Review: Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El #1

When Adventures of Superman:Book of El #1 was announced, I was thrilled. Phillip Kennedy Johnson was coming back to Superman! And he was bringing Scotty Godlewski back too! The band was reuniting.

I loved Johnson's run on Action Comics. His Warworld Saga was fantastic. Superman was heroic and inspirational as he freed the slaves on Warworld from Mongul's grip. He added to the Superman mythos, bringing in the Super-Twins Osul and Otho, Thao-La and the Phaelosians, the Kryptonian philosopher Thaklis, and the elder god Olgrun. Even before that, back in Future State, he gave us the original House of El, showing us generations of the El family in the future.

I have wanted more. There were plenty of threads left hanging from Warworld. How was Thao-La doing as a leader? What of the traitor/ally Kryl-Ux, the man willing to betray his people to get close enough to Mongul to kill him, the ends justifying the means. And what of the 'horcrux' puzzle of Olgrun? Most importantly, what is happening with Otho and Osul, two characters who have basically been missing in the current Superman books.

This maxi-series looks like it is going to answer all of those. Kennedy starts with this explosive issue. It is an incredible book showcasing the contrast of the loving Kent family and the brutal remnants of Warworld. We get to see Kryl-Ux again and how his dreams of revenge have tainted him completely. And yes, we get the twins! But this is also a book set in the present and the future. It literally is a Book of El, telling the family history. If there is one thing Johnson does, it is world build.

Scotty Godlewski brings energy to the proceedings. Whether it is the sun-dappled Smallville and chores or intergalactic war or Kirby-esque cosmic drama, he does it all. In particular, the cosmic pages crackle, pun intended.

Count me in, smiling all the way. On to the book.

The issue starts with what seems like an excerpt from the Book of El, talking about Kryl-Ux, a survivor of the Mongul-decimated Thaelosian colony. Kryl-Ux learned about the Flame of Olgrun on Warworld (which you might remember was absorbed by Osul-Ra).

The Flame was one of seven and in this piece we learn Kryl-Ux searched for the others and found one. 

There is a lot to love about these pages. We see Kryl-Ux climbing a mountain which turns out to be the finger of a Promethean giant. (You might recall a piece of Warworld emanated Genesis energy akin to the New Gods power.) And check out that energy crackle which looks like an 'S'. That can't be an accident. 

And then the question of who is writing the Book of El? Knowing her role in Johnson's book as the Kryptonian scholar and archivist, I am going to say it is Kara.

Cut to Smallville and the Kent farm where the family including the twins are enjoying some downtime.

I love these pages with Clark just soaking in these family moments and feeling the way Pa must have felt. These mirror panels of Clark and Pa tell volumes with no words. It is probably Clark's dream to be like Pa ... he achieved it. Great work by Godlewski.

But I love that the twins past isn't forgotten. Those were traumatic years.

But the soak up love like rain in the forest.

How said these two have been sidelined in the main books. With Jon being aged, it was great to see Clark and Lois be parents to kids again. 

That said, I am glad they weren't killed, tortured, aged, or turned evil by other creators. Maybe it is better they were forgotten.

Nothing gold can stay. Portals open in the sky and Warzoon warships pour out. The twins whisk Ma and Pa to safety and Clark and Jon get ready for action.

I am a sucker for Lois and Clark love. Great moment with Lois telling to him to return.

And then we spring into high action. Jon and Clark try to stop the ships from pulling apart the terrain with giant harpoons. They try to stop the troops flooding the land.

They are along. No response from the League or the Green Lantern Corps. 

I talk about Johnson and his world-building. It isn't surprising to me that the Warzoon whose culture's foundation is chains, freedom earned through links, use giant harpoons. Godlewski brings the heat.

Finally we see the villain Kryl-Ux, gray and dripping with energy. He says he has absorbed one of the aspects of Olgrun and he wants the piece Osul has.

Now I will admit I am not sure exactly what happens here. Did he absorb it from Osul and that why he tosses him away? (And since both Osul and Otho sport the braid, I had to look back at shirt colors to distinguish.)  Did Superman get teleported away? 

This uncertain ending to this scene is my one quibble.

Because the next page is in the far flung future where Superman's descendant Ronan (seen in that Future State book) trying to save a child from the 'Summer Men', beings who look like Warzoon elite.

How did we get here? Did Kryl-Ux succeed in becoming a god and rewriting the universe?

Then more of the Book of El excerpts. It says that Superman was killed by Kryl-Ux, the 'Promethean King' but that hope persisted he was alive.

The hope is warranted. Superman shows up to save Ronan.

Incredible.

This is the opening chapter of a 12 issue story but it sure did set the table. Kryl-Ux grabbing a piece of Olgrun and wanting to get his revenge on the universe makes him a potent threat. Our learning he killed Superman and seeing our hero in a dystopian future as a beacon of hope is an echo of Warworld. And we get the twins!

But the real win for me was the utter contrast of Superman's peaceful, loving family life being destroyed by Kryl-Ux. I think Superman might be happy if he never needed to spring into action and could just fix a fence but it is a never-ending battle. 

But wait, there's more.

First we get a page from Kara's journal talking about Earth being overrun by Kryl-Ux and Kal going missing. I love how the Els know their role with Conner and Natasha heading to Warworld to help Thao-La.

I hope we get some Supergirl action in the book. But having her as the archivist is pretty cool. 

We get another text page from the future state from an unnamed 'Chronicler of El' talking about Ronan and Rowan El and Kryl-Ux's transformation of Earth. (Maybe one of the Twins is the Chronicler?)

Text pages to fill in some gaps and further flesh out the two timelines is classic PKJ.

Count me in. Killer first issue.

Overall grade: A