Superman Treasury 2025: A Hero For All

I am running around this week with so much material I want to cover so I am behind the times. Two weeks ago, DC released Superman Treasury 2025: A Hero For All written by Dan Jurgens with art by Bruno Redondo and Jurgens as well. 

This was a fun story for a number of reasons. 

This is set some years in the past prior to Jon being aged up in the Bendis run. Seeing that young Jon, still learning and wanting to help, was almost worth the cost of the book. I miss that kid. 

This is a sort of primer on Superman, showcasing his leadership, his mentorship, his ethics and goals. But it also includes a sort of quick history of his. In the midst of the story are a number of pages drawn by Jurgens reviewing Superman's life and timeline. 

We get the return of two of the more recent villains in Superman's long history, villains who have stuck around and stood the test of time. 

The art was very slick. I like Redondo's sort of minimalist approach, somehow bringing so much visual information with the art he provides. And, of course, seeing Jurgens on art even for a few pages is always great.

But the real fun of the book is the format. A new DC treasury is on the shelves! Seeing such big art in my hands reminded me of my youth. It has some publicity pages for the movie in the back matter. It is too much fun. 

On to the book.

Review: Superman #10

Superman #10 came out last week, a sort of 'done in one' chapter in the Dr. Pharm and Mr. Graft vs Luthor storyline. I have been enjoying this title a lot and this chapter is really fantastic. The overall plot in the present in nudged forward. We get a 'Superman in the Old West' story complete with a Bronze Age villain in the perfect environment. And we get the story and art that perfectly complement each other. 

Writer Joshua Williamson is having a ball here. He has Superman square off against Terra Man in the Old West. His Superman is spot on, including a set of morals and some sly strategy. We learn a more about Marilyn Moonlight, Pharm, and Graft. We get a solid cliffhanger. And best of all there is a sense of Bronze Age fun here too. 

Bruno Redondo is on art here and brings such a bright clean style to the whole book that the whole thing just shimmers in my hands. I love the Western stuff in particular. And how could I resist this Lee Bermejo cover. You know this is going to be a hoot just based on this.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #9

Superman #9 came out this week, a truly entertaining comic that I loved. Writer Joshua Williamson basically put the creative foot down on the gas pedal in this issue, rocketing us through a series of scenes that pushed the main plot forward while hinting at a number of subplots bubbling under the surface.

In some ways, this felt like a very classic comic book. I grew up in a time when there were often A, B, and C plots in titles. There was no decompression. There were mysteries and intrigue. There were emotions and consequences. There were guest stars. Things were fun. And it is all here. Plus, there is a tremendous cliffhanger.

Despite all the subplots that are touched on here, the main plot of Pharm and Graft trying to get their revenge on Lex Luthor takes a turn here. I have started to warm up to the new partnership between Lex and Superman as shown in this book. I don't know about Pharm and Graft yet though. They seem a bit too flat right now. Thankfully, Williamson hints at some things here which add some interesting wrinkles to the villains.

Jamal Campbell gets another issue off. Instead, Bruno Redondo, who has been killing it on Nightwing, fills in here and definitely continues to shine. There is a polish to the book which is appreciated. In particular, the Lois scenes are nicely rendered with emotion. I also found the page layouts suited the action well, adding to the story. Colorist Adriano Lucas does great work here, especially in the Marilyn Moonlight scenes.

As I say often, I wanted the next issue to be in my hand right after I read this one which is always a great sign. On to the book.

Review: Superman Son Of Kal-El #9

Superman Son of Kal-El #9 came out last week, the second part of a two-part crossover with Nightwing. It was simply incredible.

Writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo are on both issues (the first part in Nightwing #89) and bring together this story which could be read as a standalone even though it is completely enmeshed in current storyline. It is a wonderful, heart-warming story showcasing the similarities between Jon Kent and Dick Grayson, both living in the shadow of the legacy hero they emulate and trying to forge out on their own.

