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Daring New Adventures of Supergirl
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, Volume 1
The new chapter in the life and times of the Girl of Steel is here in Daring Adventures of Supergirl Vol. 1!
Shot in a rocket from the same planet as her heroic cousin, Kara Zor-El crash landed on Earth with powers far beyond those around her. Now known as Linda Danvers in her civilian life, she fights for justice as Supergirl!
These adventures collected from the 1980s helped create the now legendary Supergirl mythology, now made famous by the hit CBS series of the same name! Collects The Daring Adventures of Supergirl #1-12.
Shot in a rocket from the same planet as her heroic cousin, Kara Zor-El crash landed on Earth with powers far beyond those around her. Now known as Linda Danvers in her civilian life, she fights for justice as Supergirl!
These adventures collected from the 1980s helped create the now legendary Supergirl mythology, now made famous by the hit CBS series of the same name! Collects The Daring Adventures of Supergirl #1-12.
226 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2016
22 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kupperberg
742 books53 followersPaul Kupperberg is a nearly 50-year veteran of the comic book industry as a writer and editor for DC Comics, Archie Comics, Marvel, Bongo Charlton, and many more. He is also the author of more than three dozen books of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, as well as of short stories, articles, and essays for Crazy 8 Press, Heliosphere, Titan Books, Stone Arch Books, Rosen Publishing, Citadel Press, Pocket Books, TwoMorrows, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 19, 2018
DC must be hard up to release Supergirl content due to the success of the TV show. This pre-Crisis series from 1982 feels very clunky and dated. There is SO much exposition. The legendary Carmine Infantino provides the art but it often looks sloppy and unfinished. And that costume looks like it stepped out of a disco. A flowing blouse and hot pants. Yikes!
The villains were pretty terrible and often made little sense. The one bright spot was the Doom Patrol appearance. I love to see DC reprint that book. One interesting thing is that John Ostrander (the creator of Suicide Squad) lives in the apartment next door to Supergirl. I guess he really lived across the street from Paul Kupperberg at the time and Paul named a character after Ostrander. (This was still a few years before Ostrander started writing for DC.)
The villains were pretty terrible and often made little sense. The one bright spot was the Doom Patrol appearance. I love to see DC reprint that book. One interesting thing is that John Ostrander (the creator of Suicide Squad) lives in the apartment next door to Supergirl. I guess he really lived across the street from Paul Kupperberg at the time and Paul named a character after Ostrander. (This was still a few years before Ostrander started writing for DC.)
July 24, 2016
For those discovering Supergirl through her new tv series, you'll find a very different Kara Danvers here. In fact, she's known as Linda Danvers in her daytime life - brunette student at a fictional Chicago college. I never thought these "daring adventures" would be reprinted, and it was a lot of fun to experience this earlier rendition of the Girl of Steel.
Although I loved Paul Kupperberg's work on the late 1980's Doom Patrol (who make an early guest appearance here), his writing in Supergirl is a little overdone in that comic booky way, with lots of silly (and perhaps outdated?) dialogue and narration. It doesn't take away from the fun, but it definitely ups the cheese factor. The earlier issues are especially clunky, though he does a lot of cool stuff with her civilian identity, setting her up in a swanky apartment and introducing a great supporting cast like Linda's fast-talking friend Joan. He gradually moves into more interesting superhero territory - the 6 doll-sized clones of Supergirl are an especially strange idea that I liked. Carmen Infantino's artwork keeps the action moving faster than a speeding bullet.
The stories are all-ages friendly - great for any young Supergirl fans! - and I love all the early 80s fashion, right down to Supergirl's "hot pants" costume. It would have been fun to get the Lois Lane backup stories included in the original comics, but I suppose this is Supergirl's solo moment to shine - and she does, establishing herself as her own hero in a new city without a single appearance of her Kryptonian cousin. Looking forward to more daring new adventures in volume 2!
Although I loved Paul Kupperberg's work on the late 1980's Doom Patrol (who make an early guest appearance here), his writing in Supergirl is a little overdone in that comic booky way, with lots of silly (and perhaps outdated?) dialogue and narration. It doesn't take away from the fun, but it definitely ups the cheese factor. The earlier issues are especially clunky, though he does a lot of cool stuff with her civilian identity, setting her up in a swanky apartment and introducing a great supporting cast like Linda's fast-talking friend Joan. He gradually moves into more interesting superhero territory - the 6 doll-sized clones of Supergirl are an especially strange idea that I liked. Carmen Infantino's artwork keeps the action moving faster than a speeding bullet.
