Not being Super in the world of winning punk rock. Why do we love Family Vacation?
The eighth volume of Supergirl established Kara's division into several independent personalities, each representing a different era and aspect of her character. Sophie Campbell has become a symbol of DC's strategy to promote the kryptonian blonde's image of an ordinary girl with a normal life. At the same time, we have a Karen-like variant, with an orphanage, early adulthood, rapid acclimatization to an unfamiliar world, Dick's "not a date!" scenario. Between these states lies a treasure that cannot be imagined without the struggle and suffering of the Woman of Tomorrow. If my introduction seems too dark for a Young Adults comic, you weren't here when the fifth volume started and you didn't cry during the animated Crisis. But don't worry, we'll use this time tonight to gain a comprehensive psychological understanding. Smile!
If the first page is the mind of the book, we risk finding ourselves inside a deep teenage consciousness. Kara is really the kind of girl you'd expect to see in a normal family. How weird is that? Usually, Clark sends her to a farm and forgets about her until the next event. Sounds rude, and we're not going to criticize the big guy for his lack of experience. We're looking at it from the perspective of a girl who lost everything at a reasonable age. Starting with the following panels, the narrative focuses on global isolation in a fully accessible information environment. This is a small turning point in the reader's worldview, where they have to choose between falling into a lost culture and the comfort of their modern times. How do we do this right? Well, why not try not to dance on their graves? My favorite part of the comic…I realized this after rereading...is the amount of plot hooks the author leaves on the pages. The main problem with the Kara/Clark dynamic in the Krypton story - which is why you don't see many big arcs in the medium - is the lack of perspective. When you try to understand Supergirl through her brother's perspective, you think about the absence of familiar little things. Like:
It works for the first two days, while Kara tries to regain her sensitivity. Then she puts on a long red coat, and things finally turn into a nightmare. She realizes that the "girl" in her name is an extension of "Super," which in turn refers to American mythology. As you expand on this topic, you begin to see how the legacy of one person's achievements circles back to the DNA of human civilization. This leads to an even more terrifying consequence. The El family does not exist here as a separate part of society, part of the context. Clark's help, his role on Earth(universe), is too powerful for a little girl to handle.
However, I don't use the age indicator for that reason. Comics have always made us a little…more experienced and stronger than we could be in any state. I love Kara because she's very close to everyday problems, and she behaves exactly like any person with a traumatized childhood. In this book, she is forced to be an older sister and a friend in a place that provides an escape from everyday life. In other words, if the 6-volume's Supergirl was here, she would have destroyed a lot of buildings and performed dental surgery on many aliens. Then she would have been even more upset because her goal was to find the remains of her homeland. But since she has other inputs, this character makes her quiet on the inside. This continues the tradition of recent years, which began with Tom King. When a fit of rage ends into her death. When you can't breathe properly (hi, Mariko!). Even before the central plot begins, we can see how it differs from the cute similar-style (narrative, not visual) Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, where Supergirl uses the issues of that, old, period.
Stop! Didn't we talk about her culture?! Clark says that the S-symbol stands for Hope. Some comics do interpret it this way. However, if you listen to Kal or Kara's parents, they always talked about their children's future as individuals. The battle-hardened blonde continued to grow in this, and her fate remains free from any expectations. I'm saying from Kara's perspective again, because that's the only thing that makes sense to the girl. It's not about being a part of a new big idea. It's about not being able to see yourself as an individual in a world where family is replaced by a group of moral interests, and being a sister means being inside a topic that you don't want to belong to. You can tell she made it clear to people pretty quickly that Supergirl is on her own. And she's never been against the concept of Superfam. Yes, it's true. But this is the position of a person who has decided to stay on Earth. Then we change the author, and she flies away. Again. And again. And again. Oh, wait, she flies away even with the same authors. Because she can't feel complete until her family is out of context. I mean, a new family. Her friends, her boyfriend. What kind of people does she choose? The same kind as herself. Lost. Lonely. Helping to escape in parties, passionate nights, suicidal missions. When things get too normal, she leaves. Because it's not her norm. Because Supergirl is just a picture that hides the desire to hide and/or scream. S-culture is not a main part here. It serves as a marker of pain that never stops. A marker of when life starts to remind her of the main problem again.
Back to our days. My Adventures with Superman second season. She can start over because of the small experience difference. Age-reduction goes along with a small legacy; there is no "S-cult" here. It reminds me of pre-Crisis, if you remember that old time travel! She also gets Jimmy right away and breaks the philosophy of Kryptonian imperialism. Can we consider this comic book to be a spiritual continuation of animation then? Mmm, some way. We have a large family, strong connections, something like home. Supergirl: Family Vacation serves as a bridge between "I don't know where my rage will take me at the end" Kara and "let's break a couple of unstable villains, сousin!" Kara. ///I really should replace her brother with Natasha, but that's not the point/// This is the first comic where the conflict takes place after Supergirl is granted her status. She doesn't have to go to the future to heal her emotional wounds. Or to kill the Monitor.
The problem is, by closing the possibility of doing this in the later stages, we create conditions for an early conflict. The age reduction doesn't allow her to properly formulate it into an idea. Therefore, Kara...well, you know why she became Galatea in the DCAU. The teenager thinks in terms of what is most visible. Being Super is a curse.
