Supergirl Flies Into the Sunset

 

Well, as if 2020 hasn't taken enough way from us already...

Word came down earlier this week that Supergirl, the CW series, will be ending as of it's 6th season. 

Due to both pandemic restrictions and Melissa Benoist's pregnancy, production on Supergirl's 6th season is delayed with no new episodes set to air on the CW until the spring of 2021. 

With a new Superman series set to debut in January, it's not a complete surprise that Supergirl would be nearing the end of it's run after 6 years. 

Supergirl has been the little TV show that could, just holding on to it's berth on the CBS schedule for it's 1st season then becoming a part of the slate of DC shows on the CW. I've always rooted for Supergirl to succeed if for no other reason than the show provides a strong, positive female role model. 

But as much as I might miss Kara Danvers, her sister Alex and the rest of the gang, I'm not entirely torn up that Supergirl is going to end.

I think the show has struggled to find it's voice and forge a clear direction. Lapses in plot logic and character development have consistently frustrated me. 

The Reign arc? Ugh! Leviathan? What a let down. Lena Luthor breaking bad? Really? 

But when the show succeeds, wow! Casting Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor was a stroke of genius and I hope Cryer can continue as Lex when then new Superman series is launched.  

The relationships of women as sisters and friends were a joy to experience. 

I like that Supergirl's first solution to a problem is to punch it. But her best solution is to just talk some damn sense into somebody.  

I hope that with the fore knowledge that the show is ending, the writers and producers will develop a strong story arc for our cast to end on a positive note. 

Supergirl isn't faring to well in the comics. Her solo series at DC was not only cancelled but cancelled early. With about 3 issues set to go, DC elected to not print those issues but release them digitally only. Those issues will only see print in a potential future trade collection.  

Supergirl has never been handled consistently in the comics.

Kara Zor-El of Krypton landed on Earth and Superman immediately plopped a brown wig on her head, named her Linda Lee and dropped her in an orphanage where she was adopted by the Danvers family. Kara Zor-El of Krypton was now Linda Danvers of Midvale. 

Supergirl operated in secret for awhile until Superman decided she was ready to show herself to the world. 

Back in the 1960s, Superman could be kind of a dick.  

After holding down a back up spot on Action Comics, Supergirl was made the lead feature in Adventure Comics where artist Mike Sekowsky decided Supergirl needed a new outfit but left it up to reader suggestions to come up with a new design.  

Eventually Supergirl moved into her own title for 10 issues then became part of the roster in Superman family. 

All through this, Supergirl rarely held down a regular writer/artist team for very long. Probably Supergirl's most consistent team during this period was Jack C Harris, Win Mortimer & Vince Colletta.  

Superman Family was cancelled and Supergirl got her own solo title again courtesy of Paul Kupperberg, Carmine Infantino & Bob Oskner. 

Not sure who thought Carmine Infantino was a good idea to be the artist for this Supergirl series.  

This title lasted about 2 years. After it was cancelled, Supergirl was killed off in Crisis On Infinite Earths#7.

And that was that for Supergirl until John Byrne presented the world with a new Supergirl. Byrne had rebooted the mythos of Superman with an eye on keeping Superman as the sole survivor of Krypton. 

This Supergirl was a protoplasmic being from another dimension who could shape shift into anyone but their preferred form was that of Supergirl. 

Then writer Peter David took this version protoplasmic version of Supergirl into another direction. Protoplasmic Supergirl saves delinquent Linda Danvers from a supernatural ritual. Somehow, Supergirl and Linda Danvers merge, body, mind and soul, to become an "Earth-Born Angel". 

This version of Supergirl carried her own title for 80 issues, the single longest run of a Supergirl series either before or since. 

Then there was a back to basics mandate for Supergirl from the powers that be. No more of this  "Earth-Born Angel" business. It was time for Supergirl to become Kara Zor-El of Krypton once more. 

The in-story excuse for this costume was that, like Clark Kent's Superman suit, it was designed by Clark's mom, Martha Kent of Smallville, Kansas.  

Really? There is no way a woman on a farm in Kansas would create this get up. 

Thankfully, later artists would close off the mid rift and lengthen the skirt to reduce the hyper sexualization of the girl from Krypton. 

Then the New 52 happened and we got this Supergirl.

Is that a... codpiece? 

And then Rebirth happened and we got this version of Supergirl which borrowed quite a bit from the TV show, establishing her base of operations out of National City, her civilian ID as Kara Danvers, dividing her time between CatCo and the DEO.  

And it's this version that was unceremoniously cancelled earlier this year.  

While Superman is Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, Supergirl's civilian life is in constant flux, holding jobs in student counseling, news reporting, and acting in a TV soap opera.  

This lack of definition for Supergirl's civilian life was just part of the overall lack of focus on who Supergirl is supposed to be. From reboot to reboot, Supergirl goes from a young girl still in her teens to a young woman with a adult problems.  

Because Supergirl is so ill-defined in the main DC Universe, she is easily adaptable to other forms. 

My favorite alternate take on Kara Zor-El was Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade by writer Landry Q. Walker and artist Eric Jones.  

This series put all the elements of silver age Supergirl into a blender and came up with a series that was a lot of fun and deserved a much longer life than the 6 issues it got.

At the time, my daughter Randie was buying this series and totally devouring each issue. She read and re-reread each issue of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade until those books were almost reduced to liquid form. 

The spirit of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade came to mind when artist Chris Samnee posted this commission on Twitter of Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. 

I posted a comment that I wanted...no, NEEDED to see a Supergirl and Krypto series by Chris Samnee. Chris liked the tweet and replied with a "Thanks, man!" 

Meanwhile, DC is no longer publishing a Supergirl comic book series and after next year, Supergirl will no longer have her TV series as well.

Here is what Melissa Benoist had to say about her time as Supergirl. 

 “To say it has been an honour portraying this iconic character would be a massive understatement. Seeing the incredible impact the show has had on young girls around the world has always left me humbled and speechless.  She’s had that impact on me, too. She’s taught me strength I didn’t know I had, to find hope in the darkest of places, and that we are stronger when we’re united. What she stands for pushes all of us to be better. She has changed my life for the better, and I’m forever grateful. I’m so excited that we get to plan our conclusion to this amazing journey, and I cannot wait for you to see what we have in store. I promise we’re going to make it one helluva final season."

Whatever issues I may have had with the writing and storylines on Supergirl, what was never in doubt to me was the sure joy that Melissa Benoist brought to the role of Supergirl. I will miss seeing her on screen on a regular basis.

I hope however the series ends, it still leaves opportunities for Melissa to revisit the role of Supergirl for the occasional guest appearance on the new Superman series or CW crossover events. 

Fly free, Supergirl. You will be missed.