vinnyyyy!!!!!

for each section bolded comics are required, italicized comics are recommended, and everything else is optional!

ORIGIN AND MIDVALE ERA (NOTE: you'll have to flip to the back of each issue to get to kara's section!) action comics (1938) #252-253, 254-255, 256, 257, 258, 259-260, 261-262, 263-264, 265-266 superman's girl friend, lois lane (1958) #14 action comics (1938) #267, 268, 269-270, 271-275 superman's pal, jimmy olsen (1954) #51 action comics (1938) #276-285, 286-287, 288, 289, 290, 291-294, 295-298, 299-302, 303, 304, 305-306, 307-308, 309-310, 311-312, 313-317

STANHOPE COLLEGE action comics (1938) #318-319, 322-323, 332-333, 337, 339, 340, 350, 358, 359, 366-368, 369-370, 371-372, 374-376 world’s finest (1941) #169 adventure comics (1938) #381-382, 383, 384, 386-389, 391, 393-394, 395-397, 399, 400, 402, 404-405

K-SFTV REPORTER — SAN FRANCISCO adventure comics (1938) #406-407 action comics (1938) #402 (second story titled "superman vs. supergirl: feud of the titans") adventure comics (1938) #409-415, 417, 419, 420, 421-424

VANDYRE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1972) #1-10

STUDENT ADVISOR — FLORIDA (NOTE: every member of the superfamily has a story in the superman family (1974), so you'll have to flip through to find kara's section!) the superman family (1974) #165, 168, 171, 174, 177, 180, 182 justice league of america (1960) #132-134 the superman family #183, 184-186, 187-189, 191-193, 194, 196-198, 199, 200, 201-202, 203, 204-205, 206-207

ACTRESS — NEW YORK the superman family (1974) 208-210, 211-214, 215-216, 217, 218 superman (1939) #373 (second story titled “an eye (and ear) on the world!”) detective comics (1937) #508-510 the superman family #219-222

THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA (i recommend this storyline in it's entirety, but kara only appears in the last issue!) legion of superheroes (1980) #290-294

LAKE SHORE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1982) #1-12 (cw: nazi imagery in the brief interlude in #12)  supergirl (1982) #13-15 (cw: antisemitism, nazi imagery, depictions of the holocaust.) supergirl (1982) #16-23

LAST APPEARANCES AND DEATH legion of super-heroes (1980) #300-303 dc comics presents (1978) #28 tales of the legion of super-heroes (1984) #314-315 crisis on infinite earths (1985) #4-7

BONUS POST-COIE APPEARANCES christmas with the super-heroes (1988) #2 (last story titled “should auld acquaintance be forgot”) supergirl (1996) #49, 75-80 solo (2004) #1 (third story titled “young love”) convergence: adventures of superman (2015) #1-2

ORIGIN superman/batman (2003) #8-13  (or you can watch superman/batman: apocalypse (2010) instead which I recommend! the art is a lot more tasteful and it's a very faithful adaptation of the comic so you won’t be missing out on anything.)

KARA WITH THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES supergirl and the legion of super-heroes (2006) #16-36

LOEB AND KELLY HELL ERA supergirl (2005) #1-5, 9-10, 19 (you don’t have to read any of this since it gets retconned anyway, but if you’re interested in kara’s early characterization, the beginnings of her friendship with cassie sandsmark, or her difficulty fitting in on earth then you’re welcome to read what i’ve provided.)

KELLEY PUCKETT ERA Amazons Attack! teen titans (2003) #47-48  amazons attack! (2007) #3  supergirl (2005) #20  amazons attack! (2007) #4  teen titans (2003) #49

supergirl (2005) #21-22  teen titans (2003) #50, 51-55  supergirl (2005) #25-33

superman/supergirl: maelstrom (2009) #1-5

Superman: Brainiac  action comics (1938) #866-870

GATES AND IGLE HEAVEN ERA supergirl (2005) #34

New Krypton (new krypton is one of my favorite events and i recommend it in its entirety, but for the sake of brevity I’ll only be listing the issues relevant to kara.) superman: new krypton special #1  superman (1939) #681  adventure comics special featuring guardian #1  action comics (1938) #871  supergirl (2005) #35  superman (1939) #682  action comics (1938) #872  supergirl (2005) #36  superman (1939) #683  action comics (1938) #873

