Superman Album (Greek)

A bit ago, I showcased a Supergirl #6 from Greece, a gift from a buddy when he had traveled there. Turns out he had another gift for me, an interesting Superman album from the same time.

It is the size of your standard Asterix or Tintin size and produced by Anubis Publishing.

But it is an odd collection.

Three seemingly random issues.

Action Comics #870, from 2008, is the finale of the Geoff Johns Brainiac arc which led into New Krypton. 

Superman #15, from 2013, is a middle chapter in H'El on Earth. 

Superman #39, from 2015, was the end of another Geoff Johns run on the character, a time when Superman was using his solar flare and had just told Jimmy Olsen his secret identity. 

Three issues without any connection. One in an old continuity. Another in the middle of a less than stellar, very long arc.

Does the company only have access to some issues? Was this based on art? Gary Frank, Kenneth Rocafort, and John Romita Jr. provide great art here. 

But such a fascinating group. All reviewed here at the time of release! I have been doing this a long time!

Some samples ahead.

Joshua Williamson On 'House of Brainiac' And Supergirl

Action Comics #1064 came out last week and was a stellar opening chapter to the House of Brainiac story. I was quite impressed with the execution. If the first issue is any indication, this looks like it is going to be a great arc.

Over on AIPT, Joshua Williamson did a very thorough discussion on his approach to Superman and this story in particular. This is a very in-depth discussion on many aspects of the House Of Brainiac. So it is definitely worth reading in its entirety. Here is a link:

https://aiptcomics.com/2024/04/09/house-of-brainiac-deep-dive/

One thing that is clear is that Williamson is thinking about all the characters in the super-family and discusses Superboy, Lena, and others.

He also talks about Supergirl. And that is the part I am going to focus on.

Review: Death Metal: The Secret Origin

I say it often but I'll say it again. I am very thankful for the community of comic fans that I call friends. Often times, they will tell me about books I should be getting and reading.

For the umpteenth time, I have to thank blog friend Martin Gray for tell me that I shouldn't pass on Death Metal: The Secret Origin. I have, for the most part, been avoiding the Metal event. When I saw this was a Superboy Prime book, a character I never thought I would want to see again, I figured this would definitely be a book to keep on the shelves. 

Instead, what we get is the redemption story this character needed. 

As someone old enough to have bought the DC Comics Presents issue which introduced Prime, I liked his innocence and his role in Crisis on Infinite Earths. So I definitely was miffed when he was turned into a sadistic monster in Infinite Crisis and beyond. (Don't get me started on the tarnishing of the Earth-2 Superman.)

I came to hate this character and all he represented for DC. He was the poster child of the darkening of the DCU.

But I trust Martin so I plunked down my money and read this book. It certainly has a deep bench of talent attached to it. Scott Snyder, Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Jerry Ordway, Paul Pelletier, and Ryan Benjamin. That's talent. 

So let's dive into this book, a delightful surprise.

Bullet Review: Doomsday Clock #12

It took a long time ... a very long time ... but Doomsday Clock finally finished this month.

My hope is to reread it in its entirety, in one sitting, at some point soon.

In the end, it is a Superman story.

It is a love letter to DC Continuity.

In many ways, it is a love letter to Watchmen too.

And it goes a long way to say a simple message, Superman is the heart of the DC Universe and he always will be.

The Watchmen shouldn't be the template upon which the DCU is built.

It is Superman and all he represents.

Now did we need this heavy, sometimes clunky, perpetually delayed book to get us there? To tell us what many of us already know? Will it matter to the powers that be as we continue to be mired in the Year of the Villain, a time when this message sat next to Batman/Superman #5, an issue where six of the best heroes are corrupted?

I can only hope.

Because every Superman fan should read this story or at the very least this issue. I'll let others pore over the panels and the plots in detail.

Moreover, every Supergirl fan should also read this issue as well.

The Albatross

In Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge, a sailor who shot an albatross which had given the ship good fortune is forced to wear it around his neck as the boat sinks into a hell. The word albatross subsequently has become synonymous with a burden on someone, especially in the context of some sin or ill fortune that has fallen on them.

A rather literary start to a post on Supergirl Comic Box Commentary but bear with me.

