Review: Man of Steel #6

The Man of Steel #6, the last issue of the Brian Michael Bendis mini-series aimed to introduce a new direction to the Superman books, came out this week and I am very conflicted. This issue, and as a result, this whole mini-series, has significant ups and downs. It has major character moments that shine a great light on the players. There are others that make little sense with the characters' histories.
So I am struggling trying to balance the good and the bad in my mind.

From a mini-series point of view, I feel like it started with great momentum and polish but then sort of fizzled. There isn't much true resolution to any of the things which were begun here making me wonder why this needed to be a stand-alone at all rather than just twice a month issues running through both Action Comics and Superman.

Okay, let me lay my cards on the table so you can decide if you want to read the whole review.

First let's discuss the good. Entering this mini-series I was most worried about how Supergirl would be treated. Ironically, she is the character who I think gets treated the best here. Kara shines bright. Bendis gives Superman a good internal voice. His thoughts in battle are well done. How people react to Superman is spot on. So that is also good.

Now the bad. The Lois and Jon subplot makes no sense. I could also say it is terrible. There is no way that Lois, Clark, or Jon should act like they do. We never get to the bottom of Rogol Zaar or his mission. At the very least, we should have been given some closure on this plot thread. Instead, it is kicked down the road a bit. And those things are so irritating that they drag the positive down.

Of course, Jason Fabok's art on the issue is just stunning. There is a fine line and extreme detail that work here. It has an Ivan Reis feel to it which works well as a bookend to the first issue. His Supergirl is just spectacular. I have no complaints on the art here or in the mini-series as a whole.

On to the book.

No circle to open up the issue (so much for my Zaar's planet guess). Instead we get a close up of Jon who finally says why he wants to head off with Jor-El.

Remember that storyline where one of the future versions of Tim Drake who has gone evil (how many of them are there) came back in time to kill Jon before an errant solar flare destroys Earth? Well, that has been weighing on Jon. He can't get over it. And he wants to make sure that doesn't happen. Maybe Jor-El has those answers.

I do like how Clark matter-of-factly points out how they have seen many many timelines and future selves. They can only worry about themselves. That worked.

But going off with a madman? I can't imagine that Jon would think the best way to not go mad is to go off with someone who is criminally insane. Also, I don't like how Lois needed to insert herself into the conversation, reminding Clark they both are raising Jon. Lastly, I can't imagine this civilized conversation would happen. Jor-El kidnapped and tortured people. He attacked Clark and tried to kill him. He armed terrorists and tried to bring the Earth into chaos. Superman would try to stop him. There is no way he would let this guy take Jon.

Settle in. This subplot gets worse.

Now one thing I have liked in this mini-series is hearing the internal monologue of Superman as he battles. He has measured his punches by power. He knows why villains fight inside or outside cities. He knows he needs to save the population. So I liked that he realizes he has not been fighting Zaar intelligently. In the core of the Earth, he uses delay tactics to separate Zaar from a presumed planet bomb and get 4 seconds in front. Nice.

Something else I didn't like about this issue was the lack of character-specific colors for the flashback narration caption boxes as Clark remembers that Lois/Jon conversation. Look at the lines in the bottom corner. I can imagine multiple people saying almost every line there. Even 'I'm your father.' could have been said by 2 people in that room.

In that moment, Lois decides to take the reins. She negotiates a 2 book deal with her lawyer. She'll travel with Jon and Jor-El so she can stay close to her son. She'll turn that experience into a book. This way she can both maintain her Earth life a bit and protect her son.

This makes no sense. 'Hey, you know what I should do? Let my son go on a tour of the universe with a sadist. Even better? I'll go too!'

Can I also add that her saying 'I can't stop you' to Jon makes no sense. Her job as a parent is to stop her child from doing something stupid. Let's put this into a more grounded example. Let's say my child said 'Dad, I want to run across the highway during morning commute. I think I'll learn a lot about myself.' My response shouldn't be 'Well, I can't stop you. Instead, I'll run across the highway too.' No. Lois' job here is to stop her child from doing something dangerous. Hell, one of the first things we say to kids is 'don't get into a vehicle with a stranger.' Mr. Oz (he ain't my Jor-El) is essentially a stranger with a known criminal background.

