5 comments on “Tape #18: Supergirl”

1. Ward Hill Terry says:

   June 26, 2026 at 10:10 am

   I started collecting DC Comics in June of 1976. As my primary collecting was focused on Superman, I read most of the stories that featured Supergirl in his titles and in Superman Family. Also Super-Team Family! I started buying Batman comics not long after, and likewise read almost all of Batgirl’s appearances from 1976 through 1984. In none of those stories did Supergirl or Batgirl meet each other. I believe they didn’t even acknowledge each other! For all the delight you got out of the Supergirl/Batgirl red sky tete-a-tete, to me that was phony bathos. Cary Burkett had written some really nice stories exploring Barbara’s insecurities and then her resolve about the value of her role as a costumed crime-fighter. I think that those were forgotten by fans, and apparently the pros, too.
   Great discussion with Anj, as always, about Supergirl. Here are some points that I want to discuss. 1. Yes, she survived the destruction of her world, but she didn’t witness it. She was born on the space island of Argo City. She knew of her Kryptonian culture and the loss of most of it, but she was born a refugee. 2. She also clearly spent a great deal of time with her scientist father, judging from how adept she was at science in her later stories. 3. Supergirl fits easily in many themes of Western children’s literature; orphan, seeking a home and friends, optimistic, helpful, happy ending. She echoes characters like Anne of Green Gables, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Little Orphan Annie, Pippi Longstocking, and mary Lennox from The Secret Garden. 4. As Linda Lee, she plays a sort of “dress-up” and “pretend” that many children like to do. 5. She gets a happy ending when she is adopted by the Danvers’. She gets a second happy ending when she learns her parents are still alive! This was something that i never saw explored and I really wanted to. Kara didn’t grow up with traditional American holidays and celebrations. She would have become aware of them at the orphanage. Once her parents were living in Kandor, she would likely have gone to visit them to re-create family traditions that she knew as a young girl in Argo City. Or things her parents would have done on Krypton. I believe that this is the essence of Supergirl that writers missed. She was a refugee who still had connections to her ancient heritage and her new-found friends and family. 6. She had the best friends ever. Not Dick Malvern, although she was kind to him. Her pal from Atlantis! Her friend who could turn into a horse! And especially, The Legion of Super-Heroes. These great kids came to her not long after she arrived on Earth, and brought her to a wonderful paradise where she could be truly super among her peers. She knew that she would eventually be as great as her cousin, and thing would be all right in the future. That goes a long way to easing adolescent angst!
   I’ve been listening to a lot of Dr. Anj recently, so I’ve been thinking about this!
   As to the furshlugginger Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was marketed as including the “final fates” of Flash and Supergirl. The industry and fans in the know, those with access to The Comics Journal, Amazing Heroes and the like, were not surprised by the deaths. It was expected.You young kids picking up the comics off the rack were surprised. Supergirl didn’t die because she was distracted by Dr. Light. She died because the writer wanted her to die. ( I haven’t read it in years. I listened to your description of it. Wherever they were, there was gravity. The Kryptonians could have bored into the ground at super-speed beneath the Anti-Monitor, then buried him under tons of Perez rubble. Summon Star Boy from the 30th Century and make it even more dense, then not even energy waves would have been able to emerge from the trapped Anti-Monitor. I’ve read enough superhero comics to know there’s always a solution.)
   Doug Alpha can research this since Doug Prime won’t.

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   1. Dougs says:

      June 27, 2026 at 2:53 pm

      Incorrect sir!

      Neither of us will research this.

      Reply
2. Martin Gray says:

   June 29, 2026 at 4:59 pm

   Good to have a new episode. Apparently I didn’t comment last month, which is weird. Oh, I found my notes…

   Great to hear Anj back on the show, so, guests can come back…

   In relation to Frank’s feedback, Doug, what would be so dodgy about looking up the phrase ‘Crisis Kid’ on Google? Am I hopelessly naive?

   I hated Batgirl’s self-doubt after decades in comics, yes she’s a street level character not equipped to fight anti-matter waves but she’d work out what she could do. Heck, look at how she organised missions for the Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey in later years. The scene felt like it was building Kara up at the expense of Babs. I’d be more into the scene had it involved Supergirl and someone equal to her in terms of powers, Ultra Boy, say – someone who has excelled time after time but this time, is truly rattled.

   It was interesting to hear Doug talk about the Lockerbie tragedy – it was obscene that within a couple of years the incident was thinly disguised for the British soap opera Emmerdale Farm as an excuse for a revamp of the set.

   So far as seeing the friendships are concerned, didn’t Power Girl also guest star in the Huntress solo strip?

   Doug is right that Kole and Princess Fern looked the same – that was George’s go-to design for disposable heroines. Come to think of it, didn’t Azrael the Angel have a dodgy perm (oops, tautology) too?

   That final page of CoIE 7 with Superman telling the body of Kara what she meant to him gets me crying every time.

   Anj is right, ‘Supergirl’s Secret Marriage’ in Superman #415 was an appalling piece of business. There was also a ‘Supergirl’s Secret Marriage’ story in the Silver Age, in Action Comics #357. The set-up also involved (supposed amnesia) but the reveal was even weirder. Enjoy it on the DC app!

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3. Bucky749 says:

   July 3, 2026 at 12:59 am

   In head Doug prime dresses like the Ted kord blue beetle and Doug alpha dresses like
   The Dan Garette blue beetle and they make dc Dave dress as booster gold .
   In my house the super girl expert is my brother we call him ice-man a DJ at bowling tournament gave him that Nick name he also read all the cat woman graphic novels at our local library, my brother says I’m the guy to talk if want talk about Dan Garrett or the third blue beetle I’m afraid I don’t know much about Ted kord .
   But on to Supergirl I’ve red some super girl but only the stuff that has to do with streaky .
   I’m happy kyptro is in movie but I guess James gun isn’t a cat person .
   Here’s hoping that we get see the rest pets in James gun universe
   Like Alfred thaw black cat .

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4. Matt Yeo says:

   July 5, 2026 at 11:01 am

   Another great episode and a fantastic guest in Dr. Anj, guys!

   I double-checked and it turns out that although Legion of Super-heroes # 16 didn’t receive a Crisis crossover banner when it was published in 1985, that particular issue (with an amazing Steve Lightle cover) was later included in DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Vol. 3., so it should be considered an official crossover.

   I also really liked Dave’s idea for a pre-Crisis JLA and Earth 4 Charlton heroes team-up. Make it happen, DC!

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