After meeting an enigmatic young woman named Siobhan Smythe, Supergirl discovers that her new friend is hiding a dark secret -- that Siobhan's father is the villainous Black Banshee. Tragically, this mystical foe may be too much for the Maid of Maid to handle.
Supergirl Volume 2: Girl in the World collects Supergirl #8-12 and #0, written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson with art by George Perez and Mahmud Asrar.
After fighting off the Kryptonian warriors known as the Worldkillers, Supergirl is once again confronted by authorities. Thankfully, she's saved by Siobhan Smythe. This punk rocker becomes Supergirl's first ally and serves as an ambassador for the titular heroine. This is the first person aside from Superman that is able to understand Kryptonian and she begins Supergirl's process of acclimatizing to Earth's culture. Beyond her narrative function, Siobhan is a fun character who lightens the tone of the book. Most interestingly, however, is the fact that she's revealed to be the Silver Banshee. Once a classic Superman foe, the Silver Banshee is re-imagined here and made to be a hero. The antagonist is instead Siobhan's father, which was a very interesting choice especially given his creepy character design.
Green and Johnson do a great job of building a world around Supergirl. It enables her to become more grounded and provides her with the perspective she needs as to what she's fighting for. They are also to be applauded for adding magic into the mix. The sequence in which Supergirl faces off against the Black Banshee on a mystical plane is executed well and adds visual variety to the battles we see in this book. It's also worth noting that Siobhan and her brother Tom are excellent supporting characters. In addition to Siobhan's infectious attitude and status as the Silver Banshee, her brother's positioning as a potential love interest for Supergirl makes this cast really workable and loveable. That's why it's so disappointing when they're discarded so quickly from the narrative (don't worry they don't get killed off!).
On top of the main narrative of the series, Girl in the World collects issue #0. This story recounts Supergirl's last few hours on Krypton from the perspective of her father Zor-El. This glimpse into the character's family life is fascinating and shows Zor-El as someone who is willing to do anything to protect his daughter. The issue also helps to fill in some holes regarding plot points that were brought up earlier, but also brings up a new set of questions. As such, it does the task of both satisfying readers and teasing them at the same time.
With this collection, Supergirl continues its reign as one of the most captivating titles in DC Comics' The New 52 stable. The Black Banshee arc is a total page-turner and the inclusion of the Smythes as temporary supporting characters is a brilliant choice. Green and Johnson keep readers on the edge of the seat not only through intense action scenes, but through cliffhangers and subtle mysteries as well. Beyond the impeccable writing and tone of the book, Asrar continues to impress with his art. He knows how to masterfully set a scene and illustrates such a wide variety of settings. All in all, Supergirl Volume 2: Girl in the World is a satisfying read and will no doubt convert quite a few people into fans of the Maid of Might.
Rating: A-
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