Review: Superman #33

Superman #33 came out last week, a Luthor solo story showing his round 2 DC KO brawl with Etrigan. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Hayden Sherman, it is a deep dive into the intricacies of Lex's mind and history so was an intersting read.

Since the beginning of this volume of Superman, Lex has been front and center. The whole premise by Williamson was showcasing the Lex/Superman relationship as Luthor wanted to befriend Superman, first for nefarious reasons and then because he was turned. Then House of Brainiac, amnesia, a truly good (almost naive) Lex emerging, only to have his unsavory life outlook sort of resurface. For sure, Lex has been complicated.

In this issue, Lex dwells on his mindset and background. He has an 'ends justify the means' foundation that he uses to justify every decision he has made in life, from literally making a deal with the devil to doing what he needs to do to advance in this Omega tournament. Throw in the Demon, Etrigan's own history, some deep DC history, and this is a worthy even tie-in.

Hayden Sherman is on art and brings a great style to the proceedings. I have just started to discover Sherman's work while reading Batman Dark Patterns and Absolute Wonder Woman back issues. One of the best things in this book is the page layouts with creative panels and page layouts. I don't know if his style is best for Superman but for an issue mostly located in Hell? Perfect. Alejandro Sanchez's color schemes of oranges, reds, and yellows only accentuates it.

If I had one nitpick, this issue could have used some editors notes pointing out where some flashbacks took place. 

On to the book. 

The first few pages are Lex thinking back on his life, never questioning the decisions he has made or why he has made them. He even recalls making a deal with Neron, an event that has him wondering if he has a soul.

This scene is on the tip of my mental tongue. Is this from Underworld Unleashed? Did he make a deal with Neron to return to life after dying from the clone virus? When did this happen?? 

This is where an editor's note would have been helpful.

All that thinking leaves Lex open for the most basic attack from Etrigan, hellfire belched out.

Burned to a crisp, Lex loses round 1.

Reincarnated for round 2, Lex asks what Etrigan's beef with Darkseid is.

Etrigan mentions a cosmic odyssey where Darkseid exploited him. 

That one I knew. 

But does the average reader recall a miniseries from 1988? That Etrigan mentioning 'a cosmic odyssey' was the Cosmic Odyssey?

Again, throw an editor's note in.

With round 2 coming up, the combatants pick forms.

Lex in his more recent historical Superman armor. Etrigan in his scale mail armor from the New 52's Demon Knights. 

We do get a brief scene change where Williamson reminds us what is happening at the Fortress. Lois has her powers again. Prime has defeated Dark Sun Boy. Lara Lor-Van's journal which discusses The Omega is being downloaded into a Superman Robot army.

There is a bit of a mystery though. 

Prime keeps talking about something he learned that can save the Legion. Something he needs to tell Superman. Something he never says because he keeps being interrupted. 

I wonder what it is. I am trying to come up with a theory. Any thoughts?

Now we know that a new Legion book is upcoming. I don't think I want Prime to be *the* Superboy. 

Round 2 goes to Lex as he uses the Apokoliptian tech in the armor to defeat Etrigan.

I sort of like the idea that Lex is using Fourth World tech to try and win a tournament to fight Darkseid. 

I also love ... LOVE ... that the Mother Box goes 'lexlexlexlex' and not 'pingpingping'. That is a perfect Lex flourish, so in love with himself.

In the final battle, Lex chooses his naked human form for this battle in Hell. The Demon pulls a deep cut, his Multiversity super-demon self (again, an editor's note might be fun here for people to know about where this look came from).

In a fascinating turnabout, Lex recites the classic Etrigan incantation ('gone gone the form of man ...') and brings the demon into himself. Lex kills the suddenly human Jason Blood before him.

But wait, who would actually win in this outcome a Etrigan-ized Lex victory?

Well, Lex has the strength of will through his Nanda Parda meditations to expel the Demon from his body only then securing the win.

Love this corkscrew page layout circling into the ultimate victory.

I don't know if I learned anything new about Lex in this issue but it was a fun little reminder of who he is and how he thinks, even as he seems a bit tortured by the more recent swings between good and evil. Not a bad little tie-in. 

How does my bracket look?

Well, I got 6 of the elite 8 and all four of my final four are still in play.

That said, I am still a bit peeved about this promo, clearly meant to be filled out by readers before the tournament. First off, the first round was a battle royale. We didn't see those first round matchups. Second, Batman isn't in the tournament, the Joker was put in. How can I fill out a bracket when a dark horse is entered late? 

Now in retrospect, I think the finale is going to be Superman vs the Joker, which I might have picked had I known Joker was in it. (In fact, I think Superman is going to have to kill the Joker to get the power to defeat Darkseid forcing him into another soul-searching storyline.) I knew it was going to be a hero v. villain finale which led me to the Luthor/Zatanna finale on my sheet.

Ah well ... I would have run this promotion very very differently.

Overall grade: B+, raised a bit by the wild art.