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.

Character Designs: Kenneth Rocafort's Red Lantern Supergirl & Yildiray Cinar's Blaze

The Red Daughter of Krypton trade paperback came out this week. It includes Supergirl #26-33, Red Lanterns #28-29, and Green Lantern #28. It is a shame it doesn't include Red Lanterns #30-31 because Kara plays a pretty big part in those issues. Still that is 10 issues for $17.99 and for a great arc.

I always hope that there will be extra matter in these trades. This trade includes the covers as well as the uncolored versions of the covers if you want to see the line work.

But there are 2 pages in the back that I would say is true new material. At least ... I don't think I have seen these elsewhere.

First off, here is Kenneth Rocafort's Red Lantern design for Supergirl.

I think Rocafort's style is visually stunning, beautiful. And I have to say, I liked these designs. For one, it eliminates two parts of the Supergirl costume I don't like - the red crotch panel and the knee-holed boots. But I think the mix of red and black is slick. And I am glad she wore a mask, as I think this whole trip to the Red was sort of a mask, a role Kara was playing to get away from her life.

We also get a page of Yildiray Cinar's design of Blaze.

It's funny, I don't know if we ever saw Blaze in a panel with someone else. So to see her towering over Shay Veritas puts her in a whole new perspective. She looks like she's 12 feet tall here.

I also like this look as Blaze looks totally demonic. Her arms are thin, her legs stocky; both are wiry. Her torso is emaciated. And that frizzed hair and huge horns. This is the look of a devil. And it works.

As I have said, I didn't go into Red Daughter a happy fan, thinking it was going to be terrible. But it worked wonderfully as a redemption story. I was glad to pick up the trade for easy re-reading.

Review: Supergirl #30

Supergirl #30 came out this week, the second part of the Red Daughter arc and the first issue with new artist Emanuela Lupacchino. I have been giving this arc and it's counterparts in Red Lanterns relatively high marks as it has felt that writer Tony Bedard (as well as RL scribe Charles Soule) has been moving Kara towards some revelation, some redemption, some understanding that she has to give up this anger and isolation. This issue, while decent, didn't seem to have the same progression towards wellness in Kara that I have seen in the prior issues.

And I have said all along that I will reserve the right to regrade this arc if the ending of Supergirl becoming likeable, relatable, and heroic isn't actualized.

That isn't to say there aren't nice moments in this book. There are. Bedard does a nice job of putting in subtle hints that Kara is still a bit confused, trying to figure things out. But there is still a harsh edge to her, harsher than I have seen in the prior issues, and that felt like a step backwards.

Lupacchino's art looks a bit more raw than her highly polished covers have been. But the work itself is very slick. Their is an energy to the art here that brought me into the story. There are maybe a few too many poses where Kara seems to have a broken back but nothing so insane as to drag me out of the plot.

And Kenneth Rocafort's cover is very eye-catching. I did cringe at the 'We're Red, you're dead!' tagline.

The issue starts with the Lanterns defending a planet called Grax from a group of warriors called Diasporans. The Diasporans have been given a belief from someone (I am assuming it will be World Killer #1) that destroying a race's planet and sending them to the stars makes that race stronger. So we see them slaughtering the Grax without care.

That is until the Reds show up.

The first thing we hear from Kara is that she finally feels like she belongs. She was chosen to be part of the Corps. So despite having powers and being Supergirl on Earth ... she just didn't fit in there. I wonder if this is rationalization a little bit by Kara. I think she is grabbing on to the fact that the ring chose her as equaling her fitting in. She didn't really try to fit in on Earth. And maybe she would have if she did try.

I do like the name Diasporans. Nice little play on diaspora.

But there are parts of Kara's interaction with the Reds that makes me think she actually doesn't fit in with this group. This is where I think Supergirl, being desperate for acceptance, is trying to convince herself this is where she belongs rather than feeling it.

For instance, Supergirl chides Skallox for yelling at this young Grax about the death of her mother. That sounds like what a Red would say. But Supergirl doesn't think so. And in the battle, Zilius notices that Supergirl is using her Kryptonian powers rather than her ring's powers to fight. Maybe she isn't totally accepting her new life?

The Lanterns drive off the Diasporans and accept the cheers of the Grax. It is good ... I suppose ... the see Supergirl defend something so passionately, acting heroically. She even talks about how she will pummel anyone that threatens this world again.

So ... this is where I have to wonder about long term characterization. Remember when she called Earth a sweating ball of mud? Where she said she didn't care about Earth at all as long as Krypton came back? Why does Grax rate higher?

I'm happy she wants to defend Grax. I just wonder why it has taken 30 issues for us to hear something like this from Kara. Why she didn't have the same resolve on Earth. I hope Bedard talks about this change of heart.

This is one of those 'brokeback poses' from Lupacchino.

Bedard does do a good job keeping the subplots smoldering.

Blaze not only is on the loose in the Block, she is able to use her magic to convert a computer into some sort of scrying device. She asks it to find the 'angry girl' and it answers Supergirl and Banshee. It then leads her to Queens and Siobhan's home.

