Back Issue Box: Superman #371, Private Life Of Clark Kent

Hard to believe that I am double dipping on an issue but today I will be looking at Superman #371 again. This time I'll be looking at the back-up story, a Private Life of Clark Kent feature by writer Bob Rozakis and artist John Calnan.

In my early years of reading comics, I loved these Private Life stories, whether in Superman Family or in the main titles as back-up features. These were usually stories with Superman outwitting someone but in his Clark Kent persona. It often involved Steve Lombard getting a come-uppance. But as a kid I liked how Superman occasionally needed to use his wits instead of his fists. 

They also were nice little palate cleansers after the more usual super-heroics that existed in the rest of the issue.

In retrospect, it is interesting that little Anj liked these quiet stories so much.

Now in the last issue of Superman, our hero was depowered and offput by being under an orange sun. So I thought the Private Life of Clark Kent in this issue would be fun to look at.

Review: DCNation #0

 DC Nation #0 came out this week and had three stories within to promote some of the upcoming storylines in the fresh new DCU. This includes a Tom King/Clay Mann Batman story and a Justice League story to promote the post-Metal DCU by writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion, and Joshua Williamson with art by Jorge Jimenez.

I am a DC fan so of course I was going to get this regardless. But for me the draw was a Superman story by Brian Michael Bendis with art by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, praised be his name. We all have been curious about where Bendis will be taking the Superman family once he grabs the reins. I have been worried about him upsetting the apple cart of the recent excellence in the book. And frankly this story made me a little more worried than the action sequence in Action Comics #1000.

Part of that worry is that whenever a big name comes onto the Superman books their first inclination always seems to be that they need to change things, shake things up, and make things different. And that rarely seems to work. So in the recent past when Gene Luen Yang decided to depower Superman, remove the Clark Kent secret identity, and make him a motorcycle-riding wrestler ... well that didn't work. That ain't Superman. And before that when James Michael Straczynski decided to have Superman walk across the US, ignoring people who were dying of a heart attack on their front porch, and telling someone he would let them throw themselves off a building and not stop them ... well that didn't work. That wasn't Superman.

But when Dan Jurgens, Peter Tomasi, and Patrick Gleason had him with Lois, being heroic and inspirational, and working for the Daily Planet .. ... that worked! It was truly a Rebirth, with Superman being Reborn into all the things that made Superman fans love him to begin with.

Now we are faced with Bendis and I know we have barely scratched the surface. But already Bendis has an evil alien being behind the destruction of Krypton and, in DC Nation #0, Lois Lane out of the picture and missing. This isn't exactly Superman ...

Will it work? I'll go in with an open mind like I always do. But it better be spectacular. Metaphorically, the apples are falling off the cart, rolling down the street.

Who is Clark Kent?

So last week DC posted this house ad claiming these are the 'prime suspects' for who the doppelganger of Clark actually is.

Now the main suspect these days seems to be Superboy Prime ... and he doesn't appear here. I suppose they said 'prime suspects' and not only suspects.

But given this list, I wonder who is most likely to turn out to be Clark.

And I wonder who you think he is. It's been a while since I put a poll up on the site. But thought I'd get a pulse check on who the leading suspect is. And since this list could be a feint, I included a Someone Else choice (although I'll ask that you leave a comment with who).

On to my thoughts about these candidates.

Review: Superman #18

Superman #18 came out this week, the first part of the highly anticipated Superman Reborn storyline. This arc supposedly will answer all the questions about the nature of the current Superman ... or maybe I should say Supermen. Between the now dead New 52 Superman, the pre-Final Crisis current Superman, and the Clark doppelganger, it is hard to keep track of who is who and what is what. Added to all this mystery is the idea that has been floated around that maybe they are all the same person somehow split. Remember, the New 52 Lois actually said she understood everything that was going on, albeit right before she died.

 

To be honest, the mystery of 'Who is Clark Kent?' has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of the Rebirth run, mostly because I haven't been able to decipher the clues. Just when it all seemed to come into focus, that he is a depowered Superboy Prime, DC threw a curveball. Prime wasn't even listed as a candidate on an official house ad. Putting all this together with the growing and now lengthy Mr. Oz enigma and you have a gripping and very entertaining Superman Family of books. While I have been enjoying all this, I am eager to get to the end and have the curtain pulled away. I want to learn who Oz is!

