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justinlikescomicbooks's review
5.0
Man...Tom King really is that guy.
Much like his Superman comic, Up in the Sky, this is an episodic sci-fi adventure story about the lengths a superhero will go to do The Right Thing for one person. In the case of Woman of Tomorrow, that is instantly complicated by the nature of the adventure: a revenge quest.
One thing I wasn't crazy about initially, which takes some getting used to, is how verbose the true protagonist Ruthye is. I think it's very fun to do a Terminator 2 but with Supergirl and some alien farm girl and have the story play out through her lens, but she just talks. so. damn. much. But the good news is that King is a brilliant writer of inner monologue, and the end justifies all the space devoted to the narration in a really satisfying way. I think, in the end, my real issue with the word bubbles has nothing to do with what's in them—but that they get in the way of what might be the most beautiful modern comic book. Bilquis Evely's art is detailed and clever in a way that reminds me of Wonder Woman: Historia (though lacking the experimental page layout and structure), but with the sharp, bold lines that define more traditional superhero epics. It's a monumental achievement in visual design and attention to detail.
As a fun, epic adventure that shows the unique character traits of Supergirl, this an absolute knockout, and makes me want to read a lot more Supergirl comics. But it also acts as something of an anti-deconstruction of the superhero. Rather than the Alan Moore/Zack Snyder "what if superheroes were real and corruptible" thing that we've been stuck in for decades (and King himself has actually excelled at), the twist at the end is that Supergirl is Just Good. Because that's who she is. And it's not actually more complicated than that.
Unless, the final page asks, the story isn't that easy.
Much like his Superman comic, Up in the Sky, this is an episodic sci-fi adventure story about the lengths a superhero will go to do The Right Thing for one person. In the case of Woman of Tomorrow, that is instantly complicated by the nature of the adventure: a revenge quest.
One thing I wasn't crazy about initially, which takes some getting used to, is how verbose the true protagonist Ruthye is. I think it's very fun to do a Terminator 2 but with Supergirl and some alien farm girl and have the story play out through her lens, but she just talks. so. damn. much. But the good news is that King is a brilliant writer of inner monologue, and the end justifies all the space devoted to the narration in a really satisfying way. I think, in the end, my real issue with the word bubbles has nothing to do with what's in them—but that they get in the way of what might be the most beautiful modern comic book. Bilquis Evely's art is detailed and clever in a way that reminds me of Wonder Woman: Historia (though lacking the experimental page layout and structure), but with the sharp, bold lines that define more traditional superhero epics. It's a monumental achievement in visual design and attention to detail.
As a fun, epic adventure that shows the unique character traits of Supergirl, this an absolute knockout, and makes me want to read a lot more Supergirl comics. But it also acts as something of an anti-deconstruction of the superhero. Rather than the Alan Moore/Zack Snyder "what if superheroes were real and corruptible" thing that we've been stuck in for decades (and King himself has actually excelled at), the twist at the end is that Supergirl is Just Good. Because that's who she is. And it's not actually more complicated than that.
Unless, the final page asks, the story isn't that easy.
birdybutt24's review against another edition
5.0
Bilquis Evely is such an incredible artist, and Tom King's writing in this book is beautiful. Really brings out a completely different side of Supergirl, especially from focusing on the character's experiences of colonial violence and genocide.
swoodo's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Tom King is always great and this True Grit-esque take on supergirl is lovely. The narration is fun and distinct. The art is jaw dropping, characters are great and the pacing is pretty good. It doesn’t feel like it has quite the same emotional core of the usual King storytelling, and the end is a bit ham-fisted in terms of messaging, but overall it’s really wonderful and makes for a very fun adventure.
toolizzforyou's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
adperfectamconsilium's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This graphic novel collects the 8 issue mini-series.
This is a far cry from your traditional superhero slugfest. What Tom King has crafted here is a space fantasy adventure which is fully self contained. You don't need to know anything about the DC Comics universe or about Supergirl herself other than she is the cousin of Superman and comes from the planet Krypton.
The story is narrated by a young girl called Ruthye who has seen her beloved father killed by Space Pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills. She swears vengeance and enlists the aid of Supergirl.
This sets the scene for many travels and adventures throughout the universe. Whereas the overall plot is quite straightforward each episode holds lots of surprises and they work as mini adventures giving plenty of time for character growth and introspection so we get to know Supergirl, this Woman of Tomorrow.
The fantasy side of the series is almost fairytale like at times and the artwork elevates the plot beautifully. It really is a joy to look at.
There's plenty of time to admire the artwork as there are a lot of text boxes of narration. That might not be to everyone's tastes but I really liked the slower pace the story took with its detailed look at the psychology of the characters.
There's also appearances from Krypto the dog and Comet, the flying super horse. There's definitely a little magic sprinkled over this fantasy tale.
This is a far cry from your traditional superhero slugfest. What Tom King has crafted here is a space fantasy adventure which is fully self contained. You don't need to know anything about the DC Comics universe or about Supergirl herself other than she is the cousin of Superman and comes from the planet Krypton.
The story is narrated by a young girl called Ruthye who has seen her beloved father killed by Space Pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills. She swears vengeance and enlists the aid of Supergirl.
This sets the scene for many travels and adventures throughout the universe. Whereas the overall plot is quite straightforward each episode holds lots of surprises and they work as mini adventures giving plenty of time for character growth and introspection so we get to know Supergirl, this Woman of Tomorrow.
The fantasy side of the series is almost fairytale like at times and the artwork elevates the plot beautifully. It really is a joy to look at.
There's plenty of time to admire the artwork as there are a lot of text boxes of narration. That might not be to everyone's tastes but I really liked the slower pace the story took with its detailed look at the psychology of the characters.
There's also appearances from Krypto the dog and Comet, the flying super horse. There's definitely a little magic sprinkled over this fantasy tale.
cosmossol's review
3.0
3.5
I love the artstyle, the story is fine, but the narration did take me out of it
I love the artstyle, the story is fine, but the narration did take me out of it
chmedy's review
3.0
rating: 3.5
"a shoulder to lean on."god the art of this comic is stunning! i really enjoyed the story but the pacing felt rather slow at times so that's why i'm not rounding up my rating to 4 stars. however, that being said, i absolutely loved how the character of supergirl was explored. it was beautiful to see how her power comes from kindness and how that has shaped her throughout her life. i'm really excited to see how they translate this into a movie.
travistesluk's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bulfinch2's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cecelia_j_h_c's review
5.0
F***ing fantastic from front to back. I haven't completed his catalog yet but as of now this stands as my favorite series written by Tom King. Intergalactic medieval pirate fantasy with one of the most intelligently written stories and well developed emotional cores I've ever seen in a DC book. I hope whatever movie they're making from this material does it justice.