Review: Adventures Of Superman #4

Adventures of Superman #4 came out this week and continued to be one of the most enjoyable books that DC is putting out.  So far, each issue has really been a treat with at least one stand-out story in each. As a print guy, it pains me to hear comments on the weekly stories knowing I am going to wait for the paper copy.  With such high standards now expected, I have come to really look forward to this book.

Adventures #4 continued the trend. I have to say after the first reading I was a bit let down. But on subsequent readings, I was definitely pleased. This is an entertaining book allowing great creative teams to tell a brief Superman story, focusing on some facet that is fascinating. I hope DC doesn't change this format because it has been a home run.

Having a Bruce Timm cover with Clark in a classic pose is the cherry on top. This book inside and out really has a 'classic' feel to it and I am not complaining.

The first story is 'A Day in the Life' written by the tandem of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with art by penciller Wes Craig and inker Craig Yeung. It focuses on a day in the life of Lex Luthor. And the pages are broken in half such that the top half of the page shows Luthor's activities while the bottom half shows Superman fighting a sort of giant robot.

The split page technique was used recently on this book (with Lois talking to Lex on her part) so I thought it might have been too early to use it again. Of course, who knows if these teams have any idea what the next creators are planning.

But on second reading it works very well. Throughout the early pages, we see Superman struggling with the mecha. And above it all is Luthor who is extremely calm and collected regardless of who or what he is facing. He is unfazed by government officials. He is unfazed on a date with an upcoming starlet. He is even calm when facing Gorilla Grodd (and the old SSV). I mean look at him dab the corners of his mouth despite a huge telepathic gorilla threatening him!

And all the while he jots down ideas in a notebook on how to destroy Superman.

That calm is shattered when he has some face time with an angry Superman who knows (although can't prove) that Luthor was behind the robot attack. Suddenly Lex is a screaming, furious, his armor down. In some ways it humanized Lex to know that something could get under his skin.

And as interesting is Superman's rather terse response and his angry reaction, burning Lex's notebook with his head vision.

It was that sudden change in tone that made this story work for me. I liked this story a lot.

The middle story is 'The Deniers' by writer Tom Defalco and art by PeteWoods. I have to say this is a new, much more cartoony look for Woods. And that goes right down to Superman's uniform with the Fleisher Studios style S-shield.

It is something of a funny story as two plumbers in a dinner debate if Superman really exists, or at least has all the abilities he is vaunted to have. After all, wouldn't super-villains just sell their ideas rather than lead a life of crime. Also, despite years in the city, neither have seen him in person.

Of course, just outside, Superman is battling a robot squid, unseen by these two.

It is a cute story.

But for me, the best story of the book was 'Savior' by writer Rob Williams with art by Chris Weston. I loved the retro feel to this story, both in words and in art. The art has a sort of Currier & Ives prints sort of feel. I mean look at that last panel, hugging Ma in front of the weathered farmhouse, chickens at their feet, old pick-up in back.

In the story, Ma Kent (I guess Pa has passed like in the Donner movies) worries that Clark never has time to just sit down and relax. She wishes he could stay for dinner. But here, after fixing the clothesline, he already needs to rush off.

Telling a story from Ma's point of view is somewhat fresh. To hear her worry more about his mental well-being instead of fearing his life from physical confrontations is a nice wrinkle.

As is the case with these stories, we often get montage sequences to show the passing of time. We see Superman fighting classic versions Bizarro, Brainiac, Luthor (in the purple/green body suit),  as well as rescuing Lois (who is rescuing a kidnapped child). I thought all of that worked.

I especially liked this banter between Superman and Lois. She complains he was a little late. He drops her off at the Planet despite he being covered in filth (the bad guys were going to drown her in a sewer).

Can't those two just admit they love each other!!!!

Throughout the story we hear Ma's dialogue as we peek in on Superman's life.

She feels that Superman can't rest because his mind is always on those he couldn't save, always on the tragedy of Krypton. I don't think of Superman as being a morose guy, perseverating over his losses. But maybe I can understand if Ma thinks that. Maybe she is always a little afraid that Clark doesn't think of her truly as his mother when he knows about his biological parents. I suppose that is natural.