Because today I thought I would comment on characters who have had an albatross placed in their continuity and how difficult it sometimes is to move past that burden, even in a genre where resurrections, retcons, and reboots are common. In comics, it is often a dark moment for a character where it is simply too hard to move on.

And I wonder if, when such a story element is being pitched, if the creative powers that be realize that such a plot point might be extremely damaging moving forward.

Let's start with the impetus for this post, Doomsday Clock #8 and poor Firestorm.

I have been sort of underwhelmed with Doomsday Clock as a whole. Time delays within each issue and a sort of plodding pace so far has made it difficult to embrace. While moments have been interesting (old green lanterns, Johnny Thunder, Rorscach II), I have read and bagged and haven't revisited. Even the back matter, which I am sure is filled with goodies has been skimmed and been mostly forgotten.

And then Doomsday Clock #8 happened and it just seemed to matter. Geoff Johns made the whole thing click. It didn't hurt that the issue basically revolved around Superman, something Clock was supposed to do from it's inception. It also helped that Superman was portrayed perfectly, from an implied beat down of an obstinate Black Adam to a friendly and inspirational voice to Firestorm and people in general. I was happy. But not everybody was.

Agent Liberty Coming To The Supergirl Show

Continuing my coverage of the upcoming Supergirl Season 4, I thought I'd do a quick review of Agent Liberty.

The announcement about Liberty's inclusion on the show was announced a week ago, naming Smallville alum Sam Witmer as playing the part. Here is a link and a blurb.

http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/17/smallville-sam-witwer-supergirl-season-4-agent-liberty/

In the show’s interpretation on the character, Agent Liberty is the ruthless and terrifying founder and figurehead of Children of Liberty, a hate group that supports a human-first world order. According to a description from the show’s producers, he’s “a brilliant orator in the guise of a family man” and the scariest thing about him is how easily he can convince people that he’s right. Given that Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the DEO tend to be pro-alien integration, it’s definitely fair to assume they won’t get along with Agent Liberty and his Children of Liberty.

As I said in earlier posts and reviews, political stories are often delivered in a ham-fisted way on the show. So it is a shame that Agent Liberty, a star-spangled hero, is the terrifying founder of a hate group. I'm not denying the existence of hate groups. I am not saying that some of these groups hide behind patriotic iconography. I'm just saying that I wish that shows wouldn't add to that twisting.

Supergirl and Superman fight for truth, justice, and the American Way. They defend the flag and its ideals. I don't want kids to be watching a show and learning to hate the flag and America. Hopefully, the writers and Supergirl will present a solid counterpoint. That the Children of Liberty aren't representatives of what America means. Give me one shot of Supergirl standing hands on hips with the American Flag flapping in the wind behind her ... pretty please?

Anyways, onto the DC character.

#Rebirth Supergirl

At WonderCon this weekend, DC had a major #Rebirth panel. In a nice move for all their fans, they streamed the event so I was able to watch right along with those in attendance. It opened with a nice short film highlighting key moments in DC's history which included two Supergirl moments, Action Comics #1 and the Supergirl #1 cover by Micheal Turner.

The panel was moderated by Jim Lee, Dan Didio, and Geoff Johns. For the most part, the message was clear. Lee talked about wanting to keep stories vibrant and exciting. Didio talked about DC losing its way and losing their fans (a pretty big admission since he is a driving force on all recent changes). He said the company had to recommit to their fans. And Johns came out and talked about how something was missing in the DCU, and that something was legacy. DC needed to reclaim all that has made it great. That overall message was well received by me since I have been complaining about the lack of legacy and positivity in DC books for the last several years.

Later we heard about the Rebirth Special (cover seen above) which will explain how all this unfolds. Who do we think the 'mystery hand' is reaching out to touch the New 52? I say the Monitor.

After that opening all the books and creative teams were announced and that included Supergirl.

Rebirth!

Just yesterday I reviewed the DC solicits for May, commenting that things didn't seem to add up. We knew Rebirth was coming. We knew that all the DCYou titles weren't going to survive. We knew there was going to be some sort of massive universal shakeup. So what were we going to see in June? What was Rebirth? And what books would come out of it?

