Geek Out

Whatcha Watching Geekly June 2026

Whatcha Watching, Geekly? June 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been watching over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching, too, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been watching over the past month.

Kyra’s Movies

I finally got around to watching Fahrenheit 451 (2018). It’s been some time since I read the Bradbury novel (of the same name), but I could tell HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 took a lot of liberties. Updates, if you will. I don’t believe the eye drops and augmented reality social media were part of the original. I’m okay with the additions, but it did bother me that Fahrenheit 451 didn’t elaborate on what happens to people after they got booted from augmented reality social media.

I may have missed something. I got that erasing someone’s data (from their fingertips) severed them from the rest of humanity (through the augmented reality social media or ARSM), but I couldn’t see why that was a bad thing. Did people get food through the ARSM? Did the ARSM pay them? Fahrenheit 451’s world-building was a little shaky. But the acting was stellar. Michael Shannon and Michael B. Jordan–hey, two Michaels–gave brilliant performances. They did so well in the roles that they made me forget all those pesky world questions.

Fahrenheit 451 clocks in at just over an hour and a half. I appreciate the shorter runtime. Too many films insist on more than two hours. The short runtime and the performance of the Michaels make Fahrenheit 451 a fun watch. I’d still recommend reading the original novel. It’s a short read. Heck, I may reread it so I can see all the liberties the movie took.

Crazy Rich Asians was another random movie I watched this past month. Typically, I don’t watch romantic comedies; I read them. And Crazy Rich Asians was first a novel. I may need to pick up Kevin Kwan’s novel and add it to my never-ending to be read pile. Actors make acting choices, and actors in romantic comedies can make some poor choices–or they can’t act. That’s why I tend to read romantic comedies. Let me fill in the blanks for myself. Case in point, the romantic lead in Crazy Rich Asians is not the best actor, and one or two actors make some questionable choices.

Of course, Michelle Yeoh was amazing. The look she and the romantic woman lead’s mother share is perfect. Years were conveyed in a thirty-second stare. Awkwafina was in rare form. I don’t tend to like her in most movies; she’s funny in Crazy Rich Asians. Ken Jeong is the perfect choice to play Awkwafina’s father. I love most of that family. I could do with a little less of Awkwafina’s creepy little brother. Stand-up comedians Jimmy O. Yang and Ronny Chieng partially round out this massive cast. I love Yang and Chieng’s stand-up routines, and they don’t disappoint.

I didn’t expect to like Crazy Rich Asians as much as I did. The movie showcases Singapore, another city just made my bucket list. The set pieces look phenomenal. Constance Wu (the romantic woman lead) did a stellar job, as did most of the cast. But the romantic man lead torpedoed some of his scenes. I didn’t care for the ending because he was deeply unlikable. And I wanted to see a happily ever after. Who doesn’t in a rom-com? Still, I recommend Crazy Rich Asians. Just try to block the male lead from your mind.

Kyra’s Shows

If you’ve been following Geekly for a while, you’ll know I’m a sucker for true crime. Netflix’s Should I Marry a Murderer? stands out from many of the streaming giant’s other offerings: empathy. Should I Marry a Murderer? presents its subject, Caroline Muirhead, in a way that we see why she makes certain choices. She fell in love with a man who turned out to be a murderer. She doesn’t cooperate with the police and makes some questionable decisions. Muirhead admits that her choices may not have been great, but they did have internal logic.

If you’re ever wondering “why did X stay or return,” you may want to give Should I Marry a Murderer? a watch. Muirhead explains her position well. She gets the viewer on her side, and just when that happens, the documentary throws in one of the authorities who call her foolish or state they would’ve helped her. Only, we see how the authorities didn’t help. Should I Marry a Murderer? shows how a police department can fail a witness. This is a cautionary tale. It may even give you pause with judging others because we don’t know what led them to make their decisions.

Originally, I watched Should I Marry a Murderer? while working on a project (a board game design), but I rewatched the show, giving it more attention on the subsequent view. Few shows like this offer empathy. I found myself agreeing with a witness who refused to immediately go to the police. Should I Marry a Murderer? reminds us that we live in a world of gray.

I also watched the recently released Spider-Noir. I won’t go into too much detail. Geekly has a full review of the series. In short, Spider-Noir is better than it has any right to be. I didn’t anticipate Spider-Noir, but that works in its favor. The biggest debate I’ve seen about Spider-Noir is which version is best, Authentic Black & White or True Hue (color), and after I reviewed the show, Marvel released its definitive way to experience the series. You split the two versions.

