DC Super Hero Girls Vol. 1: Finals Crisis

DC Super Hero Girls Graphic Novels #1

by Shea Fontana, Yancey Labat (Illustrator)

Class is in session! Welcome to DC Super Hero High!

It was the night before finals and the student body is hard at work... and nothing is going right! Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Batgirl and their friends are learning to become heroes, but no one knew the trials that awaited them. In the first original graphic novel from the DC Super Hero Girls line, meet the students of Superhero High School as they find out that fun, friendship and hard work are all parts of growing up!

The DC Super Hero Girls is an exciting new universe of Super Heroic storytelling that helps build character and confidence, and empowers girls to discover their true potential. Developed for girls aged 6-12, DC Super Hero Girls features DC Comics' most powerful and diverse line-up of female characters as relatable teens, playing out across multiple entertainment content platforms and product categories to create an immersive world. Icons including Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy, Katana and many more make their unprecedented teenaged introduction, as each character has her own storyline that explores what teen life is like as a Super Hero.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Dc Comics, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Shea Fontana is a writer for film, television and graphic novels. Her credits include developing and writing the DC Super Hero Girls animated shorts, TV specials, movies and graphic novels; Polly Pocket (developed and story editor), Doc McStuffins, The 7D, Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets (wrote show bible and first season), Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (story editor), the new Muppet Babies series; two Disney on Ice shows where she wrote new material for the worlds of Mickey Mouse, Inside Out, Disney Princesses, Finding Dori, Frozen, and other Disney and Pixar properties; and the feature film, Crowning Jules. She has also written for top comic titles including Justice League, Wonder Woman, Batman: Overdrive (coming 2019), Catwoman/Looney Tunes, and contributed anthology pieces starring Deathstroke and Teen Titans.

Her DC Super Hero Girls graphic novels have been New York Times Best Sellers. Her debut graphic novel, Finals Crisis, was honored with Diamond's 2016 Gem Award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel, and DC Super Hero Girls: Past Times at Super Hero High won the 2017 Gem Award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel as well as the Comixology Reader's Pick award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel of 2017. DC Super Hero Girls won the 2018 Ringo Award for Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel. She was listed 61st on Bleeding Cool’s Power List of Comics for 2018. The London Free Press declared her “not afraid to be corny,” which is an accurate assessment of her persona both on and off the page.

She lives in sunny Los Angeles where she enjoys hiking, hanging out with her beagle, Ziggy, and changing her hair color. Using the secret identity “Shea Q. Off,” Shea played roller derby until her angry knees forced her into early retirement.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with my Supergirl!



Sophie's review:
It was very cool. It had a lot of superheroes in it, and a little bit of villains.
My favorite was Supergirl! Because she's cool and nice. My second favorite was Harley Quinn, because she found out where all of the superheroes were, but she accidentally fell into the cage, and then she helped them get out!
*bounces on feet*
And guess who was the person who was doing the bad stuff? The bad person in the suit?!
It was Lex Luthor!
Plus, you get to see Batgirls's Batcave! It's all girly and it has dinosaur bones in it!



Oh, and Green Lantern is in it...but he doesn't do that much.
My baby recognized GL from ONE cameo panel! I'm so proud!
*wipes tear*



My review:
So, yeah. She's 8. All the way...8.
We bought this one from her school's book fair, and she was so excited when she saw it, she tried to make me go in and buy it early...just in case there weren't in copies left by the time her class got to go in and make purchases. In case you couldn't tell from her eloquent review, she thought this was superfreakinawesome. For reals.



The art is adorable, and the storyline is easy enough to follow that younger kids shouldn't have a hard time with it. Besides, anything that gets one of my kids this excited to read is a winner in my book.



The gist of each individual issue is to introduce you to a different Supergirl. At the end of the issue, they fight a villain who is hidden in the shadows/darkness, and kidnapped!
OhMyGod! <--thrilling stuff!



And then (like my kid said) Harley helps the girls out, and together they save the day!
It's good stuff. Especially if you're an 8 year old girl!



We went to the comic book store the other day to find more stuff like this, but (unfortunately) the next volume doesn't come out till November.
Fortunately, she found this one to tide her over...Marvel Universe Deadpool & Wolverine.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My niece will love this. The art is super cute, and the story is simple fun. The focus characters (not coincidentally, mainly characters included in the doll line) are given plenty of context for new readers unfamiliar with them, which will probably cover a lot of the target audience. There are tons of background characters from the DCU, making a kind of bonus for those who do know who these characters are. For an adult, it was a pretty enjoyable read, but I think the actual target audience will probably like it quite a bit.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been curious about the "DC Super Hero Girls" line for quite a bit, and finally I decided to read the first volume. While the artis greatand really fluid, and it is adorbs to see the more adult characters re-imagined as young ones on a sort of high school thingie, I have to be honest and say that the plot is really childish. Which considering it's a collection destinated to a younger audicence shouldn't be a shocker, but the thing is I didn't expect it to be so... childish. I mean, directed to younger audiences yes, but it looks like this one could be read by little kids. Seeing as there are a line of dolls and all, maybe it is destined to an audience of 8-10 years?

