Comic Book Review: Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom #1

Since last week’s episode of Smallville featured the teamup of Clark and Supergirl, I thought it would be fitting to review the first issue of the new Superman/Supergirl mini-series. The Smallville episode was good, I hope that this story is as good.

Creative Team
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art: Phil Noto

Art Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 4.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Superman is lowering a giant space vessel down to a city on another world. NASA spotted the ship with the sensors on on of the Titan-Seven Voyagers. Superman asked Supergirl to cover for him while he crossed the galaxy to attempt a rescue mission. The only inhabitant was already dead when he caught up to the ship. By checking with the ship’s computer, he found the home planet and returned the ship and pilot.

Meanwhile, on Apokolips Darkseid is his followers produce new weapons. One of the slaves, a woman named Maelstrom is watching him. She wants to be his bride. Her plan is simple. Escape Apokolips and bring him something that no one has been able to give him.

A cloaked figure approaches her. The figure offers her a device. Maelstrom wants to know if anyone the theft. The figure says no. Maelstrom thinks that possessing this device, a Boom Tube device, would give her a trip straight to the torture rooms. But the risk is worth it if she is able to fulfill her destiny. The device will take her to Earth.

Supergirl is on patrol. She thinks that this had to be the slowest week. Nothing happened while Superman was away. Suddenly, cars start to fly past her head. She catches them. Looking down, she sees that the street is all torn up. A ray blast knocks her out of the sky.

When Supergirl looks up, more cars are being thrown at her. Supergirl bats them aside and demands to know who is doing this. Maelstrom is standing in the middle of the road. She wants Superman. Supergirl attacks her. Maelstrom beats up Supergirl.

Maelstrom says that she did not come to Earth to fight a child. She wants Superman. She wants Supergirl to tell him that death has come for him. She punts Supergirl away. Maelstrom rips a multi-story hospital from its foundation and smashes it.

Maelstrom’s plan is to keep killing people until Superman shows up. Supergirl hits her from behind. Maelstrom proceeds to beat her up again. She is ready to stomp on Supergirl’s head when she is struck by 2 heat vision beams.

Superman appears on the scene and says that Maelstrom is not going to kill any more people. He wants to know what her problem is. Her problem will be solved when she removes Superman’s head from his body. Maelstrom attacks. Superman tells her she will have to do a lot better than that.

Maelstrom tells Superman that she will become Darkseid’s queen when she returns with Superman’s dead body. Superman spots her Boom Tube device, takes it, activates it and throws her through the portal.

A battered Supergirl pulls herself from the wreckage. She wants to help the survivors. Superman has already helped them. She collapses. Superman picks her up and flies off. He is going to do what he should have done a long time ago.

Three days later, he finds her on the moon. He tells her that she is not the first person to fail at something. Supergirl says it was not a failure, it was a catastrophe. She was outclassed by Maelstrom and innocent people suffered for it. He will take her back to Earth and train her. She wants to be left alone. Superman says that she is going whether she wants to or not.

Back on Apokolips, Granny Goodness is torturing Maelstrom. She tells her that Darkseid will never take her for a bride. Maelstrom’s life now depends on how she fights in the Terroriam.

Comments
The Good: Noto does a nice job showing the power of Maelstrom. The scene with the hospital was good. Seeing Supergirl after the battle, you realize badly she was beat.

Superman was handled very well. His concern for the world that the space traveller came from and his defeat of Maelstrom were classic Superman scenes.

The Bad: For the story to work, the author(s) has to “sell” you on what they are presenting. I was never convinced that a lowly slave from Apokolips could manhandle Supergirl like this. I don’t care if she is not experienced. She still has her Kryptonian powers.

The lack of backgrounds made this seem almost like a coloring book. I am not a fan of this style. The artist’s clean cut drawing were not right for Darkseid and Apokolips. This did not look like the oppresive, dirty Apokolips we have seen before.

Overall: A disappointing issue especially after watching last week’s Smallville. With the lack of story in part 1, I don’t see how this can go on through issue 5. I guess we will have another couple of issues of Supergirl getting beat up. Then issue 4 will show her on the road to recovery. Issue 5 will probably featuring her revenge while Superman is unable to help her. I will give this series one more issue, but it is on the edge of the drop zone.