Now, let me talk about the authors and the supporting cast. Natasha is really hard to work with because she has two sides. She can be just as obsessed with perfection as her uncle is. But she also can be quite vulnerable or very cheerful. It depends on the period, circumstances. Showing one side means losing Natasha completely. At first, I wasn't sure if it was our girl. She wasn't stable enough. She's too dependent on Superman. But then we see how she is obsessed with the symbol in a good way. At the same time, she easily helps Kara solve problems. She knows when to warn about danger, and when to show confidence and strength. If you remember her first days with Courtney, that's it. Modest, furious, destroy morally. Give a chance. God, I love Natasha!
Jon is the only objective weakness in the comic. He was never an ordinary child. He was only an ordinary child in Damian's context. Yes, he is naive. Yes, he may do something stupid because of his interest in the world. Yes, he really wants his parents' attention. The key detail? Jon would never do that for himself. His childhood was one of isolation. Then his mother was rescued. He didn't have to grow up overnight, like Kara. But it made him a little closed off from the world, like his father. Plus, he's constantly thinking. Here, Jon is a child who causes too much trouble for his older sister. I'm not saying this in the context of a Kara fan. I say this because Jon is our new Superman. You can't write him as something amorphous. His life on the farm is close to his father. His life in the city is even worse, because it's a brok...problem stage. Don't treat him like that because he's small. Our babies have their perfect unique characters, in their first few months! It was supposed to be a mini-Kon!
Since my goal is to keep repeating why Supergirl is the best girl in the world, I want to use her dark side as a demonstration of Mr. Snider's talent. My question to you, a super-reader. How do you use the love line in the context of the issues we discussed in the post? Yes, you'll remember that she likes bad guys, and this will cause a deeper problem through conflict with her family. Since we can't directly use Clark for this (you must avoid a father's allusion in any way possible), we'll start harassing Natasha for the Krypton's sake! Estafa is quite atypical as a love interest, as they usually continue (I'm talking about bad options like Power Boy or Red Hood) the overall downward trend. Here, Kara's negative emotions are really going up. However, this is a result of the right question on his part. No spoilers! I think their meeting in the water is a really good mind-altering experience, if Kara uses it as a lifestyle.
She does. And this is where the second part of the conflict begins, when one side goes to understand free will, but the other side doesn't know how to use it. Do you understand what Brandon did with...for her? He uses the identity conflict to create a new behavior pattern for Kara. I'm not using this as a critique of other variations, but the point of the modern Supergirl, after 2005, is the battle. That's why we have so many dark arcs, where she commits murder or causes harm to her loved ones. She is overwhelmed by this feeling. This feeling brings her to a modern state. The current state of affairs liberates her.
That is, there is less pain. There is more awareness. But she will never be a normal girl again. And that makes her incredible, because she has all the love in the world, but she chooses lonely or personal paths. She's not a punk. She's not a rock fan. Hell, she's not even kind in the context of global morality. She's just doing what she thinks is right. Thank you, @cootiekid! You gave her something unexpected. A self-identification comic! Btw, a cosmic gorgeous looks!
I have to start this by noting a lot of references. Funny features, a good way-ridiculous Justice League. No, it's really a selling point. Like the attention to detail in Kara's room. Or the funny faces of the girls on the pile of panels (the Teen Titans 2003 comics legacy is strong these days). It's cool, but it's what you expect from any comic book that tries to…is the first big step into the modern era of Supergirl. So I'm thinking about the color palette and the chosen style. If you're familiar with Sarah, her drawings maintain the tone of the original but add some humor. Tumblr won't let me add more than 10 images, just find this thing with the Monitor dialog or any other fan-comic. She experiments with styles, leaving dream-like animated fantasy at the forefront. The previews were very similar. However, Family Vacation is more like an americanized anime. I can remember Ben Ten from the 2010s or Voltron from 2016. These things want to be more teenage-oriented. They're designed to appeal to their parents as well, by addressing relevant topics while utilizing the appearance of an action series. That's why I use the word "Dream." It's a story for those who aren't afraid to dream like teenagers. To know the beauty of a dark sky with a hundred stars in a twilight city. This Supergirl is available without much analysis and understanding Kara. If you want a simple, fun story for one night, you get it. When you understand it, the color choice seems more...accurate? The main colors and even the locations create a sense of relaxation. Is this a vacation with people? Globally, yes. But when you look at it from Kara's perspective, you realize that you can have a good time here even if you're in a mild state of depression. It may sound a little weird, but it allows it to maintain the contrast of a story where someone is preventing someone else from being themselves. In other words, with a complex of conflicts and the sunniest moments, it perfectly describes both of them. Especially when you see the humor again. Or the cool transformations. Or this meanie:
Tell her she's Kara, the Goddess of Beauty, not Flamebird!!!!!!!!!//////I can't imagine Family Vacation without @comickergirl. She makes this story real. Plus, you were laughing for two weeks when you saw Bruce too. Admit it!
When I first started writing this review, I planned to talk about love interests and the role of the Power Girl in a separate text. Then, I removed it to make the legacy issue more clear. But yes, it gave way to "I need to discuss the final words." And now here we're, with everything but the ending…
We'll soon have a movie where Kara finds her shelter in alcohol and entertainment. This is the path that was supposed to end Supergirl after the conclusion of the 7th volume. Because her rage couldn't find the right outlet in combination with her thoughts. Special understood this well, if you remember. So, then Mariko Tamaki says no. She shouldn't end up this way. In Action Comics, Supergirl gets a chance. Then Sophie says the same thing, but in a different way. Now, Family Vacation is doing. We have a lot of variations, but it's all Kara. This is the point at which the way back is forever closed. Not because she can't return physically. Because she no longer needs to. She's finally done this right. She finally found a family. In the form of her own Understanding. Happy new birthday, Kara Zor-El.