This is a good introduction to the girl of steel. Dealing with the everyday life of a normal teenager becomes too much when her best friend dies in a freak accident. Kara Danvers soon discovers that she is not just a normal teenager, but is much more. The story is captivating and I found that I just couldn't put it down.

Kara is in the thick of adolescent growing pangs, unsure of her place in the world, like any first world teenager. She’s surrounded by people she loves and who love her in return, but she struggles to connect in a meaningful way. You know… because she can lift tractors with a single hand and fly and stuff. So when her powers start going a little haywire, there’s nowhere to turn for support. Is it some sort of super-puberty? Or is something else going on?

Tamaki’s story is aching and quiet, and Jones’s illustration is a perfect match to the story. Kara’s turmoil comes through clearly. She cares. But don’t tell anyone. Or do; she doesn’t care. It’s exasperating and real.

Prior to this book, the bulk of my Supergirl knowledge came from the Helen Slater movie (which I feel is both unfairly maligned and complete trash). I have no experience with Supergirl titles, and I don’t know whether this title ties into DC’s current Rebirth universe. This novel gathers the entire four issue run. I was pretty disappointed to look for the next issues from Tamaki; it appears another writer is at the helm for this title. I might try Steve Orlando’s run anyway because it ends in a place where I want to find out what happens next.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in order to facilitate this review.

In "Supergirl: Being Super," we're reintroduced to the beloved Supergirl when she's just teenager Kara. While not totally reinvented, Kara's story is updated into a fun and entertaining adventure. In her origin story, Kara is celebrating her sixteenth birthday (roughly estimated by her parents) on the anniversary of the day her pod landed on Earth. She loves her friends and her adopted parents, but is feeling kind of off until an earthquake rumbles through her town and changes her seemingly normal life as she knows it.

Mariko Tamaki is one of my favorite graphic novelists and her take on Kara's story did not disappoint. She really manages to keep her signature fun, yet edgy style into the story while letting Kara take the reigns. The artwork is incredibly detailed and really brings dimension to the Girl of Steel's journey.

Overall, "Being Super" is a great addition to the comic world. Long-time fans of Kara will enjoy as will the newcomers looking for the perfect invitation to begin in this coming of age story.

4.5 Stars

I've always been more of a Marvel kind of girl but the recent resurgence of Wonder Woman and Supergirl have piqued my interest enough to make me select this origin story which comprises the first four comics in the 2016-2017 series reboot.

The first thing I have to say about this Supergirl run is how much I love Joëlle Jones's illustrations. They are terrific and give us characters with diversity, including diverse body types, facial expressions that convey emotion, and clear body (non-verbal) language. The color work is also great. Honestly, I can think of dozens of comics I wish she had drawn.

Mariko Tamaki has managed to capture the teenage angst and uncertainty of Kara's life in a way that brings this origin story to life. She captures the relationship between Kara and her adoptive parents well. She gives enough of a backstory for her arrival to earth to help make sense of how it is that Kara's powers have been kept under wraps and at what cost this has come to her parents. Her friendships with Jen and Dolly feel real, as does her mourning the loss of a friend when her strength is being mysteriously drained. Kara's motivations to balance her Kryptonian origins and her human family and friends flow naturally from the story as developed by Tamaki. My only reservation about the storyline is the unidimensionality of the villain Tan-On. While we get something of his origins, his hateful and violent nature in the timeframe of the story seems too flat.

I'm looking forward to more installments in this series and definitely hope that Tamaki and Jones remain on board for future volumes. They've done a super job with the first four installments. ;)

This volume collects issues one through four of the Being Super comic arc. It outlines Kara Danvers as a teenager in Midvale, trying to fit in and be ordinary. There is a series of events in her hometown that calls this into question so that she has the choice to remain anonymous or to rise to the occasion and be super.

The Kara Danvers in this comic isn't exactly the same as that on the TV show on the CW, so don't expect to see that version of Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers or her sister. Here, we have a similar origin story to Clark Kent's Superman: Kara was found in a pod by the Danvers family as a young child and was raised by them. She hid her speed and flight to fit in, and she has a loving set of parents and best friends. Kara is every bit a teenager like the rest of the kids in Midvale, and like every other teenager. She gets moody, she has a zit that appeared in time for yearbook pictures, and she feels as though her friends know exactly who they are when she's trying to figure out her place in the world.

The art is great, and the story is an introduction to Supergirl for readers new to her story. As with most people growing up, it's a tragedy that forces Kara to reevaluate what she sees in herself and what she wants of the world. Eliza puts it perfectly: "We are who we are not just because of what's in us, but because of the things that happen in our lives. The things we cherish and the things we survive." Kara survives the earthquake and works through her grief to save her remaining best friend and parents, and Midvale as a whole. She's just beginning her journey, and it'll be a fun one to follow with her.

