7 Comics to Read After ‘Supergirl’ Season 3

After twenty-two weeks (and some change) of action, romance, and DC Comics Easter eggs, the third season of Supergirl drew to a close tonight.

The season three finale, “Battles Lost and Won”, debuted tonight on The CW. Fans didn’t know exactly what to expect going into the episode, as the battle between Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Selena (
Anjali Jay) came to a head.

If you’re finding yourself unsure how to occupy your time as you eagerly anticipate the debut of Season 4, ComicBook.com is here to help. Here are a handful of comic series and runs that we think are recommended reading after Supergirl‘s third season.

‘Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton’

We previously pointed out, right before Supergirl went on its lengthy midseason hiatus, that “The Last Daughter of Krypton” was definitely relevant to this season’s events. And now that the season is all said and done, that turned out to be even more true.

The series served as a sort of New 52 reinvention of Kara, which started with her pod landing in Siberia with no memory of Krypton’s destruction (not unlike how tonight’s finale wrapped up). While investigating her origins, Kara was attacked by Reign and her other Worldkillers, which launched her into a pretty unique predicament.

Sure, the whole Kara vs. Worldkillers battle didn’t play out exactly the same way in the television series, but it’s worth appreciating their main set piece in the pages of DC Comics.

‘Supergirl: Being Super’

While the majority of this season has focused on butt-kicking action, new villains, and flying monkeys, the “Midvale” bottle episode was arguably one of the show’s best entries.

If you found yourself captivated by the look at Kara and Alex’s past, then you absolutely should check out Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones’ Supergirl: Being Super. The standalone limited series focused on a teenaged version of Kara, who is forced to come to terms with her powers after an earthquake drudges up secrets in Midvale.

The end result is breathtakingly executed, with poignant moments balanced by relatable adolescent angst.

‘Bombshells: United’

Another great standalone series – one that features a new take on the Girl of Steel – is Bombshells: United.

The sequel to the beloved DC Bombshells series follows a menagerie of DC Comics heroines, as they try to protect the world and fend off villains in the 1940s. The series’ stories are broken up into different mini-arcs, with quite a few involving Kara Starikov/Supergirl and various other characters featured on Supergirl.

Bombshells: United, which recently wrapped up an eighteen-issue run, is every bit as adventurous and upbeat as an average episode of Supergirl, while still finding time to hit you with a dose of the feels. 

‘A-Force’

And if you find yourself wanting more female-led ensembles after Bombshells: United, then Marvel’s A-Force miniseries is a great place to start.

A-Force follows an all-female team of the Avengers through an array of Marvel Comics events, with some surprisingly delightful results. The comic features an array of some of Marvel’s beloved female characters, including She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Medusa, and Dazzler.

Like with Bombshells, there’s a heck of a lot of feminist energy within A-Force, while still managing to be an intriguing superhero comic. With that in mind, it certainly feels like it’s right up the alley of Supergirl fans.

‘Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga’

While the Legion of Super-Heroes have primarily played a supporting role in this season of Supergirl, the promotion of Jesse Rath to series regular suggests that at least some of the team will stick around next year.

With that in mind, there are certainly plenty of Legion stories you could catch up on — but we recommend The Great Darkness Saga. The five-issue arc gave fans a pretty comprehensive view of the Legion, as it featured appearances from nearly every living past and present member of the team.

How exactly the team factors into the story is a little…complicated, but it sees the group ultimately fighting an iconic DC villain. 

‘Paper Girls’

Paper Girls might not (technically) feature any superheroes, but it’s female-led ensemble and general energy feel weirdly in line with Supergirl.

The Brian K. Vaughn series follows a quartet of newspaper delivery girls in 1988, whose lives are very quickly turned upside down when they find something supernatural.

We won’t spoil what that discovery is, or where things go from there, but let’s say it takes the characters on a journey that feels like a grittier version of a Supergirl or Legion story.

“Batwoman: Elegy”

And finally, diehard Arrowverse fans know that next season’s crossover will take things into Gotham City, as the network’s set of heroes team up with Kate Kane/Batwoman.

That feels like a perfect excuse for Supergirl fans to read – or re-read – the Detective Comics story arc “Batwoman: Elegy”.

The run sees Kate Kane rising up as Gotham City’s hero, in the wake of Batman’s apparent death in Final Crisis. Kate is tasked with battling a mysterious woman named Alice, who plans to unleash a toxic cloud over Gotham City. Many see “Elegy” as the quintessential Batwoman story, one that battles her unique arsenal of abilities with her complicated personal life. 

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Supergirl’s fourth season will debut Sundays this fall at 8/7c on The CW.