Summary
Move over, Superman:Supergirlhas carved out a special place in the modern world of superheroes, boasting not only incredible powers to rival her cousin, but stories, as well. It would be incredibly hard for anyone to eclipse Superman’s popularity when he’s had a headstart on most, being among DC’s first superheroes (although notthefirst superhero), but Supergirl comes surprisingly close.
Ever since makingher first comic appearance, Supergirlhas etched a place for herself in DC lore as not only one of its most popular woman characters, she’s one of DC’s most popular heroes, period. That popularity is amassed by her stories, specifically the versatility that her stories have to offer. Many of Supergirl’s storylines range from fun and witty to exciting and awe-inspiring. These are some examples ofsome of the best comic stories that Supergirl has to offer.
10Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #12
by Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino
While many of the entries on this list can be considered essential reading for any diehard Supergirl fan, this is essential more for carrying the kind of trademark fun that Supergirl stories can be known for. Compared to the more dramatic tales that Supergirl’s been going through in more recent years,it’s refreshing to see Supergirl going back to her fun roots, and the same can be said fora pre-Nightwing Dick Grayson.
This is a one-off issue in the middle ofBatman/Superman: World’s Finest, which itself is a wholesome, fun series. This issue takes a break from the happenings of Batman and Superman to take a look at their wards, Robin and Supergirl, on their first date - one that grows more disastrous by the second. With every awkward interaction and interruption, the flashback makes it painfully clear whySupergirl hates Nightwing in modern storylines.
9Elseworld’s Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl
by Barbara Kesel, Matt Haley, and Tom Simmons
This one loses points for not being in any official canon, buteven in an alternate universe, it’s a great sight to see Supergirl and Batgirl working together. In whatever universe they drop into,Supergirl and Batgirl deserve a seriestogether. Any excuse to watch their chemistry unfold is a welcome one, even in an imaginary story.
For this story and universe in particular, Supergirl and Batgirl are actually the biggest superheroes of their world without a Superman or Batman present, with tweaked origin stories that match their male counterparts. As opposed to how well and fast the duo normally hits it off, this Supergirl and Batgirl have an initial conflict that causes friction just like their male counterparts. Thankfully, they work past their differences to earn their place as this world’s finest duo.
8Superman/Batman: Supergirl from Krypton
Superman/Batman#8-13 by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner
As evident from the previousBatman/Superman: World’s Finesttitle,Supergirl has a knack for stealing the show in stories where she isn’t the main focal point. The show obviously belongs to the title characters, but the charm that Kara exudes off the page is impossible to deny. This story arc is no exception, especially in being one that is the first to truly reintroduce Kara into canon since her death inCrisis on Infinite Earths.
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Batman stumbles upon a spaceship that crash landed in Gotham when he finds an unusually powerful blonde girl emerge from it. Further examinations from he and Superman in the Fortress of Solitude determine this is Kara Zor-El, meaning that Kal-El is no longer the last survivor of Krypton. The arc sees Kara try to acclimate to her new surroundings, all while a scheming Darkseid looms closer to the forefront.
7"Crucible"
Supergirl#36-40 by Kate Perkins, Mike Johnson, and Emanuela Lupacchino.
“Crucible” collects the final volume of the New 52 era of Supergirl and one that follows up her spectacular run as the Red Lantern (more on that later). As this list will discuss further along, this series as a whole does a grand job in creating a new Supergirl for the DC Universe, and thus,the conclusion of the series needs to feel special to match the accolade. For many who enjoyed the arc, many would say that “Crucible” happily delivers that necessary crecendo.
The finale sees Kara join the Crucible Academy to truly solidify herself as the hero she’s destined to be, but the school is not what it seems. Much of the final arc offers closure to previous storylines, including her and Clark patching things up. While New 52 would subsequently end, the start of Supergirl’s subsequent Rebirth era would pick up where the “Crucible’s” ending leaves off.
6The Hunt for Reactron
Action Comics#881-882 +Supergirl#45-46 by Several Creators, like Greg Rucka, Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle
It’s no secret that since she is a member of the Superman Family, she shares a lot of enemies with her cousin, Clark Kent. As a result, it’s hard to find villains in Supergirl’s rogues gallery who are separate from Clark’s, or anyone in the Superman Family for that matter. However, one of the villains at DC who truly belong to Supergirl is none other than Reactron.
