Kara’s already been infected by nanobots from the latest version of Brainiac. SO what happens when she gets another infection from a completely different source? She gets upset. Things get ugly in Supergirl #36. The Year of the Villain crossover issue is written by Marc Andreyko with art by Eduardo Pansica and inks by Julio Ferreira. The series dips into some pretty dark territory for Kara, but it all feels like little more than a pale echo of something that might have been deeper if Andreyko didn’t have to hammer Kara and her life into the time schedule of the big crossover event.  

Kara was in the Fortress of Solitude when she found Brainiac. Brainiac found her as well. A small arm of little nanobots entered her, allowing Brainiac to totally control her. The latest version of an old foe, marvels at the idiocy of previous, now obsolete versions of himself. Why fall into direct combat with one’s enemies when they can be so easily controlled? Brainiac’s about to find out the error in his ways as his control over Kara is complicated. From an infection of an entirely different kind thanks to The Batman Who Laughs. Fully aware that Brainiac tried to control her, a far more sinister version of Kara returns to the Fortress of Solitude to teach Brainiac a lesson. 

Competing infections from two different sources flowing around in and within a superhuman could be the stuff of a very fascinating story. Unfortunately, Andreyko has to hammer this one in around the rest of the Year of the Villain. The overall flow of the story feels rushed and cramped at the same time. The crossover cuts-in right in the middle of the issue to refer the reader to a battle that won’t take place until next month’s Batman/Superman #5. It’s remarkably awkward. It doesn’t help that the corruption of shiny, semi-altruistic superheroes has been played A LOT in the past. There’s nothing in Kara’s transformation that’s particularly interesting before the showdown with Brainiac at the issue’s end. Granted, it IS a pretty powerful moment, but it’s hampered by a chapter with awkwardly mincing pacing and some really awful dialogue.

Pansica and Ferreira deliver action to the page quite well. The juxtaposition of Kara’s dark transformation against the concern drawn into the dog Krypto feels effective. The visuals diving into the crossover feels pretty silly. If the look of the Batman Who Laughs is ripped-off from Judge Death, then the look of the dark Supergirl infected by him looks like...J. O’Barr’s The Crow...mixed with aspects reminiscent of the latest version of Wonder Woman. It doesn’t look particularly dark. Just kinda goofy. 

Supergirl has been thrown around quite a lot by crossover events this Year. This Year of the Villain thing hits her particularly hard, so it’s easy to see why she would do what she does at the issue’s end. Other than that one dark final moment, this issue is an awkward, silly narrative shuffle. 

Grade: C+