The stories are all-ages friendly - great for any young Supergirl fans! - and I love all the early 80s fashion, right down to Supergirl's "hot pants" costume. It would have been fun to get the Lois Lane backup stories included in the original comics, but I suppose this is Supergirl's solo moment to shine - and she does, establishing herself as her own hero in a new city without a single appearance of her Kryptonian cousin. Looking forward to more daring new adventures in volume 2!
September 27, 2017
I never thought DC could figure out what to do with Supergirl. She was for a long time just a lesser version of Superman for girls. She never seemed to have a real place in the DC universe. This series was a great new jumpstart for her. Really good stories and art that showcased her in her own series. Recommended
December 14, 2017
In the late 1950s, DC Comics decided to protect its “super” trademark by creating a character named Supergirl. (“Superwoman” had been used in individual stories as Lois Lane’s codename when she temporarily gained superpowers.) There was a test-run story in which Jimmy Olsen wished a “Super-Girl” into existence to help Superman, and that story was well received by the readers.
So it was that in 1959, Superman investigates a crashed rocketship to discover a girl in her teens, who possesses all the same powers he does! She explained that she was his cousin Kara. It turns out that Kal-El’s father Jor-El had a previously unmentioned brother named Zor-El who was married to a woman named Alura. Faced with the destruction of Krypton, instead of building a rocket to escape as Jor-El had, Zor-El had put a protective dome over his home of Argo City.
The dome held, and Argo City was blasted off Krypton in one piece with many survivors. Unfortunately, the chain reaction that destroyed Krypton also turned the bedrock under the city to deadly Kryptonite. Lead sheeting was laid down, and the citizens carried on with their lives. Kara was born some years later.
A meteor shower damaged the dome and the lead sheeting irreparably, and Kryptonite poisoning swiftly began killing the people of Argo City. Knowing that Kal-El had survived and become Superman on Earth, Zor-El constructed a spaceship from the few remaining uncontaminated materials, and sent Kara to join her cousin.
Superman wasn’t ready to be raising a teenager full-time, plus he thinks having Clark Kent’s cousin around on a regular basis might compromise his secret identity’s lifestyle. So Superman has Kara placed in an orphanage under the name Linda Lee, and tells her to lay low–for now Supergirl will be his secret weapon.
Showing considerable faith in the character concept, Supergirl was given her own solo stories as well as guest appearances in her cousin’s comics. She joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, was adopted in her secret identity and became Linda Danvers, and eventually revealed to the general public.
Supergirl bounced around the DC Universe for years, doing guest appearances, being a back-up feature and eventually having her own series, that was then folded into Super-Team Family. In 1982, it was decided to put her back into a solo comic, which brings us to the present volume, reprinting issues 1-12 of Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.
As the story opens, Linda Danvers is on a cross-country train from New York (her job there as a soap opera actress is never mentioned) to Chicago, where she has enrolled in Lake Shore University as a freshman. (This is her third time as a college freshman; her previous schools are also never mentioned.)
Linda meets her new best friend Joan Raymond, who works in the registration office and happens to know of an empty apartment in her building. Also introduced are new landlady Mrs. Berkowitz (a Holocaust survivor) and handsome but dim neighbor John Ostrander, an aspiring actor. (No relation to real person comic book writer John Ostrander, who wouldn’t start working in the field until the next year, and not at DC until 1986.)
Another student at the college is Gayle Marsh, a troubled young woman with psychic abilities. This would be difficult enough, but she’s fallen under the influence of a Mr. Pendergast, who is obsessed with removing “decay” from society. He browbeats Gayle into mindlinking with him so that their combined intellect becomes a supervillain named Psi.
Psi starts destroying Chicago, and battles Supergirl. Supergirl makes some good points about the nature of Psi’s actions, and Gayle turns on Mr. Pendergast, transforming him into a misshapen monster that calls itself Decay for its ability to absorb life force and accelerate decay. Decay rampages until Psi recovers and turns him back into a human, vanishing in the process.
