Review: Absolute Superman #21

Absolute Superman #21 came out last week and was an all-out melee and very satisfying ending to the Black Adam storyline. If you wanted to see what it would look like for two super-powered beings just laying into each other, this is the issue for you. I think I have said it before but this is on Dragon Ball level. As someone who doesn't mind seeing superheroes brawling (one of the first reasons why I fell in love with comics as a kid) I drank this issue in. What makes this issue even more entertaining is that the brawl is just the front half of the book. The fallout from the brawl, and therefore the conclusion of this arc, is laid out afterwards.

Writer Jason Aaron continues to show us how this Superman is an inspiration for this Darkseid-fueled Absolute Universe. Last issue, we saw the murderous Hawkman, a field agent for the evil running the show on this Earth, see the light and help Superman. In this issue, we see Superman continue to reach out to Black Adam, trying to calm down the villain and remind Adam of his roots. That inspiration sort of bleeds out to Jimmy and Lois as well, although it seems like it impacts one more than the other.

I have said before, the first year plus of this title was a slow-burn reveal of the world and Superman. Since the Parasite story, this book has been going full throttle and Aaron shows he can write both of those styles. In truth, this arc 'feels' more like the Absolute-style of Batman and Wonder Woman. 

Rafa Sandoval is on art and his works just leaps off the page, especially in the combat sequences. You feel the punches, the hammers to the face, the environment-pulverizing blasts. I have always enjoyed Sandoval's work. But he has elevated his game here.

What is next for this book? Can't wait to find out. But first, this issue's events.

Review: Action Comics #1100

Action Comics #1100 came out last week and was a sort of turning point for all the Superman books. As a result, this jumbo issue has elements of all the Super-titles and therefore has a multiple stories from all the writers of the super-books. We are closing the book on the Reign of the Superboys and we are heading into the Kingdom of Zod.

The main story picks up the Superboy arc that Mark Waid and Skylar Patridge have been crafting, showing up how Clark became Superboy in Smallville. How he learned about his powers. How he fell in love with Lana. Waid uses this anniversary issue to basically give a quick primer on Superman's history and sort of closes the book on our Smallville arc.

The remaining stories set up the upcoming arc. Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere give us the return of present day Superman being found and heading back to the present with ... Superboy?? Sophie Campbell and Dan Mora show us Supergirl forming her super-team to head to El Caldero and the meeting between Superboy Prime and Conner Superboy (I've been waiting). Dan Slott and Lucas Meyer send us to El Caldero to show us what is going on there and revealing the super-villain of the next arc.

I love the fact that DC has used this issue to showcase all the Super-books and how they all are going to fold into this next event.

On to some particulars!

Review: Superman #40

I have been collecting comics for about 50 years now. Hard for me to wrap my head around that number. There have been times, looking at the long boxes in the comic room, that I have wondered if the time was right to stop collecting current comics, stop hitting the store on Wednesdays, and just relax and read all the old comics I own over again. Is it time to stop.

And then comics like Superman #40 come out and it reminds me all over why I love these characters, these books, and arcs like this Superboy Prime one. This whole arc has been jaw-dropping excellent for all sorts of reasons. Writer Josh Williamson has done the impossible making me like Prime. I have loved this redemption of his character. I have loved Prime's commentary on comic books in general. In this issue, Williamson shows he either is one of us fans or knows us well, commenting on comic book fandom as well. But on top of all that, there are speeches in this book that talk about an inspiring Superman, about hope springing eternal, and about being a hero. Pitch perfect.

On top of all that, we have had Dan Mora on art the whole time, riffing different comic styles, bringing the action, and utilizing the fourth-wall-breaking to bring in old comics and covers. I have said in the past that Mora's art is so fantastic that every time he draws a character I want to see Mora on that character's title. Who knew I would want a Witchfire comic this bad.

So I can revisit it easily I might buy this arc when it comes out in trade format, something I haven't done in a long time. 

I loved a Superboy Prime story so much I am going to buy the trade. Give Josh Williamson all the awards right now. Let's dive in.

