REVIEW: ‘Supergirl,’ Issue #29

Supergirl #29 is published by DC Comics, written by Marc Andreyko, with art by Eduardo Pansica, inks by Julio Ferreira, colors by FCO Plascencia, and letters by Tom Napolitano.

We are now eight issues into Supergirl’s quest to find out who really destroyed Krypton. Thus far, the Maid of Might has scoured space to find out that Rogol Zaar destroyed her planet while under orders from a secret society called the Circle. That wee bit of knowledge has gotten her pursued, captured, cloned, and caught in a vicious battle. This ultimately leads to her being teamed up with the Omega Men. Supergirl endured with the help of Zaar’s cosmic axe, her pal Krypto, and new friend Z’ndr.

Supergirl #29 brings Kara Zor-el a modicum of peace after many issues of trial and error. Resting on the lovely world of Tavaar offers our hero time to recuperate and speak with Z’ndr. Tavaar makes for a great locale. Lush, peaceful, a brilliant contrast to the war-torn hell of previous issues. A deeper glimpse is offered into Z’ndr’s life, his age, how he got the cybernetic arm, and his childhood trauma. But during the back and forth with Kara, Z’ndr struggles with whether or not to tell Kara his darkest family secret.

Marc Andreyko has done right by this title. Since issue #21, he has given us a solid portrait of a troubled teenage girl trying to come to grips with her titanic personal tragedy. In Supergirl #29, we get a glimpse of Kara trying to find inner peace, learn more about Z’ndr, and display the prowess that rightly earns her the name of Supergirl. Andreyko manages each issue to add just enough to keep things moving, and knows when to break up the dialogue with not just a timely fight, but a well-choreographed one to boot. Plus, Pansica also deserves credit for making Supergirl look so devastating and keeping the fights looking very real. Marc Andreyko also takes this opportunity to reveal bits on the Circle, adding to the lore of DC’s cosmic map, a realm I hope gets more exploration as Supergirl progresses.

I’ve written before about my love of Andreyko’s writing and Pansica’s artwork in this book. Everything from the lettering to the inks and bright colors is just spot on and is reminiscent of the four-color sheen of the Silver Age but amped up and with a broader palette of hues. I enjoyed the entire journey across the stars and hope it gives Supergirl an even longer story arc to explore more of DC’s space lanes. I also very much liked Kara’s sleeveless outfit, and Pansica has done a bang-up job when it comes to Kara’s wardrobe. Zndr’s story is great, and as an Indiana Jones fan, seeing him in a miniseries would be nice. Oh yes, and Rogol Zaar’s axe continues to be of great use, and I really want Kara to have it forever.

However, my sole gripe with this issue is that Z’ndr is a teenager. I’m not sure why it bothered me, maybe I wanted Supergirl to have a mentor more than a fellow teen pal, but it rubbed the wrong way.  Either way, Supergirl #29 was paced well, artistically beautiful and I eagerly await next month when the confrontation with Empress Gandelo goes down. A great job as usual. So glad the Zaar storyline got this series renewed because Supergirl is a great character. Pick it up.

Supergirl #29 is available in comic book stores everywhere now