 

It all starts in this great opening chapter by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason. The creators have been focusing on the family life of Clark/Lois/Jon throughout their run and this issue is no different. We see just how their blissful their cozy life in Hamilton is, that is until disaster strikes. Those quiet opening moments make the rest of the issue feel that much more frightful. The Clark mystery remains just as baffling. All this blue energy crackling about - is it Dr. Manhatten? A Crisis riff? Magic?  And the issue starts with another look at Oz's realm. There is some information given here, images that should be stirring the pot a bit. But I remain just as perplexed.

 

Gleason is on art here. His work has that Rankin/Bass gloss that works in some scenes but seems a bit too cute in others. Still, nothing is so offbeat to pull me out of the story.

 

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #974

Action Comics #974 came out this week and really ramped up one of my favorite recent storylines, the mystery of the new Clark Kent. Who is he? Where did he come from? I have a couple of theories ... a Mr. Oz creation, a normal human changed by a discharge of super-energy by the dying New 52 Superman, even some version of Matrix on this world ... but they are pure guesses. If writer Dan Jurgens has dropped any significant hints, I have missed them.

What is clear is that this Clark is more than what he says he is. And the way he has been drawn in certain panels gave him something of a malevolent feel. This issue puts that sort scary behavior on display for us front and center. This Clark has a temper and doesn't like to be made a fool of.

Do I have a better guess at who Clark is after this issue? No I don't. But I do know I am a little more frightened of him. And I am even more intrigued! That makes me happy!

The Clark mystery isn't the only plot in this issue. We get more of Superwoman's recovery and we get a new thread in the re-emergence of Blanque as a threat. So this certainly felt like a full issue, in a very good way.

Patch Zircher and Steve Segovia (with Art Thibert inks) split the art here. Zircher's work on the Lois/Clark pages are just wonderful. Zircher really gives us a wonderful Lois. And, as usual, his page layouts guide the reader's eye nicely. Segovia gets a bit of a more comic world canvas to work on with Fortress settings and alien armor. The different art styles on the differing locales made the whole thing feel pretty slick.

For me, the best thing about this issue was the slow turn of the fake Clark from mild mannered, clumsy, nice guy to scary threat. And nothing conveys that more than this cover by Gary Frank. Clark lurking in the background is eerie. This looks like a horror movie poster.

On to the book!

Last issue ended with a dying Lana being brought to the Fortress to be saved. Initially, it seems like nothing will be able to help Lana from death.

I am assuming that this takes place immediately after the end of Superwoman #7 when Lana just defeated Lena. And I suppose the 'I just saw you there' comment would be because she saw Clark frozen in one of Lena's chrono-cubes.

But that doesn't make sense if Lois is about to go out on that date with Clark, set up in an uneffected Metropolis.

So maybe this is after some other Superwoman adventure? But that doesn't sit right with me either.

These are the things that a group editor is supposed to oversee.

Meanwhile, Lois has set up something of a creepy wall about this new Clark. She is trying to figure out just who he is (aren't we all!!!). And she realizes the only way to get closer to figuring it all out is to get closer to him. We see her preparing for this date with Kent. Zircher shines in these quiet moments of Lois getting ready.

But Jurgens gives us all these new facts about Clark's backstory. His birth parents died in an explosion (interesting) and he was adopted by the Kents. But really what I want is a little more. How deep does this conspiracy go? Are there adoption papers? I suppose with Superman dead, all the existing Clark photos or papers could be attributed to this guy.

Clark shows up for the date ... early. Usually I would chalk that up to a faux pas or a pre-date nervousness. But somehow it comes across as a little bit dark. Was he trying to catch Lois in something? Or catch her off guard?

He then leads her out to an idling limosine. Whoever he is, he doesn't have the 'down to Earth' style of the real Clark. Lois says it. The limo heads to an expensive, exclusive restaurant. And inside, Lois is led to a private room, extravagantly decorated. And then Clark proposes! Proposes!!

Boy, this Clark has acted close enough to the real thing before this issue to have me perplexed. Even I have wondered if he might somehow be a version of the real thing.

But this display? And the quick proposal?

This isn't Clark.

So who is he?

Meanwhile, when all Earthly treatments fail to stabilize Lana, Clark turns to otherworldly cures. If her powers are somehow Kryptonian based, maybe Kryptonian medicine will help.

In a nice look back at history, Superman puts her into his old Battle Armor. That suit has a sort of  fluid matrix healing egg chamber. Thankfully, once inside, Lana stabilizes.

