Review: Superman #23

Superman #23 came out this week, continuing the future Time Trapper Doomsday arc. This has been one high-velocity story as a ton of moving parts are weaving in and out of the narrative. In the present day, Doomsday is loose. The Radiant and the Aftermath have arrived on Earth to dispatch Doomsday, even if they have to mess up Earth in the process. Superman is trying to hold back Red K rage. Superwoman is learning her powers. Lex is regaining his memories and perhaps his genius as well. And within this is that Time Trapper Doomsday, trying to convince our heroes to kill him and let him ascend.

Somehow Joshua Williamson is able to keep all the balls in the air, giving every piece of the plot the right amount of real estate. This whole storyline is very compelling for me. When did Doomsday become the Time Trapper? Why does he want to be killed? Why is he intervening at this point in time? And all this happening while Williamson is bulking up the supporting cast and their side stories as well. It is a very solid read with a lot to contemplate.

I will also say that this issue feels like it ends this arc, or perhaps puts it on hold in a major way. There isn't a true resolution here. So it has a middle chapter vibe. In the Bronze Age it would have ended with 'To Be Continued ???'. I'd love to see more of the happenings here. I want more of this Time Trapper. But I think I will need to wait.

Dan Mora is on art and shines here, no surprise. I think Mora devotes his time to the major panels which need supreme attention which include massive battle scenes. Mora is just a godsend to books like this.

On to the book.

Remember that the Time Trapper Doomsday wants Superman to kill him so that one more resurrection will let him ascend to godhood. When Superman denied this request, he approached Lois. And his pitch includes the fact that Jimmy is about to die from a Radiant blast.

Lois has always been a force. And Lois with powers is even more of one.

First off, she slaps the Time Trapper. He had told her that when he died at Superman's hands the first time the last thing he heard was her tears. Here she says she was crying. Because Doomsday made him break his one rule. Superman killed.

I love the look of anger on her face as she stares him down. Classic Lois. 

And it gets better. 

She realizes that Doomsday needs them. Arms crossed. Brow furrowed. Staring him down.

Awesome moment.

But with consequences. He restarts time meaning Lois has to head to Jimmy in hopes of saving Olsen. 

With the battle raging, The Time Trapper takes notice of The Radiant and wonders if perhaps he has been looking to the wrong person to kill him.

I mean, the Radiant wants him dead. Why not approach them first?

Such an interesting wrinkle, especially when you see where this goes.

Of course, Superman is Red-K raging. 

He lays the smack down on Doomsday, exactly what this Time Trapper Doomsday wants.

I mean, I can praise Mora for everything. But I love the energy of that top panel as you see the super-speed blows with crazy sound effects. Excellent. 

Lois did get in front of the Radiant blast so Jimmy isn't atomized. But it doesn't look good and Lois looks battered.

Here is another beautiful widescreen show of the devastation by Mora. But it also shows how Williamson has a great grasp of the super-family. Supergirl only gets one line in this book but it is to call upon the heroes to start evacuating Metropolis. 

I have said that recently Supergirl has become a sort of field commander, a second in command. With Superman raging, she should focus the heroes on the task at hand.

But then Lex comes up with a solution. He basically uses Brainiac tech to bottle up The Radiant, The Aftermath, and the present day Doomsday. 

There is a lot to unpack in these two panels.

For one, Superman saying 'Luthor' and not 'Lex', especially with the pause, is a weighty moment. This isn't the blank slate, ice cream eating 'Lex'. This is Luthor.

Second, time is slowed in the bottle but the battle is probably raging inside. Mercy's comment on what a resurrected Doomsday will be like should he come back from slow time is also portentous. For sure, the Aftermath and the Radiant will probably kill Doomsday in there. And perhaps this is how he obtains his Time Trapper powers. Love Mercy's look of concern there.

But even if The Aftermath is gone, there is lower case aftermath.

Jimmy is critically injured. The Silver Banshee arrives and says he would not be hurt if he wasn't trying to get a picture of Superwoman. 

Superwoman has an archenemy. 

Yes! Bring back the villainous, creepy Banshee!

And then this open-ended final page. 

The Time Trapper Doomsday is back at the end of time. He continues to say that things will get worse for Superman in the near future, including when Darkseid returns ...

And then the Absolute Legion, last seen in the All-In Special, arrive. They promise to kill this Doomsday as he wishes. But only after getting all his information on Superman.

I haven't thought about this Legion in a while. Are they in the future of the Absolute World? Did they actually just kill this Doomsday so he does ascend? Are they planning to attack the main DC Earth? Are they doing this to learn about Absolute Superman? Or are they somewhere else all together?

Also, Doomsday saying Darkseid returns makes me wonder if DC already has a 'pull the plug' story for the Absolute Universe (although given sales I can't imagine it is any time soon). 

'To Be Continued This Summer!' I guess I have to wait.

Still, this was a fast-paced, action-filled, but also plot-heavy story arc which I gobbled up and wanted more. No complaints. Williamson is really on fire here and I am glad that he seems to be sticking with the title. Add Mora and you have a winner.

Overall grade: A