Kara Danvers, nee Zor-El, isn't Supergirl in this book. Set on the cusp of her 16th birthday, Kara begins the book aware of her powers but unaware of her background; she doesn't know yet that she's Kryptonian, or that she's related to Superman. She lives a fairly normal life, for a teenage girl, with good friends and school drama to keep her busy. She's active in track and field, although she holds back just enough not to stand out, as are her two best friends, Jen and Dolly, who do not know her secrets. Her parents are loving, protective and ordinary.

Kara's biggest concern is a zit on school picture day.

Then there's a track meet, with college scouts in attendance, and an unexpected earthquake splits the ground beneath the students. Kara is able to save Dolly, but not Jen and a handful of other people, and her guilt for not being strong enough and fast enough torments her. Then she discovers that a woman she trusted is not what she seems....

The book also introduces yet another Kryptonian who survived the planet's destruction; in fact, having been sent to Earth to study the culture and having been imprisoned there for many years, he doesn't know that Krypton is gone. His attitude toward Earthlings is not, shall we say, as altruistic as Superman's.

This is a very grounded take on Kara's life. She's not a superhero -- yet -- and she's not sure of her place in the world. She is rather like any teenager, in that way.

Mariko Tamaki's story is simple, slow-paced and emotional. It's not action-packed, like most superhero comics, but it moves at a steady tempo. The characters are well-rounded and pretty well-developed, given the limited time we have with them.

Joelle Jones provides strong, expressive art that's enhanced by Kelly Fitzpatrick's colors.

All in all, this is a really good book that's a step outside the norm for this genre. Strongly recommended for fans of Supergirl.