Supergirl (comic book)

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Supergirl
250x450px
Supergirl #1 (November 1972).
Featuring the Kara Zor-El version.
Art by Bob Oksner.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule (vol 1)
Bi-monthly
(The Daring New Adventures of..., vol 2-6)[1]
Monthly
Format (vol 1, The Daring New Adventures of..., vol 2, 4-6)
Ongoing series
(vol 3)
Limited series
Genre Superhero
Publication date (vol. 1)
November 1972 - September/October 1974
(The Daring New Adventures of...)
November 1982 - October 1983
(vol. 2)
November 1983 - September 1984
(vol. 3)
February - May 1994
(vol. 4)
September 1996 - May 2003
(vol. 5)
October 2005 - October 2011
(vol. 6)
September 2011 - Present
Number of issues (vol. 1): 10
(The Daring New Adventures of...): 12
(vol. 2): 11
(vol. 3): 4
(vol. 4): 81 (#1-80 plus issue numbered 1,000,000) and 2 Annuals
(vol. 5): 68 (#1-67 plus issue numbered 0) and 2 Annuals
(vol. 6): 23 (#1-22 plus issue numbered 0) (as of September 2013 cover date)
Main character(s) Supergirl
Specifically:
(vol 1, The Daring New Adventures of..., vol 2, 5-6)
Kara Zor-El
(vol 3)
Matrix
(vol 4)
Matrix, Linda Danvers
Creative team
Writer(s) (vol. 1)
Cary Bates
(vol. 2)
Paul Kupperberg
(vol. 3)
Roger Stern
(vol. 4)
Peter David
(vol. 5)
Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, Joe Kelly, Kelley Puckett, Sterling Gates
(vol. 6)
Michael Green
Penciller(s) (vol. 1)
Art Saaf
(vol. 2)
Carmine Infantino
(vol. 3)
June Brigman
(vol. 4)
Gary Frank, Greg Land, Leonard Kirk, Ed Benes
(vol. 5)
Ian Churchill, Jamal Igle
(vol. 6)
Mahmud Asrar
Inker(s) (vol. 1)
Vince Colletta
(vol. 2)
Bob Oksner
(vol. 3)
Jackson Guice
(vol. 4)
Cam Smith, Robin Riggs
(vol. 5)
Norm Rapmund

Supergirl is the name of six comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring various characters of the same name. The majority of the titles feature Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El.

Publication history[edit | edit source]

Volume 1 (1972-1974)[edit | edit source]

The first series featured the original Supergirl, Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El. It began publication in 1972,[2] following a 44-issue run of Supergirl stories in Adventure Comics, ending with issue #424 (October 1972). The series lasted for 10 issues until 1974, after which the character began appearing regularly in Superman Family commencing with issue #165.[3] The release of the last issue of Supergirl was delayed for several months due to a nationwide paper shortage.[4]

Volume 2 (1982-1984)[edit | edit source]

During its first year of publication, the second Kara Zor-El series was titled The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl. With issue #13, the name was shortening to Supergirl, and the title continued monthly publication for a total of 23 issues.[5]

Volume 3 (1994)[edit | edit source]

In 1994, DC Comics published a four-issue limited series featuring a new Supergirl who was introduced early in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths era. Sometimes referred to as Matrix, this new character was a protoplasmic duplicate of an alternate universe Lana Lang, granted superpowers by an alternate Lex Luthor. Having been brought to the mainstream DC Universe by Superman, she became romantically involved with the mainstream Luthor, who was posing as his own fictitious son Lex Luthor II. This limited series resolved many of the threads remaining from that plotline.

Volume 4 (1996-2003)[edit | edit source]

The fourth series featured a third Supergirl.[6] This character was a fusion of the Matrix Supergirl and Linda Danvers (a Post-Crisis version of Linda Lee Danvers, Kara Zor-El's Pre-Crisis secret identity). The series ran for 81 issues, ending with the main character journeyed to an alternate universe, following the re-emergence of the original version of Kara Zor-El.

Volume 5 (2005-2011)[edit | edit source]

In 2004, DC Comics introduced an updated version of Kara Zor-El in the pages of Superman/Batman. The following year, she began appearing in her own ongoing series,[7] with Superman/Batman #19 being republished as issue #0 of Supergirl. Sterling Gates took over the title in mid-to-late 2008 with issue #34.[8][9][10] Amy Reeder Hadley was announced as the new cover artist for the series in May 2010.[11]

Volume 6 (2011–present)[edit | edit source]

DC Comics relaunched Supergirl with issue #1 in September 2011 as part of the The New 52 reboot.[12]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. The indicia for The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl was shortened to just Supergirl with issue #13.
  2. McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. Following a decade of back-up action and three years headlining Adventure Comics, Supergirl finally starred in her own series. For the inaugural issue, Cary Bates and artist Art Saaf enrolled Linda Danvers in college. 
  3. McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 159 "DC's 100-page Super Spectaculars were proving popular, so DC said goodbye to Supergirl, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, and housed the characters together in Superman Family. Continuing the numbering from where Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen ended, the series featured classic reprints with new tales in the lead spot."
  4. Wells, John (October 24, 1997), "'Lost' DC: 1971-1975", Comics Buyer's Guide (1249), p. 125, In the wake of a nationwide paper shortage, DC canceled several of its lower-selling titles in late 1973...[Supergirl #10] and three other completed comic books slated for release in November 1973 (Secret Origins #7, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #137, and Weird Worlds #10) were put on hold until the summer of 1974. 
  5. Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 198 "With the guidance of writer Paul Kupperberg and prolific artist Carmine Infantino, Supergirl found a home in the city of Chicago in a new ongoing series...Unfortunately, this was not exactly the reinvention DC had hoped for, and The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl was cancelled after only twenty-three issues."
  6. Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 274: "The Girl of Steel flew back into an ongoing series at long last, courtesy of fan-favorite writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank."
  7. Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 321: "Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El received her own title. Written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Ian Churchill, the fourth [ongoing] series featured a Supergirl still getting accustomed to her life on Earth."
  8. Rogers, Vaneta (June 27, 2008). "WWC: Gates and Igle Join DC's Supergirl". Newsarama. Retrieved January 7, 2009. 
  9. Rogers, Vaneta; Biggers, Cliff (September 2008). "Planet Stories". Comic Shop News (1108). 
  10. Rogers, Vaneta (August 4, 2009). "Some Will Be Revealed: Sterling Gates on Supergirl". Newsarama. Retrieved September 18, 2009. 
  11. Rogers, Vaneta (May 28, 2010). "Artist Amy Reeder Faces Challenge of Batwoman, Supergirl". Newsarama. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012. 
  12. The New Superman Titles Are Here, Grant Morrison on 'Action Comics', Comics Alliance, June 10, 2011

External links[edit | edit source]