That’s right. While the comics have tossed out “The American Way” and the movies have ignored it altogether, pushing a Supergirl movie on Superman fans with “whatever” as a replacement for “A Better Tomorrow” was somehow considered a good idea. Just a silly bit of fun that feels more like a slap in the face to people who grew up with the Kryptonian heroes and made them popular enough to be around to be turned into…this. It’s only going to get worse from here. Someone on X fixed it with one line change.
Sadly, that’s the mildest problem that needs fixing. Our last two movie Supermans (Supermen?) were great castings given a terrible script and questionable costumes. Now add Kara Zor-El to that list. Milly Alcock looks the part normally, but she isn’t wearing the suit and she definitely isn’t being given the attitude, or rather Ana Nogueira is using the wrong comics as a guide. Ever since the New 52 our sweet little heroine has been rude, angry, a drunken party girl, and just a horrible version of the Girl Of Steel. Our heroine deserves better than this. Sadly, DiDio’s Darker DC is not only still in effect in the DC Universe even though he’s moved on to ruining Defenders Of The Earth (yes, put Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake, and Lothar on trial for Mongo being decimated while fighting Ming…typical DiDio–why does he keep ruining my childhood!), but Tom King’s Woman Of Tomorrow has her going off to get drunk on her birthday and ignoring the Superman family rather than being the amazing and loving heroine I grew up with. Sadly, this is the story they’re using as their role model, which I’ve already complained about recently. Both Kara and Billy Batson deserve better than we’re getting.
Today the first trailer for the Gunniverse take on Supergirl hit the internet, with a Kryptonian punch to the privates in just how depressing it is. It’s a Gunn style trailer, with obnoxious heroes, desaturated colors, and a very unheroic superhero. It took 15 seconds in for me to pause and facepalm while watching it. I’m sorry for what you’re about to watch, and it’s not even my fault.
Krypto peeing on a picture of Superman pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? Remember, he’s usually Superman’s dog while Supergirl has Streaky the Supercat. Then it gets worse. I don’t just mean how scrunched up her face is in the thumbnail. Want to try again? No? Fine.
Let see, our zeroine is introduced to us with a hangover, steals a drink from someone else, we get Krypton or Argo City or whatever they’re going with in trouble, Super….no, Kara (she’s not super anything outside of superpowered) saying that Superman sees the good in people but she sees “the truth”, and maybe some action to tell us “oh, this is totally a superhero movie, I promise”. Also, space bus lands on Earth for some reason.
This is how they think superhero fans get excited for a superhero movie. Then again, they’re going by Tom “Break All The Toys Mentally” King, the story that inspired the tone of the movie. You know, the guy who convinced Catwoman that Batman “needs his pain”, ruined Batman’s parents in an alternate timeline, had Wally West kill a bunch of heroes at a superhero therapy retreat while also making drug-fighting superhero The Protector a user, and having Mister Miracle attempt suicide. As noted in my previously linked commentary, Nogueira is totally on board with Kara falling apart rather than fighting to see a better world like the one she grew up with until all the bad stuff happened. These are not the DC heroes that I grew up with, was inspired by to be a good person, or want to see become depressing sad sacks and a living joke of a character. I’m supposed to cheer this girl on? I don’t think so.
Oh, I’m sure this movie will do wonders…for the 1984 movie!
If you’ve seen it you know the trailer practically gives away parts of the movie. Revealing the monster was a bad idea…in that it ruins the surprise. On the other hand, compare this Kara to the other one. Action, bright colors, an invisible monster, a giant monster, occasional one-liners that don’t ruin the mood, aspirational music instead of something I’ve heard on the radio and used to really like being attached to something that really doesn’t match anything in the scene because it wasn’t made for the movie…this Supergirl is the one I want nearby if I’m in danger. She’s good-natured, heroic, and someone worthy of her cousin’s name and S-shield. Not…that other girl. THIS Kara makes me excited to see more. You know what I mean, pervs! Shut up! Admittedly, Helen Slater is also attractive, but unlike Milly she’s allowed to be in the movie. In both identities.
Truth. Justice. Freedom. A Better Tomorrow. THE AMERICAN WAY! That’s the Supergirl I know. That’s the Supergirl I want to see. Not a self-destructing mess who for some reason has a Walkman in 2025 without Peter Quill’s reasoning, and I’m not the only person making the Star Lord comparison. I even got it from Az of HeelVsBabyface. As of this writing I haven’t seen his reaction, but I can guess because I really like Supergirl and I’M upset. This version of so-called “Supergirl” may not be directed by Gunn, though he claims casting Milly as the Maid Of Might was one of his best moves, but this fits in with the quirky, broken characters of his Superman, his Peacemaker, and his Creature Commandos. Well, his Superman is up for debate, his Peacemaker is the laughing stock of the comics internet, and the only Creature Commando anybody talks about is G.I. Robot and his joy at killing Nazis. So sadly this Kara fits right in. I’ll stick to the actually heroic one, thank you.
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