Meanwhile, John Ostrander is given a courier job by a shady businessman, which leads into the next plotline. A group of people with special abilities calling itself the Gang has just stolen a prototype satellite. Supergirl interfered, but was stymied by Ms. Mesmer, who has hypnotic talent. The Gang discovers that their payment was in the hands of Johnny, who failed to deliver as he learned of an audition, and lost the package there.
The Gang abducts Johnny, and this allows Supergirl to track them down, despite the fact that she’s been given a post-hypnotic suggestion that makes her think she’s flying around in her Linda Danvers identity. (Kara’s identity issues would keep cropping up in this series.)
A nice touch is that the Gang grew up together in the slums of Chicago, and truly care for each other to an extent. One member, Brains, manages to escape and becomes a recurring problem.
The secret organization that had hired the Gang, the Council, next sends out a robot called Matrix-Prime to do their bidding. It’s called that because Matrix-Prime can create new, smaller robots and weapons from inside itself to adapt to different situations.
Supergirl manages to smash the Council’s underwater base in Lake Michigan, but the trail goes cold there.
Taking a break at a park concert, Linda suddenly hears a weird noise just before a woman in bandages is attacked from above. This woman turns out to be Valentina Vostok, the Negative Woman of the New Doom Patrol.
This iteration of the superhero group known for being freaks and misfits is after Reactron, a former military man who was exposed to atomic testing, then exposed to Tempest’s kinetic blasts in Vietnam. As a result, Reactron can absorb, create and control various forms of radioactivity, including, as it turns out, at least one that can harm Kryptonians.
Supergirl manages to get Reactron out of Earth’s atmosphere, but ill with radiation poisoning, she makes an enemy of a Chicago police detective. More worrying, she is captured by the Council and subjected to a mad science process that creates six tiny duplicates of her.
Even though weakened, Kara’s Kryptonian physiology prevents her from fully dying from the duplication process. The Council sends the duplicates after her, and the seven beings have a battle royale inside the Fortress of Solitude. The duplicates accidentally cure Supergirl of the radiation poisoning and she then defeats them.
But by the time Supergirl returns to the Council hideout, the mad scientist is dead (“you have failed me”) and the trail is cold again. Her costume is in tatters, which will trigger a change of outfit in the next issue.
This is considered one of the best runs for the character, thanks to being more philosophically nuanced than most while not losing that essential fun aspect of superhero comics. It was also the last run for this particular version of the character, as Kara Zor-El was killed off in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The supporting cast is well-used, and the stories flow organically into each other.
Carmine Infantino used his years of depicting the Flash to give Supergirl an impression of speed in her actions. Linda’s civilian clothes are remarkably frilly, but suit her personality, and give the impression of being selected from a relatively limited wardrobe that would fit into a few suitcases.
Psi’s costume leaves a lot to be desired and raises some questions about Mr. Pendergast’s intentions towards his protege. Decay may have been closer to the surface of his personality than he’d like to admit. There’s also some peekaboo nudity with the miniature Supergirl duplicates before they are somehow clothed in identical costumes to their template.
This would be a good choice as a gift for young Supergirl fans who have only seen the TV show, and for the nostalgic Supergirl fan who was around in the early 1980s.
So it was that in 1959, Superman investigates a crashed rocketship to discover a girl in her teens, who possesses all the same powers he does! She explained that she was his cousin Kara. It turns out that Kal-El’s father Jor-El had a previously unmentioned brother named Zor-El who was married to a woman named Alura. Faced with the destruction of Krypton, instead of building a rocket to escape as Jor-El had, Zor-El had put a protective dome over his home of Argo City.
The dome held, and Argo City was blasted off Krypton in one piece with many survivors. Unfortunately, the chain reaction that destroyed Krypton also turned the bedrock under the city to deadly Kryptonite. Lead sheeting was laid down, and the citizens carried on with their lives. Kara was born some years later.
A meteor shower damaged the dome and the lead sheeting irreparably, and Kryptonite poisoning swiftly began killing the people of Argo City. Knowing that Kal-El had survived and become Superman on Earth, Zor-El constructed a spaceship from the few remaining uncontaminated materials, and sent Kara to join her cousin.
Superman wasn’t ready to be raising a teenager full-time, plus he thinks having Clark Kent’s cousin around on a regular basis might compromise his secret identity’s lifestyle. So Superman has Kara placed in an orphanage under the name Linda Lee, and tells her to lay low–for now Supergirl will be his secret weapon.
