Supergirl Christmas Special Underlines DCU Movie’s Surprising Theme

The first trailer for the DCU‘s upcoming Supergirl movie garnered much attention. However, the same week saw the quieter release of a Christmas special comic centered around the Woman of Tomorrow. Surprisingly, both the comic and the movie share a common and timely theme that is not often explored in superhero stories in any medium.

The story of the upcoming DCU movie is adapted from the miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. The story finds Kara Zor-El approached in the midst of celebrating her birthday on an alien world. She takes on the quest of a determined young girl who wishes to avenge her father’s murder at the hands of a brutal bandit. Her reasons for doing this beyond the heroic imperative are unclear at first. However, it is ultimately revealed to be a way of granting the girl the closure that Kara can never feel after the death of Krypton.

The trailer for the DCU Supergirl movie does not discuss this point. It does, however, show Milly Alcock drinking in a bar alone and declaring, “Twenty-three will be the best year yet.” She then adds, “It’s not a very high bar to clear.” This sets up the reveal of how Krypton died a slower death than classically shown in the comics. It also reflects how Kara is still mourning her world and her family, falling into drinking and depression.

DCU Supergirl and Christmas Special are built around grief

Supergirl #8 by Sophie Campbell and Haining deals with these same feelings and themes. However, it examines them through the lens of the Holidays and seasonal depression. The story finds Kara Zor-El spending Christmas with her foster family, the Danvers, and trying to teach the Kandorian Lesla-Lar more about Earth customs.

However, the normally upbeat Kara is in a dour mood because festivals like Christmas and her birthday remind her of her lost loved ones. On some level, Kara fears forgetting them as she tries to rebuild her life. This fear is further reflected by her discovery of a Supergirl robot, which did not power down as intended and went insane after years of being alone.

This incident only exacerbates Kara’s feelings of survivor’s guilt and her depression. However, the story ends happily, if bittersweetly, as Kara is reminded that her found family still loves her. She is also told she shouldn’t feel pressured to hide her feelings for their sake. “People say ‘Happy Holidays’,” Jeremiah Danvers notes, “But they don’t have to be.”

Supergirl #8 is now available at comic shops everywhere.