DC’s Supergirl Next Door #1 Preview

 

 

Kara Zor-El visited Midvale when her adoptive parents moved back into their old home. But when she decided to live with them for awhile, she renewed old acquaintances and made new friends. Kara generously invited troubled young ladies like Lena Luthor and Lesla-Lar to participate in her life. Still, like many of us, Kara struggles during the holidays, when she remembers the Kryptonian family and friends she will never see again. 

Who will Kara help feel like they are wanted and needed in this look back at her youth in Midvale? And what other heroes will share stories about the people who helped make their lives worth living?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC’s Supergirl Next Door #1 Preview

Writers: Nathan Fairbairn, CRC Payne, Rosie Knight, Dorado Quick, Nicole Maines, Sarah Kuhn, Dave Wielgosz & moree

Artists: Paulina Ganucheau, Arielle Jovellanos, Rafael Perez, Michael Shelfer & more

Cover Artists: Amy Reeder & Alexander Lozano

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 28, 2026

 

There’s something about Kara. She’s effortlessly cool, adored by all, and looks great in a cape—she’s truly all that! She could have fifty first dates lined up in a minute, but love actually wasn’t on her radar…until now!

 

In this hot new anthology, join Supergirl and a host of lovestruck heroes and villains as they bravely embark on quests for love, even if it means running through every rom-com trope to get there. You’d be hard pressed to find ten things to hate about this book, so pick it up this Valentine’s Day—and place it on the shelf next to all the books you’ve loved before!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Shazam! #2 Review

 

Writer: Mark Waid 

Artist: Dan Mora

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Cover Artists: Dan Mora; John Timms; Chris Samnee & Matheus Lopes; Steve Lieber & Nathan Fairbairn; Megan Huang

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99

Release Date: June 7, 2023

 

Shazam recently shocked the world by going all Sean Penn on the paparazzi. Can Billy Batson ever trust his older, stronger alter ego ever again? Let's fly into Shazam! #2 and find out!

 

 

 

Story

Billy's friends can't understand his public outburst. They bust in on his confusion and plague him with questions he can't answer. On the plus side, his social media profile has risen. But when a dinosaur from space arrives to complete some business related to the assistance he rendered his kin in the previous issue, Billy decides he needs some time alone.

 

Sadly, quiet time will have to wait. A man called the Psycho-Pirate is holding up the local museum. Helping people in danger trumps concerns over another public media meltdown. So it's time to let the Captain take control.

 

 

 

Mark Waid gives us plenty to read in this story. He also delivers a lot of action. He communicates why people regard Shazam as a hero. It's an involving self-contained story that welcomes first-time readers while leaving them wanting to know more.

 

Art

Dan Mora populates Shazam! #2 with dynamic characters that communicate their feelings and look good from every angle. Aside from a few closeups, nearly every panel crackles with power and convincing backgrounds. He loads pages with panels and works page by page rather than across pages. A few scenes failed to communicate the author's intent and forced me to flip back to explain later dialogue. Still, any artist who draws Tyrannosaurus Rex in a top hat gets high marks in my book!

 

 

 

Alejandro Sánchez brings rich, vibrant colors to Shazam! #2. Views of the city, inside Billy's house, the museum, and the subway are full-spectrum colors. Billy's transformation into the Captain crackles with energy. He helps convey why a world-famous painting is so beloved. Psycho-Pirate stands out in the subway scenes: he makes me love him, even without being ordered.

 

 

 

Troy Peteri populates white dialogue balloons with large uppercase letters that go bold to emphasize raised voices and shrink for murmurs. Dialogue switches to red when the Psycho-Pirate turns on his hypnotic voice. I also like the Captain's rectangular yellow narrative boxes and Billy's spherical ones and how both have a lightning bolt. His sound effects help me hear Billy’s energizing transformation, bullets tearing through the museum, and Shazam’s big hero moment.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Dynamic art, vibrant coloring, and an involving story convey Billy Batson’s trial of identity in Shazam! #2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.