Review: Adventures Of Superman:Book Of El #2

Adventures of Superman: Book of El #2 came out this week and was a solid second chapter to this year long arc. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson really hit the ground running in the first issue, bringing an Olgrun-charged Kryl-Ux to Earth and basically take over. The first issue ends with Superman thrown into the far-flung dystopian future.

Here in the second issue, we aren't in present-day Smallville anymore. We are in some unknown future with unknown leaders and semi-unknown descendants of Superman. We are in frontier land as readers so we need to learn. One thing I know about Johnson, he is a world-builder. Between efficient scenes which establish a starting ground to back matter text pages which flesh out some history, we are really immersed in this world. But it isn't just world-building, there is a scene talking about the character of Superman that is brilliant. There isn't a lot of plot advancement here because we are dropped in. I am not complaining.

Scotty Godlewski remains on art and really makes the proceedings look sharp here. From the knight-like Summer Men to the creepy Luthor in charge to the late-age Fortress, things are vivid and crisp.

On to the book.

Last issue Superman found himself with his distant descendant Ronan Kent, holding off the 'Summer Men' enforcers in this world who are aiming to kill a solid light being. Earth is a sort of melting pot of alien races in this future but all under the thumb of fiefdom like 'kyens'. Here Tropolis Kyen is ruled by a Luthor.

Superman is basically lost as a moment ago he was in Smallville. But I like how he recognizes the bad guys, the people trying to execute someone in the streets. That's an easy distinction.

(I can't help but contrast this simple scene to Tom King's Supergirl who not only watched a public execution happen in front of her but also had brought a young kid with her to witness it. Who better understands the Super-family?)

And then we get my favorite scene in the book.

We hear how Superman was constantly absorbing solar energy, constantly learning new ways to use his powers or developing new powers. But because of his ethics, he often held back unleashing.

Here, he knows the Summer Men can take it and so does some sort of mini-solar-flare, blasting them away. Love the classic 'atom' symbol of energy here. And great page by Godlewski.

Will we ever see this 'force bubble' again? Probably not. But cool that we haven't seen it because Superman is almost afraid to use it.

We barely know who the Summer Men are or the political landscape of this world.

So we cut to an almost expositionary newscast where we hear how Kyens vie with each other for resources. But there is a feel of this being an oppressive land. If you see a Sol sigil (S-shield?) or hear a Valkyrie cry, you should tell the authorities. Also, turn in Lanternholm Loyalists. All told by their leader Luthor.

I don't know definitiively who or what all those words mean but you can just sense that those groups are oppressed or rebellious. 

It is a tantalizing sort of knowledge bomb, scratching the surface of this world. Makes me want to know more.

And then an excellent twist.

Luthor isn't Luthor. He is an android simulacrum build by Brainiac who is the real ruler here, albeit under the thumb of Kryl-Ux.

Brainiac still kicking around in this distant future. That's a cool idea.

Using a Luthor dummy to keep the people complacent because they are used to a Luthor running (Me)Tropolis? That's a brilliant idea.

While Brainiac seems terrifying, it is more terrifying to see him fall in line when Kryl-Ux comes calling.

Kryl already knows that Superman battled his Summer Men. And he seems a bit surprised by it. He wants Superman tracked down.

So this is also a very intriguing hook. I thought the present day Kryl would know where he was blasting Superman too in that Smallville battle. But apparently not. And the insistence of tracking Superman down makes me think he is a little bit worried.

Superman knows that he needs to go back in time and try to stop this timeline from happening. The best place to figure that out is the Fortress where hopefully his time travel devices still exist. I don't know why he would think the Fortress is even still around. This is a distant future of a terrible Earth.

But the Fortress is still around and pretty intact.

As I said, I love how Johnson world-builds. This includes language. Ronan saying the days of 'shyne quests' are over. Is that what super-hero fights are called in this world? No dragons left to shriv? These small language flourishes are nice ways to deepen this world.

Last issue we read a text page by the 'Chronicler of El' which I thought might be Supergirl.

But within the Fortress, we meet this Chronicler.

Somehow it is Jimmy, still alive despite all the years. '

I have to say that I am glad that Johnson makes this happen. This really is an unknown world. Countless years have passed. We need a sort of anchor to fill in the gaps. Jimmy is a great choice.

Brainiac is about to crash into this place. We end with a battle about to ensue.

But first we get this nugget. Superman wasn't the only one who disappeared all those years ago.

So let's start guessing. 

Osul? He is imbued with some Olgrun fire.

Lois? An insurance policy?

Supergirl? Remove another threat?

I'm going Osul. 

This was just what you want in a second issue, a sort of infrastructure issue setting up the world while adding some plot points that you want to read more.

Plus, Johnson just gets Superman.

Overall grade: B+