teen titans (2003) #66  supergirl (2005) #37-42

Friends and Fugitives superman: secret Files 2009 #1  supergirl (2005) #43  action comics (1938) #881  supergirl (2005) #45  action comics (1938) #882  supergirl (2005) #46-47

supergirl (2005) annual 1, #48-50

Last Stand of New Krypton  adventure comics (2009) #8  superman: last stand of new krypton #1  supergirl (2005) #51  superman (1938) #698  adventure comics (2009) #9  superman: last stand of new krypton #2  adventure comics (2009) #10  supergirl (2005) #52  superman (1938) #699  superman: last stand of new krypton #3 superman: war of the supermen (2010) #0, 1-4 

supergirl (2005) #53-57, annual 2, 58-59

END OF SUPERGIRL VOL 5 supergirl (2005) #60-64 supergirl (2005) #65-67

REIGN OF THE DOOMSDAYS action comics (1938) #900-904

ORIGIN and SUPERGIRL VS THE WORLDKILLERS supergirl (2011) #1-7

SUPERGIRL and SILVER BANSHEE supergirl (2011) #8-11

SUPERGIRL and SUPERBOY superboy (2011) #6

SANCTUARY supergirl (2011) #12, 0, 13

H’EL ON EARTH superman (2011) #13 supergirl (2011) #14 superman (2011) #14 superboy (2011) #15 supergirl (2011) #15 superboy (2011) #16 superboy (2011) Annual #1 supergirl (2011) #16 superman (2011) #16 superboy (2011) #17 supergirl (2011) #17 superman (2011) #17

SUPERGIRL and POWERGIRL supergirl (2011) #18-20

CYBORG SUPERMAN supergirl (2011) #21-23 action comics (2011) #23.1 supergirl (2011) #24

KRYPTON RETURNS action comics (2011) annual #2 superboy (2011) #25 supergirl (2011) #25 superman (2011) #25

SUPERGIRL VS LOBO supergirl (2011) #26-27

RED DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON supergirl (2011) #28-29 red lanterns (2011) #28-29 supergirl (2011) #30 red lanterns (2011) #30 supergirl (2011) #31 red lanterns (2011) #31-32 supergirl (2011) #32-33

SUPERMAN: DOOMED (this is a whole storyline but I'll only be listing the issues that kara appears in!) superman/wonder woman (2013) #9 action comics (2011) #33 supergirl (2011) #34 superman: doomed (2014) #2 action comics (2011) #35 supergirl (2011) #35

FUTURES END supergirl: futures end (2014) #1

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED justice league united (2014) #1-5 justice league united (2014) annual #1 justice league united (2014) #6-10

CRUCIBLE supergirl (2011) #36-40

FINAL DAYS OF SUPERMAN (kara only appears in the issues i've italicized and bolded, but i put all the relevant issues if you wanted to read the full storyline!) superman (2011) #51 batman/superman (2013) #31 action comics (2011) #51 superman/wonder woman (2013) #28 batman/superman (2013) #32 action comics (2011) #52 superman/wonder woman (2013) #29 superman (2011) #52

KARA IN NATIONAL CITY supergirl: rebirth #1

supergirl (2016) #1-8 batgirl (2016) annual 1 supergirl #9-12

supergirl (2016) annual 1 supergirl #13-20

world's finest: batwoman and supergirl #1-2

ROGOL ZAAR and THE SINS OF THE CIRCLE the man of steel #1-2, 3-6 supergirl #21-33, #34-36

LEVIATHAN and BATMAN WHO LAUGHS superman: leviathan rising special #1 supergirl #34-36 supergirl (2016) annual 2 supergirl #37-42

HOUSE OF KENT action comics (2016) #1022-1023 action comics (2016) #1024-1028

FUTURE STATE superman of metropolis (2021) #1-2 kara zor el, superwoman (2021) #1-2

action comics 2021 annual

WOMAN OF TOMORROW supergirl: woman of tomorrow (2021) #1-8

WORLD'S FINEST batman/superman: world's finest (2022) #2-6, 8, 12, 44

A WORLD WITHOUT CLARK KENT and RED MOON (kara is featured in the back-up story! if you want the full context of this plot i recommend reading the full warworld arc in action comics [action comics #1030-1046, superman: warworld apocalypse #1]!) action comics (2016) #1044-1046, 1047-1049

DAWN OF DC action comics (2016) #1051-1053, 1055-1056 superman (2023) #1-3 power girl special #1 steelworks (2023) #1-3