Despite the sad tones of these panels, I loved this scene. It really struck me as the Superman of my youth, back when I was first following the character. The Super-mobile, a thought beast, Beppo, Kandor, General Zod looking out the Phantom Zone viewer. Nostalgia sometimes is a good thing.

And then there is this sweet ending.

Maybe feeling a bit weighed down by life (boy that Kandor panel feels sad), Superman heads to Ma's for dinner. The title is Savior and the easy assumption is that refers to Superman as we see him whisk from one cataclysm to the next. But really it refers to Ma and how she is able to help Superman stay grounded, to take a breath and just be calm. She is the life saver.

Everything about this story works. The interesting point of view of Ma as narrator. The concept of a Superman who is sad about what he can't do. The country boy having dinner with his Ma ending. The superb artwork perfectly capturing the tone of the story. Everything works. It is wonderful.

So another great issue showcasing parts of the Superman legend I will always love.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Flashpoint: Lois Lane And The Resistance

After reading the well executed Project Superman #3, I read Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3.

I have to say that this mini-series has never grabbed me. Part of it might be that there was some buzz before this came out for DC to give Lois her own book. There was some serendipity that suddenly in the Flashpoint world, Lois was going to star in a mini-series. Even the first cover, Lois clad in a black trench coat, all spy-ish, made me think this book was going to be just what Lois fans like me were looking for.

Unfortunately, the first issue felt rushed with Lois more reacting than acting, more telling rather than doing. The second issue was more about Grifter and Penny Black with Lois spending most of the time in the background. Could DC have added the Lois Lane name and amped up her presence here figuring sales would be better than a Flashpoint:Britannia and the Resistance book? Hmmm.

And this issue was more of the same. Sure, there is one pretty good moment for Lois. But this is mostly about the Resistance and their efforts to purge the UK of the Amazon forces. Lois wasn't the star here at all. She was a member of the Resistance, a member of the team.  Unfortunately, I bought this book thinking it would be a Lois book. It is hard for me to look past her limited role and grade this book.

The book also suffers from the fact that there is no clear art direction. Oliver Nunez did the interiors of issue #1. Gianluca Gugliotta penciled last issue. This issue we get yet another team on art - penciller Christian Duce and inker Walden Wong. The art is fine but the lack of stylistic consistency throughout the mini also weakened the story.

The issue starts with a quick origin story of Penny Black. She was a member of British Navy serving on a boat with some prototypical technology for an engine. The ship's tech was stronger than expected, teleporting the ship and fusing with Penny's body.

Now armed with some sort of technology telepathy, Black was given the Britannia armor and became a local hero.

It is a relatively standard 'comic book' origin but it at least gives us more back story for Black who I felt was the real star of the book. I do wonder if she somehow survives into the DCnU Relaunch, making her way into the Stormwatch book. Or maybe one of the Abnett and Lanning written books.

Last issue ended with Resistance member Hyde (her human form Bobbie that is) revealed as a traitor, setting up the resistance to be ambushed by Artemis and the Amazons.

In what I thought was a good plot point, Bobbie's alter ego Hyde is not a traitor, regains control of their shared body, and begins thrashing the Amazon assault squad, freeing the Resistance force. I like the idea of two halves of a personality at war with each other. Too bad there wasn't enough time in the book to explore this more.

Lois and Black make a break for the Britannia armor hoping that will turn the tide.

Artemis follows, striking Penny in the back with an arrow. Lois has become something of a soldier in the book and she tries to hold off Artemis with a machine gun without much success.

Luckily, Black is able to fuse with the armor, healing herself in the process. One thing about Flashpoint, it is a violent world and as readers we have seen plenty of this violence with some over the top gratuitous panels. Here, Britannia flies through Artemis torso, splitting the Amazon's body in half, blood splattered all over the book.

I guess this is war. But I think that sometimes these scenes of violence are better handled off screen, letting my imagination fill in the gore.

