Nhora Lucia Serrano, director of academic technology, teaching, and research services, and Susan E. Kirtley, professor of English at Portland State University, co-authored the Ms. Magazine op-ed “Supergirl's Long Fight to Escape Superman's Shadow.”
Published in the award-winning feminist magazine known for its coverage of gender, politics, and culture, the essay explores how Supergirl's evolving portrayal reflects broader questions about gender, power, and representation in popular culture. Coinciding with the release of the new Supergirl film, the piece examines how decades of storytelling have shaped—and often constrained—one of comics' most iconic heroines, bringing scholarship in comics studies, feminist media studies, and cultural criticism to a broad public audience.
Posted July 20, 2026