Marvel suggests watching episodes 1-3 in Black & White, Episodes 4 and 5 in True Hue, Episode 6 in Black & White, and Episodes 7 and 8 in True Hue. Essentially, Marvel says the first three episodes should be in Black & White because Ben Reilly isn’t in the best headspace, stuck in the past. Episodes 4, 5, 7, and 8 are more Reilly’s present (color), while Episode 6 is a flashback (so, Black & White). It’s an interesting concept. I may just try out this method of watching Spider-Noir. No matter how you watch the show, it’s fun.

That’s all I have for what I’ve been watching this past month. Let’s check in with Season.

Season’s Show

I’ve been feeling anime recently, and My Roommate Is a Cat stood out to me on Crunchyroll. I have two cats, so that’s part of the reason. Tee hee! Anyway, My Roommate Is a Cat isn’t something I normally watch. I tend to watch action/adventure or romance, not slice of life, which is the category My Roommate Is a Cat falls under.

My Roommate Is a Cat follows Subaru Mikazuki, a twenty-three-year-old introvert novelist who sucks at dealing with people. He’s also kind of a jerk to the few people who are close to him. He feeds a stray cat (whom he later names “Haru”) and takes her in. Subaru studies Haru’s behavior for a novel he’s writing, learning how she shows affection for him and bettering himself in the process. The show features both Subaru’s perspective for most of each episode and Haru’s for the last five-ish minutes of each episode. Haru’s perspective is goofy since she doesn’t understand why her dumb human won’t feed himself. She has to do everything.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for what they’ve been watching this past month. Let us know what you’ve been watching, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Casting: Overwatch

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we have another Geekly Casting. Skye and I will be casting for a hypothetical Overwatch film. I found it difficult to pare the list of Overwatch characters to a manageable number. I forgot the original Overwatch launched with 21 characters. Twenty-One! We’ll cast a full twenty-one characters, so I researched Overwatch’s original cast–the one they used during demos before the game officially released–and found twelve. That’s a much easier number. I added a couple of characters (two) who will show up at the end of my segment. One makes sense for lore reasons, and the other sounded like fun to cast. So, we’ll have fourteen cast members. Yay!

Looks like Skye is sitting out this Geekly Casting. Hopefully, she’ll return soon. I’m flying solo with this Geekly Casting, so let’s get it started. Here is Geekly’s Casting of a hypothetical Overwatch movie.

Bastion: Ben Burtt

I almost didn’t cast anyone to voice Bastion. But someone does just that in the game: Chris Metzen. While Chris Metzen would make a great Bastion for an Overwatch film (because he is Bastion), I opted to go with Ben Burtt, who voiced Wall-E. Let’s be real. Bastion has Wall-E tones. If you’re not going to go with the original, you can’t go wrong with Ben Burtt.

Tracer: Emilia Jones

Tracer is young, British, and full of spunk. I had plenty of choices for this role, but I chose Emilia Jones (Locke & Key and CODA) because she’s already proven her acting chops. She’s received multiple awards and was nominated for a BAFTA. Jones just needs a big break. Tracer could be that big break. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a dead ringer for Tracer.

Reaper: Tyler Dean Flores

While I could’ve gone with an older, stoic Latino actor like Danny Trejo or Javier Bardem, I wanted to go younger with Reaper. Tyler Dean Flores got his start on The Dark Knight Rises and has steadily built a varied and impressive acting career: When They See Us, I Saw the TV Glow, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Flores has range and is another actor who could use a big break. Flores could give Reaper depth.

Widowmaker: Megan Northam

Widowmaker is a French ballerina turned sniper. Who better to portray her than jack-of-all-trades Megan Northam? Northam trained for a decade on the cello at the Nantes Conservatory. She’s even a dancer. Great! And Northam is French. Perfect! Northam’s breakout role came in 2021 in the French comedy Robust. She later starred in Netflix’s Notre-Dame and the Amazon Prime series, Greek Salad. I could easily see Northam pull off a convincing Widowmaker.

Pharah: Jamila Awad

Jamila Awad has had a varied career. She’s acted in comedies and dramas alike but hasn’t been in a major project in half a decade. Awad took part in a UNICEF campaign alongside numerous Egyptian and international artists, including Mona Zaki. The objective of this campaign was to enhance awareness of children’s rights on a global scale and within the Arab region. And last year (2025) Awad was the face of Armani Beauty. I could see Awad make a triumphant acting return as Pharah.