I have to say it out loud. I am hoping that the search 'angry girl' is more about Siobhan and her internal demon than Supergirl. Maybe that is me being old fashioned.

The actions shifts back to Ysmault where Guy is trying to rally the corps around the impending fight with Atrocitus. Part of that means talking to Kara and trying to rein her in. This heart to heart talk gives Bedard some rope for some exposition. Supergirl tells Guy about all she saw when in the Blood Ocean. It is a nice way for us as readers to see Kara's true feelings.

Lupacchino really shines in this section, made even better but the muted colors in this section by Hi-Fi.

Much of the vision is a flashback to Krypton and Zor-El. She sees the World Killers in his lab. Finally, we hear some sympathetic words from Supergirl. She finds the very idea of World Killers abominable. As an orphan from a dead planet, she can't tolerate that. (Again, it flies in the face of the Supergirl who was willing to let Earth die in both H'El on Earth and Krypton Returns. But let's forget about those stories ... please??)

We also learn that she doesn't remember that Alura tried to 'save her' from being rocketed off.

I normally don't scan a whole page, but this was the key of the issue for me. And I counted it as 'three panels' in my internal barometer of what I feel comfortable sharing.

We relive the battle with the World Killers from way back in Supergirl #7. (I am pretty sure people in Manhattan cheered for her at the end like the Grax).

But here are the things I liked about this.

One, Kara says the Killers were goading her by saying only a World Killer could defeat one. Back then, I worried that Kara might therefore be the first World Killer. Heck, Mike Johnson certainly hinted at that. By changing it to a taunt, it makes it less likely. Hurrah.

Then we see that resolve of the 'daughters of the house of El'. Alura is a leader who doesn't quit. And Kara wants to live up to that example. That is also very good. We need to distance Kara more and more from the increasingly odious Zor-El.

But as great as these moments were ... Kara wanting to save people, using her powers not the ring, thinking differently from Skallox, thinking World Killers are horrible, wanting to be like Alura ... Bedard kind of pulled the rug out from under me.

Just when I think Supergirl is realizing her true nature, she devolves back to a snarling Red, vowing to burn the sector clean. I do like Guy's expression, realizing he has his hands full.

I know, this is a whole arc. I shouldn't expect things to be the way I want ... let alone in a couple of months. But I was hoping that the trajectory we saw in the earlier issues ... the trek back to a S-shield Supergirl fighting villains on Earth ... was maintained.

Still, there is progress here. And I guess I should be happy about that.

Overall grade: B/B+

Review: Batman/Superman Annual #1

Batman/Superman Annual #1 came out last week and was a fine issue. I had very high hopes for this book for a number of reasons. It guest starred Supergirl. It also had Red Hood, Batgirl, and Steel! And it was to be a commentary on the recent deaths of Damian Wayne and Superboy. That is a lot of great stuff to cover.

It also had great creative clout with writer Greg Pak and artists Jae Lee, Kenneth Rocafort, and Philip Tan. I knew this was going to be a very beautiful book.

So I have a very rare complaint. I think this story was rushed!! I usually complain that in this current DC market that everything is decompressed and stretched to fit a 6 issue trade compilation. But this story is a whirlwind. In fact, the best parts of the issue is the opening chapter where things proceed at a nice pace allowing the characters to breathe a bit. But the middle chapter is so fast that the plot feels rushed. And the emotional 'oomph', the reflection of Damian's and Kon's deaths, is an afterthought when that should be the driving force of this book.

Now this isn't a bad book by any means. I enjoyed it ... especially the Supergirl parts! But I almost wish that this was a three issue mini-arc in the main book. There is so much untapped story here.

The book opens with Superman and Batman reviewing their recent battle with Mongul. The interstellar tyrant was thrown into the Phantom Zone by Superman. It is a somewhat chilly interaction between the two. Batman is surprised that Superman would have the intestinal fortitude to throw Mongul in that prison without a trial. And Superman thinks that he isn't a boy scout; he is there to protect.

I did love this moment, a sort of softening of Batman. He looks down on a couple of kids playing ball and says the 'little joys' make life bearable. There is a glimmer of hope in him!

This quaint reflection is interrupted by the arrival of a new Warworld and Mongul's son Jochi. On Warworld, grievances are dealt with in the arena. Jochi is upset about his father's defeat and needs familial justice. Batman and Superman will either bring a 'clan' to battle Jochi on his world to fight or Warworld will destroy the Earth.

There isn't much choice. Batman and Superman go to pick their 2 clan members.

As a Supergirl fan, I have had my share of complaints about how she has been characterized in the New 52. One of my biggest complaints has been her utter lack of interaction with Superman. Luckily ... happily ... Pak must not know about this. He has Superman pick Supergirl first ... the easy pick!

Look at how the 2 super-cousins are working together to save a falling bridge from a giant kraken-like thing. Superman and Supergirl collaborating!! Action friendly!! Acting like a family! Thank goodness.

And Jae Lee's art is so beautiful I love his representation of Kara.

