Supergirl has been an important part of the Superman mythos for a long time, and she has proven herself to be a great hero in her own right. She recently starred in the eight-issue miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely. This adventure took Supergirl out of her comfort zone by teaming her up with a young alien girl on a quest to avenge her father. Meanwhile, Supergirl also sought a cure for a poisoned Krypto.
Tom King is one of DC's biggest writers, and Evely's pencils have brought Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow to life in a way that few other artists could emulate. For readers who haven't picked up the book yet, there are some enticing things to learn that may turn Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow into their next pick.
Updated on February 17th, 2023 by Mayra García: With James Gunn's recent announcement on the route of the DCU, the fans are hyped with all the new projects coming their way. Since Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is set to get an adaptation, it's the perfect time for readers to learn some stuff about this great series.
15 It Was Created By A DC Super Team
The first thing new readers should know about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is that the minds behind it already guarantee it will be a great series. On one hand, Bilquis Evely's art style, Mat Lopes' color palette, and Clayton Cowles' letters blend amazingly to fit the sci-fi/fantasy vibe of the story.
Regarding the narrative, Tom King is already famous in the comic industry for his in-depth portrayal of DC and Marvel superheroes. King focuses on their human side (even when they aren't human). However, he never neglects their adventures. This makes his characters highly relatable, but also inspiring.
14 It Explores New Corners Of The DC Universe
Oftentimes, writers like to use known worlds in the DC Universe when having outer space adventures. It gives readers a nice touchstone for the adventure. Even if it just starts out on a familiar planet, it gives readers a setting they know before going out into the wilds of the universe.
That said, Woman Of Tomorrow went in a different direction. The planets in this comic series are all completely new — new settings, new cultures, new everything. This allows King and Evely to create an entirely fresh world for the DC Universe and take the stories in unexpected directions.
13 Supergirl Spends Most Of The Book Without Powers
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow starts on a planet orbiting a red sun. Supergirl goes there for a simple reason: it's her birthday and she wants to get drunk. This is something that her powers, while under a yellow sun, won't let her do. However, this decision leaves her and Krypto without their powers and vulnerable to attack.
Even after leaving the planet, Supergirl's powers don't immediately return, and she's put into situations where she must think her way out of things instead of depending on her mighty Kryptonian powers. This twist adds a great facet to many of the issues of the book.
12 Superman Isn't Present
Since her debut in 1959, Kara Zor-El has had a close connection to her cousin, Kal-El aka Superman. The two Kryptonians share certain similarities in their origin story, their power set, and even their chest symbol and their suit colors. Given this, it's often difficult for Supergirl to shine on her own.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow pays special attention to ensure Kara is her own person. For starters, her cousin is not a part of the series. Kara travels through space on her own, making a name for herself. In fact, the series sees Kara through Ruthye's eyes and she never compares her to him or even mentions him.
11 Supergirl Technically Isn't The Main Character
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is named after Supergirl, but Supergirl isn't actually the perspective character. That honor goes to Ruthye, an alien girl Supergirl meets. Ruthye's father was killed by Krem of the Yellow Hills, and she asks Supergirl for help taking him down.
The entire story is told from Ruthye's perspective — as if she's telling the story of her trip with Supergirl at some point in the future. This unique approach gives readers a different perspective on Supergirl, viewing her through the eyes of someone who only knows the legend of Supergirl but learns more about her as a person ever the course of their journey. This is definitely one of the best things about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
10 It Has Great Fantasy Elements
Ruthye's planet is technologically medieval, so the first issue has a fantasy feel to the whole story. Ruthye's perspective of the greater universe is that of a naïve youth journeying into a world she can barely understand. This fantasy vibe holds up throughout the series, even when it moves into more sci-fi aspects later in the series.
From a dragon fight to a literal space pirate ship, Woman of Tomorrow is as much a fantasy book as anything else. Supergirl has been in a lot of weird stories over the years, and this one throws Supergirl into new situations unlike any she's faced.
9 It Also Has Sci-Fi Themes
One of the DC stories that put Tom King on the map was Omega Men. Set in the Vega System, it was a sci-fi epic that pit the classic DC alien team against the powers that be in the solar system. Since that book, King has mostly stayed away from sci-fi comics, going for a more psychological take on superheroes instead.
