Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #21 - BIG CITY!



Released August 23, 2006
DC Comics, Color
23 Pages

Mark Waid & Tony Bedard - Script
Barry Kitson - Layouts
Adam Dekraker - Pencils
Rob Still - Inker
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Stephen Wacker - Editor

Synopsis

In Big City, Gim reads a paper that says he's the inspiration of the rebellious giants from last issue. He verbally spars with the female prisoner (who kinda looks like Charlize Theron). Normal size SP officers arrive for a prisoner transfer, but its a setup. Three rebels, including the missing Seiss, arrive and free the prisoners, who then beat the crap out of Gim before they leave. 

Back at the Crab Pulsar, we have Brainy trying to revive Dream Girl via Lemnos while Light Lass, Element Lad and Atom Girl watch. Jan lectures Brainy on mortality until he realizes he's not listening. 

At HQ, the Legion ladies (Lu, Tinya & Jeckie) try to make Kara feel more at home and find some common ground with Kara's "you're all made up" theory. Jeckie throws out the "my parents are dead" card and shuts the whole thing down. 

Back at the pulsar, Brainy is trying to re-create Dream Girl.  The process moves forward and it looks like a new Nura is being created in the empty tube, but then Nura's body disappears, leaving nothing behind. Brainy freaks out and attacks Jan. Jan tried to transmute Brainy unsuccessfully, so Vi and Ayla try to subdue Brainy, who has immunized himself from other Legionnaire powers.  A mysterious voice tells Brainy to stop. Later in his room, Brainy sees an apparition of Dream Girl.

At HQ, Rokk & Garth discuss the Giant escape becoming a problem and Rokk holding an election.

Commentary

Solid issue. We up the ante, but without getting a REAL resolution about Dream Girl, get a bit farther in the competing super team plot, and find out we're getting elections. Also, the girls still seem to hate Kara.  The main thread of this book, the resurrection of Dream Girl, was well done as it touched on a lot of things - Brainy's obsession, Vi's dedication to Brainy and Jan's obsessiveness about change.  Again, only Ayla seems to have her head together enough to get Vi to try and snap Brainy out of his rage. But the twist at the end was interesting.  We never get to know (yet, anyway) if Nura is real or just a figment of Brainy's imagination.  Was this what Nura foretold back in issue 2 about them being married?

Speaking of Nura - what a wonderful cover this issue!

The giant revolt, while somewhat interesting, doesn't have as much of a punch (except for poor Gim). My main problem with this plot thread is that I'm just assuming that this is Dirk's new team.  Why does no one even suspect this? I'm not sure what the deal was with the girls - Rokk tries to get them to push Kara a bit, but they end up still seeming like mean girls. I'm still searching for some off-duty behavior where I'm feeling like I can relate to these super jerks. 

Art-wise, we get a mix. Kitson Layouts, Dekraker pencils and Still on inks.  It comes out very well, but not quite to the level of the Kitson cover's promise. But overall nicely done.

A few other notes:

I kept hearing The Flowerpots "Beat City" while reading this issue, thinking it was "Big City"

Although Vi's Brainy obsession weirds me out, I enjoyed her signal to noise comment. Her later uncertainty and hesitancy plays really well. I think this may be one of the few times someone actually says the name "Salu" instead of Vi/Violet.

Projectra tells us that Cos asked the girls to do help Kara acclimate, and in the earlier page, Cos himself is in the background.

"Jann" is given an extra N in the Jan/Brainy scene.

Rokk FINALLY seems like the leader he is supposed to be here when he's talking about elections. 

Grade = B+


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