For me, in particular, the characterization of Dick, who has basically shed the sidekick role and has become his own fully formed hero but also someone who still feels Imposter Syndrome when comparing himself to Batman, was fantastic. But when Taylor finally recognized the elephant in the continuity room, that Jon was tortured for 6 years, I smiled. Thank you Tom Taylor.

We even get some good Lois moments and some plot advancement. 

Add to that Bruno Redondo's inventive art conveying action through multiple images and bringing feelings to the stories. The pages flow wonderfully. And several panels stick out as perfection.

I don't know what more you could ask for except for DC to put these two issues together in a little squarebound prestige format so it can sit on a shelf for easy reading. 

On to the issue!

Review: Nightwing #89

Nightwing #89 came out last week and was a wonderful crossover with the Superman, Son of Kal-El book. This was about as seamless a crossover can be. Both books are written by Tom Taylor and both tout a progressive political viewpoint. So why not have two great tastes taste great together.

In Nightwing, Dick has inherited billions from Alfred and has set out to make Bludhaven a better place. In this issue we learn that his hope to spread the truth goes farther than his boroughs borders. That is all well and good and makes sense. But the thing that I love about Dick is that somehow he has become the big brother/conscience of the DCU. If you need help or advice or just a chance to decompress, Dick seems to be your guy. That comes across so well in this issue as he helps a troubled Jon deal with Superman's recent issues.

Throw in some solid humor and nifty character beats and Nightwing has become one of my favorite monthly books.

Bruno Redondo has done amazing work on the title as well giving us great page layouts and story construct and panel art. I love the way his Babs looks. And his action is always crisp and kinetic. It starts with this fun cover! Love the laissez-faire feel to Jon cruising downward.

On to the specifics. Hope everyone is reading this.

Quick Hits: Nightwing #83 And Wonder Woman #778

While I cover the Super-titles here on the site regularly, occasionally something super-centric will happen in another book that warrants a quick look here.

In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a Superman sighting in Nightwing #83 and a Phantom Zone trip in Wonder Woman #778. I collect both books monthly so I didn't need to seek them out. They fell into my laps. And both scenes are worthy of at least quick coverage here.

I started buying Nightwing when writer Tom Taylor started his current run with artist Bruno Redondo. It is an interesting read given Taylor is also writing Superman, Son of Kal-El. Here Nightwing has inherited over a billion dollars from Alfred and plans to use that money to help solve social wrongs. This is sort of a more stable way than Jon's approach. Add to that a nice side plot of Dick suddenly having a half-sister with the last name Zucco and this has been a good read.

I have been collecting the Wonder Woman title for a long time but was interested to see what writers Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan would bring to the table. With artist Travis Moore, they have been crafting a great tale of Diana recovering from post-Metal amnesia. We have seen her travel from Asgard to Earth to Olympus all in pursuit of the god/dess Janus who split themselves in two.

I'd definitely recommend both books. Let's see what I stumbled across.

Review: Injustice #24

In many ways, I feel remiss in not collecting Injustice 2 on a monthly basis.

I came at that decision honestly. I am not a video game player. I am sick to death of Elseworlds where Lois is killed and Superman a fascist. So the basic premise seemed off. So not pulled.

And yet, I keep hearing that Supergirl ends up the hero of the piece. And I absolutely loved what Tom Taylor did on All-New Wolverine. And I have, based on cover and buzz, picked up the odd issue here and there and really enjoyed the book. For example,  Injustice 2 #13.

And so I decided when I saw the cover of Injustice 2 #24 a couple of weeks ago that it was worth picking up. I am so glad I did. It is almost the perfect to pick up after Injustice 2 #13 because the seeds of Kara's heroics planted in that story come to fruition here. And with a lot of panache.

Taylor gives us a world under assault from Amazo and there is only one hero out there to save the day ... Supergirl. And that plot will always make me happy.

Bruno Redondo is on art and that name is new to me. He brings a clean style to the proceedings but with some nice flourishes here and there which elevate the work.

If you are a Supergirl fan, you should pick this one up.