Review: Doom Patrol #14

 I have sung the praises of the current Doom Patrol title in the past over here. I thought the content of Doom Patrol #14 was just Kryptonian enough to warrant a post and review here.

As a long time fan of the group (especially the Morrison stuff, although the Drake/Premiani stuff stands up), I have suffered through reimaginations and reboots of the team. But none have grabbed me post-Morrison until this version.

Specifically, I think Keith Giffen understands that the Doom Patrol needs a couple of things to work with. They need to have bizarre adventures and there needs to be a sense of fatalism, a sense of impending doom as it were. Giffen has put those things into this book. And rather than shying away from the team's confusing and often contradictory history, he embraces it. How can there have been so many versions of the Negative Man? How can there be so many incarnations of this team? How can all of their stories fit into current DC history? Who knows how? Who cares? This is the Doom Patrol ... that is all the answer you need. Bizarre stuff happens. And that is how Giffen sees it. We see bits of Morrison here, but also Arcudi, and Kupperberg, and even Drake. The Doom Patrol's continuity is a soup. Deal with it!

Oh, one other thing you need from the Doom Patrol ... you need the Chief. And more and more, in more and more versions of the team, the Chief has been portrayed as a master manipulator, convincing people to act as his agents, all while being a boor. He is willing to put anyone on the front line and in peril to achieve his goals. Sounds a little like Vril Dox, doesn't it? I wonder what it says about my personality that I like reading books with these sort of Machiavellian leaders.

But unlike Dox in R.E.B.E.L.S., the Chief doesn't 'stir the drink' here. No, in this book it is the members of the Doom Patrol that I want to read about. I care about these characters. And in this incarnation, the team is the original three - solid Cliff 'Robotman' Steele, crazy Larry 'Negative Man' Trainor, and traumatized Rita 'Elasti-Girl' Farr. Rita just recently learned she is more like Proty than human. While Crazy Jane, Danny the Street, and Bumblebee have all been in the book, the stories have revolved around the inital team members. So while I want to see Dox scheming and victorious in R.E.B.E.L.S., I want to see the Doom Patrol triumph despite the Chief.

Doom Patrol #14 starts with a general recap of recent issues in to form of a Beverly Hillbillies style ditty sung by fourth wall busting Ambush Bug (another erstwhile team member and the obvious comic relief on the team).

Immediately we see how Giffen acknowldges and accepts all that has come before. From Morrison's run, Mr. Nobody (now Mr. Somebody) has possessed Mr. Jost, the benefactor from Arcudi's run.

These recaps are usually best done in issues where I expect there to be an influx of new readers ... an event cross-over, a new art team, a bold new direction. So it seemed strange to see it here. I think the same 11K readers have been with this title the whole way.

The most sympathetic character in the book is Rita. Not only has she learned that she isn't necessarily human but rather a blob of malleable protoplasm in the shape of Rita Farr, resurrected/cloned by the Chief, but she also has learned that her ex-husband Steve Dayton, the telepath Mento, has been using his powers to make Rita perform ... unsavory ... acts. Overwhelmed by the truth of her origins and outraged by these violations by the perverted Dayton, Rita lashes out, nearly killing Mento. Only a timely save by Cliff stops Rita from becoming a murderer.

The issue before this one was a great introspective on the character of Rita and is worth reading.

Watching from afar ... always watching from afar through the hardwired eyes of Cliff ... the Chief replays a recent conversation that the team has had after surviving their fight with Jost's/Somebody's Front Men team.

It is clear how much the members of the team love each other, how despite the chaos in their lives they rely on each other, love each other, rely on each other, look to each other as a foundation upon which to build their lives.

It is charming and natural to see how they have become a family. Thrown together in combat situations, the relationships forged are tremendously strong.

And yet the Chief is put off by this. At one point, he was the thing holding the members' lives together. They needed him. Now with this vocalized loyalty and support to each other, the Doom Patrol doesn't need the Chief. And without his 'minions', the Chief is suddenly powerless. Maybe he is jealous that he is shut out.

The Chief speaks with such for the team, as if their friendship with each other is a burden to him.

