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 #279 (August 1961) “Supergirl’s Secret Enemy!”
Writing by Jerry Siegel
Art by Jim Mooney
1)We begin by learning that Supergirl’s powers were stolen by Lesla-Lar, an envious Kandorian scientist, who invented a “Kryptonite-tinged ray: that removed her Kryptonian abilities. Can Kandorians watch anyone on Earth at any time? That’s kind of creepy.
2)Linda (and Streaky) are adopted by Fred Danvers and his wife. Linda doesn’t fight this, having given up on getting her powers back anytime soon.
3)Linda switches her hairstyle at Fred’s suggestion. Looks like the “Campus Cuddle-Bun” won out.
4)That night, Lesla uses a teleport ray to switch places with Linda, and brainwashes Linda into thinking that she is Lesla-Lar. As a rule, I tend not to buy into the “identical duplicate successfully takes someone’s place” story type. I think that there are too many ways that the duplicate would give themselves away, often without even realizing it. I can give “Lesla passing as Linda” a pass because she’s been watching Linda, and the Danverses don’t really know Linda that well yet. (Om the other hand, Streaky should have spotted her as a fake immediately. Cats are very sensitive about that sort of thing.) I suppose that I can give Linda passing as Lesla” a pass, too. because I can assume that when Lesla brainwashed her, she gave Linda all the info she needed to know to successfully pass as her.
5)Kandor has a “Hall of Sleepers”, where volunteers are placed in suspended animation for a thousand years so as to "preserve present-day Kandorian ideals", whatever that means. (As if the Kandorians of 2961 are going to be interested in them as more than historic curiosities! I suspect a plot to lessen the strain on Kandor’s food and water supplies.)
6)Lesla goes to Luthor’s cell and offers to be his “secret emergency weapon”, leaving a plastic replica that looks “exactly” like him. She helps him commit a crime and then returns him to his cell so that he can’t be blamed.
7)In Kandor, Linda spots the crime and goes to report it. Lesla spots her just in time and switches them back. Linda awakens at home, dimly remembering her time in Kandor as a dream.
8)In Kandor, Lesla-Lar just gloats like nobody’s business!
Overall: Interesting developments, here. I seem to remember suggesting a while back that I’d like to see Supergirl have a secret enemy, and now one has arrived! I kinda miss “criminal scientist” Luthor. I’ve never really cottoned to “evil businessman” Luthor.
Next: “Trapped in Kandor!”
"We defy you to guess the astounding answer!!"
That's a bit disingenuous, in that...
"We begin by learning that Supergirl’s powers were stolen by Lesla-Lar"
...there's no way readers could have guessed that. (Not exactly "fair use".)
"Can Kandorians watch anyone on Earth at any time?"
I gather that Lesla-Lar is something of a prodigy; she must be if she can pass for 16-year-old Supergirl. The thing that surprised me: Kandor has a beach.
"Linda (and Streaky) are adopted by Fred Danvers and his wife."
Fred is apparently a rocket scientist, his wife doesn't even get a first name. It's all really a matter of timing that Linda "allowed herself" to be adopted by the Danvers. Streaky's ball of X-Kryptonite twine was left behind in the move. Leaving her robot behind would have broken my heart when I was ten. At that time I thought "Puff the Magic Dragon" was about the sadest song I had ever heard. "Should you ever need me, mistress, I'll be here in this hollow tree... waiting!"
That night, Superman visits.
"Swiftly, Superman builds a secret panel at a speed faster than sound can travel...!"
I take that to mean he built it so fast that the Danvers didn't hear, but that's not how "the speed of sound" works.
"Linda switches her hairstyle at Fred’s suggestion."
Yes, his "suggestion". As he puts his arm on her bare shoulder (the straps of the frock she is wearing, visible in the three previous panels, are now gone) he says: "You're too grown-up to wear pigtails anymore! That's strictly kid stuff, and you're a lovely young lady! Tomorrow we're going to visit a beauty parlor, and there'll be some changes made. Then we're going to the lingerie store."
"Looks like the “Campus Cuddle-Bun” won out."
Does your archive not have the results of the poll? (In the omnibus, it's between the stories in Action Comics #281 and #282.)
" I think that there are too many ways that the duplicate would give themselves away, often without even realizing it."
