Review: Superman Unlimited #17

Superman Unlimited #17 came out this week and I hope everybody read it because in a few short pages the biggest plot point of this title, an abundance of Kryptonite being on Earth, is wrapped up. The whole Green K plot has perplexed me. So no surprise, the solution to the plot perplexed me just as much. But more that just the Kryptonite plot, some other smaller plotlines are ended quickly. 

Writer Dan Slott introduced the Green K abundance way back in Superman Unlimited #1, which also introduced the new power where Superman can create a golden aura and become completely invulnerable to everything (although powerless for some time afterwards). 

But much of the Green K plot is unanswered. How did the Green K meteor get coated in intertron. Why would General Zod shoot his biggest weakness on a planet he wants to conquer? Why would he create a version of his weakness that can grow insanely and then put it on the planet he wants to conquer? Why does that Green K seem to wax and wane in its effect on Kryptonians depending on scene, issue, title? 

While the last two issues of Kingdom Of Zod have concentrated on the time travel Krypton story, this one is mostly on Earth. And with one more chapter and a special left, Slott wraps up this side of the event rapidly.

There are some fun moments in the book. There is an All-Star Superman nod. And frankly, I am glad this Green K plot seems to be done as it never grabbed me. But the way it ends feels quick and unsatisfying.

The art is split between Rachel Stott and Montos and the book looks good. The big action sequence in the middle where Superman ends the Kryptonite thread is done well on the page with widescreen pages and solid images of the world.

Will Kingdom of Zod be fondly remembered? We'll have to see how it wraps up. On to the book.

Back on Krypton, General Zod has arrived and pretty quickly captures the weakened Supergirl, Superboy, and Ursa. I do like this sort of tentacle gun he has. Cool visual.

I have an issue with his actions afterwards. Zod is a law and order guy. He would bring them in.

But instead, having heard these unknown people talk, this younger Zod decides the right thing to do is investigate what they said on his own, in an unknown vehicle, on an unknown world, in an unknown time. 'I will take this time machine into the future to a planet called Earth to see what you are talking about'. I don't know if the Zod in the Military Guild, not yet condemned to the Phantom Zone, would run off this way.

How does he even know how to pilot the time bubble?

Now we'll have a young Zod coming to present-day Earth, where the older Zod is dead. This was a bit hard for me to take.

Remember last issue where Lana collapsed when she was exposed to the Green K.

Forget that.

Lana is fine. In fact better than fine. She can absorb ALL the green K energy out of the super-team so they feel incredible. 

So why even put in that cliffhanger of her collapsing at the end of the last issue? Like her small town girl explanation for doing better. But this was a true 180 - she went from incapacitated to being able to do more than she has been able to do in this story.

And then the real bananas solution that Slott comes up with. 

Superman sees that his cells are now able to absorb and expel the variant Green K energy. Absorb AND expel ...

Well that was quick.

And now he can save the world. He will go gold, be invulnerable to the radiation, absorb the radiation, and then expel it. But he'll need to travel the world in under 200 seconds to gather it all.

I thought the gold form was more like an ultimate shield to Green K. But I guess he can still get Green K inside him.

But this solution is a little fast and easy. This hasn't been hinted at in any way. The whole problem is explained away with 'I suddenly can do this now'.  And I'm not sure there is a precedent for a power like this.

And it is more than just absorbing the radiation. Somehow he is able to absorb and expel the physical crystals of the Green Kryptonite. 

But can he absorb all of that in just 200 seconds.

We get several pages of him racing around, curing people like the Kents and heroes, and ridding the world of massive quantities of Green K.

Remember, this was a growing mass of Green K around the world. We had cities made of it. How is he absorbing the physical rock? Does he gain mass? Are there panels where he's huge with Green K absorbtion?

I did like hearing Ma call him her precious sunbeam.

I also liked a little side scene where Superman replaces the variant Green K battery powering Metallo with a standard Green K one so that the villain doesn't die.

It shows Superman's compassion.

During the rescue flight around the world gathering the Green K, Superman's uniform somehow changes to a more 'All-Star Superman' look. Remember, in that book, Superman ascends to a gold form and lives in the sun.

So some nice nostalgia, especially for people like me who LOVE that book. 

Nice page here by Stott.

With his gold power is about to wear off, Superman absorbs and expels the Green K energy from Superwoman Lana.

As I guessed, this somehow removes Lana's power so she is not a super-powered being any more.

I don't mind this. Lana is a strong enough character on her own. 

This Gold Flight also heals Superman. It burns off his beard. It heals his eye injury. He is fine.

The Eradicatrix shows up. Another plot point that needs to be wrapped up for this Earth-centric part of the story.

With Superman powerless after his gold flight, it is up to Tomorrow Man to save the day. Jon shows us he still has Electric Blue Superman power and fries her.

At least Jon had something to do in this big event. And nice vertical panel covering the page of him electrocuting her. Great art there.

So, dead Zod. No Green K on the planet. No Eradicatrix. Superman has both eyes. Zod is dead.  (Wonder if we'll see his Knights or will we just assume they are rounded up.) Everything is nice and tidy.

But we have the other side of the story still. 

For me, the Krypton plot has been interesting. I do hope all the time-travel shenanigans will be addressed. How does Superman not remember this adventure if he is present as Superboy. How will a young Zod respond to being on Earth. And he has to get back to Krypton right? He has to get put into the Zone, right?

Am I being too harsh on the rapid solutions that happened here? At the very least, the Green K abundance story is over and that makes me happy!

Overall grade: C+