With Supergirl out in theaters this week, extra eyes will likely be on Supergirl: Survive, which introduced an Elseworlds scenario where Kara escaped Krypton with her cousin Kal-El, but instead of being sent to Earth, they crashed on a Kryptonian moon. Without powers and marooned with dangers around every corner at such a young age, do the last Kryptonians have any chance at all to survive?
As mentioned in my review of issue #1, this series has a slow start but a killer premise. Issue #2 kicks up the action and mayhem quite a bit, while effectively fleshing out a larger cast of characters. If Supergirl: Survive #1 was about how Kara got into this dangerous situation, Supergirl: Survive #2 is about how the universe is no place for defenseless children.
The second issue opens with a close-up of Kara’s eyes, which welled with tears. Her hair is long, so when we cut to “158 Days Since K-Day” and Kara has a shaved head, one has to wonder when this first page is taking place. She’s in a kind of space train station carrying a baby Kal-El when she realizes she’s being followed. The story then switches back to K-Day, or the day Krypton died, where we left Kara last issue. A giant space ogre is going to kill her! The story is mostly linear from here, but the structure up to this point does keep you on your toes.
Rod Reis plots out this little chase quite well.
Credit: DC Comics
It’s safe to say writers Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan do a good job keeping you guessing with their plotting, sending an army of Lanterns into the fray, and eventually looping in a bunch of Czarnians. Kara ends up being less of the focus for a spell due to a kidnapping, but by the end, she’s her own kind of hero.
As far as the Lanterns and Czarnians, this issue leans into the Elseworlds aspect quite well. The Czarnians have a western cowboy vibe, while the Lanterns are familiar, although it’s interesting that different-colored Lanterns are working together. The creative team makes these two opposing sides the main focus, allowing for ramped-up action.
Rod Reis draws and colors another great issue, with the western theme coming through strongly. His style works well with the Lanterns, with a glowy effect pulling off their construct abilities. Given the situation Kara and Kal-El are in, they have a tough look that suits them. The Czarnian are also creepy, with their red eyes and impossibly white skin.
Supergirl: Survive #2 builds confidently on its stellar premise, expanding the scope of its universe while reinforcing the emotional stakes at its center. Parker and Sheridan balance mystery, action, and character effectively, while Reis continues to deliver some of the most visually striking pages in comics. Although Kara occasionally takes a backseat to the expanding cast, the issue succeeds in making her journey feel even more perilous and compelling. In the harsh vacuum of space, survival itself becomes a superpower.
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