Britannia immediately takes to the air and is confronted by Wonder Woman. The two battle with Britannia able to just hold off Diana's powerful attacks.

Black is able to bring Diana to one of the concentration camps that have been set up for men, finally showing Wonder Woman the horrors of the Amazon land. With a surge of conscience, Diana swears she didn't know and frees the men.

For me, this is the weakest part of this series. How could Diana not know anything about the concentration camps, the mutation camps, the reeducation camps, the slaughter. Could she really be that oblivious? I mean there are camps! There are ships coming in with 2 lines - one for men, one for women. There are new troops added to the Amazon forces, former humans suddenly bulked up. Even the outside world knows about the camps! Could Diana really not even hear the rumors, not run across these things during her time fighting? Did no other Amazon ever mention these things to Diana during these years of war ... even in passing? It seems wrong. Diana is a smarter woman, a better leader than this.

In an even odder turn of events, she simply flies off to confront Penthesilea. No word to the troops. No taking to the airwaves and asking people to stand down.

Here is the best Lois moment in this issue. Luckily Lois is able to stumble across a working Emergency Broadcast System studio. (I know, lucky find!)

Despite knowing it will be dangerous, Lois courageously takes to the airwaves telling everyone within earshot about the Amazon camps and the need to keep fighting on.

This is the Lois I like to read about, not only reporting but fighitng for justice.

As expected, the Amazons don't really like Lois' news report and find her.

I have to assume the 'boom' is Kal finding Lois and rescuing her.

And here is the sad part about Diana flying off. With no new orders, the Amazon troops come out in force to surpress the Resistance's forces which now include the very men Diana freed! This should be a time where arms are put down and preliminary discussions of peace and reconciliation happen. Diana should be there to tell her troops to stop, that she has learned new information and is deciding on a new course of action.

Instead the last page is the two sides of the battle charging at each other, guns blazing, spears thrusting.

Did this mini-series show us what the Amazon-run UK look like from the point of view of the oppressed. Yes. Did it introduce Grifter into the DCU? Yes. Did it introduce Penny Black? Yes.

But did it star Lois? No. And did it give me enough of the Resistance to make me actually care for those characters? Not really. And did it have a lot of death and carnage? Yep - Hawkgirl, Cheetah, Huntress, and Artemis all die violent deaths on screen.

So I can't say that this satisfied my need for a great Lois story (although James Peaty and Kelly Sue DeConnick did some solid Lois stuff in the last year of Supergirl, so at least I have that).

Overall grade: C

Review: Flashpoint Lois Lane And The Resistance #2

Do you remember when a huge crossover event took place in one title? Sure, Crisis on Infinite Earths invented the idea of the crossover issue, but you could read Crisis and not have to look elsewhere for explanations. Since then, every mega-event has spread its roots out farther and farther. The entire Marvel rack is stamped with 'Fear Itself' these days. I think it limits purchases and leads to 'event fatigue'. I don't want to have to read an enormous number of books to see what happens to the universe. And if I do, I am simply shifting money away from other titles.

Okay, sorry for the rant in what is supposed to be a review of Flashpoint:Lois Lane and the Resistance #2. While DC has done a decent job of keeping Flashpoint out of its monthly titles, it has poured out a lot of mini-series around the main Flashpoint title to help flesh out this new timeline. I don't know if I can read Flashpoint and understand it without having read some of these other books which explain all the major events of this world. As it is, I am only collecting a couple of these minis. So I am probably still going to end up confused. If Traci 13 shows up in the main book and saves the day, I'll be lost. I am not getting Flashpoint:World of Flashpoint.

That isn't to say I'm not enjoying some of these separate mini-series. Project Superman and Kid Flash Lost are both working for me.

Unfortunately, this Lois book isn't grabbing my attention the way those ones are. I was really hoping that this book would be a true Lois Lane book, a chance to see her shine as a character on a more solo stage. But this is more a team book. In this issue, the Resistance takes center stage and Lois plays only a small part. In some ways, this seemed to be an issue to promote these other characters (especially Grifter) rather than showcase Lane.