Suddenly, without operatives, he needs a new plan. And so we are made privy to just how diabolical the Chief is.

We heard at the end of War of the Supermen that maybe some Kryptonians were unaccounted for. Now we know about one of them. Vivisected, this poor Kryptonian has become a lab rat for Caulder.

This is horrific. Villainous. Evil. Inhuman. Suddenly we are looking at the Chief in a new light ... a terrible light.

The reason for the experimentation is clear. The Chief wants to learn the 'how's' of Kryptonian physiology in hopes of obtaining their power.

Interestingly enough, the Chief's analysis shows no major difference between human and Kryptonian cells. There is no obvious cellular reason why Kryptonian cells should absorb yellow sun rays and become gods.

With no difference in form, there can only be a difference in essence. Yeah, I don't understand it either.

And ironically, Caulder's computer knows what he doesn't. The Chief cannot live in a vacuum. He needs the Doom Patrol.

The look on the Chief's face is priceless when he is called on it. He knows it too ... maybe he doesn't want to admit it, but he knows he needs them. To him, it is probably weakness that he needs them. But that silent panel is great, speaking volumes.

But with only a metaphysical cellular 'essence' standing in his way to co-opt Kryptonian power, the Chief is able to grasp it. He suddenly becomes Super-Chief. The flood of information ... sensations ... now that he has Kryptonian abilities seems too much to comprehend, to process even for a mind like Caulder's.

This read a bit like Morrison's Luthor at the end of All-Star Superman. Lex was bombarded when obtained Superman's capabilities as well. But there, Lex seemed to ascend. Here The Chief descends into madness. It was interesting for me to compare the two responses.

But insane and drunk with power, the Chief lashes out at those he feels have betrayed him.

In short order the Chief immolates Larry, beheads Cliff, and bisects Rita.

Brutal and scary. How the heck did we win a war with 100K of people like this?

The Negative being rushes to a spare Larry-body the Chief has held in stasis. Cliff's head and brain are still operable. Rita has no internal organs but is on the ground. It is amazing that they all survive. But that survival also takes away some of the ability of Giffen to create suspense in the future. If the Doom Patrol can survive this, what can't they survive? What cliffhanger will now leave me hanging, worried about the team?

I suppose the Chief could finish them off but he doesn't. Maybe some of that unrecognized, unacknowledged love for his friends is still in there despite the madness.

An insane Chief with Kryptonian powers is a cool concept. But somehow this felt a little premature for this to play out in the book. It took Grant Morrison over 3 years before he showed Caulder's true colors, showed him to be the villain he was. Here we are only at issue #14. How do you come back from this storyline with the Chief still part of the book? Why would any of the team let him back into their lives? I like the friction between the Chief and the team ... but not like this.

Of course, with poor sales it might be now or never for Giffen. This is a good issue NOW. I'll have to worry about the future of the title later.

And I am enjoying this title. It isn't Morrison's Doom Patrol, a run revered by me. But it is a good version of the Doom Patrol and I can't ask for more than that.

The mixed art of Matthew Clark and Ron Randall is fine here, although Clark's line work is a bit more suited for the warped world of this book. That vivesection scene was gruesome.

Overall grade: B+

Supergirl Annual #2 Sneak Peek Panel

I have been eagerly anticipating the October 27th release of Supergirl Annual #2, the initial meeting (at least from his perspective) of Supergirl and Brainiac 5. This issue is written by Sterling Gates and illustrated by Supergirl pinch hitter extraordinaire Matt Camp.

Well over on Matt Camp's blog, we get another sneak peek into this issue. We get a nice process piece on one of the panels of the book. Here is the link: http://mattcampsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/history-of-panel.html

Here is the showcased panel - Supergirl emerging from the ground brandishing a sword while some 'old school' Legionnaires look on happily.

As usual, it is really spectacular work with a clean highly detailed style and a perfect Supergirl.

The panel is an homage of the 'original' Supergirl's adventure where she joined the Legion in Action Comics #276 which I reviewed back in April. One of the things she obtained for them was Excalibur. So it looks like Gates and Camp are re-imagining not only the Kara/Brainy relationship but also some of her earliest Legion stories as well.

