Friday, November 08, 2013

Supergirl to become a Red Lantern

As of Green Lantern/Red Lantern 28 in February.
http://www.newsarama.com/19526-guess-who-s-a-new-red-lantern-as-title-smashes-with-green-lantern-for-february-flipbook.html

So that's what DC meant when they said they were moving her out of the Super family set of books.  Fuckity fuckity fuck.  I bet you I can tell what's going to happen.  She becomes the lead Red Lantern, sales don't do so well, her own series gets cancelled then she gets removed from the lead in the Red Lantern books and then we get to see bugger all of her.  Fuck fuck fuck.

Hells, reading this I'm nearly a Red Lantern.  Godsdammit.  Look, I like the Red Lanterns OK.  I like the rainbow corps.  However, Supergirl at her best has always been a fundamentally good character.  Friendly, sweet.  Before the Crisis she was almost saccharine at times.  She was naive, she was innocent, she was trusting and she tried to do her best by people.  Post crisis, we got Matrix.  A confused protoplasmic alien who chose to live with the Kents and become a hero.  Then we had the earthborn angel saga, where Matrix fused with Linda Danvers.  Linda was a nasty, violent piece of work, but by fusing with Matrix Supergirl she was redeemed herself.  She became a good person.  Then we had the reintroduction of the Kryptonian counsin Supergirl, who was an angry, confused mess until Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle made sense out of her convoluted back story and gave her a stable personality.  They gave her friends and relationships and a supporting cast and gave her humanity and a purpose.  And a desire to be a hero.

My point is, people don't like an angry Supergirl.  They don't buy it. Literally.  The post crisis Kara who was angry and violent and bitter was not received well.  The last series got good when Gates and Igle started, and made her a pleasant person to read about who wanted to be a hero.

What the fuck are DC playing at.

Now, trying to lok on the bright side here, Charles Soule is writing Red Lantern (I think?) and he's a pretty good writer.  he made the Superman/Wonder Woman issue 1 readable.  Nearly good.  So maybe this will work.  I'd like it to work. I really would. But I don't think it will.  Hopefully I'm wrong.

Prepare for more angry posts when this book comes out.

Incidentally, my boyfriend said that me typing this is the sound of someone wrong on the internet -  vocal silence accompanied by angry smashing of keys.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was ready for a change of pace. Instead we're getting more dumb rage-girl, angry and bitter. Excuse me DC, but could you please PYHO and give us something that doesn't just confirm the idea that y'all think women suck? Wow.

Saranga said...

I'm not sure if you mean that the idea is dumb or if you think Kara will be portrayed as dumb. I don't think her being a rage lantern will mean she's stupid, although I think it is a very stupid idea.

Anonymous said...

Actually yes, I meant the idea is dumb. But I was also referring to what some people call "dumb rage", the anger that interferes with thinking to the point you constantly make really bad decisions. Since the start of the first H'El arc a year ago that seems to be what DC wants us to see in Kara. I wish I knew why they think this is a good idea.

Anj said...

Well, you know my feelings on this subject. It makes no sense to me.

It is maddening ... and saddening.

Saranga said...

@anonymous: Oh I see. Dumb rage does not make for a good story. You need to see more. Even the rest of the Red Lanterns have more to them than blind/dumb rage. I'm not sure we've seen that with Kara so far though.
I appreciate that Kara being an avatar of rage fits in with the New 52 brand, but I can't fathom why that is a good idea. Her series has never done well when she's just angry. She needs more to her than that. As Superman should inspire us, so should Supergirl (and Superboy). they are emblems of hope. Nice characters offer good story telling opportunities too - why don't DC see that?

Ha - My user verification starts with the number 52. *scowl*.