Our recent discussions of Supergirl have made me want to re-read these. i'm not as good at this sort of thing as Jeff is, but I'll try my best.
We start with Volume One:
The cover art isn't bad, but I have to say that Miller isn't who i would pick to draw an Adventures of the Silver Age Supergirl book. (I mean because I don't think that his art style suits the character, not for any other reasons that you might not want to hire him.)
We begin with a foreword by Diana Schutz. I'd never heard of her, but she seems to have been an editor for Dark Horse. She talks about how she loved Supergirl when she was little, at a time when there were few good role models for little girls in superhero comics. She also mentions meeting artist Jim Mooney, and claims that she was one of the driving forces behind getting DC to publish Supergirl Archives (which would explain why she was asked to write the foreword, i suppose), and that she persuaded Miller to do the cover art. If so, good for her, I guess.
Next: Supergirl β
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Action Comics #271 (December 1960)
“Supergirl’s Fortress of Solitude!”
The Baron said:
We get a recap of Streaky’s origin, then Linda sees a report saying that Superman will be off Earth for several weeks. I’ve said it before, but this seems like something that they shouldn’t be broadcasting on television, at least not until after he’s come back.
Apparently the only lie Superman can tell is that he isn’t Clark Kent. Does he ever answer that direct question? He should lie and say he’s off-planet. “Your honor, this is entrapment! I wouldn’t have tried that bank robbery if Superman hadn’t lied about not being on Earth.”
They refuse to let her go, but Streaky happens along and inadvertently burns all memory of Supergirl out of the Brants’ brains with his X-Ray vision. (Also, Brant no longer remembers Iowa and the numbers between seven and forty-two, and Mrs. Brant no longer remembers her cousin Myrtle and what Wednesday is.)
I think lobotomies were still in fashion that year, or shortly before it. No doubt if Krypto did it he would have proven to be a better brain surgeon. Cats can’t catch a break.
The Brants return Linda to the orphanage, having suddenly received a three-year assignment to the Gobi Desert. (Well, isn’t that convenient?)
Convenient? The Gobi Desert straddles Manchuria and Mainland China. Could be a death sentence.
Supergirl returns to the desert with Superman and destroys her Fortress. I hope she took all the good stuff out of it, first, and stored it in her room in her cousin’s Fortress!
Of course they wanted status quo, but if she had burrowed deep into the Arabian desert is the least habitable portion nobody would have found it.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
I also noticed that, whereas every other statue has a revealing legend, Jerro's says nothing at all... not "My First Crush," not "The Son of a Scientist," nothing.
That’s interesting! I’ll bet they were going to have a legend on it but changed their minds.
Her next words should have been, "Oh, super-hypnosis! Thanks for reminding me!" Instead she says, "I...I'll do it, for Superman's sake!" Was Brant using "The Force" on her weak mind?
This is the “training” that Superman is supposed to be giving her.
Captain Comics said:
Of course he's a prince! Nobody's a nobody in these stories.
Hey, anyone who remembers past lives is on top. Nobody claims to have cleaned stables.
And there is a wealth of plot ideas created by her having a cop for a father.
The same thought occurred to me. She and her step-dad would be more or less in the same line of work. Linda might even follow in his footsteps, which would make for more interesting stories of Linda's young adulthood than we got.
They had Steve Rogers (Captain America) become a police officer briefly. Later, Dick Grayson became a police officer in the Nightwing series. Peter Parker was a high school science teacher for a short while (which really fit him) but showing up covered in bruises was a problem. Having to sneak off from a regular job doesn’t work well for costumed heroes. A reporter who can come and go is a lot easier.
”Supergirl” shows up at the Planet office, and Linda rolls out a Green Kryptonite meteor.
As you do.
“As you do” sent me into a giggling fit. Thanks!
She thinks, "A love between us may be... impossible!"
Well, yeah. Cross-species sex is like that. And it's uncomfortable to consider how fish actually impregnate each other. Not to mention seahorses.
As I understand it the female fish shoots her eggs into the open water, then the male does the same with his sperm. They then wander off.
I’ve heard in recent times that the male seahorse carries the babies. I wonder if this applies to the giant seahorses Aquaman rides?
Action Comics #274 (March 1961) “Supergirl’s Three Time Trips!”
Writing by Jerry Siegel
Art by Jim Mooney
1)We begin with Supergirl once again secretly helping an orphan get adopted by an athlete, this time a swimmer. Are they going to go through every sport?
2)The orphans are assigned to write an essay on the topic “The Famous Person of the Past I Would Most Like To Be”. Linda can’t decide between Annie Oakley, Betsy Ross and Pocahontas, so she decides to travel back in time to check them out personally.
3)Supergirl first visits Annie Oakley. Interestingly, the Earth-One was blonde and resembled Supergirl, which the Earth-Prime Annie Oakley did not. Annie is ill with a fever, so Kara secretly poses as her for a stunt show, which somehow works. While she is doing this, she encounters some Green Kryptonite, even though it shouldn’t exist yet.
