Welcome To My Nightmare
July 27, 2006 by The Fortress Keeper
The always insightful Progressive Ruin posted an intriguing theory this week on why comix fans collect titles they don’t particularly enjoy.
Citing fans’ near super-human levels of patience - particularly when it comes to favorite characters - the author recalled his own dedication to the 1980s Firestorm, even though most of the issues weren’t all that good.
Things, he reasoned, had to get better at some point, right?
Over at his own fine blog, CalvinPitt picked up the thread by comparing comics fans to loyal followers of such hapless sports franchises as the Arizona Cardinals.
Similarly, Daniel from An Ear - in the Fireplace! opined on the story-lines that finally drove him away from Spider-Man.
In each instance, a somewhat smug Fortress Keeper clucked sympathetically and recalled his own devotion to Supergirl - a fixation that was finally broken by the terrible, terrible seventh issue of the character’s current series.
So when your hapless host saw the latest issue of Supergirl at Lee’s Comics, he snorted derisively at yet another T&A cover, quickly paged through the book and … added it to his buy pile.
WTF, you ask? Is this the same Fortress Keeper who instituted a two-issue rule for wack comics?? The same self-righteous blogger who dropped New Avengers, Flash: Fastest Man Alive, Green Arrow and the admittedly decent Annihilation maxi-series without a second thought?
Well, yeah…but this is Supergirl!
It’s a lot like the Keeper’s equally inexplicable support of Barry Bonds. The guy’s a jerk who probably did take steroids, but your host can’t really condemn the left-fielder because, well, he plays for the Giants.
As others have pointed out, a fan gets so used to following a certain team (or comic-book character) that he or she can never truly turn away from the object of affection.
Does it make sense? No.
Is it healthy, Probably not, but that’s just the way it is.
If anybody is wondering, Supergirl #8 was terrible. The evil Kal-El in Kandor turned out to be the pre-Crisis Ultraman from Earth-3 and Kara 2.0’s memories are an insane jumble.
Nothing else really made sense, but at least there wasn’t any gratuitous nudity. At this point, the Keeper will take any improvement he can get.
Will the book ever get better? Perhaps, although the title’s continued success probably won’t push DC to make any radical changes soon.
Writer Joe Kelly, who has done little of consequence since his classic run on Deadpool, has yet to demonstrate any real affinity for new-Kara.
Maybe he’ll build an actual character out of the walking cipher that’s currently front and center, but a future team-up with the wretched Outsiders doesn’t bode well.
And yes, Supergirl & The LSH is a great book. But the Keeper would love to see Supergirl portrayed equally well in her own title.
But either way, it apparently won’t make a difference because this poor reader is going to settle in for the long haul. Unless that AA group for comics addicts ever gets underway …
I also flipped through this book. I damn near ran screaming from the store when Kara walked in on Ultraman, who was thankfully obscured by yellow solar lights.
Ultimately I was left confused (which was familiar to me from Kelly’s run on JLA), but without the “Oh damn!” moments that punctuated his work on that title for me.
Plus, Power Girl really didn’t get to do squat other than prove she’ll resist torture and telepathic manipulation. I know she’s just the guest-star, but what can I say? I like her better.
Ah well, hope is what makes the world. Hopefully Kelly makes it work for you.
So what is the answer?
Moving Mark Waid over to the Supergirl solo title?
Hell that would work for me…either him or (dare I say it) Gail Simone.
Meanwhile, Kelly has inherited all of jeph Lobe and Greg Rucka’s notions and schemes and must stumble thru over the near term.
Glad to see you haven’t given up on Kara…
I know the feeling, Keep: I follow Nightcrawler’s appearances like I watch Bruce Campbell movies: you love ‘em, but sometimes they can’t elevate the crap they’re stuck in…
I think Feer might be on to something: if Kelly can get Kara to a good starting point, he might have a chance. Still, tough to beat Deadpool, even if he kind of rushed the last ones on his way out.
I suppose there’s a chance Kelly can salvage something out of the current mess. At this point, Kara needs a drastic change in direction to be more than a kewl T&A fest.
Gail Simone would be great as would Dan Slott if he ever could be dragged away from Marvel.
Anyone, though, with a lighter touch would be welcome.
I actually loved Supergirl 6-8. I liked the unfamiliar world of Kandor, the story that was more than just “villain shows up, heroes go fight,” and the sheer crackiness of it.
Let me say I TOTALLY respect your dislike of it. I’m not trying to argue you out of that. But could I suggest that the reason you hate it is that you like Supergirl? I’ve never really followed the Supers, so I’m not invested in what happens to that character. I just enjoy the weirdness of the book, and skip the “Kara’s remembering YET ANOTHER dark secret from her past,” sections. On the other hand, I love the Bats, so despite the crackiness of the current Nightwing series, I hate it and I can’t get into it.
And, NO gratuitous nudity? Come on. We didn’t see the wang of the House of El, but that was only because of a a few shadows.
Mildred -
You’ve got me on the gratuitous nudity part. I think I suffered an instantaneous mind-wipe the instant I saw the Ultraman panel.