Reinhardt: Michael Fassbender

German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender needs little introduction. He’s freaking Magneto. While he may need to be aged up a little bit for the role of Reinhardt, Fassbender can pull off the accent. He has the gravitas that will pull in combatants and viewers as Reinhardt. The only thing that surprises me with this pick is that I haven’t cast Michael Fassbender in anything yet. A good Overwatch film could erase the less-than-stellar Assassin’s Creed movie. Yikes!

Mercy: Isabel Lucas

“Heroes Never Die.” The same can be said of Samantha Cage, Isabel Lucas’s character in MacGyver. Lucas certainly has the look to play Mercy. It also helps that Lucas can speak Swiss-German, so Mercy’s accent should be no problem. Recently, Lucas has returned to Australian film, but I’m sure the role of Mercy could convince her to return to Hollywood.

Torbjörn: Bill Skarsgård

Bill Skarsgård is another actor who needs no introduction. The Pennywise actor may seem like an odd choice for Torbjörn, but Skarsgård is no stranger to mountains of prosthetics. He loses himself in most of his roles. And can’t you see Skarsgård in full Torbjörn makeup and beard extensions? It’d be glorious.

Hanzo: Brian Tee

Chicago Med star Brian Tee is no stranger to action films. He’s been featured in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Wolverine, Jurassic World, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, where he portrayed none other than Shredder himself. Yeah. Tee has the credentials to pull off a menacing Hanzo.

Winston: Crispin Freeman

I’m keeping it simple with Winston. His voice actor Crispin Freeman retains the role. Why not? Winston will most likely be predominantly CGI. It makes sense to keep Winston’s video game voice actor. Nuff said.

Zenyatta: Feodor Chin

I’m sensing a trend here. I’m going with Zenyatta’s original voice actor Feodor Chin. The role will most likely be achieved through CGI, so why not have the classically trained Chin reprise his role? Chin has forgotten more about acting than most of us will ever know. He’s starred in live action, animation, and video games. Chin has countless acting credits, but here’s a list of his highlights: Big Little Lies, Lethal Weapon, Jane the Virgin, New Girl, Hit-Monkey, What If?, and Regular Show. And that’s on top of all Chin’s video game voice acting.

Symmetra: Anjali Bhimani

Okay. I’m three for three with these last three roles. I’m sticking with Symmetra’s voice actor Anjali Bhimani. Clearly, Symmetra won’t be CGI, but seeing Bhimani in live-action roles makes me smile. She was one of the reasons I watched Ms. Marvel. And if you’ve ever seen Bhimani on YouTube Dungeons & Dragons videos, you know she has charisma to spare. Being a D&D fan gives Bhimani extra geek cred. It also doesn’t hurt that Bhimani also voices one of my Apex Legends’ mains, Rampart. She’s gotta be the live-action Symmetra.

Genji: Mamoru Miyano

Mamoru Miyano may be primarily known as a J-Pop star and voice actor, but Light Yagami from Death Note is one of Miyano’s voice acting credits. Ah. I like the idea of an android Light wreaking havoc. Miyano has the presence to pull off Genji’s voice. And if you noticed, Genji is one of my final two entries. He wasn’t one of the original 12 characters in Overwatch’s demo, but I couldn’t include Hanzo without including his brother, Genji.

D.Va: Bae Suzy

D.Va may be an E-Sports star, but she gives off crazy K-Pop Idol vibes. I’m leaning into the K-Pop angle with Bae Suzy, who just so happens to have built a solid acting career. I can see Bae Suzy saying “Nerf This” before ejecting from a mech. It also doesn’t hurt that Bae Suzy has martial arts training. She can pull off an action role like D.Va.

Those are my picks for a hypothetical Overwatch live-action film. Thank you for reading. You’re awesome. We all know, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News 14 June 2026 New Releases

Geekly News: June 14, 2026; New Releases

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle with another week of Geek News. Until recently, I was entertaining family from out of town, so we won’t have any headlines this week, but we have plenty of board game and video game new releases. Let’s get to the games that released this past week.

8 Dragons Launches on KickStarter

In 8 Dragons you play a mighty Dragon soaring across two kingdoms. But you don’t fly alone. Your Wyrmlings have just hatched and are eager to fly. You form Swarms, with your own Wyrmlings and those of the other Dragons.