Showing considerable faith in the character concept, Supergirl was given her own solo stories as well as guest appearances in her cousin’s comics. She joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, was adopted in her secret identity and became Linda Danvers, and eventually revealed to the general public.
Supergirl bounced around the DC Universe for years, doing guest appearances, being a back-up feature and eventually having her own series, that was then folded into Super-Team Family. In 1982, it was decided to put her back into a solo comic, which brings us to the present volume, reprinting issues 1-12 of Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.
As the story opens, Linda Danvers is on a cross-country train from New York (her job there as a soap opera actress is never mentioned) to Chicago, where she has enrolled in Lake Shore University as a freshman. (This is her third time as a college freshman; her previous schools are also never mentioned.)
Linda meets her new best friend Joan Raymond, who works in the registration office and happens to know of an empty apartment in her building. Also introduced are new landlady Mrs. Berkowitz (a Holocaust survivor) and handsome but dim neighbor John Ostrander, an aspiring actor. (No relation to real person comic book writer John Ostrander, who wouldn’t start working in the field until the next year, and not at DC until 1986.)
Another student at the college is Gayle Marsh, a troubled young woman with psychic abilities. This would be difficult enough, but she’s fallen under the influence of a Mr. Pendergast, who is obsessed with removing “decay” from society. He browbeats Gayle into mindlinking with him so that their combined intellect becomes a supervillain named Psi.
Psi starts destroying Chicago, and battles Supergirl. Supergirl makes some good points about the nature of Psi’s actions, and Gayle turns on Mr. Pendergast, transforming him into a misshapen monster that calls itself Decay for its ability to absorb life force and accelerate decay. Decay rampages until Psi recovers and turns him back into a human, vanishing in the process.
Meanwhile, John Ostrander is given a courier job by a shady businessman, which leads into the next plotline. A group of people with special abilities calling itself the Gang has just stolen a prototype satellite. Supergirl interfered, but was stymied by Ms. Mesmer, who has hypnotic talent. The Gang discovers that their payment was in the hands of Johnny, who failed to deliver as he learned of an audition, and lost the package there.
The Gang abducts Johnny, and this allows Supergirl to track them down, despite the fact that she’s been given a post-hypnotic suggestion that makes her think she’s flying around in her Linda Danvers identity. (Kara’s identity issues would keep cropping up in this series.)
A nice touch is that the Gang grew up together in the slums of Chicago, and truly care for each other to an extent. One member, Brains, manages to escape and becomes a recurring problem.
The secret organization that had hired the Gang, the Council, next sends out a robot called Matrix-Prime to do their bidding. It’s called that because Matrix-Prime can create new, smaller robots and weapons from inside itself to adapt to different situations.
Supergirl manages to smash the Council’s underwater base in Lake Michigan, but the trail goes cold there.
Taking a break at a park concert, Linda suddenly hears a weird noise just before a woman in bandages is attacked from above. This woman turns out to be Valentina Vostok, the Negative Woman of the New Doom Patrol.
This iteration of the superhero group known for being freaks and misfits is after Reactron, a former military man who was exposed to atomic testing, then exposed to Tempest’s kinetic blasts in Vietnam. As a result, Reactron can absorb, create and control various forms of radioactivity, including, as it turns out, at least one that can harm Kryptonians.
Supergirl manages to get Reactron out of Earth’s atmosphere, but ill with radiation poisoning, she makes an enemy of a Chicago police detective. More worrying, she is captured by the Council and subjected to a mad science process that creates six tiny duplicates of her.
Even though weakened, Kara’s Kryptonian physiology prevents her from fully dying from the duplication process. The Council sends the duplicates after her, and the seven beings have a battle royale inside the Fortress of Solitude. The duplicates accidentally cure Supergirl of the radiation poisoning and she then defeats them.
But by the time Supergirl returns to the Council hideout, the mad scientist is dead (“you have failed me”) and the trail is cold again. Her costume is in tatters, which will trigger a change of outfit in the next issue.
This is considered one of the best runs for the character, thanks to being more philosophically nuanced than most while not losing that essential fun aspect of superhero comics. It was also the last run for this particular version of the character, as Kara Zor-El was killed off in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The supporting cast is well-used, and the stories flow organically into each other.