Reactron’s undying hatred for Supergirl reaches its peak in this storyline as the Woman of Steel, Flamebird, and Nightwing (Chris Kent, not Dick Grayson) are all framed worldwide for the murder of Mon-El. Supergirl begins her own hunt for Reactron, convinced that he’s involved with this set-up somehow, butthe plot thickens in ways that readers don’t see coming.
5"Red Daughter of Krypton"
Tony Bedard and Yıldıray Çınar’sSupergirl#26-33 andRed Lanterns#30-34
When Supergirl embarked on a new era as a part of the New 52 (more on that later), one of the standout storylines from this iteration of Supergirl came with the “Red Daughter of Krypton” storyline, one that focuses on themes of solitude, grief, and of course, unrelenting rage. Kara is more rageful than she’s ever been following battles with H’el, Cyborg Superman, Lobo, and even butting heads with her cousin. It’s no wonder why theRed Lantern Ring gravitates to Supergirlso easily, turning her into something far more feral than ever seen before.
However, begrudgingly so, she decides to embrace the anger she’s been cursed with (as she’s destined to die if she tries removing her Power Ring).Anyone who is familiar with Supergirl’s history should be fascinated to see a far more bashful and unforgiving Supergirl present, and how that shifts her dynamic with her usual cast of characters. She’s definitely not the same bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed teenager from the Silver Age.
4Supergirl: Escape from the Phantom Zone
Batgirl Annual#1 +Supergirl#9-11 - Several creative artists and writers, including Steve Orlando, Hope Larson, Inaki Miranda, Brian Ching, etc.
Truly,Steve Orlando’s overall run onSupergirlis worth checking out and makes for a fantastic read, but if only one standout arc could be mentioned here, it would have to be “Escape from the Phantom Zone.” The story depicts Supergirl meeting a woman who holds a key to the Phantom Zone, and putting her on an adventure with a fellow hero in Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl, who Kara meets for the first time.
Batgirl and Supergirl flourished on DCAU TVtogether, but their comic book storylines in modern stories come few and far between. Seeing them side-by-side for this arc felt like a special treat for audiences who watched them in cartoon form and finally get the chance to see the pair in a proper team-up after the fact.
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3Supergirl: Being Super
by Mariko Tamaki and Joëlle Jones
For a modern fan of Supergirl interested in seeing her own ‘coming of age,’ it’s a challenge to head back decades in time while still remaining contemporary. Thankfully, Tamaki and Jones united to createSupergirl: Being Super,a new origin story capturing Kara’s discovery of her powers set against a modern backdrop, and contemporary context.
Whether it’s dealing with drama at school, trying to understand her changing physiology, or experiencing the absolute horror that Kryptonian acne can unleash,Being Supershould be on every modern comic fan’s reading list when it comes to the Girl of Steel.
2Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton
Supergirl#1-7 by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Mahmud Asrar
This marked the first volume for the New 52 era of Supergirl. Readers can say what they will about DC’s New 52 experiment, but love or hate it,New 52 had a lasting impacton DC Comics that continues to influence the official main DC canon to this day.Supergirl’s origin story and approach to her character in the New 52 is just one example of something from New 52 that continues to influence more canonical storylines revolving around the character.
At a time when Supergirl still had some pep in her step with a preppier personality, this was a refreshingly mature take on the character. It’s hard to imagine similar approaches to her character, like her current iteration in DC canon or the famedWoman of Tomorrowarc, taking shape without being preceded by “The Last Daughter of Krypton.”
1Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
by Tom King and Bilquis Evely
Speaking ofWoman of Tomorrow, the eight-part series is almost universally recognized as being the Supergirl tale to end all Supergirl tales.This series leans further into the previously untapped trauma that goes into the Supergirl character, someone who watched her homeland die before her eyes and must carry that pain every day. That trauma comes to the forefront as an alien girl with a similar tragic background comes to Kara for help in tracking down the people who destroyed her own homeland.
This is when that naive, optimistic girl who walked into DC 65 years ago truly ceased to exist, and it’s hard to envision Kara as the character she used to be.Woman of Tomorrowsuccessfully updates Supergirl for the modern era.Supergirl’soptimism isn’t carried through a naive glint in her eye like in stories of old, but in the sunshine that beams on someone who overcame the fall of her civilization.