I know we are in the Red Lantern phase of things. I can only hope when that story is over that Pak and Bedard smooth over this relationship.

Wonder Woman shows up asking to join the clan but Superman tells her she needs to stay behind to defend Earth should something go awry. Diana gives Kara her sword. It is odd that Wonder Woman doesn't seem to recognize Kara. They brawled in H'El on Earth.

And Clark and Diana share a moment to say goodbye. This is the first time I have read them interact as a couple where it sounded semi-reasonable and natural.

As Diana flies away, Supergirl talks to Superman about her and how much Kara likes her! Look ... two family members talking about their lives to each other!!!! It can be done!!

Along the way Superman picks up Krypto as his second and Steel as a hidden ally.

As for Batman, he approaches Batgirl and Red Hood to join him. They are interesting choices, especially Jason who is something of a wild card. Batman knows he might need someone a bit unhinged for the arena.

Despite my love of Superman, this is my favorite page. Batman knows he has already put these characters through the wringer. We see shots of The Killing Joke and Death in the Family (nice channeling of Mignola by Lee here). And we see a ghostly vision of Damian (looking quite Quitely).

Batman warns the two that they might not come back from this mission.

I love ... LOVE ... Jason's response. They might not come back from any mission. Bruce should realize that. Fantastic! For too long it seems that Batman has been an immutable force in comics. I am glad to see someone call him out a little.

This early chapter flows nicely as we see the main heroes pick their family to fight alongside. After this things get a bit rushed.

First off, Steel and Batgirl slip away before the heroes head to the arena. They are tasked with dismantling Warworld's weapons so Earth will be spared.

In the meantime, Batman sees Jochi alone in combat on Warworld. Jochi needs to fight for his own honor and for a place on Warworld. In an odd twist, Batman claims Jochi as one of his clan since Batman defeated Jochi's father. That right falls to Bruce.

It puts Jochi in an odd place. He either needs to join Batman (the guy he wanted to fight, the guy who banished his father) or get killed immediately.

Okay, I consider myself a decent reader of comments. But the muddled politics of Warworld are a little confusing. I guess I just have to roll with it.

While Steel and Batgirl try to eliminate Warworld's weapons, the 'Clans' on Warworld fight to see who will eventually rule the place. As expected, the last two clans are the Batman Clan and the Superman Clan. Because, after all, we need more of Superman fighting Batman.

But all this noble fighting has made Jochi have something of a change of heart. Maybe he can be more benevolent than his father was. Maybe he can change.

The final battle is a fight to the death. And if the two clans shadow-box, the Warworld elite will kill both teams and destroy Earth. How can this end??

I suppose having Jochi be a reasonable 'villain', someone outgrowing the limited views of his father, is a nice touch.

After toiling to do things his way, Steel finally relents to Batgirl's suggestion throughout the book. The easiest way to dispose of Warworld's weapons is to disassmble them with explosions. It is a funny moment.

But then the ending gets rushed. The two remaining clans fight each other. Batman doesn't kill Superman with a Kryptonite shard. Jochi tries to wrest control of Warworld. The Council sends Warworld on a collision course with Earth. And Superman sends the whole thing into the Phantom Zone. Oh, and in the zone, Mongul kills his son.

It all seems like just a bit too much too fast. There was no time to savor the fights, to give us more of those personal moments within the clans, to see Jochi slowly turning, to grasp the intricacies of Warworld's system.

There was this nice moment at the end. We finally get back to Kon and Damian. Of course, both of them were flawed 'sons' like Jochi. Maybe if time permitted, Superman and Batman could put the two of them on the right track. While Superman wants to mull it over, the pain must be too much for Batman who says they shouldn't dwell on the past.

Now that is a nice moment. It is really the payoff moment of this book. But it was only on the second reading did I realize that Jochi was a reflection of Kon/Damian. Because the fight scenes have to be there, because we need to get to the ending, and because we have to get there fast, everything outside of the Lee pages careens to the ending. I see glimmers of what could be a very good story with an emotional undercurrent. But I am left wanting a bit more.

Still, those glimmers are good glimmers. And the clan interaction when we see it is fantastic. I hope we see more Superman Family and Batman Family crossovers in this book.

Overall grade: B

Review: Superman:Lois Lane #1

And so I finally reach the end of the delayed reviews of last week's comics. And I thought I would save the book I was most interested in reading for the end.

After being semi-snubbed in the main Superman comics, I was glad when DC announced this Superman:Lois Lane #1 one-shot special. Lots of characters have suffered under the weight of the dour New 52. Lois, in particular, has been pushed to the side. Like many, I was happy to see this book and hope it is the beginning of many one-shots or even a solo title/mini-series.

I also liked the creative team attached to the book. Writer Marguerite Bennett's work over on the Batman books has been lauded so I was interested to see what she would do with Lois. And the bulk of the book is done by Emanuela Luppacchino, an artist whose work I have enjoyed on covers. On the plus side, it also means the book had an all-woman creative team, fitting for the first lady of comics.