It doesn't help that the Flashpoint world is an ugly world with brutal affairs. This is not a pleasant comic. It is hard to know who the heroes are in this book. And there is a rather cavalier approach to death in all these books. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Landing are able to show us the horrors of the Amazon controlled UK and allow Lois the opportunity to be part of the Resistance movement. But it is hard to know if the Amazons are the 'villains' here. Atlantis seems just as culpable in this war. But this series doesn't touch on Atlantis. We only see the 'evils' of Themiscyra.

Eddie Nunez is not on art here. Instead Gianluca Gugliotta is on interiors. The art is engaging enough. But Gugliotta draws eyes in a creepy wide-eyed way which sometimes distracts.

Last issue ended with the cliffhanger of Lois escaping the Amazon training camp with the help of British agent Penny Black but facing an Amazonian attack squad.

This issue opens with Grifter and his group of Freedom Fighters battling with the same Amazonian group. The resistance is a ragtag group of Metans - Godiva, Etrigan, the Canterbury Cricket, Hyde, and Grifter. They are fighting a unit of Furies - Hawkwoman, Cheetah, Vixen, and Huntress.

There are several pages of this firefight with the Furies and other Amazonian troops slaughtered. Am I supposed to be cheering when I see Grifter impale Hawkwoman? Because it didn't seem like a nice moment to me. In fact, the only people who die in this book are Amazons, their corpses scattered on the ground.

After defeating the Furies, the Resistance take to the sewers and happen to run into Lois. At first the group is wary of Lois but then they welcome her to the resistance. I still don't know about this. Lois was in a re-education camp for almost 3/4 of a year being fed Amazonian ideals day and night. Isn't a bit trusting to take her into your secret lair, even if a taped message from Penny Black says Lois is on the right side of this war?

I also didn't like that Lois is suddenly in a black pant suit and trenchcoat. What happened to toga she was in at the end of last issue? Did she really stop to get clothes or change while on the run? With the issue not picking up where last issue left off and with Lois dressed differently, I had a disjointed feeling as a reader.

At least we get an explanation of how Lois and Penny escaped the Amazons. Penny threw concussion grenades which caught the Furies by surprise.

Penny Black seems cool, a tough spy risking life and limb for country. But I don't quite get while Lois is wandering around away from her? Did they split up? Did Lois decide to explore on her own? Seems odd.

Lois does praise Black for saving her life and Grifter agrees. He talks about how she also saved him in Afghanistan. He was part of an elite covert ops squad that included Lady Blackhawk, Kat Kane (in a modified Batwoman outfit), and Jon Stewart (no Green Lantern ring). That would be an interesting book to read more of. I wonder if this means anything about Lady Blackhawk in the DCnU. Is she in it?

Grifter's team is rescued by Black who is wearing an organic armor and calling herself Britannia. It is a powerful telepathic armor with which she is able to blast away the terrorists.

The armor and Grifter's telepathy makes the two have a sudden link. After healing, he goes to London to find her. He happens to be in London when the Atlantis/Themiscyra war hits the UK. He has been hiding since then, helping to fight the Amazonian control as part of a resistance cell.

He even rescues Black from a Amazonian prison ship. Somewhere along the way, Black lost the Britannia armor. Despite helping out as a spy, the resistance have been looking for a hidden Britannia v2.0 armor which might turn the tides, freeing the UK.

Will Penny Black be part of the DCnU? There are plenty of War books coming out where she might fit in.

In a bit of deus ex machina, Lois bracelet, the Cyborg communication device is able to link with Penny's built in tech. It is somehow is able find the Britannia armor, hidden in Westminster.

Too easy? It felt that way.

But as I said, Lois is really in the background of this issue. Here is her one big moment. She demands to join the Resistance as they storm Westminster for the armor. I like that she declares that she is part of the story now, not just reporting it. Glad we got some characterization of Lois here. This is supposed to be her book.