Fans of Ms. Marvel will enjoy the exploration of super powers in the context of a high school student trying to seem normal (something I didn't accomplish myself in high school, even without super powers). Though I will say if you have an aversion to pimple popping, beware! This scene adds to the humor of a high school student dealing with acne, but super powers mean super pimples. You have been warned.

I've never liked Supergirl. Let's amend that. I've never liked the way Supergirl was portrayed before the TV show came out. Her origin story, her attitude, her idiotic girlishness, the way she looked and acted like a blonde bimbo...nope nope nope.

So this reboot (is this a reboot? I dunno) is absolutely fantastic. The storyline is perfection and the artwork is GORGEOUS. Kara is a realistic teenager who just happens to be hiding superpowers. Her parents are government-conspiracy folks, her best friends are a butch lesbian and an amazing athlete, and there are no boys. Just friendship. And heartache. And loss. And more friendship. Oh, and lots and lots of cereal.

And some seriously bad dudes, too. Because this is Supergirl's origin story, after all.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

A very clear, expressive and intelligent superhero comic, that has the capacity to leave the tween-friendly spinners and get seen by the adult audience too. Supergirl has always seemed to be a good idea, but one used so badly people failed to see the actual need for her. Well, this origin tale could well correct that. Yes, there are clunky-as-hell things, like superzits, and superdiversity, and lots of riffs on things we know of old, but there is a decent freshness and nous to it that I really quite liked. I don't know if I appreciated the nature of what I assume is a brand-new character here, but as opening entries on the list of Kara's enemies it's actually a perfect choice. The artwork can't quite get a uniformity to nail anyone's look down, but that's par for the course these days. What isn't routine is this being four jumbo-sized editions, and the trade coming with little extraneous rubbish to pad it out. This is definitely recommended – four and a half stars.

As far as origins stories go, this is one that I can really get into. Supergirl, much like Superman, is left on a farm in a small town where a kind couple take her in and treat her as her own. But knowing she has super-human strength and abilities doesn't make for an easy adolescence. Along with keeping her secret, she must navigate friendships, running on the track team, and figuring out why when disaster strikes, she suddenly loses her powers.

As far as the artwork goes, it does well to complement the story and keep things interesting. I would definitely be interested in reading more from these authors/illustrators.

Awesome Supergirl origin story collection. Perfect gateway book for new comic readers, or a great revisit for those who already love DC. The art is gorgeous and the writing keeps up the pace despite the book needing to cover exposition of Supergirl before she realizes all of her powers. It's modern and fresh and really delightful to read. Recommend.
I received a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this graphic novel it was an interesting and more in-depth origin story than I've seen on the show and I really enjoyed and appreciated it. I would definitely pick up the second volume in this series. I also really loved the art style in this.

An introduction to Supergirl. Kara is a typical teen girl living a normal life with a couple of best friends and parents who love her. She also has a secret... she has superpowers.

This comic has a good story, interesting characters, and great artwork. A fun and entertaining read, and a nice update to Supergirl.

<i>Supergirl: Being Super</i> contains issues #1-4.
Chapter 1: Where Do I Begin - An introduction to Kara and her family and friends.
Chapter 2: Hold On! - Kara loses someone close to her, plus her powers are acting flaky.
Chapter 3: Who Are You? - Kara meets a fellow Kryptonian.
Chapter 4: Who I Am. - Kara must fight back to save her friend, and herself.

This was such and fun fresh take on Supergirl. Its more about Kara’s life on earth than her alter ego supergirl. She was so down to earth and normal. I loved it. Kara felt like a normal teenage girl, she was worried about friends, school and a dreaded zit. However tragedy strikes and she’s makes a huge discovery. Seriously this was a great Supergirl story! I can not wait to see where it goes from here.

Let There Be Light

I have never been keen on the modern tendency to make superheroes darker and darker. I started with Golden Age, (to mid-1950's), Superman and followed him through the Silver Age, (around 1970). Checking back in now everyone seems to be tormented and a touch psychotic. That's why this Supergirl reboot was fun. (This is not part of the "DC Universe Rebirth" or "the New 52"; I think it's a sort of a standalone Supergirl alternate series, but that could be wrong.)

It's almost all origin story and setup, but from a sixteen year old girl's vantage point. NO SPOILERS, but we learn how Kara ended up on Earth and we get to see her awaken into her potential. She's angsty and there's some serious drama, but it all fits into her new frame. I appreciated the light touch with her adoptive parents, the hints about Krypton, and the fact that Kara got to have a funny, kick-butt friend, (who steals every scene she's in), to help her become super. There's violence and loss and action and self-doubt and everything else you might expect from a super-powered teen coming of age story, but it all seemed to be directed to an authentic and hopefully even upbeat take on Supergirl.