[Althea J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS!!!!
For years, I've been longing for a book like this to give to my nieces, that celebrates my favorite female DC super heroes (and villains), AND in an age appropriate way (they're now 7 and 10, but I suspect they will still flip over this).

The art is so deliciously cute!! I feel like a kid again --- I want all of these dolls. Seriously, young-me would've fallen in love with these characters and their world. Present-day late-30s-me certainly has.

I love seeing who pops up in the story. The high school context provides so many great story opportunities where all of these characters interact. And the nods to their adult characterizations make my heart flutter - Batgirl has an Oracle watch and is the most prepared student in school. Harley's way of talking is so spot on, I imagine the little-girl version of the Harley voice of Batman: the Animated Series. The writer, Shea Fontana, must be a longtime DC Comics reader to have captured so many diverse characters and be so accurate in how their characters would translate into this G-rated high school context.

I *probably* should've waited until I came down from my fangirl post-read high before writing this review, because I can hardly represent the love I have for this book in this blissed out state. But, hey, that's my reaction, so this is my review :)

[Blue Butterfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book of the DC Super Hero Girls written by Lisa Yee, and when I heard there would also be graphic novels about this series, I knew I had to get them, as I probably would love them.

And did I love it? Yes, yes I did. Unlike the Lisa Yee book(s since she will be writing more) this one focuses on more than one MC. We got various ones actually (and their stories all connect in the end). Superheroines, but also supervillains. From Wonder Woman to Harley Quinn. I loved that we had so many various characters.

And I loved each and everyone of them, though I have to say my favourite girls were Batgirl and Harley Quinn.

It was fun to see them go through their daily life, to see them not only think about their superhero duties, but also see them go through daily normal things. Like exams, friendship, parties, and so much more. Often you see superheroes just being superheroes (though these days you see more and more comics about superheroes and their daily lives and their superhero duties (like Hellcat, or Squirrel Girl)), so it is lovely to see them also worry and do other things. It makes them seem even more human. Hopefully that doesn't sound too weird, I am not entirely sure how to put it in words in a review, so I hope I have it right. :)

Also I loved that we saw other characters as well. It was a delight to see Starfire be as she always is (broken English, not understanding everything that is said), but it was also fun to see Beastboy again. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the boys, both villains and heroes. I know this is the series for DC Super High Girls, but I wouldn't mind seeing the girls talking to the boys/forming friendships/maybe some romance. :D

I was also curious what was happening to the girls, and who was the culprit. If they even had the same culprit or that some organisation was working on things.
I do have to say it got a bit repetitive, because I knew by girl #3 what would happen, it was just waiting for it to actually happen. So there is that, but luckily the last story just combines it all and shows us a kick-ass girl who isn't going to let anyone mess with her friends.
When we do find out the whodunnit I was delighted. Yes! That character is in this graphic novel, what a delight that they are also featured. And the reason why they did what they did was also interesting (and kind of made sense and connected to other things, considering what we already read in the first book by Lisa Yee).

I didn't particularly like how the school reacted at the end. Not only dislike, but I also thought it was a bit weird, if anything they would understand, no? I mean this is a school for superheroes you would expect such things would bring some sympathy. I won't say much more, discover what happens yourself.

I really like the art it is just fitted the series perfectly. The style is just great, fun and playful. The characters look perfect.

All in all, I would highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone, and I really can't wait until the next one comes out!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun! I genuinely enjoyed the take on the different heroes (and villains) and the fact the book illustrated how each hero operated individuallyisually and as a unit. I'm excited to share this with my niece and to follow as the gals continue on!

---

For a long time I've bemoaned the fact that while its cool and all for my niece to be into Batman and Superman, I wish there was something age-appropriate to give her that made the female heroes (and villains) just as much fun. We tore through Tiny Titans and Lil Gotham, but those were still pretty dude-centric. When I heard about this series I was cautiously excited. DC has had some issues in recent years with marketing and understanding what makes their females so great. While this was clearly marketed for a much younger generation, I was worried they would then treat the characters more...kiddish.