As an old-timer and a continuity nut, I love things like this. Those who recognize the 'Easter egg' appreciate it but you don't need to know that information to enjoy the current story.

As always, I love seeing the 'behind the scenes' part of producing a comic so I was thrilled to see Camp's thumb nail of the panel. I am glad the decision was made to make the background the forest rather than the city questioned here.

A forest is a more idyllic setting and just feels more Arthurian than having her tunnel up into Metropolis.

And we get to see the black and white version as well. The dappled sunlight variations through the leaves in the colored versions really adds to the piece.

So now seeing some inside art, knowing that there are going to be some Silver Age flourishes (we already knew about Satan Girl, now we see this scene), I get the sense I am going to love this issue. Camp's stuff is really slick.

Review: Batgirl #14

Batgirl #14, written by Bryan Q. Miller and drawn by Lee Garbett, was released last week and for me seemed to be the symbolic ending of the comics summer. Summertime is a time for frivolity and fun and that is what this issue was. It was light, funny, even occasionally silly. In this world of grim dark comics, this was a welcome change of pace.

I can remember a time when comics were always fun ... or at the very least 'rest issues' between big arcs were always something simple and refreshing, a place to take a breath and simply enjoy the medium. So to see Batgirl and Supergirl fighting vampires in such a humorous way was the perfect end to the sunny summer days, the perfect break from the heavier stuff I read.

First off and obviously, this issue was a must buy because it again paired up the 'new World's Finest' Batgirl and Supergirl. We saw how easy it would be for them to be friends in the great Gates/Igle World's Finest #3. Here it was nice to see that friendship maintained.

Supergirl flies to Gotham and 'rescues' Steph from Friday night game night with her mother. And it doesn't look like it was going well. Steph's scrabble rack has 3 E's, 2 A's, a U and a Z. Not much happening there. Seeing that perplexing rack was a small touch but it showed just how depressing that night must have been; even Scrabble was tormenting Steph.

This is clearly post-'War of the Supermen' so it would have been nice to see Kara with her shorter hair style. That also would have made it easier to distinguish the two heroes. At times, when Kara is out of her glasses, the two look very similar and only their dialogue helped me figure out who was who.

And I also thought it make more sense have Steph introduce Kara as Linda since she was there in her secret identity. Maybe Steph doesn't know she is Linda Lang?

Once freed from 'house arrest', Steph bemoans Friday Night game night and how boring it can be.

I like how Linda quickly tells Steph that she should cherish every moment with her mother. It was a nice moment. I wonder just what Supergirl would give to play Scrabble with Alura right now. It was a nice touch on the emotional issues that Kara is dealing with right now.

But, as I said before, this is more of a comedy issue and a night on campus is a time to get past any issues of sadness and solitude that the two might have.

As a HUGE fan of 'The Little Mermaid' (yes I am not afraid to admit it), I loved seeing Linda spin happily quoting the opening line to 'Part of your world'. Doesn't it sort of imply that Supergirl still feels a little apart, a little alien, and wants to be part of this 'normal' world?

It sounds like Linda has watched more Cinemax than Disney though as she thinks the hallmarks of college life are keg parties and pillow fights. Luckily Steph decides on something more tame.

There are many whimsical flourishes throughout the book such as this scene at the 'requisite super-collider lab' at Gotham U. This disgruntled student scientist is worried his funding will be pulled unless he comes up with some results. He has great fear that he might have to return to being a (gasp) T.A. Now that's funny.

It just smacked of stories of my youth where experimental labs, usually nuclear, seemed to be on every comic book campus, and almost always situated next to dorms. I doubt that would fly these days.

This scientist turns on the collider and it hums to life ominously.

Meanwhile, rather than indulge in some Animal House/American Pie antics, Linda and Steph take in an old vampire movie now upgraded to 3-D. But rather than chuckle at the Lugosi-like star hamming it up, both of them sympathize with his loneliness.