Now the art ended up being a hodge-podge of Lupacchino as well as Ig Guara, Meghan Hetrick-Murante, and Diogenes Neves but the DC style is pervasive throughout the book. No one style stood out as being radically different from the other. As a result the book's look is smooth on the interior. It also sports a sharp cover by Kenneth Rocafort.

The story itself is a dizzying and in-depth look at Lois' life. We see flashbacks of early life, back when mother Ella was alive. We get a better sense of her relationship with younger sister Lucy. We see her attack a story, investigating a new drug on all levels. And we see what it is like to live in a universe like the DCU ... where a story about drugs on the street becomes a sci-fi thriller.

My biggest peeve with the story is the 're-introduction' of Lucy Lane. She was something of big part of the brief Dan Jurgens run on the Superman book and there seemed much more together and more mature than the Lucy we see here. Now maybe I can mentally squint and make them the same person. But I would also hope that DC would remember that the Jurgens' Lucy was out there. That was only a year and a half ago.

On to the story.

We start out with a flashback of the Lane girls, living on a military base, and playing. This opening scene with Lucy being risky, reaching higher and higher, depending on Lois to save her if she falls, permeates the book and helps set the tone. Lois is the grounded one. Lucy is the dreamer.

But this look into Lois' past feels new to me. I don't recall often seeing glimpses of her as a child. I liked seeing her so close to Lucy, to see how they have a code comprised of bits of the languages they have learned on their travels. These two are close.

And beautiful are here, colored nicely in pastels.

We see a similar scene play out in the present. In cut pages we see Lucy running from her apartment to Lois. Men have broken into Lucy's place and kidnapped her roommate. Scared and looking for a safe place, she heads to Lois'.

And so we see her 'fall' again, being caught by Lois once more. (I can't get into Lucy calling Lois 'Lola'.)

I don't understand why Lucy would break Lois' kitchen window to get into the house. I especially don't get it when she says she smashed the window because she didn't want to ring the bell and wake Lois. Huh? I suppose it goes to show how immature or addled Lucy is at this point.

The flashbacks are a nice part of this book sprinkled throughout the issue.

For me I especially love the peeks into life with Ella, who seems to be a supportive mother trying to keep this family together and happy despite their many travels. We learn that Ella is fighting cancer and eventually succumbs. As a result, Lois feels obliged to try and be Lucy's mother and sister ... and feeling inadequate. It brings in a layer of humility and humanity to Lois.

We learn that Lucy's roommate Amanda was in pain, ill, and took some drugs by a physician named Osterman. The drugs helped with Amanda's pain but had the unwanted effect of having her mutate into monstrous creatures. Tonight, a group called the Cartel (including a new character 'The Agent' who has the feel of Codename:Assassin) broke in and kidnapped her.

They also tried to grab Lucy ... although we don't know why right now.

So we move from kidnapping and street drugs to the fantastic.

This is why I love comics.

This is personal ... but it is also a story. A drug cartel is making people into monsters (metaphor?) and then kidnapping them ... in Metropolis? It is time for Lois to investigate. And the first person she calls is her friend and colleague Jimmy Olsen. She needs some tech to record what she is investigating.

There is very comfortable and sweet and believable between these two. My favorite line is Jimmy asking why aren't they meeting in a diner to discuss the details. I really loved this scene.

And I also loved that the first call wasn't to Superman! Lois can do this field work on her own.

Dressing like someone looking for the 'pretty pills', Lois heads into the seedier areas of the city. And just as she is about to score, that Cartel group and The Agent arrive. They grab both Lois and the dealer (who mutates himself in front of her) taking her to their stronghold, in a the derelict remains of tanker ships in Metropolis harbor.

Well, it turns out that The Agent knows that Lois is Lois. And he isn't necessarily the bad guy here. He wants to help those exposed to the mutagen. And the best way to do that is to scoop them up and bring them to therapy.

Hmmm ....

Couldn't he approach the people before he grabs them? "I know you probably don't like turning into Scyther from Pokemon; I can help." That might be more helpful.

And if you are some government sanctioned task force, maybe a cleaner detox facility might be less ominous. How about a hospital rather than the wreck of a ship.

I suppose I am overthinking this. Maybe this group just wants a swift solution and kidnapping is the most efficient way to eliminate the problem. And a 'secret' place would be more anonymous.

It turns out that Dr. Osterman did create the drug and went through all the proper channels of testing. I hope he didn't lie about this 'side effect'.

The drug hit the streets when some thugs broke into his lab and put it on the streets. There is no cure except detox. Interestingly enough, The Agent says that some people die during detox, or die trying to hold onto their new monstrous form. More metaphor for a drug problem.

Lois decides that this solution of imprisonment isn't right either. She breaks out of her cell and frees all the prisoners. A fire fight breaks out with agents shooting guns at crazy mutated creatures.

In the melee, Lois finds Lucy's roommate Amanda and leaves on a giant bug creature which is presumably Lucy's cat who got into the drug.

Again, we go from a very street level plot with a slightly monstrous bend to this shot of a tiny Lois flying on a giant alien bug. This is such a wild story.

And I love that Lois seems to take this all in stride. Riding a giant bug to my apartment ... no worries.

