Supergirl #50 is the culmination to several plot threads and storylines that have been developing in the book over the past 49 issues. It would really be confusing to anyone who has not read many or all of those preceding issues. It is, however, rewarding to anyone who has kept up with the book. It is not a story of the Supergirl that most people know- the Supergirl who is a cousin to Superman and shares most of his powers (But looks better in a mini skirt). This Supergirl is an "Earthborn Angel", a complex mixture of an alien who merged with a troubled girl and became something more than the two. It is a story of betrayal and the unfathomable workings of higher beings. Despite boasting a blond with the Superman "S" on her dress, it is not a superhero comic at all.

This story is titled "Wally's Angels", which is an odd choice because one of the questions that is never answered satisfactorally is whether or not the protagonist is actually Wally- who we saw much earlier in the books run as a young boy who claimed to be God and did work in rather mysterious ways. The Carnivean claims not to be him, but the book ends on a decidedly uncertain note. Supergirl herself has been headed for a fall for quite some time and appeared to do just that in the last issue. She manages to pick herself up along with Blith and Andy, two other "Earthborn Angels", and head to the realm in between Heaven and Earth to do battle with Carnivean's forces. That they would, in some fassion, triumph is never really in doubt (not in a mainstream superhero comic that isn't really a superhero comic after all), but rather, just what would be sacrificed for that victory. Without giving it away, I'll just say that it is a satisfactory conclusion.

Supergirl ultimately represents what is great about comics and what is wrong with the industry at the same time. It is a richly developed story that rewards the readers who have stayed with it through the past 4 years. Unfortunately it has little to offer a curious reader who has not, or is unwilling to commit to a long term stint with the book. Although many writers are doing stories for people who have outgrown superhero fantasies, they are still cloaking them in a cape and a costume. It is a quibling complaint. Taken on it's own terms, Supergirl has proven to be a great read and a springboard for some interesting debates on the kind of topics that would otherwise never be broached in this format. This is the kind of book that non-comic fans do not realize is out there. Unfortunately, because of the way that it is presented, they probably never will.