It is a nice callback to the Return of Superman arc from way back when. Given that Dan Jurgens was one of the drivers of that historic story, I guess it isn't a big surprise to see it mined again.

In that story, the 'dead' Superman did stay in the fluid healing chamber of Kryptonian Battle Armor while recovering from his fight with Doomsday.

Nice continuity!

Lois, of course, walks out on Clark after his proposal. She wants nothing to do with it.

And he seems genuinely surprised.

Some of what he says is interesting.

One, he promises to be good. That is an odd statement. Does he mean as opposed to being evil? That he won't do something wrong? It just sticks out as strange language.

But he also says that he feels they need to be together. Is he channeling the history of the real Clark? Does he sense they should be married? That would be specific to the current Clark and not necessarily the dead New 52 Superman who never really clicked with Lois. 

This made my theory about an energy avatar Superman both more and less likely.

When Lois leaves, the tone of Clark changes. And things get a little creepy.

First off, there is that line again about being good. Weird.

But then things change and Clark seems to dehumanize. Suddenly you don't see his eyes through his glasses anymore. He is something else. That look of confusion becomes a stern look, an angry look, a scary look. He vows to destroy who gets in his way.

And then we pan back to see that no one is driving the limo. Great slow reveal on the page. Wonderful art by Zircher,

Whoa.

Cue the Twilight Zone music.

So who is he? We know he has been scanned and is human. So no robot or Eradicator? And what's with the anger ...

Best page in the book! 

I've been ignoring one of the subplots coursing through the issue. Early on, Superman gets notified that Hank Henshaw's group is breaking into the Himalayan Fortress. However, his devotion to Lana and his confidence in his defenses lead him to stay in the Arctic.

I don't quite know how Henshaw's agent gets past the vaunted defenses but he does. And he is telepathic controlled to  release the ultraviolent psychic  Blanque who quickly blows the whole thing up.

In some ways I'm happy. The two Fortress world was confusing. Glad we're consolidating.

And Blanque was a big threat in Lois and Clark. He is a big threat. I'm excited to see what happens next.

Back in Hamilton, the Whites have a standard family dinner.

What is interesting is that Clark downplays what he did with Lana. And Lois doesn't even mention what she did with 'Clark'. 

It is odd to see these two maybe hold back on the truth. Maybe Lois thought that her Clark might be unhappy with the chance she took? Maybe Clark doesn't like to talk about any Lana with Lois?

Or maybe they just don't talk business in front of Jon?

Unfortunately the doppelgänger Clark followed Lois. He sees the real Clark and Jon and knows they are with Lois instead of him.

Suddenly this Clark looks outright violent. And blue energy spills out from behind his glasses. Does that make him more of a Dr. Manhatten construct?

Whatever he is, he is terrifying. Great cliffhanger.

I will say, if my guess of Mr. Oz being Vyndktvyx turns out to be true than this Clark could be a simple 5th dimensional construct. But I simply don't know.

In case you can't tell, I loved this issue. This 'Clark' plot grabbed me from the beginning. And this issue pushed the pedal all the way down. We are t seeing the well intentioned buffoon in this Clark. We seeing someone unhinged and almost unreal. What is he??

And the art shows that subtle transformation perfectly!

Dang, I love a good comic mystery!!

Overall grade: A

Review: Action Comics #973

Action Comics #973 came out last week and was a great little rest issue after the God-Killer arc that preceded it. Superman took a bit of a back seat in this issue, allowing Lois the chance to truly shine. And this also gave us a much closer look at the mysterious Clark Kent. For someone who has found the Kent mystery fascinating, I liked it. For someone who has been craving a strong Lois presence in the DCU, I loved it.

But as a long time reader, I couldn't help but feel that there was a wonderful Bronze Age patina to the whole issue. Maybe DC shouldn't be aiming their books at people of my age, a nearly elderly age bracket. There is no denying that there is something classic about this. And that is what #Rebirth was supposed to be about, getting back to the classic feel of these characters that have made them lasting.

Writer Dan Jurgens has a great handle on Lois, showing her in all her glory. She's a fierce investigative journalist. She's brave. She's willing to dust her knuckles if she needs to. And it is all in the name of truth, justice, and the American way.

The art is split between Patch Zircher on the Lois/Clark pages and Stephen Segovia on the Superman pages. Both artists put nuances into the pages to really make then visually engaging and complementary to the story. Great stuff!