Finally Lois calls in Superman who arrives to find the ships deserted.

This might be my favorite panel of the book. The Agent calls Lois and tells her he is detoxing the victims and will release them when they are normal. He then tells her to keep the story under wraps.

Look at that killer smile on Lois as she says that they don't know her at all. She isn't going to kill a story. She is an investigative journalist. That one panel is pure Lois.

But in the end this is a personal story. The giant bug turns out to be Lucy who dabbled in the drug as well.

Even if Lucy fell, even if she is hurting, Lois is there for her.

I thought this was a very solid issue, showcasing just about everything I love about Lois while giving me a nice peek into her past. The whole 'drug cartel - are they good guys - who is the villain' part of the book was a bit blurry to me. But that is picking nits at an otherwise solid book for Lois fans. I can only hope we see more.

Kudos to Bennett, Lupacchino, et al.

Overall grade: B/B+

Lois Lane #1 By Marguerite Bennett & Emmanuella Lupacchino

It was Friday morning. It was hours before I learned that Supergirl was going to be a Red Lantern. And for a brief moment, I was happy with DC because a Lois Lane one-shot had just been leaked to the press.

Here is the solicit:

SUPERMAN: LOIS LANE #1

Written by Marguerite Bennett

Art by Emanuela Lupacchino

Cover by Kenneth Rocafort

One-shot • On sale FEBRUARY 26 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

Lois Lane is known for chasing down stories — but what happens when the story is her family? As her father gains more power in the government, Lois’s sister Lucy has become involved with a deadly drug scene! Meanwhile, Lois thought she was rid of the influence of Brainiac, but now she finds that the the computer tyrant of Colu is calling out to her again!

That alone would have been enough to make me smile. I have heard great stuff about Bennett's writing on other books and I love Lupacchino's art. So the creative team sounded solid. And that cover by Kenneth Rocafort  is beautiful.

I am also a Lucy Lane fan ... despite the twists and turns her character has taken over the last few years. She adds some grist to the Lane family mill. Is she hooked on the deadly drug? Hmmm ...

But there was more than just the solicit. Over on Comic Vine, Bennett was interviewed and had some great stuff to say about Lois which makes me think this issue will be spot on. Here is the link:
http://www.comicvine.com/articles/exclusive-interview-marguerite-bennett-on-lois-lan/1100-147543/

As always, I recommend reading the whole interview (it also talks about Bennett's Joker's Daughter one-shot). But here are the questions and answers that grabbed me.

COMIC VINE: Congrats on these two one-shots. Lois and Joker’s Daughter are two completely different characters. How will you approach each one?
MARGUERITE BENNETT: That said, Lois Lane and Joker’s Daughter managed to live largely in harmony in my imagination. Lois’s tale is an adventure story—a sci-fi noir, if you will. Lois Lane is the first lady (queen? khaleesi?) of DC Comics, and I was in fits to offer up a story worthy of her. There’s an elegance to the structure and a poignance to the plot that I hope won’t strike a nerve so much as twist it, and leave our readers avid for more.


Already she names Lois as the Queen of DC Comics and that she wants the readers wanting more. Nice start!

CV: What is your favorite thing about Lois?
MB: Oh, Lord, just one? May I say her general magnificence? May I say her audacity in the face of danger? May I say her willpower, when all the world is going to hell? May I say that she is neither a believer nor a cynic, but one who will face the world on the principle of truth and truth alone?
I love the conviction in Lois, how the same woman can maintain such calm and resolve and yet be so invested in the world and all its struggles. She cares so completely as to plunge into the fray, a war journalist or investigative reporter, because she knows that the truth must be brought to light, no matter how ugly, no matter how terrible. Yet she doesn’t permit the darkness, corruption, or trauma of the world she has seen to sully her. It can try and try and try again to dig its hooks into her, but she is fiercer and filled with more conviction than any human or superhuman foe can break. Within her discipline and self-reliance is, I believe, an inherent compassion—an understanding of our suffering, and a trust that the truth will better us—a trust that we will better ourselves.

This is such a great answer because it encapsulates what I love about Lois, what I think we all love about Lois. She is a crusader for Truth with a capital T and willing to do whatever she needs to do to report it.

But she remains unsullied by all that exposure. In a dark, grimy DC universe, she remains unspoiled.

Isn't this why we all think Clark would love her?

CV: Will Superman play any part in the story or will you get to focus just on Lois?
MB: Superman is an aspect of Lois’s story, but in the New 52, so much of what Lois is capable of can be seen in who she is beyond Superman. Not without, which I think implies a noticeable absence, a fault, a lack—but beyond him, head high, hair streaming, heroic in her own right, braving a superhuman world on beautifully human terms.
 
She is the hero in her own story with some iconic image of her standing above it all already etched in Bennett's mind. Nice!

Lots of folks around the internet have been complaining about the lack of Lois in the current DCU. How she has been down-graded and pushed out of the spotlight. I hope those folks come out in droves and buy this book to show DC that Lois deserves better.