Well, we got some news yesterday. CBR had the most coverage including a special video by Geoff Johns explaining his thoughts. Here is that link:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/exclusive-geoff-johns-details-rebirth-plan-seeks-to-restore-legacy-to-dc-universe

Johns acknowledges the cynicism that came with the announcement, something I was glad he did. He faced the music a bit.

But he does a good job playing up the success of Green Lantern Rebirth and Flash Rebirth. In particular, he does a good job pointing out how the Lantern books before Rebirth had sort of lost their way. No Hal. No Kilowog. Guy as the weapon shape-changer. That book had lost its legacy, its history. 

Frankly, I feel that is true about the DC Universe as a whole right now. What is this place? Because it isn't the DCU I have read for decades. Things seem off. Diana is a daughter of Zeus. Clark is powerless and a brute. Bruce isn't Batman. Alfred has no hand. So much insanity ad nauseum. 

So the idea of bringing back some legacy, some sanity to the universe makes perfect sense to me. Hitting a lower price point of $2.99 makes sense too, allowing me to try more books. Maybe it isn't a reboot. It sounds more like a reset. And I'm okay with that.

Later we got a list of all the books, starting out with a Rebirth special (maybe like a zero issue?) following new monthlies. Here is that link:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/dc-announces-full-rebirth-line-twice-monthly-books-lowered-price-point

Take a gander at this.

That's right. In the fall there will be a Supergirl Rebirth special!

And that means later we'll get a new Supergirl monthly!!

Finally! Finally, we will get a Supergirl monthly, only a year after the show premiered! Hurray for Kara fans for bringing the noise, asking for a book, and convincing DC that it should be done.

 

 Heck, she is even one of the mysterious shadows in the new Rebirth image!

Now details are scarce about creators and so much of my optimism will be based on who is attached to the book and what their approach to Kara will be. Please no 'hell on wheels', no 'dark loner', no 'bull-headed pessimist'. So let the speculation begin! Who would you want?

Seriously, I am thrilled that Supergirl is going to return.

I am surprised there is no Doom Patrol and no Legion.

And this means I have to bid a fond farewell to the books that came out of the DCYou initiative and worked. I will especially miss JL3001 and that Supergirl. But I'll also miss Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, and Starfire as well. Kudos to those creators for giving me hope.

So this fall, Supergirl #1 ... it's about time!

Geoff Johns Discussing The Supergirl Show

There has been a lot of minor news about the upcoming Supergirl show recently. From discussion about her suit design to newly added minor characters listed on the role call, it seems that interest in the show is still high. I can't believe we have to wait until November and not September to finally get to talking about the episodes themselves.

Anyways, a recent article about Geoff Johns' reactions to the show's trailer caught my eye. Johns has significant credibility from a comic point of view. But more importantly, I believe he likes Supergirl. It was, after all, Johns who began the rehabilitation of the character when she was in the quagmire of angst that Jeph Loeb and Joe Kelly had her drowning in. In Brainiac, Johns brought back a young, optimistic, heroic Kara. He brought back loving parents, shrunk and stuck in Kandor after being rescued from a floating Argo City. And I believe it was Johns who helped steer DC into having Sterling Gates write the book. From a Supergirl perspective, I tip my hat to him.

Here, on IGN, he discussed the Supergirl trailer, the folks who hated the trailer, and what he hopes the show will accomplish. For the full article, here is the link:http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/05/supergirl-dcs-geoff-johns-on-those-snl-black-widow-comparisons

And then a couple of blurbs which caught my eye:

“When they first saw his suit, when we cast [Flash actor] Grant [Gustin], people were like, ‘That’s not the Flash!’ and now people are like, ‘Oh my god, he is the Flash!’ I’m so proud of that show and -- in so many ways the Flash was my favorite character growing up -- to see it realized and to see people embracing it. And it truly is a Flash TV show, we’re not shying away from anything. We jokingly said, yeah we’re doing Gorilla Grodd and I think people were like, ‘Okay...’ Yeah, no, we’re doing Gorilla Grodd! And we’ve got a lot of great plans for Supergirl in the same vein as that.”

I am glad that he brings up the Flash and the initial reaction to its first images and trailer. I will say that I was one of those fans who saw the maroon suit with  the lack of white around the chest lightning bolt and no yellow boots and said 'here we go again'. I thought this was going to be a show in the same vein as Man of Steel. So he's right, people lost their minds thinking that show would not be good and now it is revered.

