Issue #34 marks Sterling Gates’ first ongoing storyline. He initially appeared in a short burst of issues under the Green Lantern Corps banner. He’ll be taking Supergirl on for the foreseeable future, and he’ll be doing it in one of the greatest ways possible. Gates will be part of a hive-mind of writers (wanted to get ‘hive-mind’ in here somewhere) as he, Robinson and Johns have been charged with guiding the super-family. Johns, of course, is on Action, Robinson is on Superman and Gates is on Supergirl. The three will be penning the "New Krypton" series that you’ll find buried in the ads of your weekly reads. It’s a chance for the continuities of the books to match up for once. No more guessing at timelines as these books will prove to fit together as one.

What does that do for us readers? Well, it’s great to have a massive, living and breathing story to look forward to nearly every week of the month. We are going to be getting our fill for some time to come, which is great for your average buyer with some extra cash. But I know plenty of folks who find it obnoxious when a storyline is continued in another monthly they aren’t willing to read. Supergirl is, without a doubt, the monthly of which most people are wary. It has the potential to be one of the greatest stories on shelves yet it manages to fall back on its rear time every time.

So the challenge, then, comes from Gates’ ability (or inability, only time will tell) to maintain the readership he’s likely to gain from "New Krypton." Most will turn to his book as continuity sweeps forward, but in a creative bullpen with Johns and Robinson, he’s got a lot to match up with. This first issue shows some marks of amateurism (much like the character herself), but there is a lot of potential for a wonderful Supergirl from Gates.

The weakness comes from the presentation of Supergirl herself. This story is about an article that one of the Daily Planet staff runs on the front page. That staff member is the spiteful and obnoxious Cat Grant. “Why the World Doesn’t Need Supergirl” is the name of the article and it pits the entirety of Metropolis against the strongest teenager on the planet. Her mistakes and incompetency are highlighted and this forces her to reconsider her stature as a super-hero. The problem is that Gates presents a Supergirl that some would consider almost whiney. It’s only one issue and this presentation does little to subtract from the potential of the book, but she is a complaining teenager here, something that turns a lot of people off when it comes to this series. Understand, however, that Gates ends this issue in a perfect position to wrap all of that whininess up for the duration on his run on the book. This issue could mark the end of an unlikable Supergirl.

The issue's greatest feature is its artwork. Igle’s pencils coupled with Champagne’s inks and Ruffino’s colors have made for a marvelous appearance. The series gives a warm look with friendly presentation, something that is unthreatening and appeals to fans of all types of comic art. My only complaint is in the realism of the Superman books when compared to the slightly more playful look here. If they were going for a unified read amongst the titles, why not go realistic with Supergirl. It could be that DC has elected to try and present a more likable character, but when compared to the other two titles between this hive-mind (did it again, sweet) it stands out. Maybe not so much a bad thing in the long run as readers will be able to distinguish moments when such and such happened in Supergirl as opposed to Action.

Sterling Gates has done a nice job with setting this series up for a potentially good future. If he can keep pace with Robinson and Johns then there is no telling how good this book could become. With enough work and retooling, Supergirl is likely to become one of my favorite characters. But Gates does have some growing to do.

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