Ridiculous.

But I did say that Supergirl gets to shine in this mini-series. And that is true.

Back in space, Superman realizes that he is simply outmatched by Zaar. Even this new fighting strategy of trying to wear Zaar down isn't going to work. Kal is going to lose.

That is until Supergirl comes streaking in with a flying shoulder block, in essence spearing Zaar.

That is a beautiful panel of my favorite hero being fierce in her battle against injustice. Hearing Superman say 'Kara! I love her!' shows that at the very least Bendis gets the relationship of the cousins.

Back to Lois. Jon has to make sure that something he has hidden in one of his drawers is taken care of. He's ten. I hope it is something like a swimsuit catalog that came in the mail and nothing more terrible.

Throughout the scene, Jor-El talks about how Earth is a backwards world. That Jon hasn't lived up to his potential. That Jon is being held back and he needs to be raised differently. This is about as anti-Kent as you can get. Heck, those lines could be said by Zod and Superman would be sporting some angry red eyes. But nope ... not here ...

Again, this is a rather civil conversation. Too polite, don't you think? As a husband and father, why would he ever let his family go with him. And a communicator? Little solace. Lois says that should Jor-El get out of line she'll call Clark to come.

But this whole scene really really makes no sense.

I'll just remind you that just months ago Jor-El tried to kill his own son.

Who would ever let their family leave with him?

But the shoulder block was just the beginning of the Supergirl goodness.

She has the Phantom Zone projector, mentioned as one of the things she saved from the Fortress last month. Realizing there is no stopping Zaar with fists, she banishes him. Boom! Great splash!

Even Superman is impressed with her answer. His ego twists not that she did it ... but that he didn't think of it. This is self-reflection.

So the decision is made. Lois and Jon are leaving.

Now we know what happened at the Planet. When Lois said she was going away to write a book, Perry fired her. That would never happen. Lois would never say 'oh well.'

Heck, historically, she was gone for months as 'author X'! Remember little town Lois as explained in Reborn?? Instead, Perry would say 'I want an exclusive. See you when you get back."

I do like that Clark gives Lois his New 52 costume. Now we know why he is back in the red trunks! That at least is a very solid explanation.

There is nothing left but the wrap-up.

Clark doesn't want the Zone to be a waste basket for the supers to throw there problems into. Supergirl agrees but she also knows Zaar killed everyone in Kandor and therefore earned his sentence.

She tells Clark she is going off to investigate Zaar's claims thus explaining her title's new direction. And there is a great two page spread of the cousins honoring the Kandor dead. This is gorgeous work by Fabok.

I have to say, I do feel for Clark here. The Lois communicator was destroyed when he flared the Fortress (wouldn't he have it on him at all time like a cellphone? What if Lois called and said 'rescue us'. Wouldn't he want it on his person?) So he is cut off from his nuclear family. Now Kara is leaving Earth. He is without his extended family.

He has his friends. But he is sort of alone right now.

Let's throw in one more wrinkle. A boy tells Firefighter Moore that he saw Superman start the fires in Metropolis. I am sure this will turn out just to be the outline of someone in a cape standing in a blaze.

And that's that.
Zaar came and left. We don't know why he did anything he did.
The fires continue.
Lois and Jon willingly left with a super-villain. Clark didn't try everything in his power to stop them.

Supergirl, crushed by the further destruction of some of her Krypton heritage, singlehandedly defeats Zaar and decides to figure it all out.

So some major perplexing moments with Lois and Jon. So perplexing that I think they simply overshadow the Kara-tharsis I got. Maybe I would have felt better if we got more information about Zaar, a feeling of some closure within the mini. But we didn't even get that.

Overall grade: C-