On your turn, you visit wondrous locations and activate effects for yourself and every Wyrmling in your Swarm. When your Wyrmlings fly with others, you benefit from their turns too.

Along the way, friendly villagers help you expand your Lair, chamber by chamber. Collect artifacts, fulfill Missions, and hoard as much Gold as you can.

And as befits true dragons: whoever hoards the most Gold wins.

Thank you, Wonderbow Games, for that game description. I know very little about 8 Dragons, but it looks amazing. That centerpiece with the dragons and the infinity symbol leaves an impression. Everything I’ve read about 8 Dragons has me intrigued. Limited downtime. Turns don’t take long, and every turn will have each player invested. The lair building (the hexagonal tiles pictured beneath the board) sounds interesting as well. I love dragons as a theme. I also love puzzle elements (the lair building). And I like having multiple paths to victory. For me, 8 Dragons checks a lot of boxes.

8 Dragons offers multiple pledge levels, ranging from $57 to $87. That’s not a bad price point for what you get in the game. Obviously, the deluxe version will cost more than the standard, but the board game insert–that snaps into place within the game box–may be well worth the additional cost. I’ve spent about $30 on board game inserts before, and a custom-made insert by the board game company is a huge plus. If you’re interested in 8 Dragons, check out its KickStarter page.

Hexes of Sygon Launches on KickStarter

Your wizards gaze across the mystical planet of Sygon. Volatile volcanoes have blazed away much of the world, except for a precious clearing of land. Here lies the various landscapes of Sygon: meadows, swamps, dunes, mountains, forests, and caves.

Each landscape hosts a unique spell component crucial to developing civilization on Sygon. Collect gold and the various spell components – flower, elixir, spice, powder, mushroom, and crystal – and maneuver your wizards to conjure towns, workshops, and markets to quickly advance your civilization. Use alchemy or forage to obtain components outside your grasp.

Sygon relies on you to bring prosperity to its ravaged lands. However, you are not alone. Wizards loyal to other civilizations plot to loot you and compete for control of the planet. Be wary of where you place your towns and wizards and build walls to protect them against thieving wizards and volcano eruptions. Rise from the ashes and bring glory to your civilization on Sygon.

Thank you, Hexes of Sygon, for the game description. I’ve seen a lot of wizarding games recently–Wandering Towers is a great introductory game–but Hexes of Sygon may offer the most variability. Oh my! I haven’t played Hexes of Sygon, but the game has received solid reviews on BoardGameGeek. BGG also lists Hexes of Sygon as a 2025 release, so this KickStarter campaign may signal Hexes of Sygon’s second print run. That’s a good sign. I can’t get over the number of building types players may construct. Each player’s region may play vastly differently from one another. Hexes of Sygon features some nice artwork, too. I may get the game for the fungus tiles alone. If you’re interested in Hexes of Sygon, check out its KickStarter page.

Tokyo Hanafuda Launches on KickStarter

Hanafuda is a traditional Japanese card game that has been enjoyed for generations. Its biggest appeal is the designs of the card. Without the use of numbers or symbols, each card has a specialised design that uses flowers, birds, and nature, and is a design that transcends time and is well beloved.

Today, Hanafuda that use anime or game characters, or sets that depict local landmarks of various regions, have been created, and continue to charm many people.

Thank you, Kitamido (Tokyo Hanafuda’s publisher), for the game description. Quick Trivia Question: What was Nintendo’s first game? Yep. It’s Hanafuda.

While Nintendo added colorful characters (and you can get Mario Hanafuda decks), the traditional game featured flowers, birds, and nature, just like the description said. Tokyo Hanafuda brings Hanafuda back to its roots. You’ll notice that none of the cards have suits or numbers. You’re trying to match the cards in pairs. Simple, elegant. And I love that Tokyo Hanafuda features art by a Tokyo resident and Hanafuda enthusiast, Kitamido. Tokyo Hanafuda offers multiple pledge levels, ranging from $30-$67. If you’re interested in Tokyo Hanafuda, check out its KickStarter page.

Voidling Bound Releases

Become a Space Wrangler and take direct control of creatures called “Voidlings” in this action-packed sci-fi 3rd person shooter. Shape them through branching evolution paths and upgrade their abilities to overcome bubonic swarms, pestilent bosses, and reclaim lush planets overrun by corruption.

Hatch, evolve, and upgrade powerful space creatures in this action-packed sci-fi 3rd person shooter that reinvents the monster taming genre! Here comes Voidling Bound.