More importantly, I think that the Flash is filled with rom-com moments and relationship talk and even problems with his office job. You could cut a trailer for the Flash show and make it look like Dawson's Creek. So I am glad he kind of shoos those concerns away as well.

People love The Flash. The same people are making Supergirl. Let's all take a deep breath.

“I think the greatest thing about the Supergirl show we’re working on and the thing I’m most proud of is it embodies the character and the Superman mythology in a really strong, accessible way that I think carries at least the tone and spirit with what we’ve done with The Flash. And Melissa Benoist is an amazing Supergirl and Kara Danvers. I’m just excited for people to see it." 

There is no doubt, even in the sliver of time that we have seen her, that Melissa Benoist is made for the part, just exuding optimism and heroism and the inexperience of a young hero trying to do what's right.

But I also think Johns' is right that this show is a very accessible way for people to learn about the Superman mythos. We are going to learn about Krypton, and Zor-El and Lara, and Jor-El, and probable all sorts of stuff. I think it is safe to say that it will be relatively close to the comic continuity, in the way that the Flash is stuffed with Easter Eggs. And, while I am guessing here, I think this show will be something all the Supergirls at home can watch, even the 11 year old.

In contrast, I don't want my kids to see Man of Steel. That isn't the Superman they know or should know.

Anyways, I am excited for the show and hearing Johns talk about it this way makes me even more optimistic!

It's Official! Supergirl Is Getting A Television Show!

I have tried to temper my coverage of the Supergirl television show, only posting on true news and not any of the rumors that have been floating around.

So I haven't posted about the rumors of the show not being picked up, heading to the CW, or even being rushed to air as a summer show before the official season begins. Those all seemed to improbable to even bother discussing. And it looks like my Kryptonian intuition (of a super nature) about those rumors were right.

Yesterday, CBS announced its first new show for next season. Supergirl!

The news exploded across the web yesterday afternoon so there are plenty of sites covering this news. There isn't much to report, just the simple statement that the show is a go. Here is Variety's coverage:
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/supergirl-cbs-melissa-benoist-greg-berlanti-1201489184/

And the pertinent blurb:
"Supergirl" is a go at CBS.

CBS has given its first new series pickup for the 2015-16 season to a drama series from exec producer Greg Berlanti and Warner Bros. TV that follows the distaff side of the “Superman” franchise. The series stars Melissa Benoist (“Glee,” “Whiplash”) as the title character. It marks the third DC Comics property that Berlanti’s WBTV-based shop has shepherded for TV, following the success of CW’s “Arrow” and “The Flash.” Another “Flash” spinoff is also in the works at CW.

It is fantastic news. Almost too incredible to believe for an old-timer Supergirl fan like me. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think there would be a Supergirl show on television and that the character would be getting such exposure and coverage. Moreover, this seems to be a high end production with a tremendous cast. Unbelievable.

Some of the cast and production crew went to social media to share the happiness with fans! And it was great to hear their enthusiasm!

So great to read their enthusiasm and excitement.

But perhaps the best image was Melissa Benoist in her costume biting into a celebratory S-shield cake!

Just fantastic news!!

So now I need a time slot and a teaser clip!

Review: Superman #39

Superman #39 came out this last week, the final issue for the mega-team of writer Geoff Johns and artist John Romita Jr.

With the Ulysses storyline in the rear view mirror, Johns decides to slow things down and give us a character-driven issue. Living without his powers (because of his super-flare energy depletion), we get a day in the life of vulnerable Superman. And with Jimmy in on Clark's secret identity, we get to see how Superman's Pal reacts to not only the secret but also to who Superman is, what he represents.

One thing I feel is that Superman has been diminished a little over the last few years. The initial New 52 Superman had feet of clay, wasn't inspirational, and as a result I struggled with caring. In recent times, with Pak on Action and Johns on here, we are reapproaching the sort of Superman I need to read. And this issue brought me back to a simpler time where Superman was bigger than life, the person we should aspire to be like, a hero.