Certainly I can understand Kara's feelings of isolation now, given the tragedy of New Krypton. She is still dealing with the mass loss of friends and family. Maybe Steph's feelings stem from her lack of a normal life? As a newbie to the title, I don't know.

Regardless, both are shocked when the film is bathed in energy from the activated collider and multiple Dracula's spring to life.

I really dislike scanning and posting whole pages, feeling I should reserve my review to key panels. But this page might be one of my favorite pages of the year. I expect this to end up on my annual 'best of' list for 2010.

First off, without missing a beat, Supergirl steps up to battle the ersatz vampires. She is ready for action, her costume on underneath her outfit. It is interesting here how Steph feels something of the rookie here, dismayed that Supergirl is always ready for action.

But the killer moment is when Supergirl asks Steph if she is going to take off her clothes and be in costume too. When told that Steph isn't wearing her costume, Kara asks her if her bra has bat-symbols. As funny as that is, Steph's deadpan response is funnier.

A 'laugh out loud' moment in a comic? Wonderful!

A quick costume change, an explanation via pseudoscience of how there are 24 Dracula force field constructs running around, and a holodeck joke later, and the heroes are off to stake the vampires.

Is this a completely preposterous situation? Nonsensical? Yes. But that is the point. It is fraught with comic potential and that is the purpose of this comic. If you don't get that premise then you missed the joke.

I am intrigued by Batgirl and what feels like a mild inferiority complex she has with Kara throughout the book. Here she squirms when Supergirl says she understands the science here because of her guild. It is so weird to read a Supergirl comic from this perspective, to see how others view her. In Supergirl's comic, Kara is her own worst critic, often feeling inferior to others. How interesting that others put her up on the pedestal.

The set-up of the runaway vampires allows Miller to put Batgirl and Supergirl in a number of different amusing environments as they stake away. We see them take down vampires at the 'requisite Gotham dance club', at an ice cream shop, on a ferris wheel at a carnival. They even stake a vampire on a Segway. Ridiculous.

But my favorite has to be the Dracula in the photobooth. That makes absolutely no sense. Why would he go there? I love the progression of the photos.

It is this insanity that works with this romp through Gotham.

The last Dracula gets staked by both heroes as the adventure ends in a classic team-up style.

I love the easy-going manner with which Steph and Kara banter back and forth.

 The idea of loneliness comes back as the girls clean up after the fight. The scene really reminded me of the end of the Batman animated episode 'Girls Night Out'.

Sure this was a more serious moment after the wackiness of the main story but I felt it simply cemented the friendship of Steph and Kara. For some reason, and maybe it is the echoes of the Superman/Batman World's Finest team, this friendship just feels right, reads right ... more than I have felt when Tim or Cassie team with Kara.

I really liked this issue for all the reasons listed above. It was just absolutely exhilarating to read a simply fun comic, one that made me smile and laugh. After the dark nature of many comics and after reading Supergirl dealing with her emotional trauma in her own book (and trust me I am loving those stories), it was nice to see Kara letting loose, smiling, and having fun with a friend.

Stanley Lau's cover is gorgeous. I love the phony weathering, giving the book a tattered horror magazine or old movie poster feel. The internal art by Lee Garbett was solid, especially the pages where the two track the vampires ... some solid page construction there. It would have been nice if there was some way to more easily distinguish the two heroes.

I know a lot of my analogies are food related. This issue was like lemon meringue pie: light, airy, not too filling, but absolutely delicious.

Overall grade: A

Baltimore Comic-Con: Adam Hughes Commission And Other Tid-Bits

Well, I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con with a list of commissions I wanted to get, comics I wanted to get autographed, and questions for some creators I was hoping to get answered. I think I did quite well with all of those hopes. But one thing I never expected to get was an Adam Hughes' commission even if it was a quick head sketch. It is unreal how much grace he can convey here.

Hughes runs a tight ship with certain times blocked out for issue signings and head sketches. I was first in line for his last session of the con, and got in line at 3PM for the start time of 4PM. While in line I watched him finish a Jean Grey Phoenix commission that was fantastic. Earlier in the day, while walking by his booth, I watched him finishing a Supergirl commission that was eye-popping. In fact, Hughes' booth always has a crowd around it, people just soaking in his ability as he works his way through his commission list.