4)She then visits Betsy Ross and quickly replaces the first U.S. flag when it is accidentally burned up. She once again encounters Green Kryptonite in the past.
5)Next, she visits Pocahontas, and saves her from being kidnapped by Chief Crazy Antelope. She even manages to pose as her! (I question the accuracy of the depiction of Native American culture in this story.) She once again encounters Green Kryptonite when it shouldn’t be.
6)Returning to 1961, Kara tells Superman about the Green K that she encountered in the past. Supes tells her that he recently accidentally blew up a Green K meteor with an H-Bomb (which happens) and he theorizes that the explosion scattered fragments of the meteor throughout time. Seriously? They really wanted to make sure that they didn’t have to write a story without Kryptonite in it, didn’t they? “What a startling complication!”, thinks Superman, looking stupefied.
7)Back at school, Linda learns that other girls have written about her three choices, so she hastily writes an essay about Joan of Arc, which no one notices her doing. of course. So, the whole thing was a waste of time.
Overall: An OK story. The Kryptonite bit feels really shoehorned in, though.
Next: Linda Kent?
"...this time a swimmer."
The Midvale Orphanage has its own swimming pool?
"Linda can’t decide between Annie Oakley, Betsy Ross and Pocahontas"
Before traveling to the past, she uses her x-ray vision to speed-read several books sitting on a shelf. I wouldn't think such a thing would even be possible. For one thing, the print on every other page would be reversed.
"Annie Oakley... was blonde and resembled Supergirl..."
Yes, but my first though was Jean Harlow.
"(I question the accuracy of the depiction of Native American culture in this story.)"
Really?
I think the Linda Lee robot spends more time at the orphanage than Supergirl herself does.
This story also postulates that crows have the ability to differentiate human facial expressions.
In this story, Supergirl demonstrates her knowledge of "all past languages" so she must be learning something in that school.
The Baron said:
Action Comics #272 (January 1961)
“The Second Supergirl!”
Supergirl introduces herself to Marvel Maid, who tells her that she comes from a doomed subterranean civilization......
….. called Fawcett Comics.
Action Comics #273 (February 1961)
“The Supergirl of Two Worlds!”
M.M. gets to Earth, where she passes a mountain with Superman and Krypto’s faces carved into it.
More mountain abuse!
Eric L. Sofer said:
A super female? Who's not Superman's cousin? I'm amazed he didn't propose marriage immediately.
Somebody had to say it!
Jeff of Earth-J said:
My biggest question about part one was why is Marvel Man so deferential to Mavel Maid? I think I got the answer in this part when it was revealed the first manned space shot is piloted by an astronautess.
Marvel Man is in prison instead of an orphanage, and apparently it’s up to Marvel Maid when he will be revealed to the world.
I know the term "actress" has fallen out of use in favor of the more generic term "actor" (Which terms do they use at the Acadamy Awards now? "Male actor" and "female actor"?), but I don't see the term "astronautess" even catching on (or being coined in the first place).
They still use Best Actor/Supporting Actor and Best Actress/Supporting Actress. Otherwise they might have to lump everyone into Actor categories. As it is, people who deserve an Oscar don’t all win.
" Which would you choose?"
I would choose the "Campus Cuddle-Bun" (simply because I like saying "Campus Cuddle-Bun").
I think I remember seeing this poll, so I must have read this issue. I didn’t vote, but I like that one best. I think that’s the one they used going forward.
The Baron said:
Action Comics #274 (March 1961)
“Supergirl’s Three Time Trips!”
We begin with Supergirl once again secretly helping an orphan get adopted by an athlete, this time a swimmer. Are they going to go through every sport?
Did she cheat for this one, too?
Linda can’t decide between Annie Oakley, Betsy Ross and Pocahontas, so she decides to travel back in time to check them out personally.
These were the “good old days” when more notable female (and non-white) historical figures weren’t in our textbooks. Some people want to go back to that.
Returning to 1961, Kara tells Superman about the Green K that she encountered in the past. Supes tells her that he recently accidentally blew up a Green K meteor with an H-Bomb (which happens) and he theorizes that the explosion scattered fragments of the meteor throughout time. Seriously?
The Hydrogen Bomb had been around for approximately ten years, and is significantly more powerful (and different) than the original A-Bombs. It is so different that it caused lots of speculation, of which this is one more.
Back at school, Linda learns that other girls have written about her three choices, so she hastily writes an essay about Joan of Arc, which no one notices her doing. of course.
The orphans (were) assigned to write an essay on the topic “The Famous Person of the Past I Would Most Like To Be”.
So Linda is okay with being burned at the stake, which we know she would survive.
So Linda is okay with being burned at the stake, which we know she would survive.