Unfortunately, the optimism this news gave me was soon extinguished by the "Kara as Red Lantern" news. 

Review: Action Comics Annual #2

Action Comics Annual #2 came out this week, the first part of Krypton Returns, Scott Lobdell's sequel to H'El on Earth.

Now my issues with H'El on Earth are well documented on this site. It was muddled, with plot holes and was near incomprehensible in some places. And, of course, Supergirl was treated horribly in that arc. The middle chapter, Superman 23.3 H'El #1, wasn't strong either. It was a jumbled mess of an origin as we are told that cell samples that made their way through the universe gained omnipotence and intelligence. Lobdell has often said that the reader simply needs to go with the flow, ignoring things that make no internal sense or aren't explained and I'm not surprised that he asks for that. Because a lot isn't explained and there is much which makes little sense.

I tried my best to go into this issue with an open mind. But I bought it with some trepidation wondering if this story would be any different. Would it make sense? Would there be holes or leaps in the plot that are hard to comprehend? Would Supergirl be treated better?

Sadly, the truth is there was no difference. The issue seems to stumble along, the plot clunkily pushing forward rather than smoothly rolling out.  It is loud and brash. There is a lot that I have to simply accept as a reader as it doesn't make much sense. And outside of one nice moment between Kara and Kal, Supergirl is treated poorly, cold and bratty and ultimately immature.

On the other hand, the art in places is quite lovely. I know I like Rocafort more than others but his art shines here, the crazy panels and page compositions working with the chaos of the story.  And Dan Jurgens fill in pages are fine.

The story starts with Superman witnessing a Temporal Tsunami destroying an uninhabited galaxy. Planets are destroyed and suns extinguished. A portal appears and he steps through it. He suddenly finds himself standing in front of the Oracle with Supergirl and Superboy.

Immediately we see how Lobdell is going to proceed. Supergirl icily lets it be known she isn't happy Superboy is there. Funny how Superman and Superboy are looking up and she is looking down. I get the feeling that Lobdell doesn't like Supergirl. She seems more interested in shunning Superboy rather than what brought them together.

Remember, Mike Johnson had her beg H'El to spare Superboy's life, realizing life is sacred, in the Supergirl chapter of H'El on Earth.

The Oracle points to a nearby planet and the trio realize that they are suddenly in orbit above ... wait for it ... Krypton. Apparently, the accumulated yellow sun energy allows Superman and Supergirl to survive in space under the red sun.

Of course, Supergirl acts impulsively. She is thrilled that H'El (the guy she loved then hated then tried to kill) was successful in saving the planet. She tries to fly 'home' but is stopped by Superman. She then is angry with him for not letting her be happy about the return of the planet.

It is clear this is a 'new' Krypton with 25-odd years of time having passed. When the three are attacked by a Kryptonian warship, even Supergirl has to agree they can't just fly down. Of course, she does so icily once again.

We are 9 pages in and she already has 2 icy word balloons and has acted bratty and impulsive.

The Oracle teleports the three to a Kryptonian moon where we get several pages of exposition. First, the Oracle 'possesses' Superboy and fills in some of the details of what has happened.

H'El learned that he was nothing but cells on a ship. He decides he will rule Krypton. But Krypton is doomed. So he keeps going back in time, trying to change details. Remember he had killed Jor-El in Superman #23.3. He undoes that until finally one of the many timelines of Jor-El he actually figures out how to stop the planet from exploding.

I already have said that I think H'El's origins are rubbish. So nothing new there.

But there is something mythic about Krypton being doomed to die. The fact that Lobdell has one Jor-El figure out how to save the planet sort of cheapens the life of the 'real' Jor-El. It means that the DCU Jor-El was a failure for not figuring out how to stop the planet blowing up. What is a hero's story for saving Kal-El now becomes an 'honorable mention'. Why wasn't he more like that Jor-El?

During each of these dry runs, H'El murdered anyone who stands in his way. He has corrupted the timestream so much that it is lashing out with the destruction we saw earlier.

You know who doesn't care about all that destruction and death? Supergirl apparently. She doesn't see what the big deal is. After all, she got her world back. She actually says they should be throwing H'El a parade. Remember, the H'El she loved then hated then tried to kill.

 Isn't that supremely immature? Selfish? Un-heroic?

The Oracle's possession almost burns out Superboy. Supergirl has to slap Superboy's body to shock Kon into regaining control.

Then Lobdell has Faora come out of the shadows to finish the story. In this new timeline, the Oracle educated and trained Faora to be his mouthpiece.

So why possess Superboy at all if you teleported the family to the moon to be near your acolyte? It is one of those meaningless plot wrinkles that was probably put in just so Supergirl can smack Superboy. Because Faora picks up right where the Oracle left off.

It turns out that H'El took over Krypton and made it a horrible war-like world. He has made half the population slaves and the other half military troops. The place looks more like Apokolips than Krypton.

Of course, Kara remembers the 'other' Faora and is rude to this one, vowing to make Faora pay for her crimes and questioning the veracity of what she is saying now.

Are you sensing a pattern here? Supergirl isn't very nice in this book.