And while I am a fan of Crisis #7 homages, I think this cover by Gary Frank  is the third in three months! From Doom Patrol to Superman to Action Comics, these are getting to be like ants. 

On to the issue!

Review: Action Comics #971

When I first heard that Lex Luthor was going to 'star' in the Rebirth Action Comics as Superman, I cringed. I was yearning for old fashioned excellent Superman stories. Rebirth seemed like the right time to return to greatness. Why give Lex the title?

Well, it turns out my concerns were misguided. Superman is definitely the lead in this book. But Lex is definitely an important supporting cast member. Rather than a 'twice a year' villain with a new gizmo, Lex is part of Superman's life, part of Metropolis' elite, and out in the open.

I sometimes miss the days of the conniving, hiding Luthor biding his time to unleash something horrific. But I have to grudgingly admit that since Rebirth I have been interested in Luthor and his character. There are layers here ... whether onion or parfait ... and peeling him back to try to get to his core has been a very engaging read.

Action Comics #971 continued the 'Trial of Lex Luthor' storyline in which Luthor is being tried for crimes he has yet to commit. Hearing Luthor plead his innocence and seeing him hope for a Superman rescue has been intriguing. But this issue, we flip things on their head. Suddenly it is Superman that needs the saving. It is Superman who might be judging people too harshly. And it is Lex who has to stand up as the hero. And that is fascinating.

I live for the day when villains can all be villains and not have sympathetic back stories. But if I am going to be reading this sort of Lex, a character awash in gray areas, then I am glad it is being written like this.

The art on the book is by Stephen Segovia and I am impressed with his breadth. This issue flips from Metropolis to Nideesi to some unknown jungle world. That can't be easy.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #969

Action Comics #969 continues the Men of Steel storyline which explores Luthor's role as Superman and what the concept of justice. Writer Dan Jurgens and artist Patch Zircher take us to an alien world where warriors punish criminals before they commit their evil acts. And it is a decent, entertaining read.

Whether it is the conversation 'would you kill Hitler as a baby?' or Minority Report, the idea of pre-emptive justice has been explored a bit. But I don't think I have necessarily seen it in a Superman comic. I am also reminded of the mostly plodding 'Trial of Superman' arc in the 90s where Superman was put on trial for a crime he didn't commit, taking the blame for his race's actions in the past.

Luthor here is being charged with becoming Darkseid and being a universal threat. This is a heavy charge, one Luthor denies he would ever do. But the question remains, would you kill Luthor to stop the murder or enslavement of billions? Even the God-killers, like L'Call, give pause.

It is interesting to see Luthor acting as Superman here, pointing to the S-shield as a defense, and wondering why he is being hunted down for something he hadn't done. Irony!

As usual, Zircher brings a lot to the table here. From pacing of panels to point of view angles, Zircher is one of those artists whose work I try to dissect, trying to intuit what he was trying to say with the art.

U know 'decent, entertaining read' is damning with faint praise. Trust me, this is a good book and this plot is fascinating.

Review: Action Comics #968

Action Comics #968 came out last week and was a decent middle chapter to the Godkiller arc. While the main thrust of this issue were the tremendous action sequences which pitted Superman and Alex against the crusaders of L'Call and his partner Zade against Superman and Lex, it was the smaller moments giving us some insight into the characters that I appreciated the most.

Writer Dan Jurgens certainly can write the big super powered sequences well, having the combatants slam there way through Metropolis. These are the sort of scenes that made me fall I love with comics to begin with. And artist Tyler Kirkham continues to bring his A-game, bringing a great energy to fights while also making sure his expressive work impresses.

But for me, it is the subtle character nudges that that made me want to read the next issue already. L'Call hints at an interesting back story. Jon continues to win me over with his exuberance and desire to jump into action. Lex continues to ooze smugness, reminding me he shouldn't wear the S-shield. And the new Clark again shows that maybe he isn't a mild mannered reporter but something more nefarious. These are the moments, more than the haymakers and body slams, that grabbed me.

I'll say again that Kirkham shines here. I love his Lois and his Jon. And there are a couple of panels where his art complements the words perfectly.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #964

Since Rebirth revamped the Superman books, a question that I have been mulling over is 'who is Clark Kent'? Now I have 40 years of comic reading under my belt to have a pretty good idea who Clark is. But in this new DCU, one that has been reborn, there is a new Clark. One that seems human. One that is vehement that he is not Superman. One that believes what he is saying. Who is this guy? Where did he come from?