Unfortunately, it's a trap. Hyde wants to join the Amazons and so tips of the Furies that the Resistance is coming. Lois gets taken at knife point. Another cliffhanger.

So I had some problems with the pacing and focus of the first issue. Here I again don't like the focus of the book which seemed written as if Grifter and Penny Black are the stars here. I don't know if I was expecting too much here. Maybe it all comes down to the title. This isn't Lois Lane. This is the Resistance. Maybe I need to reset my expectations.

The cover of next issue shows someone wearing the Britannia armor, presumably Black. Does that mean Penny Black will be the hero of this mini? That would seem off to me. I hope we get to see Lois shine in that issue.

But I am glad that this Flashpoint world is going away soon. It is a cheerless place.

Overall grade: C

Review: Resurrection Man #17

With the DCnU and a new Resurrection Man comic right around the bend, I figured I would conclude my look at the PAD Supergirl/Resurrection Man team-up.

Resurrection Man #17 finishes up the three part arc which tied Mitch 'Resurrection Man' Shelley's nemesis The Rider into Supergirl's town's Chaos Stream and overall weirdness. It was revealed in part 2 that Leesburg town founder and secret dabbler in the Dark Arts, Wanda Lee, was the Rider. And she was apparently ripped from Mitch's body and seared in holy fire last issue when Supergirl flash-flamed the Chaos Stream.

As I have said in the earlier reviews, one thing I liked about this team-up was that it sort of mattered to both titles, moving along sub-plots both had been percolating. There was also devotion to both characters regardless of which title the actual chapter was in. Supergirl gets great moments in Resurrection Man, and vice versa.

Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and artist Butch Guice do a nice job here, ramping up the horror aspect but also adding some really nice quiet moments in the midst of the carnage and fighting. I have to say, I hadn't reread this arc in a while. It is very good.

For some reason, ripping the Rider from Shelley has killed him again. But while he usually re-animates rather quickly, this time he stays dead.

Unsure of what to do next, and burned pretty badly during the Chaos stream ignition herself, Supergirl scoops him up and heads for to the nearest hospital. It is never explained why he remains dead this time.

In a bit of wonky medicine, Linda's doctor friend Hattie defibrillates his body, reviving him somehow.

At least here it is hinted that this death wasn't the usual fare for Shelley. His body feels different this time, put through the wringer.

I also liked the talk about how he disgusting it was to share his body with the Rider, someone that evil.

Supergirl decided to stick around to make sure Shelley was okay, using the down time to heal a bit herself. She also looks a bit worse for wear here.

Despite thinking that The Rider was destroyed, Shelley's new power ... a sort of spider sense ... is ringing off the hook. The threat of Wanda Lee is still around. Supergirl decides to take a look around but beforehand Mitch asks her to call his girlfriend to let her know Mitch is still alive.

It results in a great and funny quiet moment in the book. She calls the woman but is hung up on when she says it is Supergirl calling. How hard it must be to call someone as a super-hero.

I like the body language here, a sort of fatigue in her manner here.

Now in the last issue, Wanda Lee's nurse allowed her physical body to die, purportedly to cut off an avenue of escape for the Rider spirit. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to have worked as the displaced spirit animates her corpse. And Wanda isn't happy, trying to once again possess the Resurrection Man.

I can't think about this too much because it doesn't make much internal sense. If she could re-possess her own body or Mitch for that matter, why not possess someone else? If her body is dead, how can she re-possess it? These are clearly impossible questions to answer ... so I think I'll just roll with it.

But there are more threats than just the Rider wandering the halls of this hospital. Another angel is also here, drawn to Mitch in an effort to bring him 'home'.

As seen in prior issues, Mitch seems to have lived other past lives on Earth. And it is now hinted that he is some resurrecting angel on Earth. This new angel is here to bring him back to heaven.

Again, I don't recall if this angelic aspect of The Resurrection Man was ever discussed more fully in his own book.

Regardless, Supergirl isn't going to let anyone else try to kill her new friend. She also is an aspect of a higher power, something angelic, and she isn't buying what this new angel, Lament, is saying.