In this case, Lesla-Lar has an "evil" hairstyle. Also, she has a tendancy to hold her forefinger up in the air when she's "monologuing"... in her mind.
"Kandor has a 'Hall of Sleepers'...”
I had the same thoughts you did. At first I thought Lesla-Lar was going to put Supergirl in it, but she didn't. What story purpose does it serve? #Chekov's cryogenic chamber
"...leaving a plastic replica that looks 'exactly' like him."
It's a blow-up doll. (I don't even want to consider the implications.)
"Interesting developments, here."
I was not expecting a three-parter.
Does your archive not have the results of the poll? (In the omnibus, it's between the stories in Action Comics #281 and #282.)
It is in the Archive, I will post it when I come to it.
The Baron said:
Action Comics #279 (August 1961)
“Supergirl’s Secret Enemy!”
We begin by learning that Supergirl’s powers were stolen by Lesla-Lar, an envious Kandorian scientist
It’s gotten to the point that Superman and Supergirl should preemptively investigate everyone under the sun with the initials “LL.” They will turn out to be either very good friends or very bad enemies.
Linda switches her hairstyle at Fred’s suggestion. Looks like the “Campus Cuddle-Bun” won out.
Like I remembered from reading her stories all those years ago. I don’t remember any poll results, but Linda’s wig* looked like that until I stopped reading the Weisinger books about a year after this.
*Did anyone wonder about Linda apparently not washing her hair (especially now that she has a regular home)?
I can give “Lesla passing as Linda” a pass because she’s been watching Linda, and the Danverses don’t really know Linda that well yet. (On the other hand, Streaky should have spotted her as a fake immediately. Cats are very sensitive about that sort of thing.)
I’m glad that Streaky got a home, too. I had the impression that he was still a stray. I agree that Streaky wouldn’t have accepted the look-alike as Kara/Linda. Cats remember people for a long time. One time one of our cats heard a cousin’s voice on speaker-phone and ran down the stairs at breakneck speed. He then looked in all directions and was disappointed when he didn’t see her.
Kandor has a “Hall of Sleepers”, where volunteers are placed in suspended animation for a thousand years so as to "preserve present-day Kandorian ideals", whatever that means
That’s very creepy to me.
Lesla goes to Luthor’s cell and offers to be his “secret emergency weapon”, leaving a plastic replica that looks “exactly” like him. She helps him commit a crime and then returns him to his cell so that he can’t be blamed.
So Luthor is now one of the very few who know of Supergirl’s existence? I suspect they will fix that at the end of the story.
I kinda miss “criminal scientist” Luthor. I’ve never really cottoned to “evil businessman” Luthor.
Luthor was always escaping prison, but he knew it wouldn’t be for long because he never changed out of his prison uniform. (or was this so the stupid readers could recognize him?)
Jeff of Earth-J said:
"You’re too grown-up to wear pigtails anymore!
Grown-up girls in anime wear a lot of pigtails.
Tomorrow we're going to visit a beauty parlor, and there'll be some changes made. Then we're going to the lingerie store."
These are changes that Linda herself should have pushed for. Maybe it wasn’t an option at the orphanage.
I’m glad that Streaky got a home, too. I had the impression that he was still a stray.
Actually, Linda adopted him with Miss Hart's permission back in Action Comics #261.
Kandor has a “Hall of Sleepers”, where volunteers are placed in suspended animation for a thousand years so as to "preserve present-day Kandorian ideals", whatever that means
That’s very creepy to me.
There were probably a lot of Kandorians who just couldn't adapt to being trapped in a bottle, let alone having their planet explode. Running away from these problems until they were fixed seems like a somewhat reasonable response to me - at least for some of the more mild Kandorians.
Action Comics #280 (September 1961) “Trapped in Kandor!”
Writing by Jerry Siegel
Art by Jim Mooney
1)We begin with Linda on a class trip to the Daily Planet. While she’s there, Clark lets her know that he still hasn’t found a way to restore her powers. Weird seeing Clark without his jacket on.
2)Lesla switches places with Linda again, and approaches Luthor with a plan to destroy Superman using a Kryptonite ray that she insists he get the credit for. Luthor really should be a lot more suspicious of Lesla than he seems to be here.
3)We learn that Kandor keeps the brain of its geniuses alive in chemicals so they can keep contributing ideas. This is creepy. I wonder if this is where Matt Groening got the idea for the heads in jars in Futurama?