Unless it became a Kryptonite fire.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
They still use "actor" and "actress" categories for lead and supporting performers at the Oscars, Tonys and Emmys, although there is something of a push to change that. The thing is, no one has a good answer as to how.
At the Tony Awards this year, Best Performance by Leading Actor in a Musical (Some Like It Hot) went to J. Harrison Ghee, and Alex Newell won for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Shucked). Ghee and Newell are openly non-binary and the first such to win those major awards.
I suppose they could always do away with gender altogether and offer one award for "Best Actor" and one for "Best Actor in a Supporting Role"... and that solution would satisfy no one at all.
I forgot to question the time travel itself. Mort's standard had been that going into the past was as an invisible observer, not as a participant. Was this story an outlier, or were there more such under him?
Action Comics #275 (April 1961) “Ma and Pa Kent Adopt Supergirl!”
Writing by Jerry Siegel
Art by Jim Mooney
1)Supergirl admits to Superman that she envies the fact that he had a foster family. He admonishes her to cheer up, saying, “Someday, when I feel you’re ready, you too may have foster-parents!” Probably this sounded fine 62 years ago, but to me now, it sounds just a touch creepy.
2)That night, Linda dreams about what it might have been like if she had been adopted by the Kents instead of Kal-El. On an unrelated note, I’ve never been able to determine what I dream about. I’ve heard of people who can, but I never could.
3)When Ma and Pa Kent find Baby Kara, Pa consistently refers to her as “it”.
4)When Pa accidentally jabs Baby Linda with a pin, and the pin bends, Ma immediately declares that Linda is invulnerable, which seems like a bit of a leap to me.
5)After a frightened Linda wrecks the Kent home during a storm, they move next door to the Luthors, and across the street from Bob Benson.
6)It develops that Lex likes Linda, Linda likes Bob, and Bob likes Lana. I think that a Lex/Linda romance would have been more interesting.
7)Eventually, Supergirl debuts as a crimefighter, much to the delight of a cartoon German, two cartoon Frenchmen and a cartoon Briton
8)Supergirl acquires a Kryptonian super-parrot she names “Squawky”.
9)We get the old gag where Bob loves Supergirl but hates Linda. Predictable.
10)Lex figures out that Linda is Supergirl, and rushes to tell Bob, figuring that that will smooth out her love life. Ah, well, even geniuses aren’t smart about love.
11)Once Bob is convinced, he comes on to Linda, even proposing marriage! (Aren’t they like, sixteen?) She figures out that he’s only doing it because he thinks she’s Supergirl, so she rejects him, vehemently. we end with Linda awakening, wondering what other weir dreams she will have in the future.
Overall: An interesting idea that perhaps could have been done a little better.
Next: Super-War?
Personally, I think these "weak and idle themed" issues are a waste of paper. It's bad enough that Kara "stirs in her sleep" in the middle of the dream in order to remind readers, "I know this is just a... dream!" But a few pages later, the narrator feels he must remind us again, just in case we don't get it: "How ironic! In real life, the girl next door to Clark Kent in Smallville was Lana Lang, who continually pestered him much to Clark's annoyance! But in her dream, Linda has a crush on Bob Benson who ignores her...! It's... just the opposite!" Then, for the benefit of the really slow readers, she reiterates it yet again, and recaps the story we have just read: "What a strange dream! Everything was reversed. I was the child of Jor-El and Lara instead of my real parents... I, instead of Superman, came to Earth as a baby... Lex Luthor was nice instead of villainous... I had a super-parrot for a pet instead of Krypto--! And in place of suspicious Lana, there was scornful Bob!... Goodness! Dreams are certainly fantastic! I wonder what other super-mixed up dreans I may have some day!?"
You were dreaming, we get it... Jeez! Next time I'm going to substitute an issue of Roarin' Rick's Rare Bit Fiends.
One thing I have noticed this time through is that Superman isn't nearly as Machiavellian as I remembered. The worst thing he's done (so far) is to "pretend" to exile Supergirl to space for a year (Action Comics #258).
It was bad enough when Superman decided she was old enough to use make-up (Action Comics #270), but in this issue he tops even that. "The Super-Clown of Metropolis" (Superman #136) proved that Superman lacks a super-sense of humor, and this story demonstrates he also lacks super-compassion... or compassion and sensitivity of any kind. He takes apparent delight in flaunting his home-life in Smallville right in front of Supergirl's eyes, then he's all surprised when she starts to cry.
"Why, Supergirl! You're crying! What...?"
"I'm sorry! *sniff* When I see how you had loving foster-parents and I..."
"...Don't?!... Cheer up! Someday, when I feel you're ready, you too may have foster parents!"
F*ck you, Superman! Your cousin has legitimate feelings and you cavalierly dismiss them. You don't want to take personal responsibilty for her upbringing, yet you want complete control over her life. I mean seriously, F*CK YOU!
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