I thought this was a nice splash page with Supergirl flexing her muscles.

The battle rolls on with Lament questioning why another Angel would stop him from his task.

Supergirl is still learning her powers, her state of being, and probably doesn't know what he is talking about.

Lament can sense something else in this hospital though. Sylvia Danvers is recuperating from her depression and descent into alcohol madness. He brings the fight to Sylvia's hospital room.

Sylvia's breakdown was at the discovery that Linda had merged with Supergirl. It must be sickening to hear her mother shriek in fear about her. Sylvia really treats Supergirl like a monster at this point. And that is yet another moment in this Supergirl's history where her resolve is thwarted, her goodness challenged.

At the very least, it makes Supergirl rally to get Lament out of there. She brings him up and out of the hospital.

But that revelation that her mother still fears her still hurts her. She weeps at that knowledge.

Unfortunately, it isn't enough to keep Lament away for long. He returns.

Interestingly enough, Shelley allows the Rider to take over his body at nearly the same time. When Lament returns he finds the possessed Resurrection Man. Thinking he finally has captured Shelley, Lament rips the soul from the body and leaves, thinking he has finally achieved his goal.

But the soul he has gathered is Wanda Lee's. A nice little turnabout to that conflict.

Much like at the end of last issue, the heroes are worn out from this conflict.

Mitch is gathered up by unknown men and taken away. Supergirl is left to deal a bit with the carnage in Leesburg. I think I would call it a draw. The Rider is finally gone. And Lament is gone for now. But neither hero is in good shape and Mitch is basically kidnapped.

So this was an action-packed issue with a lot of destruction and mayhem. And nice progression of both characters' personal stories as well. That moment with Sylvia Danvers is heart-wrenching.

As I said earlier, this was a very satisfying cross-over for these books. The one real downside here is Guice's art. He is usually right on the money but some body positioning and some expressions just seem off a bit.

I'll continue to mine the back issue box for more Supergirl moments with new DCnU characters.

Overall grade: B/B+

Back Issue: Resurrection Man #16

With the DCnU just around the corner, I thought I would thumb through the back issue boxes and try to find some past Supergirl interactions with some of the new books cropping up. One of the characters I was happy to see get another shot at his own title was Resurrection Man. Above is the cover and here is the solicit.

RESURRECTION MAN #1

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING; Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO; Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

It's the return of Mitch Shelly – and he's still dead.

Resurrection Man can't stay dead for long, though – and with each rebirth comes new and unexpected powers. But his many returns have not gone unnoticed, and forces are gathering to learn what's so special about him – and to see which of them will finally stop Resurrection Man dead.

The first resurrection man comic came out in 1997 and was definitely a cult hit. Mitch Shelley could not be killed, returning to life with a new super-power each time. It walked a fine line between science fiction (powered by tektite nanites) and a more mystic feeling (was Mitch an angel of some sort, living other lives besides his current Mitch persona). And it had an extremely strange supporting cast. 

Now Resurrection Man actually has some history with the current Supergirl, helping her in the 'Saving Thomas' storyline back in 2008. Those issues were among the first ones I reviewed here on this blog. I think Shelley had been pretty much living in comic book limbo prior to that story. But no need to rehash those reviews.

Instead, I thought I would look at the three part 'Avenging Angels' storyline that ran through Resurrection Man and the main Supergirl title back in 1998. This was an interesting time in Supergirl's life as she was just now coming to understand her role as something angelic, just getting mastery of her flame wings and other powers, and struggling with the personal issues that always seemed to plague Linda Danvers.

Resurrection Man #16 was the first part of this quick arc and writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (as well as Peter David in his chapter) really do a good job in having the characters interact in a meaningful and unforced way, weaving a plot that truly effected both books. Some team-ups seem forced or silly. This one meant something to both characters.

The art on Resurrection Man was done by Butch Guice. Guice had drawn Supergirl a lot during his tenure on Action Comics and always drew her as graceful and powerful. His style on Resurrection Man was a but rougher, mirroring the darker tone of the book. But he still manages to do a wonderful job with Supergirl. This cover is absolutely stunning.