This quick sketch cost me a $20 donation to an English Sheepdog rescue charity (there is a minimum $5 donation but I threw in the extra because I was pretty pumped). I thought that was a nice thingfor Hughes to do. I still might try one day to get a 'real' commission from him.

Supergirl and the LSH #23 autographed by Mark Waid, Barry Kitson, and Adam Hughes

I was also happy to get this issue signed by Hughes as well as Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. That Supergirl cover is just iconic.

As for some other tidbits ...

It was sort of crest-fallen to find out that Amanda Conner was not doing any commissions in Baltimore. I was so hoping to get something from her. She shared a booth with her husband Jimmy Palmiotti and that booth had to be one of the busiest ones at the con. There was always ... I mean ALWAYS ... a line to get up to them for some face time. As a result, there was also a little bit of pressure to 'keep the line moving' so I didn't have much time to chat with either of them. One thing I did find out is that Conner is using the cover of Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics #252 as the template for the DC 75th Variant cover of Supergirl # 58. It is a safe choice for the variant and I am interested to see her take on it.

I also was able to ask J.G. Jones what emotion he was trying to invoke with this cover of Final Crisis #3 which you may recall was vilified by some as showing an overly sexualized or stupid Supergirl. You may I also recall that I loved the cover thinking it showed some fear on Supergirl's face, the finger to the mouth an homage to Jim Mooney.

Jones was surprised by the reaction to the cover. He tried to paint what he thought Supergirl would look like if she saw Darkseid 'falling through the universe' on the horizon ... a mix of shock and fear.

Supergirl Movie Adaptation autographed by cover artist Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

I made my pitch to Frank Cho for a 'quick sketch' ... a $50 dollar donation to the HERO initiative for a five minute commission. Alas, and not surprisingly, he said no. I will keep asking every time I see him though.

Lastly, I was able to ask Marv Wolfman if he was surprised that the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 has become the image of Crisis. He admitted 'yes' but quickly added that it is a great cover, a great image.

But the best part of this convention was being able to meet and talk all things Supergirl with Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle.

So overall, it was a tremendous experience at the Baltimore Comic-Con, one I hope to enjoy again some day.

Review: Superman:Last Family Of Krypton #2

Superman:Last Family of Krypton #2 came out last week and was a very good middle chapter of this three part book, moving the plot forward, albeit somewhat quickly, and setting up the finale next month.

Some of these plot threads were strongly hinted at last month so this felt pretty smooth despite the quick pace. Years pass by in the span of a couple of pages here but when you have to go from superbaby to Superman in three issues there isn't time to dawdle.

But you had the sense last issue that the new El twins weren't going to be the upstanding citizens that Kal-El turned out to be. And you also got the sense that Jor-El was going to be slightly disconnected from his family, never being completely there for his family. And even though it hasn't happened yet, I could see the eventual Luthor/Brainiac team-up last month. We get more of it here.

Still, Cary Bates does a very good job here keeping this Elseworlds story fresh while throwing in a few nuggets for some old timers. It is very interesting to see how Jor-El and Lara are portrayed here. As the loving family rocketing their son to safety, they are pure martyrs. Now that you see them day in, day out, you can see that they are 'human' just like every body else.

The book starts with Clark flying into space to thwart an incoming meteor. Sure, Jor-El had already implemented a space net to block anything like that making the heroic act unnecessary. He still acts heroically.

Unfortunately the meteor turns out to be Kryptonite and nearly kills Clark. While Jor-El works to save his son, Kal has a vision of his family's elders telling him that he has a destiny fulfill on Earth. a higher purpose. It is very much a Donner Krypton here with everyone in their silver robes. But I did like that greatness is part of Kal's destiny regardless if he is the Last Son or not.

I also really liked how one of the elders is Seyg-El. That has to be a nod to Jerry Siegel.

The Kryptonite pieces are gathered by Jor-Corps and are studied by Lex Luthor. Uh oh!

