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- Collected Editions
- Action Comics
- Adventure Comics
- Supergirl (Vol. 1)
- Superman Family
- Daring New Adventures of Supergirl
- Crisis on Infinite Earths
- Post-Crisis
Supergirl debuted in Action Comics #252 in 1959 and starred in the back-up feature until 1969, at which point she was promoted to the main feature in Adventure Comics (taking over from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes). In 1972 she received her first Supergirl series, which ran for 10 issues. In 1974 Supergirl, Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane and Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olson were cancelled and merged into the new 100-page Superman Family which ran until 1982. A second Supergirl series was immediately launched called The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl. Supergirl’s adventures came to an end in 1985 with her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.
Supergirl’s Debut in Action Comics #252
Here you can see the eight-page introduction of Supergirl from 1959. This first story quickly introduces Supergirl and has her explain her origins before Superman summarily dumps her in a down-at-the-heels orphanage, with instructions to keep her offworld origins and amazing powers a secret. What an overbearing patriarch Superman is! Nevertheless, Kara plans to watch over her new hometown as its “guardian angel”, thus setting up the serial’s premise.
Collected Editions
SUPERGIRL ARCHIVES VOL. 1
Supergirl Archives Vol. 1 on Amazon.com (Out of print: available new and used from third party sellers.)
Reprints the Supergirl stories from ACTION COMICS #252-268 (1959-1960). Also includes the “first Supergirl” story from SUPERMAN #123 — a prototype version of Supergirl that the Man of Steel encountered eight months prior to the introduction of Kara Zora-El. Written by Superman’s creator, Jerry Siegel, this book features the history and first appearance of Kara Zora-El, from her escape from Argo, Krypton’s last surviving city, to her adoption of the secret identity of Linda Danvers, to her first meeting with Superman.
Archives Editions. 204 pages. Hardcover. Full color. Published November 1, 2001 (OOP). List price $49.95 USD.
SUPERGIRL ARCHIVES VOL. 2
Supergirl Archives Vol. 2 on Amazon.com (Out of print: available new and used from third party sellers.)
Reprints the Supergirl stories from ACTION COMICS #269-285 (1960-1962). Stories include the adoption and world debut of Supergirl, her first romance, her first encounter with the Legion of Super-Heroes, a run-in with the Superman Emergency Squad, an adventure revolving around red Kryptonite, and appearances by Streaky the Super Cat.
252 pages. Hardcover. Full color. Published March 1, 2004 (OOP). List price $49.95 USD.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: Supergirl Vol. 1
Showcase Supergirl Volume 1 on Amazon.com
Showcase Presents is a line of black & white jumbo paperbacks that reprints early DC comics from the Silver Age. They provide a great many stories (over 500 pages) at a very low price, but they are not in colour. The first Supergirl Showcase volume contains nearly as many stories as the two Supergirl Archives combined, plus Supergirl’s guest appearances in other Superman Family books during that period.
Reprints the Supergirl stories from ACTION COMICS #252-281, SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #40, 44, 46, 51 and 52, ADVENTURE COMICS #278, SUPERBOY #80, SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #14, and SUPERMAN #123, 139, 140 and 144.
Black & White. 528 pages. $16.99 USD. Published November 28, 2007.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: Supergirl Vol. 2
Showcase Supergirl Volume 2 on Amazon.com
Reprints the Supergirl stories from ACTION COMICS #283-321. Black & White. 512 pages. $16.99 USD. Published December 16, 2008.
Download Issues
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Action Comics #252-376 (May 1959-May 1969)
The Supergirl stories in Action Comics generally run between 12 and 14 pages.
Adventure Comics
Supergirl headlined in Adventure Comics #381-424 between June 1969-Oct 1972 and made guest appearances in a number of issues prior to that.
Supergirl #1-10 (1972-1974)
Superman Family #164-222 (1974-1982)
Superman Family ran from April 1974-Sept 1982 and primarily focused on Supergirl, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olson, along with the following serials:
- “Mr. and Mrs. Superman” – the adventures of the married Earth-Two Superman and Lois Lane.
- “The Private Life of Clark Kent” – the adventures of Clark Kent in which he uses his powers and skills without becoming Superman.
- “Superboy” – the adventures of the Earth-One Superman as a teenaged super-hero.
- “Krypto” – the adventures of Superman’s dog
- “Nightwing and Flamebird” – the adventures of the second Nightwing and Flamebird team of heroes (Van-Zee and Ak-Var) in the Bottled City of Kandor.
The series ran bimonthly for issues #164-#206 (series numbering continued from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olson) before going monthly in 1981 with issue #207. The early issues (issues #164-181) would feature one new story starring one character and the remainder of the issue would reprint Silver Age stories of the other characters. Supergirl would appear in a new story every three issues during this period. Starting with #182, the book began featuring all new content and the page count was reduced to 68 pages of actual story (whether it said “80 pages” or “68 pages” on the cover). The series was cancelled in 1982 and replaced by Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, which featured a Lois Lane back-up feature.
The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1-23 (Nov 1982-Sept 1984)
Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985)
Amazon.com: Trade Paperback
Amazon.com: Absolute Edition
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue maxiseries intended to streamline the fictional DC multiverse of parallel Earths with its many “duplicate” characters by merging everyone into one universe with a revised timeline. One of the most shocking developments was the permanent death of Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.
LEGENDS OF THE DCU: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (February 1999)
This story takes place between Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 and #5, or rather during issues #3-5. Features pre-Crisis Supergirl and Supergirl of Earth-D.
Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths
Supergirl: Many Happy Returns (2002-2003)
Supergirl: Many Happy Returns on Amazon.com
Kara appears in the final six issues of the 1996-2003 Supergirl series starring Linda Danvers. Kara’s rocket is diverted from its journey to the Earth of the Silver Age and crash lands on the modern day Supergirl’s world.
Solo
Solo is an anthology series that was published bimonthly from 2004 to 2006 for a total of 12 issues. Each issue spotlights the work of a different artist, contains 48 pages plus covers, and is ad-free.
- Solo #1 – includes the Silver Age-set story “Young Love” (8 pages) featuring Supergirl (Kara) and Robin
- Solo #7 – includes the Teen Titans story “Doom Patrol vs Teen Titans” (8 pages) with appearances by Supergirl (Kara), Streaky, Comet, and other Silver Age teen heroes like the original Bat-Girl and Wonder Girl. Supergirl appears on page 11 and page 12.
References
- Mike’s Amazing World of DC Comics: Supergirl Index – complete chronology and issue summaries
- The Comic Book Database – complete chronology and issue summaries (lists even the smallest cameos)
- The Grand Comics Database Project – a database of covers for every Action Comics, Adventure Comics, Supergirl, Superman Family, and other DC series, along with issue details.
Back Issue Comics Stores
- Mile High Comics – the largest selection of back issue comics on the internet, many classic Supergirl comics can be purchased from this site. Note: they price their “low-grade Silver Age comics at an average of between double and triple most price guides“. The later comics from the 1970s are a lot cheaper.
- MyComicShop – also carries a large number of Supergirl back issues