Review: Adventures of Superman Book of El #5

Adventures of Superman Book of El #5 came out this week and continues to be brash and epic and universal in scope. There are big moments in this book, worthy of big art, as it continues to build this mythology. 

I just don't know if I understand what is going on.

I desperately want to love this book. I am amazed at writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson's world building and myth building style. I loved his Superman run. I am enjoying his current Hulk book. He recently signed a Marvel exclusive contract so this is probably his last bite at the DCU for a while. This book is built on the Warworld Saga. And I miss the Super-Twins who are the crux of the plot and finally seen a tiny bit in this issue's cliffhanger.

I should love this book. 

The truth is I am enjoying each scene but I don't think I am understanding 100% how it all holds together. I am interested in seeing the descendants of Superman interacting in this future time but I don't know their back story enough to appreciate what should be emotional moments. I trust Johnson to pull the threads and tighten everything. But I feel a little lost. Am I the only one?

Scott Godlewsi's art really is brilliant giving the scope of the action in the book. From small personal moments to giant universal giants throwing haymakers, the book is gorgeous. 

Would really love to hear other's thoughts as we approach the halfway mark. On to the book!

'I am the Lantern in the Dark' picks up where the last issue ended. Rowan El, wielder of the Darkstar ring (which is The Will of Olgrun god-piece) has been defending Lanternholm, a world of sentient green energy beings whose island home exists at the site of the destroyed Oa.

Kryl-Ux, who has known the Will of Olgrun is there, finally decides to grab it, sending Thularamm The Inevitable as his warrior. 

This is where we see Johnson shine. He gives us an uimmediate mythic history for this being. A sentient sun-eater, captured by Kryl-Ux and trapped in antimatter armor and bent to Kryl-Ux's will. That's pretty cool.

But if Kryl-Ux has been wanting to gather the god pieces of Olgrun to save his family and he knew it was here and he had something as powerful as Thularamm as a weapon, why would he wait to attack? And why attack now when Superman and Ronan El are present there.

I don't quite get it.

But while Thularamm fights Rowan in a giant construct knight, Ronan and Superman have to try and save the energy beings living in Lanternholm.

We'll see big battles and a great cliffhanger soon but this was my favorite moment. Superman is trying to calm the beings he is saving by saying his name and it's Clark. No need for a secret identity here. A small moment in the god-battles. Fabulous.

During the battle, Thularamm speaks with Kryl-Ux's voice, something Superman recognizes. 

And Ronan has some device which feeds them the info to try and break the armor. 

As the battle rages, things are looking a little bleak.

We get this moment between the sibs where the forgive each other for drifting apart. They even call each other Nightwing and Flamebird!

But I don't know these characters well enough to have this hit as hard as maybe this moment should have. 

But that is immediately followed by by a great page where we see Rowan fly into battle, her energy armor flaking away, as she flies in to try and defeat Thularamm. 

Kennedy builds up the tension by having the text, passages from titular Book Of El, talk about how these descendants sometimes question if they are part of the Superman family or if there even was a Superman. But then some moment, some challenge where they are forced to defend others against a great threat, triggers a 'Superman moment' confirming their birthright.

I love stuff like that.

Superman should be inspirational.

Now I think ... truly think ... that what ends up happening next is Superman throws one of the evacuated Lanternholm islands into Thularamm like a spear. The art shows us this, I think.

But what a splash page! Truly epic. Very cool.

But in this explosion of the armor, the Sun-Eater escapes Kryl-Ux's control. It absorbs the Starbreaker ring, the Will of Olgrun. And Superman vows to help Kryl-Ux and disappears in the subsequent conflagration. 

A sentient sun eater armed with the will of a god. Can't be good.

Nothing left but some rap up of the other characters.

Ronan has a chunk of Brainiac that will help him find Superman. That is a pretty nifty turn.

The green energy of Lanternholm somehow begins to talk, stating she showed no fear in the face of danger. A ring manifests making her a new Green Lantern, complete with unique oath.

I like the design. I like that Rowan has a new heroic persona and can continue to provide safety to the Lanternholm people.

Careening through space towards the scene are what appear to be space pirates carrying a captive. 

Otho!

Finally, a super-twin sighting.

Seriously though, while I love the action and scenes, the underlying thread seems to be cloudy for me.

I do like the text pieces in the back filling in some gaps and dropping knowledge. 

The Darkstar ring is the will of Olgrun. We learn about the vision of Olgrun. Now we hear about the madness of Olgrun.

Johnson for sure can world build. 

Overall grade: B-