Supergirl lives in the shadow of better versions of Kara’s story
The new movie doesn’t reach the depth of other recent Supergirl stories, including the one it’s adapting
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Superman is the favored Kryptonian to explore on the big screen, but Supergirl is the more interesting character. Even more so than her cousin, Supergirl is a child of two worlds, Krypton and Earth. That tension typically gives her more conflict to work through, as well as a better understanding of the extraordinary gifts Kryptonians have on Earth.
This dynamic is explored extremely well in the Adult Swim series My Adventures with Superman (streaming on HBO), an anime-inspired take on Clark Kent and the gang which just wrapped its third stellar season. In the second season, Clark finds his long-lost cousin Kara, only to learn she has been brainwashed by Kryptonian supremacists and has committed unimaginable crimes to further the aims of the now long-lost empire. Her rehabilitation, her struggle grappling with the horrors she has committed, and her new understanding of her identity makes Kara/Supergirl the most fascinating character in a show with plenty of good options for that superlative. (Really, watch My Adventures with Superman: It’s the best currently running DC adaptation).
Supergirl’s position between worlds and cultures is also explored in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, an eight-issue comic that ran from 2021-22, from writer Tom King and with amazing art from Bilquis Evely. It follows a cynical Supergirl teaming up with a vengeful alien girl and their adventures across the galaxy. The juxtaposition of a tired super-warrior who just wants to party with an impossibly determined (but still hopelessly naive) little girl is a great device for exploring Kara’s traumatic past and uncertain future. Supergirl, released this past June as the second movie (following Superman) in Chapter One of the revamped DC Universe, adapts Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow to mixed effect. Despite the strong performances, the film lacks the personality and flair of the comic’s narrative construction and art style.
Supergirl starts with Kara (Milly Alcock) travelling to a planet with a red sun so that she can actually get drunk on her birthday. There, she meets Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a stubborn young girl with an unwavering determination to avenge her father, killed by a bandit leader named Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts). Kara tries to convince Ruthye of the futility of revenge, but relents after new personal stakes of her own, fueling a galaxy-wide road trip to find Krem.
