Microman Supergirl

It's been over a year since I last posted something. A lot has happened since then and not much either. I'm really happy that the CW picked up Supergirl for a second season.


Speaking of Supergirl, here is a custom paint job that i have been meaning to do for a while. This is the Microman version of Supergirl. It's basically a Japanese figure of Superman's famous cousin with a very anime looking face.  Both Batman and Superman were made in this line, and you can check out the figures more here.


Unfortunately, the figure is based on Supergirl's 200X design where there is less costume than there should be. Also, what I didn't like about the figure was that the shoulder ball joints were flesh colored instead of metallic blue. (The one thing i really liked was the articulated hair.)

So, with some metallic blue of my own, I painted her mid-drift and shoulder sockets. Now, I'm not sure how long the paint will stay on her shoulder sockets, but it looks good at the moment. Being a fan of Supergirl in the 80s, I had to paint her skirt red though I don't think it turned out as well as her mid-drift.

Supergirl the TV Series

It just seems too good to be true.

CBS is picking up Supergirl as their now obligatory superhero series. Melissa Benoist, a relative unknown, has been cast as Kara / Supergirl.  Following the precedent started with The Flash, Helen Slater, the first Supergirl, has been cast as Kara's mother. And now, more recently, photos of the costume have been released without months of speculation.

Looking at the costume, you can tell it's Supergirl.  I was really surprised they went with the classic skirt look. I assumed that they would go with the one piece swimsuit look of the current comic book design. Colleen Atwood, who designed the suits for (Green) Arrow and The Flash, did a very nice job with staying true to the original suit.  My only quaims are the leggings and the tall boots, but it's minor at best.

Here's a photo of Benoist as Supergirl. It's great that she's got her hands on her hips, looking very much like her more famous cousin.  I Photoshopped her smile over the frown, and played with the saturation levels until you could actually see some colors.

Sigh, it just seems too good to be true.

Supergirl by Rick Leonardi

I was listening to the "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" podcast and while doing so, I was playing around on Photoshop and colored this sketch by Rick Leonardi.  I'm not a huge fan of the 200X version of Supergirl's outfit, but I am a big fan of Rick Leonardi's art.

While coloring her costume, I was trying for some subtle hints at the character's femininity.  While her cape is a rich red color, the inside of the cape is a lighter, almost pinkish color. The blue in her outfit is a almost turquoise color. (I feel that Superman-related characters should have bright colors, not dark colors. Hollywood seems to disagree with me.) I also gave her a little pink on her lips and fingernails.

I also played a little with lighting on her shoulders and arms, but I'm not entirely sure if it works or not. Overall, though, I'm pretty happy with how it looks.  Hopefully, Leonardi doesn't mind too much.

Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!

Sunday Movie: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprised their roles as Batman and Superman in another adaptationr of Jeph Loeb's Superman/Batman series. This story picks up where the last story left off, where in the remains of the large astroid from Krypton, (that was destroyed by a large robot composite of Batman and Superman piloted by the Dark Night) Batman finds another survivor from Krypton, Superman's apparent cousin, who eventually becomes Supergirl. (Surprised?)

The story is focused on Kara's (Supergirl's) discovery of identity and adapting to life on planet Earth... Oh, who am I kidding? It's really about everyone kidnapping and brainwashing the poor Kryptonian. First of all, Wonder Woman and her amazons ambush and kidnap her. (When did Superman and Wonder Woman stop speaking to each other?) Then, on Paradise Island, Darkseid attacks with an army of Doomsday creatures (only for the army to be literally fried with Super Heat Vision) and Kara again being kidnapped and then brainwashed.

Good news, the story is more coherent than the first one, "Public Enemies," which was just bizarre. Though everyone seems out of character. Superman is very aggressive and angry. Batman is super-pessimissic. Did I mention that Wonder Woman ambushed and attacked Superman in his secret identity no less? Darkseid is one-dimensional, and Kara isn't given enough time to develop when she's being constantly being attacked or kidnapped. But hey, it was based on a comic book.

Also, if you're wondering why the movie is called Apocalypse when there is no said threat, then ask the execs at Warner Bros. Apparently, the earlier release of the Wonder Woman DVD movie had poor sales, so the WB wanted, in no way, to advertise that this movie was about another female lead, Supergirl, and the creators fought to even have her on the cover. Personally, if they had told me that Big Barda was in it, I would have bought it sooner.

You're Super, Girl!