I’m a sucker for monster-taming video games. I just learned this game existed. Reading Voidling Bound’s premise, I’m hooked. The game has received good to great reviews. That’s a good sign. The new, indie studio Hatchery Games developed and produced Voidling Bound. Hatchery Games’ crew is comprised of ex-Skylanders and Borderlands developers, so you can see the inspiration behind Voidling Bound. Skylanders and Borderlands are a combination I wouldn’t expect, but it’s more than welcome. I downloaded Voidling Bound’s demo. You may be hearing more about this game from Geekly in the not-so-distant future. Skylanders meets Borderlands. What’s not to love?

That’s all the Geek News we have for you this week. Which game are you the most interested in? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Reading, Geekly? June 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been reading this past month.

Kyra’s Fiction

Yes! In preparation for the upcoming Supergirl movie (releasing later this month), I read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and I’m glad I did. I like the addition of Ruthye. Ruthye serves as a Nick Carraway-style narrator (The Great Gatsby). The story may be Supergirl’s, but it’s told in Ruthye’s voice. While Ruthye has a tendency to monologue, I love it when Supergirl’s actions contradict Ruthye’s narration. For example, “Many view Supergirl as soft,” and Supergirl swears while beating someone to a pulp, to which Ruthye will add, “In my experience, that was not the case.” Instant chuckles.

Tom King wrote Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. I figured I would enjoy the title, because I enjoyed Tom King’s (sometimes maligned) run on Batman. Honestly, I don’t know why some readers didn’t care for King’s Batman run. I blame it on King killing off Alfred Pennyworth during the City of Bane (2019), and Batman’s faithful butler has yet to return. The fact that Alfred has remained dead shocks me. Good on DC Comics. I mention King’s work on Batman to suggest that he takes risks, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow takes risks. Future authors codified Supergirl Kryptonian with PTSD in future Supergirl stories, but King took the first leap.

And this is a heck of a first leap. I can’t wait to see what Season thinks of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. After I was done reading the story, I shared it with her, and she finished it in one sitting. Yay! And after Season was finished, she handed the book to Skye. We may have a three-way crossover this month. Woo hoo!

As you can see, I went on a DC Comics kick this month. Comic book writer Greg Rucka is another favorite. I liked his runs on Wonder Woman, so I was excited to try out Batwoman: Elegy. We begin in medias res (in the middle), and I appreciate Batwoman: Elegy refusing to hold the reader’s hand. But I was confused. Some context could’ve helped, but the story flows. Super fast. I blew through Batwoman: Elegy, and I don’t recall Rucka’s Wonder Woman reading that quickly. In short, Rucka made the right choice. Batwoman moved through this story so quickly, as if she were trying to run away from something. Turns out, it’s her past.

The context I complained about not having at the beginning reveals itself toward the middle of Batwoman: Elegy. This story’s speed gets the reader to those ah-ha moments faster. Only one thing bothered me in Batwoman: Elegy. The story overcommits to linking Batwoman to Batman. While I appreciate Batwoman: Elegy trying to link its character with the rest of Bat Family, at times it felt forced, and other times it was downright confusing. Evidently, Batman had a similar case to Batwoman’s, and Batwoman: Elegy remixes the two events. Batwoman: Elegy is a great origin story for the character, but at times, it get turned around.

This is my final DC Comics entry, I swear. I didn’t know what to expect from Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens. Paul Dini (writer of Batman: The Animated Series) is another excellent comic book writer, and Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens serves as a source material (of sorts) for the Harley Quinn: Animated Series. The final product reads like a series of odd occurrences, some of which make their way into the Harley Quinn series. I expected a comical tone. Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens took itself far more seriously than I imagined.

The stories were engaging. Short, but engaging. Dini tends to write short-form comic book stories. If you’re expecting a longer narrative like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow or Batwoman: Elegy, you won’t find it with Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens. This is the third graphic novel I read this month, and frankly, I needed a change of pace. Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens fills that role. Don’t enter reading this story thinking it’ll be as comical as the Harley Quinn: Animated Series.

Kyra’s Nonfiction

I mentioned last month (I think) that I had read the Proactive Roleplaying Guide from the Game Master’s Handbook line, and I was going to start reading The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design. Phew! That is a long title. But the title’s length makes it easy to search online for the book. I love this series. I knew I’d love this book. And didn’t disappoint. Jonah and Tristan Fishel hand game masters the keys to incorporating the methods in this book into any tabletop role-playing game, even ones that are underway.

