Superman #31 came out this week, a tie in to DC K.O. complete with banner at the top. W e have already had the first issue of that event comic so this is a sort of prequel, showing us what happened just before Superman entered the arena. Maybe there are a couple of hints sprinkled in too.
Writer Joshua Williamson gives us a pretty good tour of Superman's life as he struggles with the idea of entering a tournament, fighting friends, in hopes of coming King Omega, fueled by conquest. On its face, that doesn't sound like Superman. So no surprise, he would be looking for advice and answers. The ultimate answer comes from an unexpected source.
We also get a healthy dollop of Lois in the book which always makes me smile. Even staring a universal cataclysm in the face, she is brave and keeps asking the right questions. I will say there is one part of Lois' story here that struck me as a little off but it is a quibble.
In what is a great surprise, Eddy Barrows is back on art. His work is so polished. Between splashes and subtle flourishes, this exposition heavy book still looks gorgeous. And love his Lois.
All in all, this is a solid issue, an early lead into cross-company event. So glad we got a little of the background on what the super-family was doing leading up to the fight.
So I am glad to see Superman actually questioning them, wanting more, need some assurances.
Certainly, the Time Trapper showed Superman the blighted future. But these are still villains telling the heroes to beat each other up.
Superman decides to look for some guidance and so asks ... the AI Jor-El in the Fortress?
There is no entry for Darkseid or King Omega in any of Krypton's files saved by Jor-El. So there is no help there.
Then, while acknowledging this is an AI, he asks Jor-El why did he save only him. Williamson keeps the Byrne established 'space travel is outlawed' part of Krypton's culture intact. There could only be a small rocket put together on the sly. I liked that.
But when pushed, Jor-El he says he would have done whatever he could to save everyone. I guess this was enough of a nudge for Superman to enter the tournament. To save everyone, he should do whatever he needs to do ... even fight his friends.
Then it is off to LexCorp.
First we see the Parasite recovering from his Doomsday battle.
This can't be Williamson just reminding us about this. It has to be a clue of something upcoming. Perhaps the Parasite absorbing some of Doomsday's energy is going to play out in some way.
I am trying to think of how it can come into play ... but it is going to. This time I'm right.
Superman arrives and checks out the 'Supership', a transport made by LexCorp to shuttle people away from battlefield Earth. Utilizing 'Brainiac tech' to optimize size, it can hold a country. Superman orders 12.
So I think it is pretty slick to use Brainiac tech to make everyone fit in these ships. (Didn't we see this a little in Final Crisis where the heroes shrank everyone to fit them on the satellite HQ?)
But I cannot imagine that everyone on Earth would calmly file onto a spaceship like this. Maybe the Psycho Pirate is keeping everyone chill?
Jumping on the Metropolis ship are Ma and Pa Kent.
Love this scene of Superman and Supergirl hugging the Kents. This is a family shot. And I really like Barrows removing the background here. No need to get distracted with an end table and a couch. Concentrate on the love. And an Eddy Barrows' Supergirl is pretty rare. So glad we got one.
But I thought for sure we'd get Superman asking Pa the same things he asked AI Jor-El. This is the perfect time for Pa wisdom. But nope. Superman is off to the tourney.
Obviously, I love the Lois/Superman relationship. He is flying off to fight his friends, in hopes of taking on the Heart of Apokolips conquest energy, to then fight Darkseid.
This could be the final goodbye.
Thankfully, Williamson and Barrows give us a near splash to make sure we see just how much these two love each other. And then great determined Superman on the bottom.
Who is flying the Metropolis Supership?? Lois.
Look, investigative journalist? Sure. Sometime super-hero? Why not. Even editor? Yes.
But starship pilot?? I mean, you have to give Lois some limits.
She stops off to ask AI Jor-El similar questions. But her questions, asked slightly differently, trigger AI Lara to manifest. In DC K.O. #1 we saw Lara had discovered the Heart on Krypton.
Lara says that she thinks Doomsday is the Alpha, the Final God, that King Omega is supposed to battle.
I thought Darkseid was the Alpha, the Final God.
Others have thought that the Final God is the Absolute Superman.
Now Lara is saying Doomsday is the Alpha, which might have changed Superman's mind to get the Omega power.
After all, this whole thing started with the Time Trapper Doomsday asking to be killed so he could attain godhood. It sort of makes sense.
So what do you think? I still think it is Darkseid. I think AI Lara is wrong.
But the conversation is cut short when Superboy Prime crashes into the Fortress trailed by the evil Dark Sun Boy who unleashes a blast. But instead of killing Lois, the solar energy powers her up. Hello Superwoman again ...
Of course, thank goodness it wasn't literally ANY OTHER Legionnaire who followed Prime through time because Lois would be dead.
Okay, okay ... sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
This was a decent issue, building up the background of the story, giving us some interesting nuggets to mull over (Lara's ideas, Parasite's power up, Lois gaining power) all wrapped up in Barrow's delicious art.
This book continues to fire on all cylinders.
Overall grade: B+
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