I am also one of those people who feels that Superman is the mask and Clark is the real person. I think that Superman would emphasize the 'man' part of his name. And it is Clark's upbringing, the lessons Ma and Pa gave him, that shaped who he is. We have seen Superman without powers before and we have seen him fight for truth and justice without powers before as well. But this issue, in the context of the New 52, felt fresh.

Romita and inker Klaus Janson's art is blocky and relatively ugly. But at least there is some meat on the bones here. There aren't many of those needless splash pages that have eaten up story space in this issue. And the one oversized paneled two page spread has an artistic resonance.

I don't know if Johns was planning for his run to be short because he is leaving a pretty big subplot open.

Remember that cloaked man who was observing Superman fight Ulysses and talkd about 'teaching' Superman? I thought it was going to be some version of the Eradicator. Or maybe a robot Pa Kent. Or something else.

Well, at least we now have a name. Mr. Oz. And in what looks like mind control, he has someone mail a package to Clark at the Daily Planet. The person has a tattoo that could be a Z superimposed on an O. (At first I thought it was Adrian Veidt's Nostalgia Perfume bottle.

I have a mega-theory about this guy ... but I'll save it for the end.

Last issue ended with Clark revealing he was Superman to Jimmy.

Here we get to see Jimmy's response, from shock to wide-eyed to more shock to more wide-eyed. Even the progression from darker to lighter color in the background works nicely. This is a great moment for Jimmy and it is getting brighter the more he thinks about it.

I thought it would be Perry that Clark would reveal this too. I would prefer it was Lois.

But I don't mind Jimmy. There is some youthful energy here.

And then Jimmy wonders why he didn't notice it before. Why didn't he see that Clark was Superman?

Is it the glasses?

I had to include this moment because it reminded me of one of the wildest books of my youth, Superman #330. In that issue we learn that Superman is constantly using low-level super-hypnosis when he is wearing Clark's glasses, skewing their perception of Clark to something a little less Super.

And so begins a day in the Private Life of Clark Kent. It is a day where he is vulnerable.

He shares with Jimmy what it is like to have powers. He tastes differently. He hears differently.

But even without his powers, Clark is willing to sacrifice himself, hurt himself if necessary, to help others.

That includes diving to the ground to catch a kid falling out of a tree. Nice.

At least in his time on the book, Johns puts Clark back at the Planet.

I would love to see some sort of office fallout from this. Remember, Clark gave a 'holier than thou' speech in the Planet as he stormed off to ClarkCatropolis. Wouldn't there be some ill will? Or schadenfreude that he is back?

I did like the return of some journalistic rivalry between Lois and Clark. This felt retro and classic and welcomed.

We then get a great scene in which Superman, even without his powers, confronts a crook who is holding a gun to a hostage's head. A bullet could kill Clark at this moment. But he won't stand down. We have to help. Not only help the man being held. But help the crook, help him see how pulling the trigger would make things much much worse.

Without blinking, without pausing, Superman makes his way through the police and asks the man to put down the gun. The man will pay for his crimes. But pulling the trigger would be crossing a horrible line.

And that frank talk, that inspirational presence gets through to the man.

He hands the gun to Superman.

The crisis is over. Without a punch. Without powers.

Afterwards, Jimmy questions why Superman would risk his life there.

Superman says that he doesn't jump in front of guns because he has powers and won't get hurt. He does it because it is what is right.

"What choice did I have?"

Indeed.

Maybe Zach Snyder should read this.

Having been exposed to the sun for the day, Superman's powers finally return.

As I said before, Romita reins it in this issue with several 9 panel pages and standard page layouts.

But the end has Superman and Jimmy sharing a snack on the Planet roof, a 2 panel, 2 page splash. While printed horizontally, they are oriented to be held vertically (see the fold in the scan).

While the majority of these pages is a building, I thought this use of space worked well. This whole story is how Superman was human for a day. Here he says that he didn't feel that different. He was the same person with or without patient. It shows his humanity.

And here, we see Superman as a small element of the page. This isn't a huge heroic iconic pose, bigger than life. This helps bring across the point of his humanity. That in many ways Superman is a guy with big ideals and ethics, who has powers that help him.

In the end, Mr. Oz package arrives, a blank notebook with an S-shield cover. The future is yet to be written.

Okay,  I think Mr. Oz is ....Geoff Johns.

