Review: My Adventures With Superman #5

My Adventures with Superman #5 came out this week, the penultimate issue of this mini-series bridging the two seasons of the show. It is interesting to see just how much Kryptonian tech and concern for a Kryptonian invasion permeates the whole IP. 

Writer Sophia Campbell continues to create a sort of three-dimensional universe for this take on Superman. First and foremost, she writes an inspirational Superman and inspirational Lois. These are both heroes in their own right. This is a Superman who lifts people up by telling them that acts are more important than words. That there is no fate save that what we make. And that you can shake off expectations if we want. It is clear that Amazo, a now sentient robot with a nefarious reason for existing, is going to be a full hero, someone who sacrifices himself to save others. Some of that is because he has been befriended and supported by Superman. I'm okay with it.

Pablo Collar continues to do a great job on art. There is that cartoony/anime style that jibes with the cartoon. But he has to do serious action here. He also has to bring in mecha, hand beams, airplanes, and brawling. Again, that makes this feel like a true separate universe. 

I know we are getting a 3rd season of the show. So I hope we get another bridging mini. 

On to the book. 

Last issue ended with Amazo getting blasted through the chest. We open with this pieta style page of Superman cradling the grievously wounded robot. 

I have been reading comics forever and have seen many takes on this sort of scene and this sort of art. I also know I come at this from a particular Supergirl-centric view. But this immediately reminded me of Kara holding onto her father in Supergirl #35 from way back in 2008!

You might also remember that this book usually opens with Clark whimsically remembering snow as a gateway to fun. Here, snow seems more ominous, as if everything is dying. We'll get more of that later. 

But Amazo isn't dead. Instead, he activates some mechanism which traps him, Superman, and Agent Dubois within a forcefield shell. 

He also starts talking in Kryptonian speech. 

It is an 'out of nowhere' ability where we hear he is absorbing the matter and energy around him. It serves it's purpose. Within the dome, Amazo is able to show us his true backstory.

Inside the dome, Dubois continues to try to destroy Amazo and Superman continues to run interference. 

And then Amazo is able to broadcast.

Nice art here. Nice effects. And Superman blocking Dubois's shots are drawn powerfully.

This is a heavier issue than most. This book and this take on Superman always seems to be able to walk that fine line between silly and heavy.

Dubois calls in an airstrike to help him take out Amazo and from within The Brain's HQ, Pa Kent is able to identify all the planes and their destructive capabilities. 

It is one quick side line but I like that we learn that Pa watches The History Channel. Gives him a little extra characterization and leans into that whimsy I like. 

It turns out that Amazo is a Kryptonian tech that terra-forms the planets that he (and others like him) land on. He broadcasts what he has done on other worlds. It seems like with his damage that his terra-forming powers have kicked in ... perhaps to get energy to heal? But he is fusing with the ground. It is snowing. Plants are dying. He is a threat.

I love Superman in that second panel. Amazo can be whatever he wants to be. He can shake off his programming and be better. Even Amazo saying 'I would not hurt others' is fascinating here. 

Because this is basically a prelude to the Kara story from Season Two. Kara wouldn't want to hurt others. Kara doesn't want to destroy. Kara has to shake off the Brainiac programming. Perhaps Campbell is showing how Superman learned to help her overcome.

I will say Campbell uses a sort of variant of the classic Kryptonian alphabet and some things I don't know if I am translating correctly. 

In order of panels with Kryptonian dialect the translations (as far as I can tell) are: 

Panels 1 and 2: Aktivigi mondrompa protoklo (which seems to be activating some protocol and most wonky translation)

Panel 3:Terra forming sequence activate

Panel 4: World absorption 27%

Panel 5: World absorption 83%

Panel 6: World absorption full

Panel 7: Competition in sector eliminated

Panel 8: Prepare

We then see the Amazo's juice up a cannon which razes the planet they are on. 

So what will win?

The programming that is happening where Amazo is draining energy, exuding heat and ready to destroy the world? Or his will to be something better.

Nice panel giving Amazo some angelic feel, the steam like wings. And the cracks over him show the damage done. 

Dubois is having none of it. He wants the threat over. But he also wants the glory of being the hero.

Suddenly a new weapon is in the sky. Not standard Air Force planes but what looks like ... again ... repurposed Kryptonian tech. This cannon (Project Orion) fires.

Obviously, this doomsday style gun won't destroy this area. My guess is Amazo absorbs all that energy, overloading him. Rather than emit it as a laser to destroy the Earth, he will then fly into space and explode, sacrificing himself to save the planet. Thus a lesson learned and a hero made.

This issue didn't have the usual fun ups and downs the series has had up to know but we needed to push this plot forward to get there. And much like the Supergirl season, we go dark for a bit to add to the eventual bright turn.

Overall grade: B