Review: My Adventures Of Superman S3E6: Party Animals

My Adventures of Superman S3E6, Party Animals is a sort of rest issue after the violence and catharsis of last episode. The action is a little bit more muted but the character focus is high in this episode. But it is the characterization and character interplay is really what I love about this show. 

Frankly, after last episode, I need a breather, a 'rest issue'. Not that this is nonsense. All our characters are dealing with things and we learn more and move forward. All of this is set in a Humanist Gala for Metropolis.Clark has no idea who he is without Superman. Lois and Jimmy are nominated for an award but Lois is still feeling like she is the shadow of Vicki Vale. Jimmy is still dealing with his feelings for Kara. Kara is dealing with her feelings for Jimmy while also being the main hero of Metropolis. More on all these in the review. 

This episode also leans into many characters we have met and who make up the supporting cast. Silver St. Cloud, Steve Lombard, Vicki Vale, and Bizarro all show up and add flavor.

All these character moments are shown through an action piece of Dr. Poison trying to turn humans into animals. This leads to another Silver Age Jimmy moment.

Love this episode mostly because you feel the pain that Clark is suffering, not knowing who he is now that he is powerless. He seems almost disgusted with life as Clark. Hmmm ...

This season continues to be incredible. On to details.

McFarlane Silver Age Figure

This has been a pretty crazy spring and early summer here with my moving into a new place and having a birthday within months of each other. 

With so much to celebrate and with the new shrine on display, I figured I deserved a new piece. 

A while back, McFarlane Toys came out with a Silver Age Supergirl figure and I was charmed. I have a bit of a soft spot for the earliest Supergirl stories with their earnest tales of Kara trying to help children and please her big cousin. 

The figure comes with multiple hands and an extra face so you can 'customize' how you'd like to display her. So many of these new, high-end figures come with these extras to make the figure truly yours to pose and play. 

It even comes with a card (upper right) with a snippet of the cover of Action Comics #252. 

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #53

Batman/Superman World's Finest #53 came out this last week, wrapping up the three part Warlord crossover story. As always with this book, there are a lot of fun moments. But this story never really grabbed me.

Writer Mark Waid continues to do a great job with characterization in these stories for sure. In this one, it is Robin who gets the bulk of the work with our title heroes under a sorceror's spell for most of the book. Not only to we get to see how smart and funny this young Dick Grayson is but we get to hear what he has been taught about by Superman and Batman. There is a sanctity to life even if the life lived has been one of evil. Waid always shines with that stuff.

But the villain  plot here about a pilot getting magical powers and then trying to augment them with Atlantean tech all seems to come out of nowhere as does his defeat. 

Clearly I don't know what I want. I don't want decompression. But I don't want super-compression either. I wonder if this was more Waid just wanting to play in the Skartaris sandbox for a bit.

The art is again split between Adrian Gutierrez and Vicente Cifuentes. Both artists seem to be enjoying this savage land setting and these characters. 

As I have said before, I expect unparalleled excellence from this book. When it merely entertains (which this issue did) I somehow feel let down. On to the details.

Review: Superman Unlimited #15

The Kingdom Of Zod is about to explode onto the Superman Family which means the Reign of the Superboy stories need to end. And so we get Superman Unlimited #15 which sprints to the ending of the Tomorrow Man story, bringing about events and changes and deus ex machinas to basically get us back to where we at the beginning of the story. 

Truly, a lot of stuff happens here. Somehow Kryptonite self-replicates! It has been weaponized by El Caldero for some reason! Lana is changed! Kryptonite is now harmful to humans! Txyz (remember him) does some tomfoolery! Batman has a one-time trick!  And Superboy ... that is Ultra Boy ... that is E3 Superboy is gone. It all felt a bit too fast. There are too many things that come out of nowhere. But here we are.

There are zero complaints about the art though. Lucas Meyer is thriving on this book. We get battles. We get the supermobile! We get energy crackles and brutal punches. It is all so beautiful. Glad he is here!

On to the book. Expect some nit-picking.