(Image Source: DC / Pablo Villalobos)
There are many young women who have worn the mantle of Supergirl. Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman, is easily the most famous. And yet, even her history and personality have been changed, as the main DC Comics setting shifted through repeated reboots and retcons.
DC tested the waters for a potential Supergirl several times before Kara Zor-El was introduced in 1959. Lois Lane was briefly given the powers of Superman in several stories, where she fought crime as Superwoman. A young Superboy was briefly turned into a girl by an alien to teach him a lesson about respecting women. Finally, there was Queen Lucy of Borgonia, whom Superboy helped pose as a superhero called Supergirl to thwart a scheming minister.
(Image Source: DC / Ed McGuinness)
More heroes used the Supergirl name after Kara Zor-El died during Crisis on Infinite Earths. The first of these was Matrix, a shape-shifting being created by the heroic Lex Luthor of another dimension. Matrix would later merge with Linda Danvers, creating an “Earth-Born Angel.” In 2003, Brainiac altered the DNA of a homeless teen, allowing her to pose as the daughter of Superman from the future. This Cir-El ultimately sacrificed herself to stop Brainiac’s plans. However, the classic Kara Zor-El has been the only Supergirl since her reintroduction to the main timeline in 2004. (There is also Power Girl, the Kara Zor-El of Earth 2, but she’s mostly treated as a different character today.)
Best Supergirl comics as of 2025
The chief problem in finding good Supergirl comics is accessibility. DC Comics has almost consistently published a monthly comic starring the Woman of Tomorrow for the past two decades. However, many of these comics were tightly tied into the storylines of the Superman comics. This has left Kara Zor-El stuck in the shadow of her more famous cousin and mired in confusing continuity. Ironically, these are both frequent topics of her modern stories!
Another issue is the general disagreement of how Kara Zor-El should be written. Her earliest appearances didn’t give her much personality beyond being an earnest young woman who wanted to make her cousin proud. Conversely, many modern interpretations offer a darker take on Supergirl. These stories portray her as an embittered survivor and reluctant hero, who lacks Superman’s attachment to Earth. The list which follows presents a variety of takes on the Girl of Steel, offering something for all ages and interpretations.
Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow
Kara Zor-El is in a rut. She is the Last Daughter of Krypton, but she doesn’t truly feel alive. All her plans for the future were destroyed along with her home planet. Still, she was ready to devote herself to raising her cousin, Kal-El, on an alien world. Of course, things didn’t go according to plan there either.
Now, Kara finds herself wondering what the point of it all is, because nobody sees her outside the context of being Superman’s cousin. However, Kara finds a cause worth fighting for in the form of an alien girl. Her planet was destroyed, the villain responsible escaped, and she wants revenge. Thus begins a less-than-noble quest, as a Supergirl and her dog, Krypto, head into deep space to see justice done.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is best known as an inspiration for the 2026 movie. Indeed, that was almost the name of the film before it was decided to keep it to the short and sweet Supergirl. The story offers an analysis of Kara’s character that most writers never considered. However, it is Bilquis Evely‘s detail-driven artwork and outstanding visuals that truly sell the story. The end result is a comic that is more space-opera than standard superheroics.
DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel
Released in January 2025, DC: Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel collects the earliest adventures of Kara Zor-El. This archive opens with her first appearance in Action Comics #252. This sets the classic status quo, with Kara taking on the name Linda Lee and living in an orphanage until she is adopted by the Danvers family.
Most of the stories in this Supergirl collection are classic Silver Age silliness. A good number of them go out of their way to justify just why Kara couldn’t live with the Kents. (This is what happened in many comics adaptations to other media.) However, with a variety of stories from 1959-1962, it offers a comprehensive look at Supergirl’s origins and early development as a character.
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade
When 12-year-old Kara Zor-El traveled to Earth from Argo City, she had dreams of helping her cousin. However, Kal-El had a different challenge in mind for her; middle school! Now, as Linda Lee, Kara is trying to maintain a low profile until she figures out a way to return home. Unfortunately, with a school full of bullies and scheming teachers, that is easier said than done.
Aimed at younger readers, Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade is a kid-friendly introduction to Supergirl. The script by Landry Q. Walker makes Kara sympathetic, yet is also filled with rapid-fire comedic quips. The artwork by Eric Jones is equally animated and engaging.
Adventures of Supergirl (2016)
For six seasons, Melissa Benoist portrayed the Woman of Tomorrow in the hit Arrowverse series. Despite the show’s success, DC didn’t really try to capitalize on it by adapting the comics to fit the show. While the 2016 Supergirl DC Rebirth series gave Kara a side-hustle as a DEO agent, this did not last long.
By contrast, 2016’s Adventures of Supergirl offered a familiar entry into comics for fans of the show. The series benefited from scripts by longtime Supergirl comic writer Sterling Gates. It also featured outstanding artwork by fan-favorite artists Bengal and Emanuela Lupacchino.
Supergirl: Misadventures in Midvale
Even a Girl of Steel can feel like breaking sometimes. Such is the state Kara finds herself in trying to balance roles as the defender of the Bottle City of Kandor and her life on Earth. This leaves her trying to go home again, as much as this is possible for a refugee from Krypton. To that end, she returns to Midvale – the small town where she lived as Linda Danvers while learning about Earth culture. However, there’s an imposter Linda living with Kara’s foster parents. Worse yet, there’s another Supergirl guarding Midvale!
The first collection of the current monthly Supergirl comic, Misadventures in Midvale is a welcome introduction to everything that encompasses the Girl of Steel. Faced with the chaos that is Kara Zor-El’s history, writer/artist Sophie Campbell opts to embrace the mess. The series draws deeply off of the whole of Supergirl history. This includes giving Kara an unlikely friendship with Lex Luthor’s daughter, Lena and her mentoring another aspiring superhero, Luminary.
Campbell’s artwork is another selling point for the series. Her character designs evoke the spirit of a shojo manga, with big expressive eyes. These visuals add to the stories considerably, mixing elements of magic girl adventures and slice-of-life dramas. Given that, this is perhaps the best modern Supergirl series for teen and tween girls.
How we chose the best Supergirl comics
Some of these comics were chosen because they offered a historic perspective on Supergirl. Most, however, were chosen for being self-contained stories that are easily accessible. An effort was also made to accommodate readers of all ages and those who primarily know Supergirl from the 2015 television series.