As a first volume for the interconnected series of DC Super Hero Girls this was so much fun. The bright colors, snappy dialogue and emphasis on individual talents as well as group dynamics was very welcome. The fact that this book also doesn't ever have any of the girls judge each other is a real refreshing thing as well. The girls are obviously competitive, or have quirks the others don't like, but not once does that keep them from doing the right thing.

The inclusion of well known male super heroes - like The Flash, Green Lantern, Beast Boy, etc - was cool and Vice Principal Grodd is HILARIOUS. I didn't guess the villain of the piece, though they weren't really the focus of it anyhow. The nods to continuity were fun for adults reading the book (Supergirl's horse "Comet", Batgirl talking to "Oracle", Harley's speech patterns and Ivy's favorite pet venus fly trap) and all the puns ever for Bumblebee (I honestly didn't know you could make that many about bees).

Can't wait for the next volume and now excuse me I have some toy stores to raid because I need all their dolls like yesterday.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read this book with my youngest daughter and she loved it. And even with the inconsistencies it was a fun read. Super Hero High is preparing for final exams. And the night before the finals some strange start happening. In this volume you have a lot of super heroes and a few that that are questionable that are friends at school.

Bat Girl
Supergirl
Poision Ivy
Katana
Bumblebee
Wonder Girl
Harley Quinn

Are our main characters. Even my daughter who is only 6 asked about Ivy and Harley, she wanted to know when they became good. And Amanda Waller as a principal at a high school? My daughter loved how they worked together to become a team, and how Harley was the first to figure out that something was wrong. My daughter also loved the bright vibrant illustrations.

It will be interesting to see how the series progresses. Will the villains turn or is this a new sugary side of the DC universe. Either way a Book that my daughter read through three times is a win in our house.

A fun read and we will give others in the series a try.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tie-in to the recently launched cartoon series (and toy line) that teaches kids all the right lessons.
Funny, achieving just the right tone for all age groups, without resorting to corny or condescending gags. Art work is solid, and appropriate for the market, with bright colouring and graphics.
While primarily aimed at the 'girl' market in an attempt to even up the gender imbalance of the comics world (Marvel...you need to step up here) there's plenty here for everyone.
The ultimate test was when I handed it over to my six year old Batgirl fan. She raced through it, and has read it several times since, loving every page.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a mashup of multiple DC Superheroes from across the spectrum all attending high school at Super Hero High. With that many superheroes all in one place, things are bound to go wrong.

DC has been doing a wonderful job of empowering young boys and girls with this series and showcases the powers of friendship and teamwork to defeat any foe; whether, that be a villain, or homework. All of these young superheroes work together to defeat any obstacle in their way.

I am an adult....I swear I'm an adult....and I absolutely adore this series, all aspects of it. The movies, graphic novels and books all intertwine and are thoroughly enjoyable and a fun way to escape reality.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been really invested in what DC has been doing with these younger versions of their normal lines and it’s been an interesting experience. I loved the artwork in this volume but found the story to be just a little younger than their target audience. It’s a great jumpstart for kids that are interested in comics and it will be AMAZING for kids that are reluctant readers.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if a bunch of the good and bad guys in the DC Comics superhero universe all attended high school together? Well, you don’t need to. DC has done that for you with this graphic novel focused on the budding female heroes and baddies as they all struggle with their final exams.

It’s not all about finals, of course. At the same time that they’re all cramming, they are disappearing one by one to a faceless collector with ulterior motives.

Sure, it’s campy and cornball as you’d expect. But it’s fun. And it’s a great way to introduce kids to superheroes and comic books. And please don’t let the name fool you. Sure, it’s primary focus is on empowering young girls with stories of younger versions of female superheroes. But my son enjoyed it quite a bit. And that’s good because he loves characters like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy but pretty much the entirety of their comic book presence is beset by hypersexualization. Not what I want my five-year-old reading. So this is a great way to let him indulge in his faves without ruining him emotionally.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm about 50 years over the age market for this, but I really like it. The premise is that DC's heroes and a smattering of villains are training at Super Hero High, and feuding in the usual way of high school comics characters. Here a mystery villain is systematically kidnapping some of the top female students (Ivy, Batgirl, Katana and Supergirl among them) but why?
It's good that DC has made space in their universe for something like this.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another read from my daughters’ shelves. They went through a super hero girl phase and have a few of these graphic novels. This was cute, colorful, and includes a lot of well known heroes and villains from the DC world. Nothing majorly mind blowing happens but it does promote teamwork and friendship. Would recommend for children of all ages.

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supergirl gets test anxiety and Steve Trevor is a smoothie shop boy and teamwork is important!! (But, more seriously, I'm reading these for my little cousin who adores DCSHG and this was very cute and fun.)