Oz is someone manipulating things behind the scenes, behind the curtains (like the Wizard of Oz). Here, Mr. Oz seems to be viewing Superman from somewhere else, like a movie. Oz claimed to teach Superman important lessons like not 'punching down'.And, of course, the blank notebook meaning Oz isn't writing anything moving forward.

Johns, as a real person who wrote Superman, would be seeing things from a distance, pulling the strings by writing the stories. He did teach Superman lessons as his writer. As the writer, he has 'mind control' over characters like the person on the first page. And he is off the book. His pages are empty moving forward. Maybe Oz is somehow Johns responding the Superman stories that came before him, trying to reteach him those lessons. Heck, the first thing I thought of when I saw the Oz tattoo was Veidt's Nostalgia. Maybe Johns is nostalgic for the sort of Superman he wrote.

I'll say it again. Mr. Oz is Geoff Johns.
Or is that more a Grant Morrison thing?

Anyways, stories like this are few and far between these days, a rest issue showcasing the character of Superman. While old timers like me remember this selfless Superman who emphasized the Clark within him, we haven't seen this too much recently. Of course, I loved it.

This issue was the highlight of Johns' brief run for me.

Overall grade: A

Superman's "New" Power

It was big news!

Superman was getting a new power!

Something we haven't seen before!

Incredible! Amazing! Astounding!

In Superman #38 we see Superman release all his solar energy into a 'super-flare', a solar flare which incinerates a quarter mile of land, defeating Ulysses in one blow.

But new?

Maybe for him.

Supergirl has been doing this for a while.

During the initial period of the New 52, writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson talked about Supergirl's unique power. They noted that male and female Kryptonians might process yellow sun energy differently. We were all waiting to see what they meant ...

Well in Supergirl #7, the wait was over. In her fight with the World-Killers, Kara unleashes her energy as an attack. I called it the 'corona wave'. But it was basically a flare.

Later, in Supergirl #9, while battling the Black Banshee, she unleashes her energy to try to defeat him.

It is clear that Kara seems to be able to vary her flare power. She never incinerates a quarter mile of land. But here, Silver Banshee is able to survive despite being close by. And the city block is not razed.

That said, she seems to dial it up in Supergirl #17 when battling Wonder Woman. And are those atomic rings around her? Downright Firestorm-ish.

She also seems to be in more control of this power. In Superman #38, it seems to explode from Kal. Here, Kara is standing, in a position of power, and speaking.

Nice panel here by Mahmud Asrar. Beautiful.

In my favorite use of the power, in Supergirl #20,  Supergirl unleashes her flare to destroy Sanctuary, her fortress which was self-aware and trying to kill her.

This is as close to Kal's version that we have seen. This is a huge explosion which does wipe out Supergirl, leaving her depleted and unconscious. So she can apparently dial it up. And if she expends enough energy, she can become vulnerable like Kal.

Again, beautiful page. There is something akin to the end of All-Star Superman to that top panel. Incredible.

I am fairly certain that the last time we have seen Kara use this power was in Supergirl #21 when she uses it to free herself from an I'Noxian defense system. This looks pretty dramatic too.

We have gone a year and a half since the last Supergirl flare. I wonder if Johns' was aware of it?

And will we see Supergirl use it again? Or is this power now solely Superman's?

Review: Superman #38

Superman #38 came out this week, the last issue of the Ulysses storyline and the end of the first arc by Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr., and Klaus Janson.

This story has been a sort of slow burn with big art. The overarching theme of Ulysses being a sort of Superman origin analogue looked through a mirror darkly was an interesting one. But the individual issues sort of moved things forward little by little. And Romita filled each issue with large panels, splash pages, and double splash pages. This could have been a 3 issue story if it was thumbnailed in usual page layouts.

For me, the most interesting parts of this arc has been when Johns' has looked at Superman's supporting cast, bringing things away from Lobdell's world and back to a more classic feel. And, luckily, this issue has a healthy dose of that. I wouldn't mind a couple of issues just of the Daily Planet crew!

But the big part of this issue was the reveal of a new power and a new confidante. And I am going to give both of these some time before I render a final verdict.

I think I have stated my opinion on Romita's art enough. It just doesn't work for me. And working mostly in large panels I think weakens his art.

