Review: Adventures Of Superman Book Of El #3

Adventures of Superman Book of El #3 came out this week and was another warp-speed issue by writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Scott Godlewski. This is such an interesting book to try and dissect. It is both said at a surpringly quick pace. It is set in a highly constructed world with a deep mythos. It is set basically in two times. I don't know if I know exactly what is going on and who every one is quite yet. But I am here for it.

Johnson is a world builder. This issue is set in the dystopian future brought about by Kryl-Ux's takeover of the universe. There are Summer Men. There is Lanternholm. There is Brainiac. There is Ronan Kent. I have a sense of this world but not the deepest understanding. But in many ways, just three issues in, it reminded me of the Warworld Saga. Three issues in we were just learning of Warworld's culture, of chains and Mongul and Phaelosians. Eventually it was a fully established world. I know we will get there on this book.

Instead of doing all the heavy lifting and exposition, instead we get a fast paced issue where Superman and Ronan battle Brainiac. There is action and battles and fun. Johnson still scratches the surface of what this world but in a sort of glossy way. Throw in some very interesting text pages at the end and it felt like a good meal.

Godlewski's art is also solid. We get all these alien pieces, weird armor and Brainiac drones, but within Earth and it's trappings. His Superman is large and powerful in a very iconic way. 

On to the book.

The comic is titled The Book of El and we see excerpts from that holy text as the book opens. 

Written in verse, we hear of Brainiac fighting Superman and destroying the Fortress of Solitude.

Such an interesting opening to read these couplets, almost like psalms, while watching the insectoid looking Brainiac fight our hero.

Meanwhile, the Summer Men join the fray only to discover that the ancient Jimmy Olsen still has a few transformations in him.

How tremendous is this near splash of giant turtle boy. Great work by Godlewski.

And even Ronan gets involved, beating up a few more of the Summer Men.

This is where we get some of that history/mystery that is embedded in the book. Ronan says he had been scared by these men but no longer. So I need to know more his history around that.

As interesting is seeing the mask blasted off to see the human face underneath, but horribly scarred. Are these humans? How did they get powers? More mysteries to unfold.

Brainiac knows that Superman is hoping to get to a time machine to try and rewrite history. And he won't let it happen. Brainiac has led a good life for a century on Earth, controlling and experimenting on humans. He flies Superman to Metropolis to show him.

Very interesting criminal monologue here, describing what could be the Earth of today. People afraid. People making the motions, comfortable in their lives. Interesting. 

But Brainiac also says that Kryl-Ux left Earth around because he needed it to lure Superman if our hero returned. It is interesting that Kryl-Ux didn't know that Superman was thrown into the future and instead he thought Superman was missing. Hmmmm ... 

Plus, Brainiac says he has looked at all possible timelines and Ronan is always the last El.

More hints to the timeline, the mythos, the ultimate destiny of Ronan.

It's like Johnson is showing us some puzzle pieces but we don't have the whole picture yet.

But that's it ... Brainiac seems defeated and destroyed. So pretty quick.

Johnson just has such a great sense of who Superman is.

Even in this new Earth with it's odd culture, he stops to recognize heroism and inspire. He talks to a young girl who saved her brother in the battle.

Clearly this is a sort of analog or reminder of Otho and Osul, how on Warworld she protected her brother.

Just as Superman is about to jump into the time machine (which looks just like The Time Machine from the classic movie), Jimmy reveals that Otho and Osul also disappeared the day Superman did. Superman needs to find them.

As if on cue, Kryl-Ux shows up as a vision, looking like a mix of Marvel's Eternity and the Anti-Life Equation in Mike Mignola's Cosmic Odyssey. He has collected 4 of the 7 remnants of Olgrun and he wants the other three (all of which are hidden in members of the El family!!).

Superman needs to find and bring Otho and Osul to Kryl-Ux. 

Love the grandeur and cosmic scale of this page.

And we knew Osul held one of Olgrun's remnants. But who holds the other two??

A lot happened this issue, so quickly! But we also get these nibbles of the bigger picture. I am intrigued, for sure.

Johnson fleshes out the story with these text pages at the end. This month it is Lois' journal from the Kryl-Ux overrun present. 

Lois is brilliant here, scoffing at the JLAers who think Superman is dead or trapped. She knows Superman would find a way. She knows the Guardians might help so Jimmy robs Batman of a 'colar empyrean seeds' which can grant powers. Jimmy robbed Batman!! The two are off. Now that sounds like Lois and Mr. Action.

This felt like a middle chapter, setting up the future and making me want more. But this feels like Superman. I'll miss Johnson on the character when this is over.

Overall grade: B