The biggest hurdle will be letting go of some authority as the game master. When the Fishels say collaborative campaign design, they mean it. The game master and the players craft the world and campaign they wish to play. Funnily enough, this leads to more buy-in by the players. Players take ownership of the game and its world. And it alleviates pressure on the game master to always come up with something. Will The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design work for every situation? No. It wouldn’t work for the two-hour session I have planned for the upcoming Comic-Con: Nebraska (stop by and say hi), but I can’t wait to try out this method with a longer campaign.

That’s all I have for what I’ve been reading. Let’s check in with Season and Skye.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Cover

Skye’s Fiction

With the upcoming release of the Supergirl DCU film, the rest of the Geekly crew has convinced me to take a closer look at the movie’s inspiration, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. I am in the process of reading Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, but what I’ve gleaned is this is a complex tale about the emotional struggles of the title heroine following the destruction of her home planet. Kara is despondent that her people have been wiped out. As a result, she’s developed a habit of taking trips to planets with red suns to repress her powers and drown her sorrows in booze. It’s genuinely depressing to see a beloved superhero in such a state, but I look forward to seeing how the story conveys the need to rise above one’s circumstances.

Season’s Fiction

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Cover

Same! I also read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow in preparation for the upcoming movie. As previously mentioned, I read it in one sitting. Can you tell I enjoyed it? I appreciate the story not being told from Supergirl’s perspective. I mean, she began the story wasted, so her being the narrator would have been less reliable. There is a point in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow when Ruthye makes conjectures about what happened when Supergirl left her on a safe planet. I’m curious whether they’ll include this in the upcoming movie.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow had good pacing and evened out the heaviness of the story with goofy moments. The ending is truly something to behold and is well-earned.

The Spellshop is a popular 2024 romantasy title. It’s also my first time reading a romantasy. Kiela ran away from the city of Alyssium to the remote island of Caltrey with illegally acquired spell books due to a revolution in Alyssium. I thought most romantasies had a lot of hot and heavy moments, but The Spellshop proved me wrong. Kiela focuses on survival in her new/old home (her parents’ house before they moved to the city), and all of her neighbors want to help her. Kiela isn’t a social person, so the help is unwelcome at first. She warms up to the villagers (and a local guy) and manages to thrive on Caltrey. There are a couple of scenes with kissing in them, but acts of service are the primary love language in The Spellshop.

Did I mention Kiela’s best friend, Caz, is a talking spider plant? Honestly? Caz is the main reason I picked up the book. Tee hee!

Back in April, I mentioned The Husky and His White Cat Shizun. I’m still reading that (I’m on Volume 5), but I’ve also started reading Heaven Official’s Blessing. I watched the anime for Heaven Official’s Blessing, and the ending was abrupt. Apparently, they’re releasing a new season this year. Anyway, the light novels have a faster pace than the anime, though they’re redundant in places. Seriously, if Mo Xiang Tong Xiu cut out half of the redundant sentences, I guarantee the first volume could have been shorter by at least thirty pages. I still enjoy the story, and the characters are cute. I’m excited to see what lies beyond the anime.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are all the books our writers have been reading this past month. What’ve you been reading? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Supergirl Starter Stories

Getting Into Comics: Supergirl Starter Stories

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Supergirl is right around the corner, so now may be the best time to get into reading Supergirl comics. Many of the stories mentioned in this list will come from the previous two decades because Supergirl was a girl version of Superman for many years until DC Comics decided to kill her in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Spoiler: Crisis on Infinite Earths didn’t quite make this list, but I’d recommend reading it for reasons other than Supergirl lore.

Crisis on Infinite Earths occurred in the Eighties, and Supergirl’s death would stick longer than most comic book characters. And when Supergirl returned, comic book creators took her in different directions. Finally, Kara Zor-El would break free of her cousin’s shadow. We have some interesting stories to discuss. Which comic book stories made our Supergirl Starter Stories.

We’ll start things off with our only single issue on this list.

Single Issue

“The Supergirl from Krypton” (Action Comics #252; written by Robert Bernstein/art by Al Plastino; May 1959)

Fun fact: Action Comics #252 contained three stories. The first featured the iconic Superman villain, Metallo’s first appearance in “The Menace of Metallo.” And the third was Supergirl’s origin, “The Supergirl from Krypton.”

