Cover Image: DC Super Hero Girls: At Metropolis High

DC Super Hero Girls: At Metropolis High

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The first of a new run of the series that changes the concept, characters, and look to match the TV cartoon.

One of the key differences in this second phase of DC Super Hero Girls is that it’s much more conventional in its approach. Half the characters — including Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Star Sapphire, and Poison Ivy — are now back to being villains, and the heroes are attempting to maintain secret identities (which mostly gives them more clothes choices). The stories, themes, and messages are all simpler.

The art is more stylized, in keeping with the exaggerated look of the TV cartoon, but it’s also more static. There’s no sense of flow between these comic panels. Each seems like a frozen moment, and the story jumps from one to another. The best comics, in contrast, create the sense that there is movement happening between the moments we see. Instead, here, it’s like flipping though a stack of photos, where the characters are posing for us in each panel.

I miss the sense of a full DC universe that previous stories had. The supporting characters here are generic students, just fodder for the background. I also didn’t find these girls anyone I wanted to spend time with. They were caricatures, given supposedly identifiable motives and interests, but it all falls flat. Only Wonder Woman, with an elaborate, archaic way of speaking, has a unique character voice.

Was this review helpful?

This is a cute story that is perfect for young readers. If you are not familiar with the TV series it might be a little confusing. I personally am a little confused about whether the villains and heroes know who their identities? They all go to a 'normal' school together, not Super Hero High?

Was this review helpful?

I love the DC Super Hero Girls graphic novels. It’s great to see these familiar characters interacting in their high school.

This graphic novel was a little different from the other DC Super Hero Girls books I’ve read because the girls were divided into groups of super heroes versus villains. They are usually a big group of friends, not divided. This was part of the storyline, because the superhero girls were getting in trouble for being late at school, but the villain girls somehow always made it there on time, even when they were wrecking havoc.

A funny part of this graphic novel was that the teachers were never shown. They weren’t even given dialogue. This reminded me of Charlie Brown, where the teachers and adults only make noises, but we never actually understand what they’re saying. This made the students the focus of the story, rather than what the teachers were telling them.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel!

Thank you DC Comics for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I love the previous volumes of the DC Super Hero Girls comics. Unfortunately, the change in creative team and direction were not in the best interests of the series as a whole. I'm sure some of why I didn't love this volume was because I was so accustomed to the previous iteration of the series, but there was also something that just felt off about the reboot. It's just missing something that the previous version had that made it extremely lovable. Girls who want more DC Super Hero Girls books are still likely to enjoy this and future installments of the series, but it is not nearly as good as previous volumes.

Was this review helpful?

This book was received as an ARC from DC Entertainment - DC Zoom in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Being a superfan of the DC Super Hero Girls and the comic book series, I was so excited to preview this comic because I knew this adventure would be just as exciting than the last. When it comes to school, superheroes always struggle with protecting their secret identity and when school becomes trouble, they must think on their feet and get creative to stay in school and remain secret. The artwork in this series is so whimsical and breathtaking that it almost seems unreal that a series such as this exists. I know our teen book club will go crazy for this new release like they loved the rest of the series.

We will consider adding this title to our graphic novel collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute shot story, however somethings didn't land quit right with me. First, it should be known that I am in the camp of being a fan of the old animation style of the Youtube shorts and not this new cartoon. It just looked better in my opinion. I really didn't like what they did with Super Girl's personality in this story. It was vastly different from how we usually see her and did not work. If you are looking to get antiquated with different super heroes that are a little lesser known I would recommend this , but otherwise the previous comics were better.

Was this review helpful?

A different direction for the DC Super Hero Girls. In another dimension, the girls are living the mild-mannered life in a regular high school, keeping their super powers hidden. They balance general school drama plotlines with wise-cracking crime fighting at night. Even though they're in a more realistic setting, the characters feel less realistic and relatable than the previous incarnation of DC Super Hero Girls. I think these are skewed a tiny bit older than the previous ones, more tween than elementary.

Was this review helpful?

So, apparently now the DC Super Hero Girls are no longer in middle school, but, in high school. Except, not quite, because apparently in high school the 'bad guys' are villains again, and everyone has secret identities.

In this one the heroes are always late for school, and so the principal decrees that they must all join after school clubs. First they try clubs about stuff they're good at. That doesn't go well. Then they try clubs of stuff they're not good at. It works, for most, but, not Supergirl, she still feels out of it, an outsider.

So does Lena Luthor (who is very young in this one, and blonde). And her story was quite fun. She uses her smarts and rubber duckies too.

It was a fun read. It was a lot like the middle school version (pretty sure I've read something like the plot in the middle school one before), just with older characters.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to DC Entertainment.

Was this review helpful?

A good addition to the reboot of the tv series. My daughter enjoyed it but she has watched all the episodes of the reboot. For those readers whose only knowledge is the previous DC Super Hero Girls it may be confusing. It was a cute story but readers may be confused unless they know the new version.

Was this review helpful?