4)Linda-as-Lesla goes to the movies in Kandor, where she sees a movie about her own life, which I half expected to awaken her memories.
5)Meanly, Lesla-as-Linda convinces Superman that she has regained her powers using a method that he believes shouldn’t work. She then helps him rescue some tourists from falling rocks. He is so impressed that he tells her that he’s ready to announce her existence to the world.
6)Cliffhanger: Lesla-Lar plots to have Luthor kills Superman and then to kill Luthor herself!
Overall: This is still interesting, although I can’t help noticing that, considering that this is a Supergirl story, she doesn’t really do much here, she’s more just a victim.
Next: “The Secret of the Time-Barrier!”
"[The poll] is in the Archive, I will post it when I come to it."
Sorry; didn't mean to get ahead of the discussion.
"Did anyone wonder about Linda apparently not washing her hair (especially now that she has a regular home)?"
I'm sure the Danvers give her plenty of privacy (except maybe Fred).
Kandor has a “Hall of Sleepers”, where volunteers are placed in suspended animation for a thousand years so as to "preserve present-day Kandorian ideals", whatever that means.
Imagine "thawing out people from the year 1023 and adopting their "ideals."
"These are changes that Linda herself should have pushed for."
(I was kidding about the lingerie.)
Action Comics #280:
"Weird seeing Clark without his jacket on."
No tie in the first panel, loosened tie in the next two.
"Luthor really should be a lot more suspicious of Lesla than he seems to be here."
...and vice versa.
"We learn that Kandor keeps the brain of its geniuses alive in chemicals so they can keep contributing ideas. This is creepy."
Agreed... especially the matter-of-fact way it is presented. I'm sure Jerry Siegel was going for more of a "Vulcan Katra" vibe.
"I wonder if this is where Matt Groening got the idea for the heads in jars in Futurama?"
Sound more like "Headworld" from Nexus.
"Linda-as-Lesla goes to the movies in Kandor, where she sees a movie about her own life, which I half expected to awaken her memories."
Me, too.
"Ironically, unknown to 'Linda-Lar,' Zor-El is her own father!"
"Ironically, 'Lesla Lar' doesn't realize Kara is herself, as an infant!"
This story is just dripping with irony. Plus, readers are reminded at the rate of approximately once per page that "Lesla-Lar" is really Supergirl.
"I was not expecting a three-parter."
I was definitely not expecting a four-parter.
Action Comics #281 (October 1961) “The Secret of the Time-Barrier!”
Writing by Jerry Siegel
Art by Jim Mooney
1)Superman, Lesla-as-Kara, and Krypto meet at the Fortress. Krypto immediately senses that she is a fake, which you would expect. Like cats, dogs are very sensitive about that kind of thing.
2)In Kandor, Kara-as-Lesla is recruited to play Supergirl in a movie. The director is dressed like a caricature of a Hollywood film director. Maybe they saw footage of a Hollywood director and decided that’s how directors are supposed to dress.
3)Krypto uses Superman’s “Exchange-Ray” to switch Kara and Lesla back. (So, he’s smart enough to operate this machine, but not smart enough to make sure that his master is aware that something funny is going on?)
4)Kara faints when she returns to the Fortress and bumps her head. Superman is surprised to discover that she no longer has her powers. He tries Lesla’s fake “power-restoring” method, but it doesn’t work. I know that he’s no Batman, but I feel as though Supes ought to be looking into this a little more than he does. Instead, he just returns her home.
5) Later, he returns with her robot, having has a sudden inspiration. He flies her back to the year 1692, and her powers return. She messes around for a while, inadvertently becoming the Legendary “Golden Witch”. However, when she returns to the present, her powers are gone again.
6)Cliffhanger: Lesla reiterates her plan to destroy Superman!
7)We get the results of the Hair-Style Poll. The “Campus Cuddle-Bun” won, as we already knew.
Overall: More interesting stuff, although it does feel a bit “padded”, like a 1970’s Doctor Who six-parter.
Next: “The Supergirl of Tomorrow!”
The Baron said:
1)Superman, Lesla-as-Kara, and Krypto meet at the Fortress. Krypto immediately senses that she is a fake, which you would expect. Like cats, dogs are very sensitive about that kind of thing.
I get the impression that the editor and the writers knew about dogs but didn’t know much about cats.
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