In the mean time, Jor-El belittles the vision as a simple fever dream. Of course, he is a man of science. Lara, a woman of faith, believes it was a calling to Q'uon Ka, a Kryptonian vision quest.

The powers of the Kryptonite meteor do not go unnoticed. There is an underground anti-Kryptonian movement called Doomsday that realizes that they finally have a weapon to use.

As much as I thought the name Doomsday for the group was genius, I also appreciated the 'torn' S-shield symbol. That was the symbol of the Superman Revenge Squad back in the seventies and eighties. Nice touch.

But who is the leaders of this group? If it is the US military, I'll be bummed ... it has become trite to have the US Army be the bad guys. I am hoping it's Luthor.

Elseworlds does allow the writers some latitude with other major events of the DCU even if this is a Superman book. Here, Lara actually thwarts Joe Chill from killing Martha and Thomas Wayne. Turns out Wayne is interested in helping Lara's Raology foundation. Interesting.

Bruce looks to be about 8 here, making him around 10 yrs younger than Clark on this Earth.

It made me wonder about other DCU events that could be effected by Jor-El and Lara's presence. Maybe Abin Sur's spaceship can't crash on Earth because of Jor-El's force field.

As for Bru-El and Valora, they act the way you would expect Kryptonian children to act. They have tremendous capabilities and so misbehave without much concern for repercussions.

Their birth on Earth has made them less powerful than the rest of the Els. They are barely able to survive a nuclear explosion they went to investigate. Luckily, Jor-El is able to heal their physical wounds.

But the mental wounds of this discovery aren't so easy to heal. Bru-El sinks into doubt and despair. He feels unloved by his family, never being able to measure up to Kal. Valora decides to dedicate herself to higher learning, devouring books and seemingly ignoring her powers all together.

The question really is does this discovery turn the two against their family all together. I think Valora more than Bru-El might succumb to evil.

I think part of the twins' problem is the lack of presence of their parents. Yes, I am sure that Jor-El and Lara aren't complete absent. But it is clear that Jor-El is dedicated to his work. And Lara is dedicated to spreading the word of Raology. Large Raology Centers are being erected where people can come in and have the knowledge of Krypton downloaded into their minds.

There are many people leery of such a place including the Doomsday group who vocally protests the center ... a protest quickly disbanded by Bru-El who scatters the crowd with his heat vision. Not surprisingly, Valora chastises him ... not for dealing with the protest but doing it in such a clumsy and brutish way. Valora is going to end up being an evil mastermind before all this is over.

But while the twins grow older without a lot of parental guidance, Clark continues to work away in Smallville. In another twist on the Donner films, Pa Kent almost dies of a heart attack only to be rescued by Jor-El's healing machine. Clark even says the line from the movie 'All the things I can do, all these powers ... and I couldn't save him.'

Moreover, JorCorps continues to 'protect' mankind with innovative technology. Clark almost reveals he is Kal-El to Lana Lang when he thinks he needs to stop a tornado. But weather controlling satellites stop it before he needs to fly to the rescue.

The problem with a reliance on technology like this is that it can be easily turned around. Those satellites can start tornadoes as much as stop them. When ... not if ... when Luthor backstabs the Els, he will have a lot of ammunition at his disposal. In fact, even earlier in the book, we hear how Luthor was tracking and suppressing sunspot activity. So Luthor has Kryptonite, solar tech, and advanced tech at his disposal. Doesn't sound good.

Without having a clear idea of where his life is leading him, and still struck by vision he had earlier in life, Kal decides to head into space to visit new worlds and try to achieve the Q'uon Ka. He is even given his classic costume by his parents for his travels.

Just as he is about to leave the Earth, he stops a runaway subway, saving a young man's life. And just like that the vision quest is over. A purpose suddenly hits him. He needs to stay ... he needs to be Superman.

Again, this decision seems like an organic one. This Clark has also come to love Earth as his home despite the presence of his family. So why would he want to go planet-hopping? Kudos to Bates for having shown us enough of Clark's backstory for this to feel right.

And everyone on Earth seems to be happy with his decision. Well ... almost everyone.