Carmine Infantino used his years of depicting the Flash to give Supergirl an impression of speed in her actions. Linda’s civilian clothes are remarkably frilly, but suit her personality, and give the impression of being selected from a relatively limited wardrobe that would fit into a few suitcases.
Psi’s costume leaves a lot to be desired and raises some questions about Mr. Pendergast’s intentions towards his protege. Decay may have been closer to the surface of his personality than he’d like to admit. There’s also some peekaboo nudity with the miniature Supergirl duplicates before they are somehow clothed in identical costumes to their template.
This would be a good choice as a gift for young Supergirl fans who have only seen the TV show, and for the nostalgic Supergirl fan who was around in the early 1980s.
February 28, 2022
As a Superman fan, I was very curious and excited to learn more about the past of his Kryptonian family with Supergirl. This was way better than I thought it would be. Seeing her growing up and making a name for herself as a college student and hero in Chicago was fun to read. Plus, the writing and artwork is very sharp and bright for it’s time. I was not a big fan of the last two issues that introduced new antagonists but the cliffhanger at the end of this was a good payoff. Overall, a vibrant story with a great character. Look forward to reading volume two.
April 22, 2019
In 1982, Supergirl had been headlining anthology titles for over twenty years, including Action Comics, Adventure Comics, and The Superman Family. There was also a short-lived titular series in the early '70s that no one seems to remember. So it was very exciting when DC gave her her own comic (again) a decade later: The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.
By modern standards, this comic is both slow and shallow. It mainly focuses on clashes with villains, each spread out over two or more issues, and there's just not a lot of depth behind these villains constantly attacking the Windy City.
But the comic succeeds wildly at its actual goal: making Kara into her own character, out from beneath Clark's shadow. So Kara gets a new setting here in Chicago and a whole new supporting cast and new villains in every arc, such as PSI, Decay, The Gang, some big robot, and The Council. Now whether this is all successful is another question. I think her college-life supporting cast is interesting enough, but the villains vary more. Psi was probably the most interesting, because of her characterization as a reluctant villain and her existence as a classmate, but I believe she never returned after her two-issue stint. The Gang could similarly have been a recurring group, but really wasn't. The underlying threat of The Council is the other strong element in this book.
The one downside of this comic: unfortunately, the Carmine Infantino artwork. The probably is in the background, which are often scribbled in or unfinished. They bring down the otherwise strong character drawings.
Generally, it's an '80s super comics, so don't expect anything beyond that, but Paul Kupperberg nonetheless does a good job of building up his star character.
By modern standards, this comic is both slow and shallow. It mainly focuses on clashes with villains, each spread out over two or more issues, and there's just not a lot of depth behind these villains constantly attacking the Windy City.
But the comic succeeds wildly at its actual goal: making Kara into her own character, out from beneath Clark's shadow. So Kara gets a new setting here in Chicago and a whole new supporting cast and new villains in every arc, such as PSI, Decay, The Gang, some big robot, and The Council. Now whether this is all successful is another question. I think her college-life supporting cast is interesting enough, but the villains vary more. Psi was probably the most interesting, because of her characterization as a reluctant villain and her existence as a classmate, but I believe she never returned after her two-issue stint. The Gang could similarly have been a recurring group, but really wasn't. The underlying threat of The Council is the other strong element in this book.
The one downside of this comic: unfortunately, the Carmine Infantino artwork. The probably is in the background, which are often scribbled in or unfinished. They bring down the otherwise strong character drawings.
Generally, it's an '80s super comics, so don't expect anything beyond that, but Paul Kupperberg nonetheless does a good job of building up his star character.
May 31, 2019
I go back and forth on Carmine Infantino's art even on my best days, but especially in this volume. I love his style and he believably brings Chicago to life, but anatomy seems to be a secondary consideration for him. Kupperberg is clearly familiar with and fond of Chicago, so I love the sense of place as Supergirl relocates to there for school. And I like the building confrontations between her and a local organization of super criminals. Supergirl is super quippy though and the '70s youth culture dialogue is painful to read today.
May 8, 2019
A lot of pre-Crisis fun, cheesy costumes and all. The Carmen Infantino artwork is always a joy to behold. However, if you are looking for the tv version of Supergirl you need to look elsewhere. For me it was a kick to see her back in hot pants.
