Supurbia Volume 4 by Grace Randolph

To say this is a review of Supurbia Volume 4 is not entirely accurate. As I write this, Volume 4 has not been released yet and, according to Goodreads, won't be until August or possibly July. What this is a review of, is the four issues that will make up Volume 4. They're also the last four issues of the complete story arc, with an epilogue and everything. I have previously reviewed Volumes 1, 2 and 3.

In this (set of) installment(s), we learn some more uncomfortable truths about Hella's past and her present, particularly with Sovereign. The tensions between Night Fox and Agent Twilight were resolved somewhat dramatically and if there wasn't so much other stuff going on, I would have liked to have seen more of that. There's a lot of action in this last set of issues as the climax builds on, well, everything that's come before it.

Just as Supurbia is an unconventional superhero story, so does the resolution of this story arc follow an unconventional path. Honestly, I'm not sure I can say much without spoilers. I will say, however, that everything is tied up nicely; there's even an epilogue section set some time after the main action. There are also some unanswered questions left as a hook for (hopefully) more issues in the future.

Overall, Supurbia was a very enjoyable read. As I've said my my reviews of the earlier instalments, I highly recommend Supurbia to fans of superhero comics, especially the more unconventional ones, and anyone who enjoys narratives which buck the status quo. I think it's a good place to start for people unfamiliar with comics but with any passing familiarity with — for example — superhero movies. I think we've all absorbed the tropes through cultural osmosis, even if we're not hardcore fans.

4. 5 / 5 stars

First published: August 2014? BOOM! Studios (Individual issues published 2013)
Series: Yes. Supurbia Ongoing issues #9–12 out of 12 so far (where #12 ties off a complete story)
Format read: eComic on iPad
Source: Purchased (as individual issues) from ComiXology

Supurbia Vol 3 by Grace Randolph

With Supurbia Vol 3 by Grace Randolph I'm almost up to date with the series and, as I just discovered, three quarters of the way through the current storyline. I've also reviewed Volumes 1 and 2 previously. And, as you may have noticed, I'm alternating reading volumes of Supurbia with novels. Also, technically, I'm not reading these as collected volumes, but as individual issues. It's easier to review them as volumes, however. Probably some minor spoilers below. Blurb for issue #5 because the volume's blurb as listed on Goodreads is absolute rubbish.

Dion and Jeremy take Eli and Zari on a vacation as Tia attempts to rescue Batu from Mongolia, her first superhero excursion after coming out of retirement...Hector’s dark magic slowly begins to take hold of Sara as her burgeoning friendship with Hella takes her down a dark path...Eve joins Robbie as he heads to the annual Superhero & Weapons Expo, but will Ruth’s devious plan throw a wrench into the works? The superhero soap continues, only in SUPURBIA!

What I liked in this issue was the shift in dynamic between Batu and her husband. From Amazonian-style warrior-goddess and feeble human man, they shifted towards woman and man a little bit, after Batu was rescued. It was a brief exchange on the page, but I found it moving and very sad.

The other sad part, I found was Eve — the newest character to the superhero extended family — trying to bond with her husband Robbie at the superhero/weapon/tech stuff expo. Things don't go as she was expecting and I found it a bit distressing on her behalf.

Other than that, there's a lot of action and danger as we've come to expect. Supurbia continues to be a great read that I would recommend to all fans of the superhero genre (be it in comic book form or not). I definitely recommend starting at the start for context. It's not as though it's a long series (yet).

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2013
Series: Yes. Supurbia Ongoing, issues #5–8 out of 12 issues. Alternatively, collected volume 3 of 4. So far.
Format read: e-Comic
Source: Purchased from ComiXology

Supurbia Vol 2 by Grace Randolph

Supurbia Vol 2, created by Grace Randolph is the first collected volume of the ongoing comic book series Supurbia. I recently reviewed Volume 1 which was commissioned before it became an ongoing series. Volume 2 picks up right where the introductory story left off. I don't really recommend picking it up without having read Volume 1; more for the character introductions than any crucial plot points.

The fan-favorite phenomenon returns with new stories of sex, lies, and...superpowers! Meet the Meta Legion, the world's foremost faction of crime-fighting capes. But what happens when the masks come off and the heroes are faced with the sordid problems of everyday life in the suburbs? The members of the Meta Legion decided to protect their families and loved ones from their enemies by sequestering them in one quiet suburban neighborhood. But just because they've banded together, doesn't mean they like each other...

