It's been a while since I checked in with Supergirl and Linda Danvers, and I was pleased to hear of David's intention to offer up a new jumping-on point and a new storyline with this issue. He's definitely piqued my curiosity with this look back at the title character's Silver Age origins, and I remain a fan of his witty dialogue. Sadly, I can't express the same appreciation for the work of the new regular artist.
Linda Danvers, now the only Supergirl, returns to her hometown of Leesburg for a long overdue reunion with her parents... but not before taking out a crew of high-tech crooks. Linda heads to her parents' house to fill them in on everything that's happened to her since she hit the road, only to discover that they have some rather startling news of their own to share. Meanwhile, a rocket blasts its way toward Earth, and more specifically, the middle of downtown Leesburg. Thinking it's an attack, Supergirl is in for another surprise when the rocket hatch opens up.
Benes tells the story fairly clearly, and his conventional style seems at home in the super-hero genre. But while he does a capable job, there's one visual element in this issue that was thoroghly off-putting. There's no reason for Linda to return to her parents' home clad in top that is little more than a bra with ruffles. These cheesecake outfit is thoroughly distracting and irksome.
Furthermore, while I realize this creative team had nothing to do with it, I don't care for the Supergirl design (the modern one, not the Silver Age one). It worked for the Superman cartoon, as the Supergirl from that continuity was young and the outfit suited her. But this Supergirl is older, and one of the central themes of the opening story arc was how she was maturing.
David offers up an accessible script that incorporates what has come before in the series while providing a new starting point. Focusing on Linda's reunion with her parents struck me as a wise move, as the genuine quality of those scenes made it easy to cheer for not only the title character but her support structure as well.
I honestly have no idea where David is going with this Silver Age riff, and while the satire factor wasn't as strong as I expected it in this issue, he's still got my attention. However, if Benes continues with the T&A emphasis, I don't know how long my attention will remain focused on this book.