While incorporating a lot of fantasy elements, Woman Of Tomorrow is very much a sci-fi epic. Supergirl and Ruthye travel to different worlds hunting Krem, and King creates an interesting new setting for each issue. It's even more imaginative than Omega Men's sci-fi.
8 It Expertly Incorporates Red Kryptonite
Kryptonite is one of the most iconic parts of the Superman mythos. Over the years, many different kinds have been introduced, but most of them were left in the sillier times of the Silver Age. It wasn't until after the re-Silver Age-ification of the DC Universe that the different varieties came back. Even then, they haven't exactly been prevalent.
Woman of Tomorrow features red kryptonite right after the first issue. The red version of the mineral transforms Kryptonians in strange ways, and Supergirl gains some rather interesting powers from it — ones that pay homage to her late '90s series.
7 It Has A Great Literary Quality
Under the pretense that "comics are for kids," people forget they are also literature. Tom King is one of those authors that reminds the readers about this. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has great character depth and an enthralling plot, but it also has a delightful poetic dimension.
The series delivers great lines from time to time, almost as if Ruthye was a writer herself. It's obvious that King puts special attention on the way he uses words, which definitely increases their power. This only adds to the remarkable emotionality of the series.
6 Comet The Super-Horse Returns
Comet the Super-Horse and Supergirl have had a strange relationship over the years. Silver Age DC was full of weird stuff, and Comet added to that strangeness. Back then, Comet was once an ancient Greek centaur who got transformed into a horse and fell in love with Supergirl.
In the post-Crisis Supergirl series, Comet was again a shapeshifting horse, except this time, it was an alien who could be male or female. Comet shows up in Woman of Tomorrow as well, playing a significant role and creating a nice little callback to Supergirl's past.
5 It Takes Supergirl Out Of Her Comfort Zone
Much like her cousin Superman, Supergirl is a legend throughout the universe, and this book makes a great argument for why she's deserving of that reputation and why she's one of DC's best legacy heroes. However, one of the best things about each issue's story is how it takes Supergirl out of her comfort zone.
In the first few issues, Supergirl must figure out ways to win without her powers and it just gets better from there. Each issue throws something new at her, testing her resolve. It's not really something fans are used to seeing, and it does a great job proving why she's not only at Superman's level, but even surpasses him at times.
4 It's A Character Study For Supergirl
As it always happens with Tom King's comics, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow isn't just a superhero adventure. Instead, Tom King focuses on the emotional dimension of his characters. For starters, this comic reviews Ruthye's inner life and her struggle after her father's death. However, it mostly focuses on Supergirl.
Although Ruthye is the narrator of the story, the girl tells her adventure with Kara, always focusing on how the Maiden of Might treats her. For instance, Kara's kindness towards her or the way she defends her. This combines with Kara's heartbreaking origin story flashbacks to paint a colorful picture of this inspiring heroine.
3 It Eschews Any Familiar Villains
Another great aspect of Woman Of Tomorrow is the way it treats each issue's threat. Tom King could have easily taken Supergirl and Ruthye to different planets under siege by familiar DC villains and thrown her at enemies she may not have fought before (but are nonetheless known to readers).
This would have been a lot of fun, but Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow doesn't take the easy way out. While there are some nods to familiar threats throughout the book, it eschews the typical hero/villain narrative for something more effective.
2 It Changes Readers Perspective On Supergirl
Supergirl has been around for a long time and she's one of the more multi-faceted characters in DC history. King and Evely take advantage of this, and a part of it has to do with Ruthye's narration. She's seeing Supergirl for the first time and relating what she learned from her while by her side.
This gives readers an interesting outside view of the character they've never had before. Beyond that, the series takes the time to chronicle Supergirl's time in Argo City after the destruction of Krypton. It's truly a heartbreaking story and says a lot about who Supergirl is.
1 James Gunn Wants To Bring This "Harsher Kara" To The Silver Screen
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow tells Kara's story in a different way than it has been done before. Kara's heartbreaking origin story, her time on Argo after the destruction of Krypton, and her harsh-but-not-so-harsh attitude (especially with Ruthye) make for a fine film — which James Gunn knows.
James Gunn's recent announcement on the DCU's first chapter, Gods and Monsters, revealed that Woman of Tomorrow will be adapted into a film for the first stage of DC's new cinematic universe. Fans can only hope this adaptation is as poignant, complex, and beautiful as the comic.