collapses, and we see a Bizarro-styled backwards S scratched on his chest. Fast forward to the present day as Flash vibrates into the Fortress of Solitude to rescue Supergirl, who is reluctant to be rescued from H’el. In previous chapters of H’el on Earth, we have watched H’el ally himself with Supergirl through duplicity. She trusts him enough that she now permits his romantic attentions.

Flash’s breach into the Fortress of Solitude prompts a super speed battle with Superman’s alien zoo as the backdrop. Perhaps in the vein of the many Superman/Flash contests throughout the years, the speedy melee has no clear cut victor. Despite the lack of clear winner, it is a memorable bout with Kara exploiting Flash’s costume design in a bold street fighting move. H’el breaks up the combatants and commences to coo sweet nothings to Kara while developing his plan to time travel to Krypton and avert its destruction. The chapter ends with an epilogue in which aliens on the other side of the Milky Way discover the subject of Supergirl’s next story arc.

Super speed contests are nothing new. From World’s Finest 198

Mike Johnson’s run on Supergirl has been strong in character and setting, and while this issue pretends to simplicity, there is more than just a brawl taking place. Supergirl is fighting a turf war not just for the Fortress, but for her Kryptonian heritage. Krypton is still a living thing to her. Only months ago, by her reckoning, she was living it. To Superman, Krypton is an astronomical fact to be observed as light rays from Krypton’s destruction arrive on Earth (Action Comics #14); to Supergirl, Krypton is her world. Johnson best demonstrates the difference by having Supergirl act like she is more at home in the Fortress of Solitude than New 52 Superman does. When Supergirl and Flash enter the alien zoo, Supergirl asks an incredulous Flash, “Don’t they have zoos on your planet?” which shows, even after 16 issues, which planet Kara considers home.

Another sweet spot of Supergirl 16 is Krypto’s cameo. This scene comes alive because Mahmud Asrar gets at the truth of dogs–that even aggressive dogs have a sense of humor and playfulness– in a handful of panels.

Supergirl 16 is a rewarding read. Whether you’re a fan of the character, a collector of the whole Superman family of books, picking it up for the Flash crossover, or completing the H’el on Earth storyline, you will find that Supergirl does not disappoint.