Review by Aaron Cooper
It never occurred to me that I might be a chauvinist. At the very least, I must be a snob. I never read ‘girl’ comics. Not that I don’t appreciate a strong female character. In fact, many of my favorite characters are female, but usually in a group dynamic. Yet somehow I’ve never found myself picking up titles with “Girl” or “Woman” in the title. I did read a few John Byrne She-Hulk comics back in the day. Does that count? Does this oversight in general make me a bad person?
Anyways, I had heard good things about Peter David’s last gasp on his run of Supergirl, the final six issues in which he brings together his updated version of the character with the Silver Age incarnation of Kara Zor-El. Guess what? What I heard was true.
Somehow, Peter David manages to meld together his ideas regarding an update to Supergirl (the Linda Danvers ‘Earth-Angel’ incarnation) with what the fan’s supposedly had been clamoring and complaining for: a return of what they considered the ‘real’ Supergirl. In doing so, he single-handedly pulls off a great return of a classic character, giving the fans what they wanted without deviating from established mythos (i.e. The Crisis on Infinite Earths) while simultaneously giving the editorial version of ‘flipping the bird’ to those same fans, showing just how ridiculous and unreasonable it was to demand such a request, as the bulk of the story and especially the finale attest to. Hats off to Mr. David for accomplishing something I’m sure went over most fans heads, whilst not compromising a really well-done story. Too bad it was the final run of the series. I guess he had nothing to lose.
The only major hang-up in Many Happy Returns is that since it is a trade paperback reprinting the final 6 issues of Supergirl (issues 75-80 for those wondering), many characters, villains, and even situations may seem unfamiliar or even tedious and boring to those picking this up with no knowledge of the full run. You may not care that much about what happens to the cast as their stories come to an end.
Ed Benes artwork is also hit or miss. His female characters are beautiful, albeit they all seem large-breasted, yet his male characters and even villain designs come off as generic and forgettable. I also thought his Superman looked like a 12 year old. I do understand that the whole storyline is Silver Age homage, but some of the art just comes off as weak. Not often do I see such a definitive line between an artist’s strong and weak points.
Final verdict? Long time fans of the DC Universe should make this required reading. The subtle tributes paid to the Superman family are numerous and perfect. Honestly, it’s better reading then several of the other various Superman stories in the trade market. Even though the art verges on forgettable, casual fans can also derive some serious enjoyment out of Peter David’s farewell to this late, lamented title.