Supergirl Rebirth #13 review: The Girl of No Tomorrow, Part Three
Reviewing the latest edition of Supergirl.
Written by: Steve Orlando
Penciled by: Robson Rocha
Inked by: Daniel Henriques
Colored by: Michael Atiyeh
At the end of issue #12, Supergirl is in the Blade (D.E.O. Headquarters) looking to stop Emerald Empress once and for all. Thanks to her newly heightened superpowers, Supergirl was able to locate Emerald Empress and the Emerald Eye of Ekron in Zor-El’s rehabilitation chambers. Issue #13 continues the encounter between Supergirl and Emerald Empress as the Eye sends a ginormous energy blast towards Zor-El. Without a second thought, Supergirl jumps in the line of fire deflecting the blast causing a huge explosion.
Supergirl, Emerald Empress, and the Eye are propelled out of the Blade and onto the streets of National City to the astonishment of by standing citizens. However, they are not all that was ejected from the explosion; a sleeping Zor-El swimming in his rehab tank also lands on National City’s streets and the citizens immediately recognize Cyborg Superman.
Image by DC Comics
Supergirl does an amazing job at asking the tough moral questions. Who is deserving of being saved? The bystanders are quick to throw their opinions and criticism at Supergirl who’s loyalty is under unrelenting scrutiny for harboring a killer. Supergirl pleads with the crowd as she tries to defend her actions and convince everyone that the good man she once knew is still inside her father.
Meanwhile, at the Scabbard (D.E.O.’s ghost site), Lar-On is full werewolf mode fighting Magog and Selena, and this dog is definitely having his day. Recognizing that this is a losing battle, Selena takes her leave abandoning an angry Magog.
Image by DC Comics
Things are getting techie at the Oroman Building of CatCo Worldwide Media as Cat Grant and Ben Rubel work to undo Selena’s hack on the servers. We get more of Cat’s “no one is in charge of me and what is mine but me” persona in this short interaction with Ben as he succeeds in regaining control of the servers. Coding: the modern sorcery.
Back on the streets of National City, Supergirl figures out that Emerald Empress is behind the recent series of troubling events. However, her motives are still a mystery to Supergirl, but it doesn’t take long for Emerald Empress to clue Supergirl in on her plans. Talk about a grudge. As a beam battle ignites between Supergirl and the Eye, Supergirl yells out to Emerald Empress how she would have helped her because her compassion knows no bounds.
Image by DC Comics
Supergirl’s passionate eye-beaming speech about hope and understanding is interrupted by the self righteous Indigo as she clobbers Supergirl into a building. The crowd shouts, from the sidelines, voicing their distrust in Supergirl. As readers, we are faced with another moral question. Does the public need to be protected from the truth? Is Supergirl not doing her job as a hero by protecting the citizens from all harm, including the truth?
As Emerald Empress and the Eye of Ekron join Indigo’s flight against Supergirl, Supergirl uses x-ray vision to carbon date the Eye and discovers that it’s centuries old. Supergirl comes to the conclusion that the Eye is using Emerald Empress and must be destroyed. Working her way through the Eye’s beam, Supergirl manages to grab onto the Eye and rip it apart by its cornea (scene is depicted on this issue’s cover).
Image by DC Comics
Having nothing to tether her to the past, Emerald Empress disappears back to the thirtieth century from when she’s from. Supergirl saves the day, but this doesn’t please the angry crowd accusing her of murdering Emerald Empress. The concept of time travel is lost on the citizens as the D.E.O. show up as crowd control, but it’s not over. Indigo looks to finish what she started as she delivers pain onto Supergirl who isn’t fighting back.
A twist from the tank! When we think that all is lost for Supergirl, Zor-El awakes and comes to her rescue killing Indigo in the process. Supergirl is devastated by her father’s actions, but the damage is done and she is forced to go into hiding as Kara Danvers. Her secret is safe thanks to Director Cameron Chase who erased all files of Kara’s identity from D.E.O. records.
Image by DC Comics
In the aftermath of the disaster, Chase resigns from the D.E.O. but plans on investigating it’s corruption with Lar-On from the outside. Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers also quit the D.E.O. and take on civilian life to protect Kara’s identity. Kara may be trying to go up creek without a paddle in attempts to rebuild Supergirl’s reputation inside CatCo. The media company and Cat Grant feel betrayed and aren’t publishing positive headlines about Supergirl.
The D.E.O. has a new director with a name to match his appearance: Director Bones. In the epilogue, a captured Zor-El meets his executioner: Mr. Oz. What deep, dark family secrets can we look forward to in the upcoming issues of Supergirl?
Image by DC Comics
Must Read: 100 greatest superhero stories
Final thoughts. The art direction in The Girl Of No Tomorrow is a huge improvement from earlier issues in Supergirl Rebirth. There is more attention to anatomical detail. I felt that earlier issues were rushed and drawings of feet and other limbs were artistic casualties. Rocha, Henriques, and Atiyeh team up to make this issue of Supergirl visual fantastic paired with a super compelling story by Orlando. I look forward to issue #14.