The issue starts with Shelley in the area of Leesburg, Supergirl's hometown.

Unfortunately, his body has been possessed by an entity known as 'The Rider', a spirit that can 'ride' and control a body. The Rider seems to want to live a sinful life within the host body before moving on to the next person. But in Resurrection Man, The Rider knows it has the chance for immortality ... for power ... and for more influence on the world.

Mitch isn't about to give up control of his body that easily. A psychic struggle ensues with The Rider occasionally able to wrest control of the body to cause harm to any close bystander. Finally the mayhem attracts the local police department who gun him down.

This leads to the first of some very nifty pages in the arc. When Mitch dies this time, he gets a brief glimpse into another life... perhaps a past life ... as an Egyptian Pharaoh who is entombed alive. It is a nice moody page with great sepia-soaked art.

Contrasted immediately by the magenta explosion and ink stains of Mitch's resurrection, images from Shelley's life seen as panels shattering like glass. It is such a violent page in comparison to the death page. It really shows just how violent this process of returning to life is. I thought that juxtaposition, with the art adding so much, worked very well here. Each time we see one of the 'death pages' from a prior life, it is followed by this burst of color and panels.

A big part of the original series was the fact that Shelley was on the run from all sorts of bizarre characters, each with different agendas but all with the same goal. I have to admit I haven't read this entire series in a while, so I forget how all of these people ended up together tracking The Resurrection Man.

The most 'famous' of this supporting cast are the 'Body Doubles', 2 sexy killers - one a mafia princess trying to prove herself, the other an adult film star - both tremendous assassins. There is also a man named Hooker whose experiments with the Tektites have left him as an immortal talking skull. And also someone named Schism (I forget his deal). They certainly made for a very unique feel to the recurring antagonists of the group.

We finally get to the Supergirl portion of the crossover. It turns out it is the centennial celebration of Leesburg, Supergirl's home town built over a chaos stream, leading to all manners of wackiness. Part of the celebration is a hydrogen-filled zeppelin, similar to ones from the founding of the town. I can't imagine the FAA would ever allow that ... but there it is.

One thing I actually like about crossovers is when you actually get a more nuanced look at the guest stars. Here we see Linda talking to her father about the Danvers' pending divorce. It was around this time that Linda revealed to her parents that she had fused with Matrix and was Supergirl. While Fred Danvers rolled with it, Sylvia suffered a breakdown and turned to alcohol, a problem she had earlier in life.

As can be expected in comics, if there is a hydrogen filled dirigible, an explosion cannot be far behind. The Rider guides Resurrection Man's man-bat like body to the blimp to bring it down, simply for the carnage.

It was obvious but I liked the 'Oh the humanity' cry from Supergirl friend Cutter. I know ... obvious.

Of course, the simple proximity of the blast kills Shelley. This time we get images of him being a WWI soldier about to run from the trenches ... only to be wrenched back to life on a similar resurrection page.

I don't recall if this 'other life' plot thread was ever fully investigated.

But the main thing now is that The Rider can control Shelley's body and that is trouble.

The new form is a monstrous gargoyle/ape like thing. Either way, Supergirl blames it, appropriately, for the destruction of the blimp and the risk to those around it. And she isn't going to sit idly by. What a beautiful splash page of Linda laying the smack down. Guice really drew a wonderful Supergirl, graceful here even in the midst of a violent attack.

So I liked this issue (and this crossover) quite a bit. Both Supergirl and Resurrection Man seemed to have a toe dipped into Vertigo waters, a darker, more mature, more mystical, more philosophical look at super-heroics. This issue sort of pinballed around, mostly showing the internal struggle that Shelley was battling with The Rider. How will the angelic Supergirl deal with all the deviltry around Shelley? We'll have to wait and see.

From a Supergirl collection point of view, this is of low importance. The art by Guice might entice the completists out there. And those interested in Resurrection Man can probably find the first volume of the title relatively cheaply. Review of the other two chapters will be coming soon.

Overall grade: B