The Super-family gets to witness this new hostile Krypton first hand. eeking over the bend they see soldiers forcing the weak into manual labor under the threat of violence.

Superboy falls back to the tried-and-true 'I am a living weapon' mode, attacking the soldiers and apparently perforating them with telekinetic bolts. Superboy the killer.

And then the inexplicable and needlessly complex plot twist.

To stop H'El from saving Krypton and ruining the universe by weakening the time stream, the heroes need to split up to three key moments in the past. Supergirl heads to the clone wars. Superboy needs to make sure Supergirl gets to Earth so she can be around for this moment (because that makes perfect sense in a time stream where Krypton doesn't blow up). And Superman needs to stop H'El.

Seems like a sort of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers plot right ... overly complicated and easily thwarted. Why not go back in time and stop H'El from irradiating his cells preventing him from doing anything?

Remember, on this world, the events of Krypton's destruction didn't happen. Why would Zor-El be making a rocket to begin with?? 

Taking Faora at her word, they prepare to dive into the portals.

Okay, it isn't all bad.

This is a scene I think most Supergirl fans have been waiting for and seems apt after the 'find happiness' pledge at the end of the Cyborg Superman story.

She apologizes for being difficult and thanks him for trying to help her.

Okay, great sentiment.

But how do you corroborate this attitude with the 'hooray H'El, hate Superboy, I don't care how many people died as long as Krypton is back' attitude from earlier in this issue?!

I am happy this scene happened. I am shocked that Scott Lobdell wrote it. Why does he write her so awfully everywhere else?

Once we go back in time, Dan Jurgens take over on art. We get to see a couple of pages of each of the members on their side adventures, I did like this scene the most as Kara tries to figure out who Superboy is (he is wearing the family crest) as she sneaks out of the house with a antigrav harness. Looks like she has always had a thing for the kneeless boots.

But there are other things to see in the other side scenes.

Supergirl is basically powerless in the past having been exposed to yellow sunlight for less time that Superman.

And Superman meets Lara Van-El. Not Lara Jor-El. Lara Van-El. In this new timeline, it seems Lara did not marry Jor-El. So maybe Kal doesn't exist here. Yet another time travel story conundrum.

The issue ends with H'El vowing revenge and death on the Superfamily. He looks back in time and sees the family interacting with the Oracle. He still seems to be pining for Kara, loving her but feeling betrayed. Remember, the girl he lied to and hit.

Anyways, if H'El is so obsessed with Kara, why hasn't he used his time bending powers or his planetary clout to woo her or marry her in the new timeline? It, again, is a sort of nonsensical plot thread since H'El has control over reality right now.

Anyways, I tried my best ... I tried ... to see the bright spots in this issue. The Rocafort art is slick. The scene where Supergirl and Superman reconcile is very nice. Lara Van-El is an interesting wrinkle.

But so much of this issue seems strained and worrisome. Supergirl being a selfish brat. Superboy killing. An unnecessary complicated plot. A lot of exposition. It doesn't exactly flow.

And so Krypton Returns begins. I knew I should have been worried after all.

Overall grade: C-

Review: Superman #22

Superman #22 came out this week, another good issue for writer Scotty Lobdell, a trend that has been true for this title since H'El on Earth played itself out. The Psi-War brewing between HIVE and Hector Hammond is certainly an engaging plot, one that Superman isn't well-equipped to deal with. But even within this arc, each issue has slightly improved from the last. It has been a while since I have looked forward to the Superman title. Right now, I am.

It helps that this issue actually gives us some time with Clark as well as with supporting cast members Cat Grant and Jimmy Olsen. Yes, Lois is completely absent from this issue. But I hope that means in the future she will get good moments like Cat and Jimmy get here. It also helps that Lobdell recaps the story so far by having Superman review the events in his head. It brought me up to speed and helped clear up the initial confusion of why H.I.V.E./Hammond are fighting when the last time we saw them (in Action Comics) they are allies. I knew that flash forward in Action would flummox me.

The art in the issue is done mostly by Eddy Barrows. I have always liked Barrows art but I have come to realize he just can't get things done on time. This issue is no difference. While Barrows does the bulk of the art, recent Smallville artist Daniel HDR pencils pages 13-15 and Geraldo Borges who did art on some of the Legion issues of Adventure Comics filled in on 16-18. Hat tip to blog friend Mart Gray of the great
Too Dangerous For A Girl comic review blog for the art breakdown. HDR and Borges style is cleaner, with less line work. But it is all good.

As usual, Kenneth Rocafort does stellar work on this cover. The whole point of the Queen is she is supposed to seduce you or fill you with honeyed word so you will obey her. This image works for that feel.

Last issue Hector Hammond was kidnapped by H.I.V.E. and brought to their headquarters. Unfortunately, Hammond's powers have been augmented by a sudden surge of electric energy. Still, the H.I.V.E. headquarters is Queen Bee's domain. Her troops surround Hammond and she demands that Hammond recognize his role as a mere tool in her plans to dominate the world.

