Have you ever wanted me to go from peak to peak? If so, then fear not because, marching into DC Comics right now, we have Tom King and Bliquis Evely's modern masterpiece: Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow.
Summary
Kara Zor-El has been through a lot. Unlike her Big Blue Boy Scout of a cousin Kal-el, Kara had to brave the destruction of her homeworld of Krypton and watch slowly as the entire populace of her home, Argo City, slowly withered away from radiation poisoning. And that's all without having to brave the forces of evil as Superman's cousin: Supergirl.
Deciding to get away from it all and celebrate her 21st birthday properly, she decides to venture to a distant planet and get hammered. Unfortunately, the call of a hero is never done as before she knows it; Kara finds herself wrapped up in a young girl named Ruthye's plight. With her father's death at the hands of a wretched soul named Krem, she has sought out anyone who may have the strength to bring justice. And the Maiden of Might is happy to oblige.
Characters:
Kara: The galaxy-renowned girl of steel. This version of Kara is a girl failure in the most respectful term possible. Still reeling from the trauma of her home planet being irrevocably ruined, she treats all those who've lost someone with tireless respect and kindness. This doesn't make her pushover, though, as the various evils of the universe know that she takes no shit from anyone.
Ruthye:Growing up the runt of a group of brothers, Ruthye is young in many respects. Her hunger for revenge but the inexperience of the wider world leaves her incredibly naive yet everlastingly determined. Through her experiences with Kara, though, seeing the suffering across the universe, she learns that maybe revenge truly isn't everything.
Overview
When I decided to include comics from Marvel and DC on the list, I wanted to post something special. Ongoing runs often feel too extensive or big to cover, so miniseries may have been the way to go. And I'm so glad that Woman of Tomorrow can start us off. Supergirl has always had a frazzled history within the comics, but as someone who has seen her show, I've always been interested in her story. As someone who's also been more well acquainted with Tom King's body of work, I've got to say this is far in away my favorite story from him.
Having this month's long intergalactic odyssey narrated through Ruthye's journal does an amazing job of giving our titular character an almost mythic status beyond our wildest dreams. Thankfully those doldrums are made real though through Bliqiuis Evely's amazing art. Her expert line work, accented by bold colors, creates a modern-day epic that feels like a psychedelic 80's sphere and wonderful Greek painting life for me.
I don't think you could only go through a single issue without finding a fire wallpaper or a mystifying page. I spent more time looking at the pretty panels and pictures than I ever did, paying attention to the story. Yet when I do, even that's good! While on paper, the idea of Supergirl going up against a random dick who slain one father doesn't seem like it would be that interesting, it's through uncanny circumstance that Krem's crusade ends up escalating to universal conflict.
Thus we see how our caped crusader (wrong hero) deals with various challenges. Communities filled with fatal discrimination, dangerous ecosystems of horrid monsters, and outlaw-laden stars paint an unflinchingly apathetic star system. Which helps aid the overall theme. Ruthie and Kara are aliens who are victims of senseless violence and have seen violence perpetuated at every turn.
And amidst the endless wave of trauma and revenge, this book leads you to ask a simple question. Will you ride that hateful flow or try to rinse it into something better than where you found it?
Epilogue
Woman of Tomorrow is an amazingly poignant, powerful, and potent tale of compassion. It's a must-read for anyone looking to get into more proper Dc comics and a great story overall. It may even end up being my favorite work I've read this year, but the only way we can be sure is to see where the spotlight takes us next.
YOU ARE READING
Webtoon Spotlight
RandomJust a simple person is trying to shine a little light on the beautiful world of webtoon. With a splash of sarcasm, narration, and spitfire along the way. And who knows I might have other segments just for the hell of it.
