"Way of the World" (part three)

Last month, DC tried to pawn off an inventory issue of Supergirl as the next in a series. Instead of just allowing the book to be a little late the callous Powers That Be interrupted the flow of Supergirl's quest to find the cure for cancer with what was essentially mediocre, unnecessary crap. Whomever was behind this inadequate, not to mention costly, substitution lacks professional integrity. It's as though the Powers decided any story was good enough for Supergirl and that the character doesn't deserve the "luxury" of consistent storytelling.

This is the issue that should have been published last month. Puckett opens the story by redeeming Superman in the eyes of Supergirl fans. Superman in this story represents the old ways and Kara symbolizes progress. We have seen that Kara will affect history. She will impact upon it so powerfully that time traveling dissenters from a possible future attempted to assassinate her.

Puckett in the first scenes shows Superman doing everything within his power to save the life of Tommy, the little boy who Supergirl promised to cure. Fill-in artist Brad Walker and inker John Sibal give the life-and-death struggle suitable gravitas. The scene was extremely important. Despite Superman's conservative views, relative to Supergirl's progressiveness, he is still a super-hero. He must fight the never ending battle for truth and justice, and you can tell that he's affected when he loses.

Puckett cuts to the cliffhanger from his last issue. Supergirl reacts to Superman telling her that Tommy has died and that her quest is over. In the process, Superman finally gives Kara some support and officially recognizes the altruism in her quest. I'm guessing that he really didn't want Kara to be hurt by what he knew to be impending failure, but his non-committal words sounded louder than his feelings.

The final stage in Supergirl's search seems to end with Mitch's latest resurrection. Previously he had the power to heal. Now, his power is anybody's guess. Puckett once again surprises the reader. We think we know what Kara is thinking, but Kara has a plan B, and it still involves the Resurrection Man. The decision is drastic, but most plan Bs are drastic.

Kara's plan seems insane by our standards, but you cannot judge her by human norms. That's the major theme that's been running in Puckett's Supergirl. Kara is an alien. She does not think like Superman who was raised human. Kara is a Kryptonian. She was brought up to think like a Kryptonian. She is more comfortable with the outlandish science and magic that is rife in the DCU. From Supergirl's perspective, regular technology and medicine is medieval.

Superman seems to be the voice of reason, but he's not. He's a voice from the past. Mitch is the devil's advocate. Supergirl is the future, but she's also aware of how scary her future is:

"But they won't let us do it! They're just normal – humans -- how can they see -- "

Superman's respect for the values of humanity blind him to the possibilities that Supergirl sees so vividly, yet Supergirl recognizes the needs of society and culture in his argument. That is why she attempts one last ditch effort to break through the artificial barriers erected by humanity.

In a crafty move, Supergirl flies Tommy's mother to a high-altitude setting. When she tries to calm down Tommy's mother, she's actually setting up her argument. She's planting the seed that whatever Tommy becomes, he will adapt. The original Supergirl was a genius. She had the mind of Kryptonian. This second Supergirl is a fledgling compared to the pre-Crisis model, but Puckett's writing indicates that given time, she will become just as incredibly intelligent as her predecessor.

Within the potent artwork of Walker and Delperdang, Supergirl lays down her argument. This isn't the same argument that she used before. She convinces Tommy's mother that this isn't just about doing the smart thing. The decision isn't purely cold intellect. It's about doing a courageous thing, a dangerous thing. It's about taking a leap into the unknown. Through Supergirl's words, Puckett considers the bravery in Kara's and indeed Kal-El's parents. The reader takes for granted that rocketed to earth Kara and Kal-El would turn out the way they did. The Shield of S is carved in stone. In the context of the fictional universe of DC, that's not really the case. Numerous contingencies could have altered what has been ingrained by decades of adventures.

I imagine that Puckett really didn't know where this story would take him. Maybe he just created the character of Tommy as a tiny part in the original tale that kicked off the philosophical debate. He may not of even had cancer in the first draft. He may have simply been a fan of the Girl of Steel, but then Puckett added this nuance. Maybe he originally intended for this to be a lesson in humility for the Maid of Might, but he recognized that it didn't fit the characterization he was trying to forge for her. Then he had the epiphany. What if Supergirl actually refused to give up? What if she tried to find the cure for cancer? Part of being a writer is letting the pieces fall into place. Next issue, we conclude this philosophical debate, and I find myself rapt.

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