In Action Comics #964, writer Dan Jurgens and artist Patrick Zircher begin to answer the question. We get this Clark's origin story, at least the one he is telling us. We get some clues into his humanity. We get to read his writing style. And we add some new clues and plot threads into a comic already pretty mysterious. Do I have some new guesses about who this Clark is? A couple.

I have to say I was thrilled with this issue. Much like Superman #7, this was something of a pause after the Doomsday story and before the upcoming Godkiller one. And yet this wasn't wasted space as the story and overall arc continued to move forward.

As usual Patrick Zircher brings some artistic heft to the issue. Everything is pretty bold and complements the words tremendously. My favorite panel, filled with portent, is probably one glossed over by many. I hope at some point this book ratchets back to monthly and Zircher signs some long term deal to stay with the character.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #963

Action Comics #963 came out this week and was something of a rest issue. After the brutal Doomsday arc, filled with action, the creative team of writer Dan Jurgens and artist Patch Zircher slow things down a little to give us a character issue. And the character is, cue dramatic music, Clark Kent.

The mystery of who is this Clark Kent has been as big a riddle in my mind as 'who is Mr. Oz?' Is he a clone? A creation by Mr. Oz? A robot? A Clark from another dimension? As readers, we haven't got much to work on. There haven't been many, if any, clues for readers to mull over.

One thing I have to say though. This Clark strikes me as what Superman would be like if he were robbed of his powers by Gold Kryptonite. He acts like 'Mr. Action', the rough and tumble investigative reporter willing to bend the rules if he needs to if that leads to justice. In some ways it reminded me of the old 'Private Life of Clark Kent' stories I read as back-ups or featured in Superman Family. This is all Clark.

But who is he?

Writer Dan Jurgens does a good job of mining this mystery, allowing Clark to tell his story and showing him in the field. But there hasn't been a morsel for me to chew on to figure out who the heck he is. I have some vague notions. But I'm grasping at air.

Patch Zircher continues to bring powerful art to the book. I will point out some subtle things that struck me. As always, I may be over-reading these things. But art is subjective. If it works for me, I'm okay.

Review: Superman #35

Superman #35 came out this week, the next part in the Ulysses storyline, written by Geoff Johns with art by John Romita Jr, and Klaus Janson, This has been an interesting story as it has contrasted Ulysses as a boy 'rocketed from Earth to a strange planet where he gained powers' and Superman who was 'rocketed to Earth'. Last issue we saw Ulysses sport something of a temper and apparently kill The Machinist, only to have it turn out to be an innocent pawn. Now that is a contrast.

Johns has done a good job moving these stories along in the opening chapters. We certainly have seen plenty of Ulysses and his family (another contrast to Superman). But the Machinist and his motives remain a mystery. We also have been hearing from an onlooker, someone I have labeled the Cleric someone who appears to know a fair amount about Clark. Add to that the reconstruction of the Daily Planet and the supporting cast and I have been enjoying this story. I haven't been floored by it ... but it has held my attention.

I freely admit that I am not a John Romita Jr. fan but there were a couple of panels in this page that made me take notice. This was a well drafted story as well.

I thought the super-books suffered during the early years of the New 52 and part of that seemed to come from DC taking Superman away from what makes him great. And one of the things that Superman has had classically is one of the best supporting casts in comic. I am glad that Johns is Clark back to the planet and bringing back the old crew.

So it feels right to have Steve Lombard talking about Superman as a hero. And I even like Ron Troupe having the opposite view, wondering if people rely on Superman too much. That sort of distrust seems pervasive in the New 52 world, a place were people and the military are ready to attack. It will be interesting to see an actual character voice that, especially in the company of Clark and Lois.

I also like in this scene a sly smile we see Lois put on her face when she hears that Clark is coming back to the newsroom. I miss 'Clark and Lois' and Johns seems to be rectifying that.

And that smile ... so coy.

Ulysses does show some remorse, kneeling and almost mourning about possibly killing the Machinist-controlled man. I worry that Ulysses is a super-villain-in-waiting. So seeing him upset at this made me wonder if my initial response on Ulysses is wrong.

It turns out that the person Ulysses 'killed' was pretty much already dead, a techno mind-tick already burrowed into his brain. In theory, Ulysses isn't a killer. And Superman gives him a mulligan on vaporizing this guy.

