Review: Superman #28

Last month I talked about how Joshua Williamson seemed to be wrapping up a bunch of plots that have been running through the Superman title since its launch. No more Lex. No more Supercorp. No more Superwoman. No more Red K poisoning. 

Williamson doesn't waste any time in getting on to the next thing. Superman #28 came out last week, the first part of Legion of Darkseid, and was a fast-paced, engaging, and very entertaining opening chapter. We are heading to some Darkseid-centric event and this sets the stage. 

Now I am a huge Legion of Super-Heroes fan so seeing only a dark version of them recently has been a bit of a let-down. I can only hope we are heading to a relaunch. But if you want to see how brutal and powerful the original trio of Legionnaires could be, this issue will open your eyes. This isn't your dad's Legion. 

I have already said how somehow Williamson has made both The Time Trapper and Doomsday be interesting to me. No small feat (perhaps smushing them together has been multiplicative not additive). But perhaps the most incredulous thing Williamson has done is made me intrigued about a character that appears on the last page ... a character I have wished I would never see again. That is truly an epic accomplishment.

Add to all this Dan Mora's standard impeccable art and you have a complete winner. No Supergirl here but a lot of pizzazz nonetheless.

Everyone should dive in right here. On to the book. 

We start with the original three of Darkseid's Legion - Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy - looking at Superman through their malevolent eyes. 

They can't understand why he is good. They seem baffled that he is an inspiration to others.

I loved this opening chapter, a sort of way to get to the essence of who Superman is. 

Meanwhile, Superman is in Smallville. You might recall that in the Summer of Superman Special, a terrified Validus seemed to be tossed through time. 

Perhaps with the Lex/Pharm/Graft drama behind him, he has some time to make sure the Legion he remembers is okay. We see him have a Legion ring, talk about feeling like he belonged somewhere when he was with the team, and being generally worried.

Again, it has been a while since we have seen the Legion, the last one being Bendis' Legion with Jon. So all these hints being dropped - Kara knowing Brainy, Khunds popping up here and there, now this - makes me think that the Bendis' LSH might be sort of erased. (It never did catch on did it?)

Before Superman can head to the future he is stopped by the Dark Saturn Girl. 

There are a lot of small flourishes here I liked. First off, she calls him Kal-El ... not what the 'real' Saturn Girl would call him. Second, she says she is Saturn Girl but doesn't give the 'from the Absolute Universe' or 'another universe'. So is this the future of our Earth which has been 'inspired by' Darkseid? I'd much prefer an Absolute Legion coming here than the real Legion being corrupted.

She is pretty dark though, almost gleefully evil.

I said that we see how evil and powerful these three are.

First in short order we see Cos and Garth kill the Justice League, frying Ma Kent, and causing Superman to lose control. Whoa!

But then we learn it was all a projection by Saturn Girl so we see how strong she is. Superman is able to shrug it off a little but she remains in his mind.

Again, a quick way of ramping up they threat of these three.

A reminder, they aren't the only members of this Dark Legion. How scary would a morally unfettered Legion be?

Inside his mind, she completely tries to break him down.

He is the opposite of Darkseid, filled with hope, but all Superman does is meaningless. Darkseid is. 

And great work by Mora here. As we read across this double page spread of her walking him through his memories things get darker. Look at the black Kirby crackle growing has her words become darker, her mind control more terrifying.

Mora is a phenomenon.

Before the mind torture can happen, Superman is rescued by ... Time Trapper Doomsday.

It is funny to go back to that beginning of Time Trapper Doomsday and that being saying 'kill me so I become a god so I can stop the madness about to come'. He keeps bringing up that he warned Superman. 

Will Superman regret that decision when he sees the fallout?

I hope we get that scene after all these shenanigans wrap up.

Williamson knows how to keep me wanting more. He drops two tantalizing bits at the end.

First off, it seems Darkseid isn't happy that Imra did this. 

I am assuming this is Darkseid. I thought he died in All-In. So is this some true 'godly' voice from him?

But more importantly, who does Saturn Girl have to protect? And why? Booster Gold? 

Hmmm ...

Then ... shades of Legion history ... this Time Trapper made a 'pocket timeline' to keep something hidden. (So close to a 'pocket universe'!)

More importantly, he tucked a character here to help Doomsday and Superman. No reveal here ... you have to go read. But trust me, it is someone I usually never want to see again. Will Williamson make me intrigued about this person too?

Just a great opening volley. I wanted more immediately. And Mora continues to just sizzle.

Overall grade: A