Last issue ended when Superman convinced Ulysses to not slaughter Earth people for fuel for The Great World. The result of that was the destruction of Ulysses' adopted planet.

Back on Earth and in the midst of a brawl with Ulysses, Superman takes time to speak to the masses who thought they would be living in paradise. These people are griping about heading back to a world where they are sick or penniless. It is something of a sad commentary on humanity.

But Superman says that people need to look at themselves and this imperfect world for help and hope. It's a decent speech to remind people that we all need to help each other. Some classic Superman sentiment there.

One of my consistent pet peeves about the New 52 has been the underutilization of Lois. I thought Johns was going to work Lois more into the mix. We have seen her in every issue. But she doesn't do too much in this issue other than stand there and smile. And that panel with the vacant stare ... weird.

Superman does brawl with Ulysses, initially in Metropolis and then away from innocents. And then, when Ulysses threatens to destroy the Earth, Superman unleashes *his* new power - a super flare. In fact, Romita uses 5 pages to show us it.

One thing I sort of like about this is the Dragon Ball Z feel to this. This isn't a surgical attack. This is huge and seems uncontrollable. I guess 'Final Flash' was taken as a power name?

But is it a new Kryptonian power?

Kara has been doing it for two plus years.

Just like that, Ulysses is defeated.

So there is nothing but the wrap up.

Superman wakes up in the Batcave. Batman retrieved Superman's unconscious body. This 'super flare' incinerated everything in a quarter mile but also expended all of Superman's energy. Until he recharges, he is human and vulnerable.

I think that I will need to see just how often this is used before I comment. Will this be a rare power event, only used as a last ditch attack? Will this be overused so writers can write a 'vulnerable' Superman? Will we see him use this against lightweights?

The vulnerability is an interesting wrinkle ...

Ulysses has been taken to Stryker's Island and placed in a cell built for the Parasite, slowly siphoning off his energy. Ulysses knows Superman's secret identity. But for some reason, he is staying tight lipped. If he was that angry at Superman ... why not ruin his life? Instead he tells Superman (who comes as Clark reporting) to leave him alone.

I did like that Clark does bring Neil's parents to the cell. Putting Clark in shadows is a nice touch. Clark still misses his parents ... both sets. He doesn't want anyone suffering as he does.

Then it is back to work.

Nice touch that Clark wants to talk about the tragedy of Ulysses while the paper labels him a menace.

Clark sees the best in people. He doesn't want to label anyone.

I do like Perry here. Johns has a nice voice for him. I thought for sure that Clark would confide in him!

And Jimmy, made a billionaire by Lobdell, is suddenly the young hungry broke photographer again. Jimmy was inspired by Superman's speech to help all the people shut out of the Great World. He emptied his parents' trust fund.

That is impressive ... even if a slightly unbelievable. It does show the power that Superman has as a role model. And it shows us just who Jimmy is.

I like a slightly younger, hungry, motivated Jimmy. Let's see Mr. Action.

It leads to this reveal. Here is Superman's new outfit, including gloves!

But more importantly, Clark reveals his identity to Jimmy!

I have to really mull this one over.

Jimmy is Clark's best friend. He trusts Jimmy. This is the ultimate signal-watch.

I would have preferred Perry White, an older confidante ... a father figure. Perry is a more mature person, someone maybe who can keep it in the vault a bit more.

I would have preferred that the person who he would reveal this to be Lois. But they aren't there yet in this universe. It wouldn't have felt right for a Lois and Clark moment. We just haven't seen them be close.

I will have to see how this plays out.

But remember, we had someone observing all of these ongoings, talking like a father, walking with a staff that feels like a shepherd's crook. Who is this guy? A Jonathan Kent clone? The Eradicator? A rogue Kryptonian?

I thought at first this person was an integral part of the Ulysses storyline. Now it looks like he was just observing.

I can't say that this has been a great storyline by Johns. But it is way better than the Lobdell stuff that preceded it. In fact so much of this feels like an effort to move away from all that ... back to the Daily Planet, new costume, new power, new secret partner. Superman fans who left because of Lobdell can know this is new.

But are these changes better?

I don't mind them right now ... but I have to see how all this is utilized before I grade them.

