Comments on: Comics: Supergirl and The Fall

By: Chance

Chance — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:04:45 +0000

What did I think of Supergirl as an Earth Angel? Well, I think it was the best incarnation of Supergirl ever….though that opinion’s coming from a guy who’s not the biggest fan of the current Supergirl at the moment.

I mean, considering what PAD had to start with, a shapeshifting blob of protoplasm, its a near miracle he made the character truly come into her own while at the same time mixing in old cast members from the past. It was both innovative and retro….which is basically PAD’s style if you look at his body of work. He’s a very creative guy who still has an appreciation for (gasp!) continuity. A rarity these day.

Now, if you’re asking if I like the CONCEPT of Supergirl as an Earth Angel, I have to say I didn’t seem to be bothered by it like some people. In fact, taken as a whole, the Earth Angel saga is much like Alan Moore’s Earth Elemental take on Swamp Thing all those years ago . (Man, I feel old.) In fact, if the public had taken to the Earth Angel saga more, I would have bet the parallels between Swamp Thing and Supergirl would have gotten a whole lot deeper…but that’s for another time.

By: Joel A Moroney

Joel A Moroney — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:33:01 +0000

You make a good point, Chance. The God of the DCU is not the God of the real world. When you have to take in to account characters like The Spectre, Eclipso and Zauriel, you’re going to have to change the rules. It would be a struggle to come up with an explanation that fits in with everything that a comic book universe creates over 70 years (this month celebrates the 70th anniversary of Superman!).
Yes, the God of PAD’s Supergirl series is different to the God of the real world. And he did write in a very thought provoking and challenging way. And hopefully I was able to take what he wrote and use it to spark thought and discussion about the Fall both in the DCU and the real world :)
What did you think about Supergirl as an Earth Angel?

By: Chance

Chance — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:37:53 +0000

Hi again.

Yeah, Wally was a bit hard to get a grapple on. When a character who claims to be God is introduced into any fictional medium, its like the 800-pound gorilla in the room. EVERYTHING comes into play. Good, evil, free will, destiny, chance (no, not ME…like I haven’t heard that before)…and about everything else. If done skillfully, a story can be truly epic. If done wrong, the character becomes little more than a crutch to bail out a lazy writer. Having trouble getting a character from point A to point B? Let little boy Wally come in to speed things up. Hey, he’s God…who’s gonna argue?

Actually, that was a bit flippant. PAD’s use of Wally was actually pretty good about 75% of the time. Most of the time he was Deus…but sometimes he was just Deus ex Machina.

As for your other points, you might be being a bit harsh on PAD and his explanation of the Fall in Supergirl. Remember, even if we can go with the idea that Wally was God, it is the God of the DC Universe and must be looked at in that context. and PAD had to WRITE it in that context. So to say that you don’t agree with “his beliefs” might be a little off the mark. I believe its a bit of a stretch to say that Wally’s words in #25 are a direct statement of what Peter David particularly believes and ignores a few degrees of editorial context. Of the DC Universe in general and the Supergirl series in particular.

But hey, at least PAD had the skill to write it in a thoughtful way.

By: Joel A Moroney

Joel A Moroney — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:00:12 +0000

Hi Chance, thanks for dropping in and commenting. Yes I have read the full run of PAD’s Supergirl. I’ve been a fan of his since I started collecting comics. One of the first series I read was Young Justice.
I didn’t want to dwell too much on the nature of Wally in Supergirl. Yes, it is a tad complicated. I rewrote my introduction to this post several times before just giving in and just running with it. What I did want to look at were the two pages of Wally explaining original sin. I thought it would be a good exercise in theological thinking.
While I love PAD’s work (X-Force and She-Hulk are great reads at the moment), I don’t always agree with the beliefs he puts forward in his work. And that’s okay. In fact it’s more than okay. I like being challenged by different views. Wally isn’t my God. But I can still enjoy the comic!

By: Chance

Chance — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:43:42 +0000

I was wondering if you read all of Peter David’s Supergirl run? If you did, there are a few clues as to who Wally is, and isn’t. (IMO? He’s God, but not really. He’s the “reformed” image of the Carnivore, who became God but then lost his Godhood. But then, could God, who is omnipresent at all places and times, become one entity one moment, and then NOT that entity a moment later? Can the finite that has achieved infinity become finite again?)

My head hurts now. I’m gonna lie down.