March 28, 2020
Reprints Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1-12 (November 1982-October 1983). Linda Danvers is starting a new life in Chicago and taking her alter-ego Supergirl with her. Enrolling at Lakeshore University, Linda is finding new friends and new problems as Supergirl. When a mysterious group called the Council realizes Supergirl could be a threat to their operations, Supergirl discovers she could be in the fight of her life…and even Doom Patrol can’t help her!
Written by Paul Kupperberg, Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is a DC Comics superhero collection. Featuring art by Carmine Infantino, the collection also has issues featured in Doom Patrol: The Bronze Age Omnibus.
Supergirl was always a fun character. She had Superman’s abilities but unlike Superman, she was generally more light-hearted and less “truth, justice, and the American way”. This series features Supergirl setting out on her own and it succeeds in some aspects but fails in others.
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl is a good example of how far ahead most Marvel Comics were at the time. The series tries to create a rounded Linda Danvers with a rich supporting cast, but it never quite feels like the “Marvel Way” as it appears to be attempting. The villains are rather lackluster and Linda’s new friends aren’t all that interesting. The choice to have the Council (and the even lamer villain group called the Gang) be some of Supergirl’s first villains was a mistake…it felt like some classic villains should have propped up the comic first and then Supergirl could work on making her own rogue gallery.
What does work is Supergirl. I still like the character, and I can’t help liking the character despite the mundane plots. Sadly, I’m more interested in Linda Danvers and her college than most of the superhero going-ons of the comic and feel that a more modern take would have been to have Linda’s superhero life as the secondary story (maybe a Buffy the Vampire Slayer style). This of course wouldn’t have “flown” in 1982, but the idea could have improved this title.
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is pretty much fluff but fun and readable fluff. The character carries the title and the efforts of Kupperberg to expand her world are rather limp and uninspired. The Doom Patrol appearance is fun for fans of those characters, but it is also the really undeveloped team that many readers might not be as familiar with. If you like Supergirl or looking for a title for younger readers, the comic reads like a classic comic like you might remember…but as a result, it is pretty one dimensional. Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is concluded with Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 2.
Written by Paul Kupperberg, Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is a DC Comics superhero collection. Featuring art by Carmine Infantino, the collection also has issues featured in Doom Patrol: The Bronze Age Omnibus.
Supergirl was always a fun character. She had Superman’s abilities but unlike Superman, she was generally more light-hearted and less “truth, justice, and the American way”. This series features Supergirl setting out on her own and it succeeds in some aspects but fails in others.
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl is a good example of how far ahead most Marvel Comics were at the time. The series tries to create a rounded Linda Danvers with a rich supporting cast, but it never quite feels like the “Marvel Way” as it appears to be attempting. The villains are rather lackluster and Linda’s new friends aren’t all that interesting. The choice to have the Council (and the even lamer villain group called the Gang) be some of Supergirl’s first villains was a mistake…it felt like some classic villains should have propped up the comic first and then Supergirl could work on making her own rogue gallery.
What does work is Supergirl. I still like the character, and I can’t help liking the character despite the mundane plots. Sadly, I’m more interested in Linda Danvers and her college than most of the superhero going-ons of the comic and feel that a more modern take would have been to have Linda’s superhero life as the secondary story (maybe a Buffy the Vampire Slayer style). This of course wouldn’t have “flown” in 1982, but the idea could have improved this title.
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is pretty much fluff but fun and readable fluff. The character carries the title and the efforts of Kupperberg to expand her world are rather limp and uninspired. The Doom Patrol appearance is fun for fans of those characters, but it is also the really undeveloped team that many readers might not be as familiar with. If you like Supergirl or looking for a title for younger readers, the comic reads like a classic comic like you might remember…but as a result, it is pretty one dimensional. Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 1 is concluded with Daring New Adventures of Supergirl—Volume 2.
June 21, 2024
I liked this! These are pre-Crisis stories from 1982, so this is the original Supergirl (Kara Zor-El.) We see her head off to college in Chicago, studying psychiatry to better understand the criminal mind. She gets an apartment, meets some new friends, and has a roster of new villains, including telepaths, mutants, giant robots, and even an army of Barbie-sized clones of herself!
I appreciated that Superman didn't show up to bail her out of trouble - he doesn't appear at all in the first 12 issues of this series! This gives Supergirl time to establish her own identity.
