7 Great Supergirl Stories That Aren’t Woman of Tomorrow

In 2026, James Gunn’s DCU is bringing one of the best Supergirl stories to the big screen as Craig Gillespie’s movie is based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While many people are rushing out to read this story before the film arrives, and it deserves all the attention it can get, there are so many other great stories out there that fans should seek out after reading that masterpiece. Supergirl made her first appearance in 1959, and while she has undergone some interesting changes over her existence in DC Comics, she has mostly been portrayed as Superman’s cousin who also survived Krypton’s explosion, but with a much more tragic backstory than even Kal-El.

With over six decades of storylines to her name, here are seven of the best Supergirl DC Comics book stories that fans should seek out after reading Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

7) Superman/Supergirl Maelstrom

The Supergirl storyline Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom was from the creative team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. The villain is Maelstrom, who is from Apokalips, and she wants to kill Superman to impress her lord, Darkseid. However, she realizes she also had to fight Supergirl, and that is where this series really starts to shine. When Superman and Supergirl go to train on a planet with a red sun (eliminating their powers), it shows how impressive these two heroes really are. It all ends with Supergirl saving her cousin and the two of them battling Maelstrom and the Demale Furies in one of the Woman of Tomorrow’s greatest battles.

6) Action Comics #881-882 & Supergirl #45-46 – “The Hunt for Reactron”

“The Hunt for Reactron” played out in a storyline that crossed over between Supergirl comics and Action Comics, since it involved both Superman and Supergirl. This was during the era when Kandor was brought back to life and placed on Earth, but before it was moved to the other side of the sun. A villain named Mirabai makes everyone believe that Supergirl murdered Mon-El, and she has to find Reactron, who might be behind the entire event. This is a great storyline to pick up because it presents someone who is a genuine Supergirl villain, rather than one shared with her cousin.

5) Superman/Batman #8-13 – “Supergirl from Krypton”

“Supergirl from Krypton” is a story that played out in the Superman/Batman comic book title by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner. This was the storyline that brought Supergirl back into DC Comics following Crisis on Infinite Earths, the series that rebooted the DC Universe and showed Supergirl’s death in that massive crossover event. Here, Batman finds the spaceship that crashed to Earth with Superfirl in it, and when he looks into it, he realizes that she is a second survivor from Krypton. The story really helps make Supergirl a main event player again, training with Wonder Woman, while also secretly being the catalyst for Darkseid’s eventual arrival.

4) Supergirl #9-11 – “Escape from the Phantom Zone”

What makes “Escape from the Phantom Zone” such a great Supergirl story is that it has Kara teaming up with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), which has always been one of DC Comics’ fun pairings. This was during Steve Orlando’s run on the title, and it might be the best story arc he presented during his time writing the Woman of Tomorrow. This was the first time that Supergirl and Batgirl ever met in this timeline, and they set out to find a woman who has a key to the Phantom Zone.

3) Supergirl #36-40 – “Crucible”

The Supergirl storyline “Crucible” marked the end of her New 52 era solo comic, and it was one that followed her run as a Red Lantern. This was the series that reinvented Supergirl for the New 52, which had some hits and misses, but Supergirl was mostly done well and respectful to the character’s long history. This was a four-issue finale to the series that saw Supergirl join the Crucible Academy and start to become the hero she was meant to be, but then she realizes the organization is not what she was led to believe. The ending was perfect, and it ended up seamlessly integrating into Rebirth when that DC reboot kicked off

2) Supergirl: Being Super

There have been several origin stories for Supergirl, but one of the best might have come in the four-issue miniseries Supergirl: Being Super. Released in 2017 by Mariko Tamaki and Joëlle Jones, this is similar to the overlooked Superman title, Superman: Secret Identity, in that it is set outside of continuity. What this title does is show Kara learning about her powers, but setting the story against a modern backdrop to make it all the more impactful. It is a brilliant reimagining of the character and a Supergirl story that every fan should seek out and read.

1) Supergirl #1-7 – “The Last Daughter of Krypton”

The first story arc for Supergirl in the New 52 arc began with “The Last Daughter of Krypton.” This played out throughout the first seven issues of her New 52 series, where Supergirl arrives on Earth, without knowing what is happening, and sees an entire army blindly attacking her until Superman saves her. When she finally reveals who he is, she then reveals her origin story, which is the one that is canon in today’s comics, including Woman of Tomorrow. This is where Argo City and its destruction were detailed, and Supergirl arrived in the modern-day DC Comics.

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