When Kara got back to Earth, she was hoping to relax and have some quiet time to herself. The DC Universe doesn’t allow for that. The Earth (s) are home to one crisis after another, and those wearing capes are the ones most often in the crosshairs of the next major disaster. Kara finds herself accosted by the latest mess on the Earth as her title enters The Year of the Villain in the newest issue of Supergirl. Marc Andreyko writes a story drawn by Eduardo Pansica with ink by Julio Ferreira. Supergirl continues to make a very appealingly heroic presence in another issue that has a far less than interesting plot.

The latest sinister incarnation of Brainiac has been let into the Fortress of Solitude. It’s looking to do a little bit of work with all of the advanced techs that are resting inside the Kryptonian base, but he’s going to need the willing or unwilling help of Supergirl if he is to be able to do any serious work. Brainiac isn’t the only one interested in getting ahold of Supergirl as she and her adoptive father are attacked by the inhuman threat of Leviathan, who has come to make her an offer she’s definitely going to refuse. 

Andreyko’s plot is a bit of a mash-up between elements occurring naturally in Kara’s life and those that are thrust upon her by sinister editors looking to construct a massive crossover crisis. Andreyko does the best he can with the limitations he’s given. The drama between Kara and her adoptive father DEO Agent Jeremiah Danvers, makes for an enjoyable bit of interpersonal drama. The daughter/adoptive father reunion is nice enough, but the rest of its generally uninteresting hero/villain combat. Kara comes across with admirably badass action hero fearlessness in the combat with Leviathan. Andreyko’s solidly well-executed action hero treatment of Supergirl keeps the action from feeling dull.

Also, keeping the action from feeling dull is the art of Pansica and Ferreira, who throw a hell of a lot of detail on the page while still managing to deliver some pretty dynamic action to the page. The layout of the drama might feel a bit stiff in places, but Pansica’s rendering of the action feels remarkably strong. The fight between Jeremiah and an agent of Leviathan shoots across the page in a heavy multi-tiered slant. Meanwhile, Supergirl is crackling with massive jolts of Kryptonite rushing through her, and her resilience looks positively awesome. It’s a very dynamic visual package.

It’s standard offworlder/earth people superhero/super-villain stuff. Nothing terribly new here, but Kara feels aggressively heroic in a very admirably-executed example of the type of stuff that has been floating and flowing through the superhero genre for decades. Andreyko and Pansica continue to do Kara justice even if she seems to be searching for something more defining...the way she always has. The long sought-after brilliant Supergirl story is out there. Andreyko appears to be getting closer to it.

Grade: B