Honestly, I only included “The Supergirl from Krypton” because it’s Supergirl’s first appearance. I like to include a character’s origin whenever possible. Very little happens in “The Supergirl from Krypton” besides Superman and Supergirl meeting for the first time and a lengthy backstory of how Kara Zor-El ended up on Earth. But Supergirl’s origin is interesting.

Her Kryptonian hometown, Argo City, was blasted free of Krypton’s destruction in a bubble of compressed air, designed by Kara’s father Zor-El (who’s also Superman’s uncle). Zor-El created a force field around the city to maintain its atmosphere, but years later, a meteor shower penetrated the air bubble, and Zor-El saved his daughter by building her a spaceship, similar to Superman’s. He sends her to Earth because somehow the Kryptonians on Argo City know about Superman. Sure. Supes can’t take on Kara as his ward (and risk his secret identity), so he sends her to an orphanage. Nice move, Supes.

“The Supergirl from Krypton” doesn’t have a lot of space to explore the cousins’ relationship, but there’ll be plenty of time to do that in the coming years.

Storylines

“Many Happy Returns” (Supergirl #75-#80 written by Peter David/art by Ed Benes; 2003)

Peter David had an excellent run on Supergirl. You should check it out if you have the time, but I’m focusing on David’s storyline, “Many Happy Returns” because David primarily wrote about Linda Danvers, the Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths’ Supergirl. This post focuses on Kara Zor-El, but Linda Danvers was a good character in her own right. Danvers is the reason Kara Zor-El in the Supergirl series had the surname Danvers.

Anyway, “Many Happy Returns” marks Kara Zor-El’s return to DC Comics continuity. A lot more happens in “Many Happy Returns,” we’re talking multiverse jumping and a romance between Earth-One’s Superman and Linda, leading to Linda needing to save Kara on her world. Long story short, Linda does something she can never come back from, renounces being a hero, and Kara Zor-El takes back the mantel of Supergirl.

“Supergirl: Girl of Steel” (Supergirl #0-10 and #12; written by Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Joe Kelly; art by Ron Adrian, Rob Lea, Ian Churchill, Andy Lanning, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Norm Rapmund; 2005-2007)

Jeph Loeb’s classic run on Supergirl helped define the character. While “The Supergirl from Krypton” spun a tale of a teenage Kryptonian living on an asteroid for years before getting launched into space to join her cousin, “Supergirl: Girl of Steel” presents the more familiar story of Supergirl leaving Krypton at the same time as her then infant cousin. Supergirl was tasked with protecting Kal-El on Earth, but her ship got lost and she spent decades in suspended animation. By the time Kara Zor-El reached Earth, her cousin no longer needed her. And now, she needed to find her way.

“Supergirl: Girl of Steel” is an iconic story at this point. You can see its influence on the Supergirl television show, and the upcoming Supergirl film will use another story (more on that in a bit) that builds on “Supergirl: Girl of Steel’s” structure. This is a must read.

“The Hunt for Reactron” (Action Comics #881-882, Supergirl #44-50, Supergirl Annual #1, and Superman: Secret Files 2009) written by Greg Rucka and Sterling Gates; art by Jamal Igle; 2009-2010)

“The Hunt for Reactron” may take place on New Earth, but it does an excellent job showcasing Reactron, one of Supergirl’s greatest foes. And you can’t go wrong with Greg Rucka’s storytelling. On New Earth, Kara Zor-El’s father and many more Kryptonians survived Krypton’s destruction. They establish a New Krypton, and Reactron, with the help of Superman villain Metallo, disturb the peace. Okay. I soft-balled that. Reactron kills Kara’s father.

Understandably, Kara flies off in a rage. What ensues is fellow Kryptonian Thara Ak-Var (Flamebird) preventing Kara from doing something she’ll regret. Is she successful? You’ll have to read “The Hunt for Reactron.”

“Bizarro-Girl” (Supergirl #53-#57) written by Sterling Gates; art by Jamal Igle; 2010)

We go from one villain-defining story to another. Leading up to 2010, Bizarro had existed for decades. Bizarrogirl made her debut in this story, and she does so with a bang. Unlike Bizarro who’s the opposite of Superman, Bizarrogirl functions like a mirror for Kara Zor-El. Leading into this story, New Krypton falls and several Kryptonians (like Flamebird) die with it. Supergirl is in mourning.

