Thoughts on Supergirl (2005) series

[BaneBreaker]

Since we still don't have a Supergirl on-going, I'm looking to fill my Kara void and was thinking about diving into the 2005 series of Supergirl. I know it had several different writers over the course of its run, but was hoping to get anyone's thoughts that read it and maybe offer up their opinion on what they thought. Thank you.

[Rakzo]

Jeph Loeb started the series and the only thing he was good for is to use his big name to get sales. The stories were quite derivative and by the numbers.

Then Joe Kelly arrived and somehow did an even worse job. I like his work most of the time but here he went for the completely pretentious route of "themes over characterization and story" and made Kara completely unlikable for the sole reason of trying to make her more "realistic" (which means making a stereotypical teenager) while the ending presented a concept so heavyhanded and preachy that you almost felt like Kelly was slapping your face while you were reading it.

Tony Bedard wrote a few issues after it and went as well as you would expect, nobody remembers a thing about them.

Finally Sterling Gates came on board and wrote the definitive run on the title. Not even the constant crossovers with the New Krypton storyline was able to ruin the story which focused on strong characterization and expanding Kara's world around her. This was the time when Supergirl was easily the best Superbook around.

I think that Nick Spencer wrote a few issues at the end but he didn't finish them and therefore, the story ended-up being quite lackluster.

[Bruce Wayne]

^Spencer only wrote 1/2 an issue before DC editorial fired him. One of just many mistakes.

Jeph Loeb had some interesting ideas such as Kara being more powerful than Superman and her father being in conflict with Jor-el, but there was very little follow up since he left for Marvel shortly after.

Joe Kelly spent most of his run retconning what Loeb had set up.

And Sterling Gates wrote the definite run on the post-Crisis Supergirl barring PAD's 80 issue run on Linda Danvers. The major things Gates did was emphasize the adolescent aspects as she dealt with her superhero identity (as the cousin of Superman) and her civilian identity as well as her being a Kryptonian after Superman unbottles Kandor. One of the aspects of this was making Kara's mother Alura a thorn in her side when she becomes the defacto ruler of the New Krypton

[BaneBreaker]

Appreciate the replies. I'll check out the start of Gates' run with the title.

[Starchild]

If you like the show, then definitely read Gates run. The show is heavily inspired by it.

[BaneBreaker]

If you like the show, then definitely read Gates run. The show is heavily inspired by it.

Good to know because I am a fan of the show.

[ouroboros]

I was moderately interested in the Loeb-Kelly issues, more for ideas than execution, but lost interest with later writers. Still, the new 52 Supergirl seems like a "copy of a copy" of this version, to paraphrase Plato.