I like how Superman seems to be in mentor mode here. Throughout this issue, we see Superman giving Ulysses advice on the right way to do things. There is always another way; you don't need to resort to lethal force.

A couple of meta-things about this though. 3 years in and we still haven't seen Kal be a mentor to Kara. And you would hope that Geoff Johns is sending these books to Zach Snyder.

The two heroes can track the Machinist. The villain is on a tanker truck with his cronies.

I include these panels just to showcase the second panel as an example of great art. It is so out of the ordinary. The Machinist's face is off panel; the cronies look like they are dancing. What the heck is going on?

The next panel shows Superman and Ulysses hoisting the tanker out of the water. This panel shows the crew losing their footing. Without a sound effect I didn't know that at first. Once I turned the page, I realized what it meant and turned back.

But it is the panel construction that adds to the mystery, to the unsettling feeling. Contrast it to the standard panel next to it. That last panel 'shouldn't' be a panel ... until you know what effect Johns and Romita were going for.

Ulysses holds the boat up while Superman brings the fight to the crew. The Machinist unleashes a murder of giant robot crows.

And what of that Cleric character who has been watching things from afar? He is still out there.

Who the heck is this guy?? We have been given almost no clues. I thought he might be working with the Machinist. But maybe not?

 The tanker gets driven ashore and finally the heroes get their mitts on the Machinist.

Johns gives us a very creepy wrinkle to the Machinist's origin. It isn't a 'him'. It is two brilliant minds sewn into one. Sewn ... brrrrr....

So will be know the 'two brilliant minds'? Is the Machinist an amalgam of two characters we know? One male and one female?

I initially thought that the Machinist was something of a Toyman rip-off. Maybe he is half-Toyman? And half-Dr.Psycho? Or Veronica Cale?

The Machinist is pretty tight-lipped about who he has sold weapons to so Ulysses tries to gather that information directly from his mind.

I thought this was another good panel by Romita. Ulysses is overwhelmed by just how many weapons are out there. It is an affront to his mind so I like how the weapons seem to be attacking him. And keeping Ulysses small in this big panel makes the weapons seem all the more enormous. Nice.

 And this effect seems to have addled Ulysses.

Now we get to see more differences between Superman and Ulysses again. Ulysses wonders why Superman has never just up and destroyed all the weapons in the world. When food and pollution and disease are huge problems, why do humans need weapons. Why fight each other?

Of course, Superman is all about leading by example. He tells Ulysses that you can't force people into doing what's right. You have to inspire. Now that's Superman.

But Ulysses doesn't want to hear it and takes off.

Could Ulysses be nearing a super-villain role? Could he try to be a fascist, wring control of this world?

One more wrinkle about The Machinist. We learn the name of his boss ... Mr. Oz.

Could it be that the Oracle is the 'man behind that curtain'? That he is pulling all the strings?

Does the reference to Oz mean that all this stuff is just a feint? Could Ulysses himself be a robot of some sort? His parents too? Could this all be a ruse?

We won't get any more information from the Machinist though. He detonates the whole ship and slips away in the blast.

I was thinking that Ulysses would end up circling the world trying to destroy all weapons. It would be a simple plot turn, one well traveled, with the 'hero' crossing the line to tyrant.

Instead, Johns throws a curve ball. We see Ulysses flying by a number of war memorials (WWII, Vietnam) and then makes a statement to the world. Earth is flawed. There is another world ... there is a better world ... there must be. And he can take 6 million people to his dimension, a paradise.

This is an interesting ending. Will Superman feel compelled to stop this? Who will judge the 6 million most worthy? Will people line up in droves? Will they attack each other to get on this bus?

I have been up and down about this story arc. I don't feel floored by it the way I was floored by the 'Legion'/'Brainiac' Johns run. But I am very interested. There is a lot of story and potential here. Ulysses is a great foil.

And, shockingly, I was impressed by Romita here. More on composition than anything else.

Overall grade: B+

Greg Pak And Aaron Kuder On Action

With my review of Batman/Superman #1 right around the corner and needing to catch up on some old news,  I thought I would cover the announcement that Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder are taking over Action Comics starting with Action Comics #25. That announcement was made on USA Today here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/06/24/greg-pak-batman-superman-action-comics/2451219/

After the Scott Lobdell monopoly on the character, I think Pak is going to be a welcome change. And I have gushed about Kuder's art on this blog before. So I am excited for this team to come on board, hopefully for a long run with some creative consistency.