Bizarro sends Bizarrogirl to Earth to cause trouble. While Bizarrogirl is away, Bizarro World gets attacked by giant bug-like creatures spawned by “Godship.” The insectoids overrun Bizarro World, and Bizarrogirl’s people believe she abandoned them. She blames herself for Bizarro World’s downfall just as Supergirl blames herself for New Krypton’s demise. I love how Bizarrogirl asks Supergirl if self-punishment ever ends, and Kara tells her it might not, but it’s what you do afterwards that counts. Supergirl takes her own advice, and the two start healing. “Bizarro-Girl” is a great read.

“Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton” (Supergirl #1-7; written by Michael Green; art by Mike Johnson and Mahmud Asrar; 2011-2012)

The New 52 brought changes to the DC Comics Universe. This version of Supergirl has just landed on Earth. She believes she’s dreaming. She must be on Krypton (instead of Earth) and encounters Superman. Confused, Kara Zor-El attacks the man calling himself Superman. She had babysat her infant cousin Kal-El three days ago. But this is indeed a grown Kal-El. He explains to her that the Earth’s yellow sun gives them superpowers like Kryptonian Worldkillers. What’s a Worldkiller? We find out when we meet Reign for the first time.

Reign explains that Worldkillers, like her, were the result of Kryptonian scientific experiments. They were genetically altered to be killing machines. And just like Kryptonians, Reign isn’t the only Worldkiller who survived Kryton’s destruction. Kara must take on four Worldkillers alone. The Worldkillers want nothing more than to kill innocent lives. Kara manages to save the humanity and drive off the Worldkillers…for now.

“Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton” introduces yet another great Supergirl villain, Reign. She made such an impression that she was featured in a season of Supergirl. Not bad for a new villain. “Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton” shows Kara Zor-El as truly alone. It sows the seeds for our next entry as well.

“Red Daughter of Kryton” (Supergirl: #26-#33; Green Lantern #28; Red Lanterns #28-34; written by Various; art by Various; February 2014-October 2014)

Surprise. Worldkillers return in “Red Daughter of Krypton.” But before we get there, Supergirl fights off Cyborg Superman and H’el in space. H’el is another great Supergirl villain. We don’t get too much of his backstory here, but in short, he tempts Kara Zor-El with turning Earth into a New Krypton. While this pitch wouldn’t do much for Superman, Supergirl has more of an attachment to Krypton. Regardless, after Supergirl finishes this fight she returns home to find Lobo antagonizing her. All this leads to a red lantern ring finding its way to Kara. Red Lanterns feed off anger, and in “Red Daughter of Krypton,” we see Kara Zor-El give into her rage.

Even though most Red Lanterns, like Atrocitus, who does make an appearance, can be viewed as villains. We do see heroes take on a red lantern ring. Here’s looking at you, Guy Gardner. In the end, Supergirl manages her rage. She retains the moniker of a superhero. But “Red Daughter of Krypton” reveals a new side of Supergirl that writers will explore.

“Supergirl: Being Super” (Supergirl: Being Super #1-4; written by Mariko Tamaki; art by Joelle Jones; 2017)

We get another origin story of sorts with “Supergirl: Being Super.” In this one, Kara Zor-El becomes Kara Danvers. This is an obvious nod to the Supergirl television show in the middle of its run on the CW. “Supergirl: Being Super” remixes details of the original Supergirl origin. She lives in Midvale, which is where Superman dropped her into an orphanage. But she also discovers her powers, similar to Kal-El. The Supergirl in “Supergirl: Being Super” drops the Supergirl as Superman protector for a moment and explores what it would be like if Supergirl were a novice.

“Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1-8; written by Tom King/art by Bilquis Evely; August 2021-April 2022)

“Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” was the first comic I knew would make this list. If you were to search against this title, you’ll find the Supergirl 2026 movie as a top result. Simply put, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” is the basis for the upcoming DCU Supergirl film. Yay!

Written by Tom King (who had just finished an iconic run on Batman), “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” returns Kara Zor-El to Superman’s would-be protector. Only a grown Superman doesn’t need a babysitter. So, she’s on a foreign planet (Earth) with no purpose and gives in to her baser instincts. This is a lost Kara Zor-El. The ending of the DCU’s Superman (2025) does a great job of setting up her character. Kara gets wasted. She’s aimless. She struggles to find purpose, but eventually, she finds herself. The award-winning “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” received widespread acclaim. I can’t wait to see how the DCU interprets this story.

Those are the Supergirl stories that made our list. Are there any Supergirl stories you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.