KNIGHT TERRORS knight terrors: superman (2023) #1-2

DAWN OF DC (continued) action comics: doomsday special (2023) superman (2023) #7 hawkgirl (2023) #4 supergirl special (2023)

NEW WORLDS [this arc starts on action comics #1057—kara doesn't appear in that issue but I recommend reading it for context!] action comics (2016) #1058-1060 action comics 2023 annual

JOURNEY TO FERIMBIA powergirl (2023) #5, 6-7

HOUSE OF BRAINIAC action comics (2016) #1064 superman (2023) #13 action comics (2016) #1065 superman (2023) #14 action comics (2016) #1066 superman (2023) #15

UNIVERSE END action comics (2016) #1070-1081

MISCELLANEOUS RECENT APPEARANCES: justice league unlimited (2024) #1, 4-6 superwoman special #1 superman (2023) #21-22

SUMMER OF SUPERMAN superman unlimited (2025) #1-2

NEW HISTORY new history of the dc universe (2025) #2-3

MISADVENTURES IN MIDVALE supergirl (2025) #1-10

HERO OF KANDOR supergirl (2025) #11-12

OTHER RECENT APPEARANCES dc's supergirl next door (2026) supergirl's family vacation (2026)

That leads into the abuses and critiques.

The first critique is the responsibility of work and lack of compensation that teen stars often get. A teen or child star is often too young to be working, yet they are able to handle the job of acting. While a 13 year old cannot get a job making burgers at a MacDonald’s, they are somehow able to go off and get acting jobs because of their talent. And in these jobs, a child is not making as much as the adults are more often than not. They may have leading roles but they won’t be making the same amount as an adult will. Sounds, to put it frankly, like textbook exploitation. Child labour. Now, how does this relate to Superboy? He is a teenager being given a job. While 16 is an average age for a teenager to be working, keep in mind that Kon does not have the same experience as a 16 year old does. He is also thrust into the world of heroes because his creators want him to be the next Superman. He is not given the option of if he does or does not want to be a hero, it is all he knows because it is what he was programmed for. He’s like a child who’s parent is pressuring him to try out for a role in a show. One who has been forced to believe this is his only option. And while Kon does end up enjoying being Superboy, one has to question if that enjoyment is fully genuine or if it comes from expectations set for him. As for compensation, Kon is one of the few heroes who does end up getting paid for his work because he had a manager. That being said, his compensation is not enough when he’s doing a job that has both publicity to it as well as literal life endangering scenarios. Later in the Superboy 1994 Kon is eventually shown to not have a line of income nor money at all - hence why he was living in the Young Justice base. This means that he was not well compensated at all for the work he did even when he had a manager. It’s clear exploitation that mirrors what child and teen celebrities actually go through. So many child actors have struggled with money because they did not understand what they were doing and/or didn’t actually make enough to support themselves long term as they (or their guardians) may have hoped. It’s all too easy to blow through money and it’s very possible the same happened to Kon because he had nobody there to help him. 

His manager is the next issue. Rex Leech was the manager for Superboy in the 1994 run, he was the person who got Superboy the world tour and handled his public image. The issue in the world of teen and child stars is that it’s easy to get stuck with a bad manager. It is a manager's job to get their star different opportunities and to make money. That being said, not every manager is good for their celebrity, taking advantage of somebody’s livelihood for the sake of their own paycheque. In Kon’s case, Rex Leech starts their working relationship through manipulation - helping to set up the villain attack in order to get Kon to sign with him. Leech wanted to be the sole manager of Superboy, that was his goal in getting Kon. Rex Leech then proceeds to trademark the name Superman - which is what Kon was currently going by during the Death of Superman arc. He literally makes money off of the name and usage of Superman because the kid is now a card in his hand. The name is only given back to Clark Kent’s Superman after a legal battle because Kon wanted to give it back. This is also where Leech then trademarks Superboy and gets the rights to continue using the iconic ‘S’ symbol, with the agreement detailing that proceeds made from projects would be going to charity. To add to the last point, it’s possible that Kon's share, which was a good amount due to him being a celebrity, went to charity outside of what he used to buy a house in Hawaii while Leech pocketed what was made by the studio. Rex Leech is essentially a shady businessman and a bad manager. He does what is most profitable then makes bad financial decisions that affect him, his daughter Roxy, and Superboy. While he is able to conced to Superboy when he wants to stay in Hawaii to become a hero there, it doesn’t change that he created the World Tour for profit and likely only gave it up to not lose his star. Rex Leech is an exploitative manager. He sets up the scenario to make Superboy sign with him and then does what it takes to make money. While he’s tame, he’s still a reflection of what some real world managers can be like to their stars. There are plenty of teens and children who suffer under bad managers who just take advantage of them for the sake of money. They’ll have them sign harsh contracts and then hold them to it while they reap the benefits.