As always, I recommend reading the entire article. But a couple of sections stuck out.

"Basically, I've fallen in love with this character all over again," Pak says. "In fact, the first comic book I ever drew as a kid was a Superman thing. I was doing Superman fan fiction when I was 6 years old.

"For young children, Superman is your first introduction to superheroes and you love him. But as I've gotten older, I realized how resonant the whole story of Superman is and how his struggles actually reverberate with people at every age."

So the first part here strikes me as so important. I love that Pak was a fan of Superman when he was a kid. It means there is some child-like wonder that is associated with the character.

But I also like how Pak talks about using Superman as a medium to tell human stories on a super-human level. How Superman's problems can be like our problems just writ huge.

One of the themes Pak wants to explore with Superman is that even with all the drama and heroism, he's just regular-dude Clark Kent at his core, a Kryptonian-born guy who grew up in Kansas with regular people, still trying to make sense of the power he has.

"It's not like he grew up among people like him from day one and all his power was just totally natural and supported by everyone around him and everything was cool," Pak says. "He grew up as a normal kid who discovered he had these powers and it was terrifying and it set him apart from everybody else and it gave him incredible responsibilities.

"In a weird way, that replicates everybody's experience. Just as regular people, as we grow up we learn that we actually have real power. The things that we do can hurt people terribly, can break hearts, can break stuff, or they can be a real help to people. And it's up to each of us to figure out what we're going to do with our own abilities."

Small decisions people make every day — determining whether to speak up when one sees a bully — are the same kind of huge decisions that Superman has to make, Pak figures.

"The character becomes the way for all of us to explore — in a safe way — these things we actually grapple with ourselves just by being human." 

One thing that I think has been missing in the Superman comics since the New 52 took over is Clark. Sure we get snippets of him here and there. But I am one of those folks who thinks Clark is the real identity and Superman is the mask. I am one of those fans who thinks that it is the man in Superman that makes him great. I believe that it is his early life, the lessons he learned and the values he was taught, that makes him such a great person. 

So I am glad that Pak is talking about bringing Clark back into the book, back in Superman as his core. And again, I like how Superman might be used as a metaphor for human struggles. I hope he remains an inspiring figure in this run. 

There is so much I think has been sort of pushed to the side in Superman in the New 52. So I hope we also get some more of the supporting cast, some Supergirl interactions that aren't contentious, and some big action with big plots.

After the Andy Diggle debacle, I hope Pak stays on the book, isn't bogged down by cross-overs, and isn't overly interfered with by editorial. 

Scott Lobdell On CBR

This post seems a bit ridiculous in the aftermath of Andy Diggle's announcement and my rant about it. But here it is.

About a week ago, Scott Lobdell did a sort of wrap-up interview on CBR, discussing the end of H'El on Earth and the future of the Superman title. Here is that link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44216  It is well worth reading in its entirety as Lobdell touches on a lot of things.

I think I have bashed H'El on Earth enough here and I am eager to put it in my rear view mirror. In particular, and no big surprise, I am eager for Supergirl to move away from the way she was portrayed there. Maybe this is the darkness before the dawn. Maybe Supergirl will be a more heroic, friendlier, character moving forward. And surprisingly, Lobdell actually hints at that a bit here. Here are some blurbs I thought were worth commenting on.

CBR News: Scott, "H'el On Earth" just wrapped up, and "Superman" #17 teased some dark days coming for Superman, with Supergirl in dire straits from Kryptonite poisoning. How will Supergirl's self-sacrifice impact Kal in upcoming issues?

Scott Lobdell: I think the whole ordeal is going to bring them closer together -- remember, up until this moment they really hadn't shared many experiences. (Even being orphans from Krypton manifested itself in two entirely different ways: Kara having lost her friends and family and the only world she ever knew, and Kal never having known friends and family or that world first hand.) So while things that happened with H'el were certainly traumatic, it may all wind up being for the better if Kara and Kal can wring a relationship out of it.
Regarding the Kryptonite poisoning and its effects on Kara, I understand that will be dealt with over in her book. The only thing I wanted to stress in the hand-off was that New 52 Kryptonite should be horrific, and its effects should be lingering for Kara who actually held it in her hand for a few moments, to her heart. Gone at the days when Lex would open a box and Superman would fall to one knee and then Lex would pop it closed and Superman would exclaim, "Phew!" Kryptonite should be scary every time it shows up!