Jor-El is not happy. He thinks this decision to be a 'super-hero' is foolish and an insult to the name El. Kal should want to accomplish more. Plus he worries his son will not be able to lead a full life with two identities. Will Kal end up alone?

It sounds like Jor-El's heart is sometimes in the right place but maybe his delivery is off. I think he does worry about Kal's happiness. But that was the second point he made after the 'insult to the Els' stuff. That makes me think he is more worried about the family name then Clark's life.

Seven years later now acting as a 'mild mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper', Clark attends a celebration of Jor-El's accomplishments with his co-workers Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen (held at Weisinger Hall ... a nod to Superman legend Mort Weisinger). Lois acts pretty harsh to Clark throughout the scene.

It is quite the scene to see just how dysfunctional the El family has become over those years. Kal is here as Clark and hasn't talked to Jor-El in years. Jor-El isn't at his own gala leaving Lara there alone. Bru-El is trying to drown his sorrows and seems to be an impetuous brat despite his age. Valora is said to be devoted to her father but also isn't there.

In fact, the person accepting the award for Jor-El is Lex Luthor, his ersatz son.

Despite being so powerful, the family is broken. It is sad that this last vestige of Krypton is so scarred, so splintered.

The gala is interrupted by the Doomsday group who say they have captured Valora and are killing her in a Kryptonite cage.

The Els scatter. Kal discovers the Doomsday headquarters and captures the group, getting Valora's location out of them. But before he can get to her, Lex, decked out in an exo-suit, is able to locate her with a Kryptonite radiation signature detection device. With Jor-El at his side, Lex saves Valora. Luckily when you are half-super like Valora, you are half-vulnerable to Kryptonite.

I still smell a rat. Where did the Doomsdayers get the Kryptonite? Why does Lex have a radiation detector like that? Luthor has to be masterminding this whole thing. Since Kal didn't help with the rescue, he is further ostracized from the family. And Luthor is worming ever deeper.

As I feared all along, Luthor upgrades 'B' to a thirteenth level intelligence. Now controlling or allied with Brainiac, it is only a matter of time before Lex turns the tables and tries to rid the world of the Els and take control of it for himself. That said, there really isn't anything like a Luthor/Brainiac team-up.

Somehow Jor-El is oblivious to all this. He calls Lex family and embraces him.

But lets run the tally again: Kryptonite, solar flare/sunspot technology, exo-suits, Brainiac. That is a nice shopping list for a super-villain preparing to fight a family of Kryptonians.

And it turns out the abrasive relationship between Clark and Lois is an act. They are very much in love.

I don't mind Elseworld stories if the premise will make me look at familiar story differently. Looking at the dysfunctional El family is a new wrinkle here. You can see that there is the usual family problems of jealousy and growing apart but it is all magnified by the powers and stature of the family. I think it really is wonderful that despite this, Superman remains Superman. It feels like the old Marvel 'What ifs', that certain universal truths will happen regardless of the changing of events around them. Clark will always be a force of good for the planet.

So how do I think this will end? Luthor comes out as an evil mastermind. Valora is also twisted, working with Lex. Bru-El will try to earn his parents love and will die trying to fight Luthor. Superman will save the day.

Renato Arlem's art is a nice fit here, rough enough around the edges to work with the storyline.

This series has been a nice diversion for me. And given the unsettled nature of the Superman line (with Grounded and Lex in Action), it seems like the right time to release this view of the Superman origin.

Overall grade: B

Laura Vandervoort On Smallville

Over on comicbookmovie.com (or voicesfromkrypton.com) has a great interview with Laura Vandervoort about her upcoming episode on Smallville. Here is the link to the interview:
http://comicbookmovie.com/fansites/VoicesFromKrypton/news/?a=22343

As always, I recommend reading the whole interview. It also goes over other parts of Vandervoort's career including V and a movie she filmed call Bring the Night. Here are the Smallville blurbs and  some comments.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Stepping back to Smallville, did the experience feel different than it had back on season seven?

