The following article contains spoilers for "Supergirl: Rebirth" #1, on sale now.

Supergirl's time in the New 52 could best be described as aimless. Her introductory year when her last series began firmly established her as someone completely alien to Earth, and those early issues were as much learning about humanity as they were a slow transformation into being a superhero. Since then, the character has floundered through a series of new directions (at one point depositing her on a space station housing an alien academy) that failed to stick. With "Supergirl: Rebirth" #1, though, Steve Orlando, Emanuela Lupacchino and Ray McCarthy are taking a cue from the "Supergirl" television series to give the character a stronger purpose and build up a supporting cast.

Faces from the Television Show



As seen in "The Final Days of Superman," storyline in April and May 2016, Supergirl is now working with the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, or the D.E.O. It's hard to pretend it's a development that was anything but directly taken from the television show. It's an easy hook to use for future stories, though; as a super-powered alien, Supergirl's the most natural individual for the D.E.O. to send into difficult situations. Along those lines, "Supergirl: Rebirth" #1 takes a nod from the show and has her first mission for the D.E.O. in her new series involve a Kryptonian who survived the destruction of Argo City by being trapped in the Phantom Zone. Orlando's script adds in its own twist, with a red kryptonite element making this more than Supergirl fighting someone with the same power structure. It's different and inventive enough that it holds good promise for Supergirl's future missions.

An element that might prove to be even more surprising, though, is Supergirl being given foster parents by the D.E.O. Namely, Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers, Supergirl's foster parents on the television show. It's nominally to provide her with a more realistic cover identity as she's enrolled in a high school (making this Supergirl much younger than her live-action counterpart), but considering how quickly Eliza in particular seems to be gelling with Supergirl, it feels like this will be a way to give Kara her own support system that she's been sorely lacking. Also not a coincidence is that Supergirl is being placed firmly in National City, the same location as the television show. The end result is a strong enough similarity between the comic and the television show that any new readers who wander in and pick up an issue could find themselves eased into this different-yet-recognizable continuity.


Faces from Comics

"Supergirl: Rebirth" #1 isn't solely connected to the television show, though, in terms of inspirations and ideas. The most obvious along those lines is the presence of Cameron Chase as the head of the D.E.O. Created by Dan Curtis Johnson and J.H. Williams III and debuting in "Batman" #550 before starring in her own short-lived series "Chase," Cameron Chase has been a mainstay of the DC Universe ever since her 1998 arrival. Pre-"Flashpoint," Introduced as the daughter of a deceased obscure superhero (Acro-Bat), upon adulthood she went to work for the D.E.O. in no small part to act on her overall dislike of metahumans. After the cancellation of her series, she continued to guest-star in many other series, most notably as a supporting character in the "Manhunter" series starring Kate Spencer.

Post-reboot, Chase appeared right out of the gate in "Batwoman" #1, tasked by Director Bones of the D.E.O. to bring Batwoman in for questioning. The confrontation goes less than ideally, with Batwoman escaping and breaking one of Chase's arms in the process. In the intervening years, though, it hasn't been a black mark on her record. She's moved up the ranks from an agent to being the Director of the entire D.E.O. (No word on what's happened to Director Bones, who hopefully is sipping a rum punch on a tropical beach somewhere.) It's certainly quite a switch from the character's one appearance in the "Supergirl" television show, where ironically she's not working at the D.E.O. at all but is an FBI Special Agent played by Emma Caulfield.

"Supergirl: Rebirth" #1 also directly follows on with recent developments for Kara Zor-El, picking up from both the final issue of her series and then her appearances in "The Final Days of Superman" where we'd learned that Supergirl's powers were in flux. It comes across here as the main method to have brought Supergirl into the D.E.O. in the time since that initial bombshell dropped in "Supergirl" #40, based on the ease in which it appears to be fixed. If so, it's a reasonable shift; it avoids sweeping the old continuity under the rug, but also frees Orlando from an additional complication. With the main focus of the series appearing to be Supergirl working with the D.E.O. as well as with Kryptonian legacy, it's an unnecessary complication for the series.

With "Supergirl: Rebirth" taking elements from comics and television alike, it's a strong compromise. Existing fans will find a lot to recognize and enjoy, while new readers won't be lost right out of the gate. Orlando, Lupacchino, and McCarthy's opening one-shot sets Supergirl up for a strong rebirth. If the book can keep up this mixture of influences, this could be the best "Supergirl" series in quite a few years.