You won't, however, know that for sure from this volume. It's long, but it doesn't kick in to phase two until the last few pages. It ends, as Professor Jones said about young Indiana, just when it was about to get interesting. But that's the nature of origin stories. It was entertaining, (and the art is crisp, colorful, expressive, and dynamic), and it showed promise. To me, there's generic standard issue teen angst for YA readers, and then there's the real deal that actually sometimes feels true and important. You get some of that here, and there are strong hints that Tamaki and Jones were destined to be the team to pull this off. In any event, I'll be happy to see where this new Supergirl goes.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I've admittedly never been a huge fan of Supergirl -- or Superman, for that matter. But I've enjoyed what I've read from Mariko Tamaki, so I figured I'd give this a shot, and I'm so glad that I did. This is how you tell a coming-of-age story in comics. It's not easy to properly tell a story about a character struggling to comprehend who they are, especially when said story is about a teenage character, and yet, the team behind this book managed to do so with such ease.

The amount of character development that happens over the course of the first volume is impressive.
The artwork is absolutely stunning and only adds to the story being told.

It's hard not to love this book. It's hands down one of the best first volumes I've read in recent years.

I was a little thrown at first by just how strong of a Smallville vibe I got from this comic-- Kara raised on a farm by adoptive parents who found her pod, struggling to understand her abilities, hiding who she is from her friends? Very Smallville. But it seemed to break out of that more as the comic went along, and by the end I was definitely wanting to read more. (Kara meeting Superman who probably doesn't even know he has a cousin at this point? Maybe learning more about her powers with him and teaching him some about Krypton? Yes please!) I also really liked Dolly, and I hope we'll get to see more of her and her friendship with Kara now that her powers are out in the open. I also hope there will be more of Kara remembering her time on Krypton, since I think that is one of the more interesting aspects of her character.

Overall, I think this is a good start for a Supergirl series. She has so many different origins stories / takes that it can be a little difficult to acclimate to new ones sometimes, but I definitely think there's potential here for a young Kara who's only just starting to remember Krypton and understand how she might be able to use her powers to help people. And the artwork is very well done and engaging. I'd definitely be interested in reading more in this series.

This is Kara and her life with her friends. Focused on friendship and family from start to end. It's fun, emotional and interesting to keep turning the page. Loved my time with this story.

The original Supergirl was invented in the early 60s. It was still the time of silly, light stories, and her stories, set in an orphanage were light humor, and odd adventures, such as her dressing up like a fairy godmother to entertain kids, or her boring a hole through the earth so people could look through it and see the leaning tower of Pisa.

I grew up on this Supergirl, and though that it was odd that she would have to be reinvented. But in looking at the old stories, though I loved them as a kid, they seemed odd, a time of orphanages, and having to be perform to be adopted seemed much older than the 60s, more like something out of an Little Orphan Annie musical.

So, I shouldn't have been too surprised that someone has decided that she needs to be updated. Because, she does. And though I love the CW TV version of her, I find this retelling to be well written, interesting, and well rounded.

The basic facts are still the same. She is still Kara from Kyrpton, and her parents put her on a ship to escape when she was a young child. Only in this version, she isn't discovered by Superman, but by a rural couple, and raised by them, rather the way Superman was, if his parents had not trusted the government.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-358" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-04-06-at-2.10.10-PM.png" alt="" width="823" height="1257" />

Like the Superboy of old, this Supergirl has to hide her powers from everyone but her family. She has to hold back in sports. And this works, as she grows up to have good friends, and a good life.

Of course, something has to happen to make her become a hero, and something does happen, but that is the story you have to read.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-359" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Screen-Shot-2018-04-06-at-2.06.07-PM.png" alt="" width="806" height="1250" />

The pacing was good.  The friends of Supergirl seemed fully formed. She has a lesbian best friend, and it is just part of the story.

This first collection of the first four books of the series held my attention, was fun to read, and makes me wonder if they will continue the series from here, now that they have established her as a character.

I would recommend this to people who remember the original Supergirl and what to see a well done retelling, as well as people who have never heard of Superman's cousin, and wonder what all the fuss is about.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest reivew.

I'll admit, I come to Supergirl through the TV show, not through the comics, so while I have some familiarity with the story, there's a lot of background that I'm missing. That said, it didn't hamper my enjoyment in the slightest.

This version of Supergirl is fantastic. I love her attitude, I love her mom, I love her friends. I love how real she feels, even with superpowers.

I also love the artwork. I love how people look like people and aren't particularly cookie-cuttery. There's also a lot of fantastic facial work in this. It's all feels really grounded, which allows for the super to shine through.

All in all, I thought this was great.

Yes to all of it. The illustrations, the text, the storyline. Yes to it all.

Kara has super powers and was "adopted" by her family who knows of her abilities and keeps her pod hidden in the barn. She's a runner on the track team but has to keep her speed and strength in check. Readers meet her two best friends and dive into teenage life-- until an earthquake hits and she loses one of her friends. In the grief and mourning, it emerges that evil powers (and one track coach) are trying to use her and other Kryptonians power, but she will not go down as easily.

Kickass heroine, check. Humor and teenage life, check. Super-ness, check.