Super cute book with a great message. Love the illustrations! This will make a great addition to our graphic novel collection.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoy this book!
The book focuses on the relationship between girls, their friendship, and how they deal with the real world, powerlessness, adapting and learning more about themselves!

Was this review helpful?

Fun book focusing on female friendship and struggles with fitting in and finding yourself. The girls have diverse backgrounds and personality types. Art was fun and engaging.

Was this review helpful?

This was a sweet graphic novel. I love me some superheroes and it was fun to read about them in their teens. I recognized most of them, even though I'm not a hardcore comic reader. The illustrations were light and went well with the all around feel of the story. I would have loved to see more of the background story, though - learning more about their lives. But maybe that's to come?
I really think this would suit middle grade-kids well. If you're looking for an easy read and don't care much about if it follows the DC-timeline or something, I recommend this. There's friendship, superpowers, villains, action and rubber ducks - what more could you ask for?

Thank you Netgalley and DC Entertainment for the free copy!

Was this review helpful?

Origin story? What origin story? This book for the under-tens takes a bundle of badly-drawn juvenile superheroes, whether we have ever met them or not, and makes them do after-school activities, so they can't use the powers we came along to watch them use. But luckily enough Ms Luthor is around to pep things up, as are other various other people from school they somehow fail to recognise… Gaudy, childish and rather weak, this is another failure for the incipient DC Zoom imprint, much along the lines of the Superman one. So what if it piggybacks on a TV cartoon where you can work out who is who, this should be a lot more self-contained, easy and interesting, whatever the audience.

Was this review helpful?

Review to come in October on my blog and Goodreads (and then later on Amazon).

I received this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I will be writing this one as I read! Some come with me as I discover some new Super Hero Girls stories!

So, that begin threw me off completely. I am used to the one written by Shea Fontana. However in this one the baddies and the goodies are split up. I wasn't expecting that when I requested this one. I had expected to see all my girls again in a brand-new adventure, however we start from the start with a battle between the girls. I do love Supergirl's hair though, that is so kick-ass.
Oh, wait apparently they were just playing? Or something? *is confused* I guess it was just play given how the girls interact in school. Still a bit odd. But oh well. :P

Then there is Lena and Lex. Bleh, Lex. I so don't like him. I guess that makes him a good villain. Though also maybe not. :P

I loved to see the girls find some new after-school activities, though I wonder why Supergirl is so against it. I am sure there is a bigger reason to it than just it getting in the way of defeating crime.
The clubs were a disappointment though, and I thought this was a superhero school? Or are these girls all here together in a human school (given what the girls tell Supergirl as she dashes past people). *is even more confused and wonders if she should have read something before this*

So our group of girls (Harley, Ivy and the rest) are truly evil? And are robbing banks just because they can? Um. I am so confused right now. So they (goodies/baddies) all get along in school (or at least mostly), but outside of it there is another story? Whut? Whut is going on here? I think I should just stick to Shea Fontana's story.

Ohhh, I do love those rubber duckies and what they can do. While I am not a fan of Lena, this gives her a few bonus points in the like department.

The battle between the girls and Lena was very much fun, and I was also very happy for Supergirl. Yes, she may fail in basic everyday things, but she is still sweet and super.

Then there was one big thing I didn't like. And this goes for the review copy, but it did annoy me so much, is that there is a HUGE watermark in the middle of the page. I get that you don't want people to share your images, but this was just way too distracting.

The art was pretty OK-ish. Not always a fan of it, but in overall I did like the style.

All in all, I still had fun reading it though I was quite confused. I miss that our girls are barely interacting outside of their friend group, that is what I loved in the Shea Fontana series, everyone was together and no matter if they were going to be baddies or not they were friends. I won't be continuing this series.

Was this review helpful?

Art is A+ but I felt like unless you had read the rest of the series you missed some background necessary for the characters. The color and story line would be perfect for young readers, but I think they'd need the bigger picture to truly understand.

Was this review helpful?

The art is very unattractive and I really disliked how the author decided to portray all of the characters. Reading the book really just felt like a waste of my time honestly.

Was this review helpful?

Felt like we dropped into the middle of the story and didn't quite find the beginning. Read this with my daughter and she LOVES Superhero girls, but because of that she had a hard time connecting with this reboot.
The story itself wasn't bad, although the end had a very 'Breakfast Club' feel. The moral of the story was a good one, but I wonder if there wasn't a bit much distraction from the main storyline to really get the impact.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this comic.

Was this review helpful?

The art style was cute and young children will probably like this story, but to me it felt really rushed.

Was this review helpful?

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

This is a really cute introduction to graphic novels/comics for younger ages. I teach middle grades and i could see this being popular with the 8-10 year old crowd.

This book focused on a group of teenage superhero girls and their experiences learning to balance life between superhero antics and high school. They are often late to class because of their superhero duties so the principal insists that they join after school clubs. The lessons portrayed in the next session are great lessons for children of this age group as they struggle to find their place in the world.

I enjoyed this story about the female superheroes and expect that my students would enjoy it too.

Was this review helpful?