So much better than tending cattle.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Marguerite Sauvage
What They Say:
Meet Kara and Kortni, two Russian stepsisters about to enter the war as fighter pilots. But when Kara’s secret powers are revealed, it may be time for the coming of a Supergirl.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Bombshells series is one that certainly started off strong in Gotham as it gave us Kate Kane and our look at Batwoman and what she was doing there in 1940. It was a stylish piece that got a lot of people on board both in scripting in artwork in a big way. The second installment didn’t fumble, but it also wasn’t a surprise that Wonder Woman’s introduction would be pretty close to what we always had for her, since the character comes from this time period in her main origin. It was pretty good looking though and while it focused more on Steve Trevor than Diana, it made clear some of the impact the war has had on Paradise Island and provided the opening to draw her into all of it.
With this installment things shift to Mother Russia, where we meet the young women Kara and Kortni as they’ve come to Moscow to be a part of the Night Witches, a fighter pilot squadron that has equipment that nobody else wanted but pilots that are eager to contribute to protecting the motherland. Introducing Supergirl in this form with Kara is an interesting angle since it plays up the Red Son mythology just a touch, and giving her a stepsister in Kortni works well as the two watch out for each other and have different feelings about the whole adventure itself. There’s also some nice mixing in of fairy tales and how Kara has liked them but understood that they are just that, since she’s something completely different considering her true alien origin. The pair get fleshed out very well just in seeing them making their way from the city to the airfield, showing parts of life amid the war, their own feelings on it and how they deal with rude servicemen.
We also get a look at how the truth of who Kara is starts to come out and you can easily see how she’ll either eventually be put forward as a true daughter of the revolution or forced to flee because of what she is, which will put her in Waller’s open arms to fight against the big evil of the day. It’s a straightforward approach but the execution is solid across the board with it as it places us into the context of the time very well while also opening up the possibilities. Both young women come across as distinct different here and it’s definitely good to see the way they interact with each other and others as it reveals more about them. Sometimes the artwork makes it a little unclear who is who, but that’s more just a first read kind of impression more than anything. Sauvage’s artwork continues to delight as I love her take on things and getting a chance to play in this part of the world is spot on.
In Summary:
DC Comics Bombshells hits a solid installment here as we get the introduction of Kara into the game. With her being one of the more defining figures of the statue line, I’m looking forward to seeing her in action once things get to that area. As an origin installment, it certainly works well with what it does and makes for an enjoyable ride as we see the stepsisters move towards their goal while also hiding the truth of who they are. It’s a complicated period in general and no less so in Russia, coming off of the revolution prior and the scale and scope of the impact of the first Great War and the cost placed on the people. There’s a lot to like here that has me wishing this was a daily series so we could get even more of it quicker.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: August 8th, 2015
MSRP: $0.99