LAURA VANDERVOORT: It was a little strange, I hadn’t played her for almost two years. I had returned in season eight for an episode, but it was so brief, so it felt a little strange getting back into Kara. But once you get there, it’s not too difficult. I was excited and she’s almost a different character in season 10 than she was in seven or eight – she’s more mature, and she sort of figures out who she is. The tables have kind of turned, with her and Clark – in the past she would mess up and Clark would give her a lecture, and teach her about her powers, and when she returns the tables are reversed. She’s come back with more knowledge, and she’s teaching him things and giving him ideas about who he could be in the future. She definitely plays a huge role in his becoming Superman.

The character left 2 seasons ago to fly into deep space and look for Kandor. So I am not surprised to read that she has grown. I felt back in Season 7 that she actually had a lot to show Clark. She was more proactively heroic even if it occasionally was in a reckless fashion.

I do love that Supergirl is sort of a mentor to Clark in the Smallville universe.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: What kind of role does she play in helping him become Superman?

LAURA VANDERVOORT: She’s in the red and blue, semi-Supergirl uniform, without the S, but she does do the brunette wig and glasses, which teaches him that he can have an alternate identity. He can have a face to the red/blue blur, and still be able to walk among the people with another identity. She kind of gives him that idea. I saw the photo – so I guess it is public knowledge that she wears that – but the second part of the reason, the producers told me, about wearing that, was to give him the idea to do it, to have the courage to show his face as the red/blue blur.

So the wig is definitely a nod to Linda Lee.  I think we have all been waiting for Smallville to make the big leap to a glasses-wearing Clark Kent and a more traditional Superman show. I suppose the last season is taking the baby steps it needs to eventually get there.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: I know the fans are going to be very happy about your return to the show.

LAURA VANDERVOORT: I hope so. And you know, I’m not sure if this is the conclusion of Kara, but I wanted to return for the fans, because so many fans at conventions are like, “V”’s great, but are you returning to Smallville?” That’s been the big question, so I wanted to return for them and to give them the chance to see her in her Supergirl colors and the uniform.

In all her interviews, Vandervoort has said the right things about Supergirl and her fans. Vandervoort sounds like she has become something of a Supergirl fan herself. I am happy that she is returning and it sounds like she is excited to be returning too.

VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Was it kind of cool wearing those colors?

LAURA VANDERVOORT: I actually wore those colors through the whole show, but in a different context, like jeans and a red shirt. Like Tom Welling does. But that was the first time they had made the Supergirl skirt to look similar to the comic books, and the boots are the same. It was kind of cool – it was the closest I’ve been to full Supergirl, besides owning the little DC comics Barbie Doll version of her.

So blue shirt, skirt, and boots. But no red S. I suppose that's fine.

The big question is what will the color of the skirt be? Blue like the current uniform? Or red like the movie and Matrix. With the Apocalypse movie coming out with the blue skirt will DC/Warner try to streamline Supergirl to one outfit? I am a fan of the red skirt so I hope to see Vandervoort in that.

This episode is slated for early October.

Baltimore Comic-Con: Shane Davis Commission

I have always been very impressed with Shane Davis' art wherever I have seen it. Whether it be covers on Countdown or Green Lantern, internal pages on JLA, or the terrifically horrific Final Crisis:Rage of the Red Lanterns. While Amanda Conner, Jamal Igle, and Terry Moore were my primary commission targets, Davis was definitely high on my list if those others didn't pan out.

When I learned that Amanda Conner would not be doing any commissions at the convention  (I'll post a little about that soon), I needed to decide on a back-up and pretty quickly. Commission lists fill up almost instantly at Baltimore. Luckily there was still some space on Davis' list!

I really love this commission. Davis' stuff is so slick. I always specify the costume I want but I rarely ask for a specific pose, figuring that the artist will be struck by the muse or put her in what he thinks is her 'ultimate pose'. As a result, I have lots of  commissions of angelic Supergirls floating in the clouds. So to get this lean, mean, stern looking Supergirl is refreshing. She looks like she's about to backhand someone who is irritating her.

 It certainly is a different look than the smiling Supergirl we saw on the cover of Supergirl #54. I look forward to seeing Davis' art on Superman:Earth-One and wouldn't mind seeing him drawing Supergirl again at some point.