I love this panel structure by Barrows. With the Queen apparently in charge, the panel is shaped like a honeycomb. The point of view here, looking up at the Queen gives her the feel of power, as if we are kneeling before her as well. Nice.

That art riff is flipped on its head on the next set of pages. It turns out the gun-wielding drones were psionic illusions by the Queen, a feint that Hammond saw through quickly.

Suddenly, the ordered honeycomb panels give way to round bulbous panels, not unlike Hammond's head. Suddenly the perspective is different, the Queen looking much less larger-than-life. As always, when art and words complement each other, comics are at their best.

I also have to say, I love that Hammond needs his own slaves to help him with even the most menial tasks. To see this soldier propping up Hammond's arm as he chokes the Queen added a slight element of humor to this scene.

As fun as this mini-skirmish was, the following scenes of Clark and the supporting cast were even better.

We get to hear Superman talk about how ill-prepared he is for a psionic war. He can't punch or heat vision a telepathic attack. And if it weren't for Orion's defenses, he would be helpless.

There is something about this sequence where we see multiple images of Superman turning into Clark that smacks of old-school comic fun. I thought this was great.

Lastly, I am glad that Clark seems to get the same weird vibe off of Dr. Veritas. She studies him closely. She makes veiled double entendres at him. She seems to know more about his capabilities than he does. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes some New 52 version of Maxima or Rampage.

Clark meets up with Cat Grant. Clarkcatropolis.com, the revolutionary news blog site the two are trying to set up, is struggling. I love how Clark notices the small things about Cat that show she is hurting a bit financially. An empty Starbucks coffee cup and cheap shampoo. That doesn't sound like Cat.

But more importantly, it adds a bit of character to Cat Grant. This is the first incarnation of Cat I kinda-sorta like. She isn't vapid or hateful like prior versions. It would be easy for Cat to give up on this dream when things got tough but she isn't walking away. I am pretty sure the old Cat would never stick it out this long, let alone do this to begin with. Kudos to Lobdell for tweaking her character like this.

Now we can talk journalistic integrity at some other point but Clark decides it is time to break a big story on the site ... specifically a story he learned via his super-powers.

After last month's tip on The Twenty, Clark does some digging. It turns out that STAR Labs is holding some powerful young super-powered individuals as 'test subjects'. These are part of this mysterious Twenty.

Now I don't know if I like STAR Labs being turned into another big bad corporation instead of the upstanding research firm it has always been. Holding people against their will and experimenting with 'treatment'? Sounds nefarious. And knowing the DCU, it will turn out the military is funding this.

Lastly, I thought for sure the Twenty were going to be something mundane like The Hundred or Intergang. We learn that the Twenty are Twenty people who went missing during Brainiac's attack on Metropolis (as seen in Morrison's run). How the heck didn't more than twenty go missing? Are these people still missing? Or known to have been missing and then found? Since they are a legend ... how did that start?

Back at HIVE, we are again shown that Hammond is suddenly much more powerful than anticipated. The Queen is only able to escape by flashing an image of Hammond being shot by guns into Hector's head. There is a page of Hammond being literally blown to bits by guns that all turns out to be illusion. It is one of the things that I like about this story so far. I have to keep on my toes a bit because I might not be able to believe everything that I see.

The bottom line is Hammond suddenly has all that is H.I.V.E. at his disposal.

In a bit of a stretch to set up a scene, Superman decides to 'check in' on Jimmy. Last issue, Jimmy manifested Superman's personality trait of feeling utterly alone. (Now I don't think Superman ever feels that way ... but whatever).

Jimmy is living it up on his parents dime. Last month we heard they were dead and Jimmy inherited their billions. Here we learn they are famous and have 'gone missing', like many famous people do. There has to be more than this here.

My guess? The elder Olsens are 2 of the Twenty.

The conversation is broken up by a sudden earthquake as tentacles like those seen in Brainiac's attack on the city suddenly spring from the ground and start shaking the block apart. And then Superman's brain seems to overload and he crashes through the ground.

Did that tentacle attack really happen? Or were they also more illusion?

That is two references to Brainiac in this issue. We know from the solicits that he is on his way back to Earth.

Superman crashes right into the arms of the Queen Bee on the run.

And from her we learn even more about the Twenty. She is one of them. She (or they) has been preparing for Brainiac's return. She seems to have a lot of anti-Brainiac sentiment here. So she is an enemy of an enemy. Heck, she says she is trying to protect the city.

We should start ticking off the members of The Twenty we know of/suspect. Queen Bee. That actor from last issue. That ninja women from last issue. The Olsens. What about Dr. Veritas??

As for art, I love this sort of anti-pieta. Sure it looks like Michaelangelo's Pieta. But that is one evil looking Queen Bee. And I doubt she is supposed to be comforting/mourning Superman. It is a dark reflection of the classic Pieta and that works here.

So overall an entertaining issue on all levels. The PsiWar plot proceeds with Hammond and HIVE duking it out. We get some quality Clark/Cat moments. We learn Brainiac is enmeshed in this whole thing. And the art was solid throughout.

Not bad.

Overall grade: B/B+