The third point is Kon’s romantic relationships, the grooming he goes through. This is one of the most tragic parts of a young celebrity's world - being taken advantage of in romantic and/or sexual ways by the adults around them. In the early Superboy series, there’s no denying that he was a flirt. What was not okay was the adult women who flirted back and even dated him. The two important relationships that he has in the 1994 series include Tana Moon, who was a reporter, and Knockout, who is a villain. To begin, Tana Moon was a reporter who was definitely an adult but age was ambiguous, likely around her mid 20s. There are a lot of things wrong here, but the most pressing is definitely her age. Kon is 16 and he stays 16. Tana called him “kid” as a nickname, like an acknowledgement of his age that she refused to elaborate on. They were dating, though they did briefly break up as Tana decided he was too childish for her. Likely because he was a literal teenager. They did eventually get back together but that ended with Tana’s death, which Superboy ended up getting blamed for. It’s a completely inappropriate relationship in terms of their age difference, but also the fact that Tana was a reporter. She was outright using him for stories, even if she did have creepy feelings for him as well. It was an unhealthy relationship no matter how the comics portrayed it. The second relationship was with Knockout, an immortal fury who appeared in her 30s but was likely a lot older. Knockout was a villain who decided she liked Kon because he could almost keep up with her. She is extremely flirty and uses innuendos when talking to him, calls him “pup” - which definitely acknowledges his age, and outright sexually assualts him by kissing him without consent. It’s a bad relationship, outright abusive, as Knockout abuses Superboy’s trust by tricking him into helping her hide from the police by denying her involvement in a murder. It ends when he finds out the truth and almost commits a murder-suicide by drowning them before deciding to turn her into the police. These relationships are both awful for Kon even when they aren’t portrayed as predatory. It’s very unfortunate that this reflects real world teen actors getting into predatory relationships and being taken advantage of. There are horror stories of how badly child and teen stars are abused by older men and women around them while they either think it’s fine or feel like they have to keep it hidden for the sake of their careers. It’s one of the darkest sides of being a young celebrity, and it’s one that isn’t always explored properly in the media. And while Superboy 1994 doesn’t actually do a good job in portraying these relationships as wrong, a reader can now understand how bad it is when reading them with the knowledge of the abuse people go through in today’s world.

Finally, the critique of the public. The public who does nothing for Superboy, who treat him as though he’s the issue when he’s really a victim. There is not enough outcry, not enough people who rally behind him to try to help. Rather, people blame him for Tana’s death and judge him for believing Knockout when she claims he’s innocent. To some degree, he’s driven out of Hawaii because of the people’s hatred. And nobody around him really helped him, not back then. Kon’s only support system was those who were taking advantage of him, such as Tana Moon and Rex Leech. Due to how busy Superman was with coming back to life, he wasn’t able to support Kon how he needed to. Other people either didn’t really know him or didn’t want to deal with him after the true Superman came back. It leads to an awkwardly vulnerable Kon who only had the public’s approval and the support of those who weren’t exactly good for him. And the public didn’t seem to care because they saw him as a celebrity. They had posters and they watched his heroic deeds and they idolised him because he had a good reputation. But this also meant that any stains on his reputation were blamed on him. Any deaths, any bad missions, anything that went wrong was piled onto him. This is what happens to child celebrities in the real world as well. They are made to be idolised and then they are hated when something goes wrong as they grow up. A single event can turn someone from beloved to hated by the public even when something may not be that person’s fault. The person is not given the grace nor the support that they may need because they are not seen as human the same way that the average person is. They are seen as above and therefore they can fall from grace and have nobody the moment something goes wrong. Kon is supposed to be a superhero, so why can’t he save everybody? This person acts in roles that such sweet kids, how did they become like this? The court of public opionion is such a double-edged blade as it can keep a person held up above the world but it can also tear them down just as easily, which is demonstrated by how people go from idolising to hating Kon.