In her civilian life as Linda Danvers she wears some amazingly frilly dresses, gets a part-time job as assistant to an "absent-minded professor," adopts a new cat, and starts dating a composer. As Supergirl, she gets lectured by the cops, battered with radiation, and briefly teams up with Doom Patrol.
This is a cute series. Supergirl is a lot of fun - I enjoyed how quippy she was here! After reading the Silver Age collections, it was nice seeing the character "grow up" a little bit and go to college.
I appreciated that Superman didn't show up to bail her out of trouble - he doesn't appear at all in the first 12 issues of this series! This gives Supergirl time to establish her own identity.
In her civilian life as Linda Danvers she wears some amazingly frilly dresses, gets a part-time job as assistant to an "absent-minded professor," adopts a new cat, and starts dating a composer. As Supergirl, she gets lectured by the cops, battered with radiation, and briefly teams up with Doom Patrol.
This is a cute series. Supergirl is a lot of fun - I enjoyed how quippy she was here! After reading the Silver Age collections, it was nice seeing the character "grow up" a little bit and go to college.
October 23, 2022
Kara El (Supergirl) is Kal-El's (Superman) Kryptonian cousin. This volume collects the first 12 issues of The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl (1982-1983). Kara is well established in her abilities and identities as As Supergirl and as Linda Danvers. She has graduated from high school and has moved to Chicago to start college at the new Lake Shore University. It does not take long for the young lady to make some new friends, and some new enemies.
Seeing Linda in this stage of her life, trying to balance university, with her social life, work, and her duties as Supergir, is interesting reading. The art is very typical of the time, fairly simple and clearly depicted.
Seeing Linda in this stage of her life, trying to balance university, with her social life, work, and her duties as Supergir, is interesting reading. The art is very typical of the time, fairly simple and clearly depicted.
November 20, 2021
So so stories about Supergirl. While the artwork is wonderful and the action pretty good, the stories don’t exactly illicit much excitement and the constant pandering to getting her a boyfriend gets old (she thinks every guy is cute). Still being that it exists in a very uncertain time for the character (this was the last series with just a few more issues in volume two before the character was killed off in Crisis Of The Infinite Earths), it has a very retro nostalgia to love.
March 29, 2025
Good art and wraps up some arcs nicely
Really loved the artwork in this volume. Clean fine lines. Switches from slice of life heavy on the front end to a big ole splash of Supergirl action on the back end. The Councils leader is still a threat but earlier ones introduced are wrapped up.
Volume sorta wraps up with Supergirl being told by the cops they are tired of dealing with her battle aftermath. Our girl just wants to take a well deserved nap.
Really loved the artwork in this volume. Clean fine lines. Switches from slice of life heavy on the front end to a big ole splash of Supergirl action on the back end. The Councils leader is still a threat but earlier ones introduced are wrapped up.
Volume sorta wraps up with Supergirl being told by the cops they are tired of dealing with her battle aftermath. Our girl just wants to take a well deserved nap.
January 21, 2024
girl of steel
You want to know the original history of the girl of steel then start here..supergirl came to earth as a teen and originally Superman’s secret weapon, now the girl of steel has her own rich history and evolution that must be explored and appreciated for what it is and that’s her history. Start here to see the beginning of what the girl of steel will become.
You want to know the original history of the girl of steel then start here..supergirl came to earth as a teen and originally Superman’s secret weapon, now the girl of steel has her own rich history and evolution that must be explored and appreciated for what it is and that’s her history. Start here to see the beginning of what the girl of steel will become.
June 30, 2017
I quite enjoy this early-80s version of Supergirl as she balances her life as a college student with the activities of her crime- fighting alter ego. The best part, in my opinion, is the Carmine Infantino artwork.
January 26, 2022
Enjoyed some of the stories. My knowledge of Doom Patrol is pretty limited, but enjoyed the stories they were in. Overall, not bad but not great storytelling. Artwork was good, and some of the covers were well done too.
October 14, 2018
Fine if forgettable stories of Supergirl. The exposition is a little clunky, and the costume is more than a little dated. Recommended for diehards only.
January 16, 2019
Terrific artwork by Infantino and Oksner!
November 13, 2020
An interesting look at early 1980s depiction of supergirl.
Quaint by today’s standards, but still seemed to have a better grasp of actual storytelling than a lot of modern comics.