Overall grade: B

Review: Superman #37

Happy New Year!

With the wrap-up of Supergirl's 2014 behind us, it's back to business as usual. And that means finishing last week's reviews. In some ways, it is okay as only a handful of comics came out yesterday, and none on my list.

Superman #37 continued the Ulysses storyline from megastar team of Geoff Johns, John Romita, Jr, and Klais Janson. I have been waiting for this story to move forward and Johns does just that here. We finally learn something about Klerik, the Great World, and Ulysses. And what I found most interesting was the continued similar aspects of Ulysses origin to Superman's ... and more importantly this issue, the differences.

I don't know if the pacing completely works here. It feels like we took babysteps for several issues and then one giant leap this one. But at least there is movement.

As usual, Romita Jr's art is fine here. I don't pause to pore over the art like I do when it really crackles. And, as per the usual of this arc, there are too many splash pages.

Last issue ended with Ulysses defeating Superman. This one opens with Superman captured and on the main ship from the Great World.

Despite what seems to be a 'victory', Klerik lays out Ulysses.

We learn that Klerik is Ulysses' adoptive father in the Great World. And when Ulysses tells his father that Superman will be returned to Earth, Klerik is unhappy.

We have seen plenty of similarities between Superman and Ulysses origins. Here we see a different. Klerik isn't Pa Kent. He isn't supportive. He doesn't teach to help people. No wonder Ulysses is broken. He is in an abusive relationship.

The defeat of Klerik in the first part of this arc, the befriending of Superman ... all a ruse to get Superman to trust Ulysses and therefore to get the world to trust Ulysses.

It is clear these 6 million humans aren't going to the Great World for paradise. And Ulysses couldn't care less about their fate. He is disgusted about humanity. He is disgusted about his own humanity.

So again we see another difference between Ulysses and Superman. Superman isn't human but he does embrace Earth as his home; he sees the best in humanity. Ulysses is human and considers himself above us.

We learn that the 6 million humans will simple be broken down into bioenergy to power everything in the Great World for a decade - the tech, the citizens, everything.

Ulysses is basically a herald of Galactus. He goes to a planet, lures a section of the populace to the Great World, and then uses them as fuel. He is a mass murderer. And that is about as far away from Superman as you can get.

All that changes when Ulysses learns that his parents have sneaked on board as 2 of the 6 million.

Just like that a sort of smugness melts away. Now he'll do anything to save his folks.

And Superman uses that to try to nudge Ulysses all the way. If the Great World is dying, why not save everyone ... EVERYONE ... by bringing them back to Earth. The human captives and the citizens of the Great World ... everyone can be saved even if the Great World dies.

It is sort of like Krypton. This is a chance to save everyone! To use transport ships, like Jor-El wanted to, to save a planet.

But it does show just how callous Ulysses is. The fate of 5,999,998 humans ... who cares? His parents? Time to turn his back on his adopted world.

Unfortunately, it all goes awry.

The human transports are successfully sent home. But the energy needed to do that makes the Great World's unstable core go critical. The Great World dies.

It is interesting that the denizens of the Great World were sort of like the Science Council on Krypton. Rather than figure out a peaceful way to save themselves, they ignore the problem. In fact, they are even worse, willing to kill others to maintain their world.

Man, does anything scream 'Krypton analogue' like this panel? Here Superman is rocketing Ulysses away from the exploding planet.

So should Superman feel somehow partly responsible for this world's death? I'm trying to wrap my brain around that.

Ulysses seems to think so. And this is the cliffhanger, heading into next month's finale.

At least I feel like we are at a point where things can come to a conclusion next issue. But that is because we sprinted here. After months of slowly peeling away Ulysses, we rush to the conclusions about the Great World. And we never really see enough of it to recognize it as paradise. Even the two-page splash by Romita showing it feels more like fancy apartment complexes.

I will admit that the contrast of Ulysses to Superman, with all the similarities and differences, is very interesting. Ulysses is the Superman story gone wrong. I think it is this comparison that is the backbone of the story. And that is saving this story.

I miss the Daily Planet crew. We don't see the 'father' watching Superman. And despite the plot progression, the whole issue reads very fast with the splash pages and huge panels. I wonder if this would read better in trade form?

Overall grade: B-/B