This volume had less of a contained story arc than the introductory one, which I suppose makes sense since it's been released as an ongoing series. Nevertheless, the four-issue volume makes a good episodic snippet, more so than an individual issue on its own. I suspect, as I keep reading and catch up to what has been released, I will wait for every fourth issue to read on. (Or perhaps I won't be able to wait, we'll see.)

My favourite story line in this volume was Helen Heart's — surprisingly, after not warming to her much at all in volume 1. She's the live-in girlfriend of Sovereign, who is kind of the Superman-equivalent of the bunch, an ex-villainess and often strung-out on drugs. Not only do we learn more about her (past and present) but we also get to see Sovereign around her out of bed. And gosh, he's a bit of a sociopath. I look forward to reading more about Helen's developing relationships with the other super-spouses as the story progresses.

I also enjoyed the continuing Agent Twilight/Night Fox secret gay relationship saga and the story line concerning Batu (Amazonian super) and her children, which I mentioned in my previous review. I suspect as I read more of these — at the moment I'm trying to space them out with novels as little rewards — my reviews will get briefer as it becomes harder to say anything substantial that a) I haven't already said and b) isn't a spoiler.

I continue to recommend Supurbia to anyone with even a passing interest in superheroes or comics. I do suggest starting with the introductory mini-series before jumping into the ongoing series.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2013, BOOM! Studios
Series: Supurbia, volume 2 of ongoing. Contains Supurbia Ongoing issues #1-4
Format read: e-Comic
Source: Purchased from ComiXology

Supurbia Volume 1 by Grace Randolph

Supurbia is a comic series created by Grace Randolph and illustrated by Russell Dauterman. This review is of Volume 1, which consists of four issues. I purchased them separately (because on the Aussie version of Comixology it was 50¢ cheaper that way) but I'm treating them as a single volume for review purposes, especially since individually each issue does not tell a complete story. The cover art of the omnibus (top right image) is the same as the first issue and I've included the covers of the other three issues below. I've also included the blurb from Goodreads.

What goes down when the capes come off? Meet the "Real Housewives" of Earth's greatest super-team, the Meta Legion! It's the egos, the tantrums, and the betrayals of the super set. Find out what happens behind the masks as superhero families are faced with the sordid problems of everyday life - and then some!

This miniseries is primarily about the wives/girlfriends and children of a team of superheroes. The point of view jumps around a bit — especially in the first issue when we're being introduced to everyone, which I found a little difficult to follow — but generally it is the significant others of the Meta Legion superheroes who take centre-page. (see what I did there?) There's quite a variety among the characters. The character new to the scene who provides an in for the audience is the newly married Eve. She and her husband are just moving into the suburban street where the Meta Legion live in secret, pretending to be normal. There's also the strung-out druggie ex-villain girlfriend of one of the most powerful supers, the super wife whose given up her crime-fighting career to ensure her daughter doesn't loose both parents at once, the husband of an Amazonian super and their two kids, and a few others.

The epic crime fighting happens as a backdrop to the relationships between the characters. The blurb describes it as "Real Housewives" but I don't think that's accurate. (Mind you, that's without having seen the show, but it's certainly nothing like the image the show projects.) Really this first volume touches on a lot of issues that various characters are dealing with. Knowing that there are more comics in the series makes me happy that they will probably be addressed in more detail down the line.

My favourite sub-plot in this one was Amazonian super Batu's relationship with her kids. She has a boy and a girl and, according to her culture, her superpowers should be passed down to her daughter. She pretty much ignores her son and refers to her husband as her "mate". But her daughter isn't developing superpowers as quickly as Batu would like...

This four-issue introductory volume has a self-contained storyarc, although the end clearly sets up further stories about the characters. I would recommend reading the entire volume before deciding whether to continue with the series, as I did. The first issue only introduces the characters but doesn't give a good idea of what the rest of the volume will be like.

I recommend Supurbia to fans of alternative superhero stories (whatever that means, I'm not actually sure myself), superheroes in general and anyone who likes seeing female-led stories (which should be everyone, of course). As a relative n00b to comics, I would also recommend them to other n00bs looking for a relatively easy entry point.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2012, BOOM! Studios
Series: Supurbia, Volume 1. Currently followed by "Supurbia Ongoing" which, as far as I can tell, is going to be much longer (already at 12 issues).
Format read: e-comic
Source: Purchased from ComiXology