Quaint by today’s standards, but still seemed to have a better grasp of actual storytelling than a lot of modern comics.
January 2, 2022
Fun but man, this old comic pacing is tough for me. So many words! Infantino's art is cool.
September 6, 2022
Superhero fun with great art. A good, light read.
July 16, 2016
Fun pre-crisis adventures of 80s Supergirl. The artwork is consistent, the stories run seamless, and the action is well balanced with plots of her alter ego.
Basic premise is the Supergirl moves to Chicago after having been in New York City. She has to adapt to life in University, new neighbours, new friends.... Also new villains.
Judging by the volume 1 indicator on the cover, and some searching the series online, there will be a volume 2 sometime later in the future collecting the rest of the series.
Some down points to this collection... It appears the back up feature for each issue is not included. My guess is because the Lois Lane stories distracted from the cliffhanger serialization of the main attraction. Except for issue 1, all Supergirl issues had around 15 pages of story. Makes for a quick read.
Basic premise is the Supergirl moves to Chicago after having been in New York City. She has to adapt to life in University, new neighbours, new friends.... Also new villains.
Judging by the volume 1 indicator on the cover, and some searching the series online, there will be a volume 2 sometime later in the future collecting the rest of the series.
Some down points to this collection... It appears the back up feature for each issue is not included. My guess is because the Lois Lane stories distracted from the cliffhanger serialization of the main attraction. Except for issue 1, all Supergirl issues had around 15 pages of story. Makes for a quick read.
October 29, 2016
A wonderful collection of the first 12 issues of the early 80s run of SUPERGIRL. While there are some guest appearances with the New Doom Patrol this is basically Supergirl on her own which is all to the good.
While Infantino works a little too hard for the jokes to land, this is a light hearted saga and a very enjoyable read. This Supergirl fan is happy.
While Infantino works a little too hard for the jokes to land, this is a light hearted saga and a very enjoyable read. This Supergirl fan is happy.
September 15, 2016
This book is a lot of fun to look at. The colors are great and the art is very stylish. The stories, however, are very much a product of their time. They are dialogue heavy and very slow. It was nice to have for old time sake, but it doesn't really hold up.
August 9, 2016
Aparte de que el dibujo es bastante mejor de lo que me esperaba, las historias tienen un toque de denuncia en algunos momentos bastante interesante.
October 5, 2021
4.5* Liked it could have been a bit better though, either way still better than the show
April 13, 2017
This book collects Issues 1-12 of the pre-Crisis Daring Adventures of Supergirl. In the book, in her secret identity of Linda Danvers, Supergirl travels to Chicago to continue her education, majoring in psychology to understand the criminal mind.
The art is enjoyable and pleasant. It really does capture the character of Linda Danvers as this sort of sweet girl next door who just happens to have been born on another planet. In her Supergirl guise, she adds the sort of line of sarcastic banter that was standard issue for superheroes of her era.
The adventures themselves are okay. The first Issue suffers from a bit of overwriting as they cram Supergirl's origin story and history into the volume with a lot of expository dialogue. The villains she faces off like Decay, the Gang, or a crime syndicate are menaces but mostly forgettable. The same thing for the New Doom Patrol, who crossover for a couple issues. The most memorable story in the book is Supergirl battling half a dozen one foot tall duplicates of herself was enjoyably silly at a level rarely seen since the end of the Silver Age.
Overall, while this book is by no means essential reading, it was certainly a pleasant, fun, and innocent read featuring the beloved pre-Crisis Supergirl.
The art is enjoyable and pleasant. It really does capture the character of Linda Danvers as this sort of sweet girl next door who just happens to have been born on another planet. In her Supergirl guise, she adds the sort of line of sarcastic banter that was standard issue for superheroes of her era.
The adventures themselves are okay. The first Issue suffers from a bit of overwriting as they cram Supergirl's origin story and history into the volume with a lot of expository dialogue. The villains she faces off like Decay, the Gang, or a crime syndicate are menaces but mostly forgettable. The same thing for the New Doom Patrol, who crossover for a couple issues. The most memorable story in the book is Supergirl battling half a dozen one foot tall duplicates of herself was enjoyably silly at a level rarely seen since the end of the Silver Age.
Overall, while this book is by no means essential reading, it was certainly a pleasant, fun, and innocent read featuring the beloved pre-Crisis Supergirl.
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