Supergirl #17: Save Yourself

Supergirl’s story has always been interesting because, unlike Superman, she has memories of Krypton. These memories haunt her life in a strange new home as she navigates grief, heroism, and found family. But what if she could have her home back? Would she take it? Supergirl #17 continues the twelve-issue event, Kingdom of Zod, spanning the Super Family titles this summer. A newly resurrected Ursa has killed General Zod and taken a time machine to stop Krypton’s death, but not before Supergirl and a younger version of Superman from the past can join. Now, these super cousins must stop Ursa from rewriting history while also fighting their own personal desires. Can this trio get back to the future while their future still exists? Meanwhile, in the present, Steel and the Kryptonite Woman work on a solution to the Kryptonite plague General Zod unleashed on the world, which is suffocating the Super Family. This epic issue of Supergirl is jam-packed with action, insight, and love for the Woman of Tomorrow. 

There’s something wonderfully chaotic about Sophie Campbell’s Supergirl run. It has never felt particularly interested in keeping Kara in a neat little box, and Supergirl #17 doubles down on that philosophy by throwing her into the middle of DC’s latest Superman Family crossover: “Kingdom of Zod.” With Zod now in charge, Supergirl puts together a decidedly unconventional strike team to infiltrate the country and take him down. The lineup includes Superboy-Prime, Conner Kent, Tomorrow Man, Steel, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Natasha Irons, Princess Shark, and several other members of Kara’s increasingly bizarre, but incredibly fun, supporting cast. That lineup alone tells you what kind of comic Campbell is making. This isn’t simply “Supergirl fights Zod.” It’s a superhero team-up filtered through the weird, colorful, occasionally ridiculous world that Campbell has spent the last year building. The result is an issue that feels considerably more like Supergirl than a generic crossover chapter. One of the strengths in Campbell’s run on Supergirl is the introspection that she weaves into Kara’s dialogue. We know what Kara is thinking, and it’s interesting how that differs from what she does. This issue uses this perfectly to explore the grief that Ursa holds for the death of Krypton, and how Supergirl shares that grief but has worked past it. Ursa and Kara both share the experience of losing two of their home worlds, so it makes sense that Supergirl was the book to explore this.    

Joe Quinones is a particularly good fit for this series. His artwork brings the same sense of energy and personality that Campbell’s writing has established. A book with this many characters needs an artist capable of making each one visually distinct, and Quinones’ expressive approach fits the colorful cast extremely well. More importantly, the artwork doesn’t make the issue feel overly grim simply because Zod is involved. That’s an important distinction because the “Kingdom of Zod” event could very easily have been presented as a dark, militaristic Superman story. Instead, Supergirl #17 retains much of the playful energy that has defined Campbell’s run. The characters still feel like characters rather than interchangeable action figures, and that gives the book a personality that many crossover openers lack. The result is a comic that can deliver the spectacle expected from a Superman Family event without sacrificing the charm that makes Supergirl stand out.