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread.

I started this series when it first came out, but then didn't keep up with it. I couldn't remember where I left off so I decided to start over from the beginning. A nice introduction to several of the DC Comics characters including popular and lesser known characters.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for Christmas and I love the book

[Lara Girgis · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute!!

[Josema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divertida historia de unas superheroinas en el instituto.

[Filipa Ledezma]

Está BD foi oferecida à Isabel e lemos em conjunto.
Ela ficou bastante chateada como termina a história e tive de lhe explicar que precisamos comprar o próximo volume 😂

[Jess Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read which though wasn't gripping was enjoyable all the same.
my daughter loves DC SUPERHERO GIRLS so as it was world book day yesterday this is what we got.
The art is fantastic the colours and images work together to really pop.
I read it properly this morning took me about 15 mins.
I'm going to give it to my 9 year old goddaughter to see what she thinks as it's more for her age group.

[TheYALibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 5 Stars

Really adorable and lovable characters. Not a really advanced graphic novel with a complicated plot since it is a children's series but it was still enjoyable all the same. Plus anything involved with Wonder Woman is great in my book :)

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an original graphic novel.

I just started reading comic books to my 4-year-old daughter before bed, and this is the forth "DC Superhero Girls" that we have read together. Even though this is the forth book I've read in this series, it was originally released first. It does a good job of introducing the characters, however each chapter showed them being overcome by a mystery villain fairly easily. They are stronger together, but I wish each individual was also powerful in their own right.

When the first two chapters of this original graphic novel were released in comic book form on Free Comic Book Day a couple of years ago, I got my now 4-year-old daughter a copy, and that was her first-ever comic book.

Here is how I would rank what we've read so far:

1. "Past Times at Super Hero High"
2. "Search for Atlantis"
3. "Date with Disaster"
4. "Finals Crisis"

Final rating = 3.5 stars

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so, so glad they started this series. It just makes so much sense for girls to be written by women - and this is so much better than Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade .

These stories are written for a younger age group, but they work on multiple levels. They're not really geared toward adults, and that's ok.

Ha! Batgirl has a poster of Captain Carrot in her bat cave.

An enjoyable book - especially to introduce the younger crowd to DC superheroines.

Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.

[Justine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure it would please a younger audience, but I was not convinced at all. It is a bit too childish, too predictable, too much we'll say. And I don't say that because I don't like books written for children; I usually like or love them; but this one didn't work for me at all.
Another flaw, even if it is not my main issue: it is not at all coherent with each superheroines' stories. Harley Quinn as a kid? Really? Most of them became superheroines/supervillains as young adults or adults. And putting heroines and villains in the same school, as if Ivy, Katana and Harley could have been there, like good obedient girls? I don't know, something disturbs me there.

But, the illustrations are great, as the design!

[Maryanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I'm sure many girls will love this comic because it's brightly illustrated and looks very pretty, but I found it very disappointing. All of the superhero girls look like Barbie dolls and the comic is just rife with stereotypes of different "types" of superhero girls. For lack of a better way to say things the comic is just kind of blandly girly. In an age where we've got fascinatingly strong female characters in both traditional superhero line-ups and nontraditional line-ups like Lumberjanes - this just feels painfully blah.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. It's simple stories and beautiful artwork make for comics that anyone of any age can enjoy. This will no doubt be a lot of young readers gateway book into comics. It reminded me of Teen Titans and Batman the Animated series fused together, in a way. Mostly geared toward young girls to read, I believe young boys could enjoy this just as well. My hat is off to DC for putting out more all-age content to get kids, now girls interested and invested.

I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley.com and DC Comics

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Infantile, condescending and vapid. DC recognized a void in girl superhero comics for young girls, so they played to the lowest common denominators on taste, substance and style. This made little sense, was disorganized and also stupid.

Girls deserve better than this. I felt like I was seeing the comic equivalent of when John McCain trotted out Sarah Palin to try to lure women voters. Women are not this shallow and stupid, especially young girls.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bit of a tough recommendation for kids I think. We got this for our nieces wanting to introduce them to graphic novels and the DC universe. Although I like that each chapter builds off each other and has call backs to earlier events, I worry that the way the characters are introduced will cause more questions than answers. This might be better suited for older kids, but I might be way off.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to like this franchise, but it has so many odd choices and inconsistencies. Why is Wonder Woman (and not Wonder Girl, either Donna Troy or Cassie) at Superhero High? Why create Bumblebee when Vixen would be a more interesting choice? It feels like the franchise is trying too hard to ape Monster High and suffering in the process.

Cute art, though.