At first it sounded like DC wanted to keep these two as separate as possible. In fact it seemed they wanted them to be angrily estranged from each other.

Now we hear that the trauma of H'El, that her nearly dying will somehow bring them together. That makes sense emotionally. Sometimes it is dramatic events in life that bring people back together. Maybe after this near-galactic death episode and Supergirl dying from K-poisoning will make the cousins realize that family needs to stick together.

Hmmm ... Kryptonite poisoning being drained from Supergirl and she then has a better personality ... I have read that somewhere before. I am amazed at how in interested in seeing this new Kryptonite It sounds like a big deal in the DCnU.

CBR: One of the images Kenneth Rocafort drew is pretty reminiscent of the iconic cover from "Crisis on Infinite Earths" #7. Was this a direct parallel you hoped to draw with this issue?

SL:No, I am afraid you are fishing, my friend. I suppose Kenneth could have drawn the page with Superman tossing Supergirl over his shoulder fireman carry style-- but, the howls? I could hear them already! No -- he was just cradling his wounded cousin in his arms.

I totally commented on that here!

I will begrudgingly agree with him on one point. If Supergirl was slung over Superman's shoulder like a bag of flour I would be typing some fiery adjectives right now.

I guess there is simply no avoiding the memory of Crisis #7.

CBR: In the coming months, it looks like you're digging into a number of aspects of Superman, including a look at Clark Kent's life as a reporter away from The Daily Planet. After the action-packed "H'el On Earth," has it been easy to transition to the more mundane aspects of Superman's life?

SL:Interesting you would phrase it that way -- to a Superman (and I have to guess here, as I am not one), saving the world and the entire solar system might actually be the "mundane aspect" of his life.
But, no, I love Clark and I love Cat and Lois and Perry and Jimmy and even Morgan Edge (a little) -- I think the longer a Superman story goes without dealing with Clark and his real life adventures, the less interesting the story is most likely going to be. I know what is planned for Clark in the coming months, and I'm never surprised when I get a note from editorial telling me I'm spending too much time with Clark and not enough time on Superman. 

There isn't much more about Supergirl in the article but those were enough. Could there be some thin ray of light shining through the black clouds of H'El on Earth?

There is a comment on Clark Kent, or the lack of Clark Kent in the book. I have bashed the early presentation of Clark here as well. Reading Lois' texts, acting like a jerk, etc.

I think there has been far too little of Clark and Lois in the New 52 to begin with. I am of two minds of seeing more Clark. I want more Clark. But I want it to be a good presentation of him. Like many things, Lobdell sounds excited about Clark and all the supporting cast. But I need to see Lobdell do these characters justice. I guess I need to hope here as well.

Anyways, a Supergirl/Superman familial relationship might be around the corner. That makes me happy.

Review: Superman #13

Superman #13 came out this week, the first Superman-centric issue in the Scott Lobdell era. And there has already been a lot of coverage of this book with the first 5 pages previewed in DC Comics and the 'quitting the Daily Planet' plot revealed in the mainstream media.

And as my reaction to this book is strong, I'll warn you know this is a long review.

I had mixed feelings when I heard Scott Lobdell was taking over the character. Having read plenty of Lobdell books, I didn't know if his style was right for the character. Then there were plenty of interviews where Lobdell sort of said the right things which made me think that maybe he knew how to handle Superman.

After reading this issue, I am more down than up. There are a couple of nice moments here. A couple. But most of the issue continues to increase the divide between Superman and humanity. Yes, there is a lot of Clark in this issue and Clark and his relationships, of course, are his most important links to mankind. But comments here and there, Superman's internal monologue, how people react to him ... it all just seems to be leading to an isolated Superman.

It feels so off sometimes that I wonder if anyone at DC right now is a Superman fan. Does anyone over there understand just who Superman is, what he represents, and just what his priorities are?

One thing to compliment the book on is Kenneth Rocafort's art. It is dynamic and kinetic. The page constructions with crazy panels overlying each during the action sequences flow nicely and are in contrast to the more standard right-angled panels seen in the more quiet dialogue heavy scenes. Rocafort is a great choice for a Superman book.

The issue opens up with Superman testing the limits of his powers under the supervision of Dr. Veritas, a brilliant scientist I have never heard of before. Did I miss her prior appearances?

It is a return of the Silver Age Superman, at least power-wise. For five days, cut off from yellow sun rays, he has been bench pressing the weight of the Earth.

Veritas clearly knows Superman. She even seems attracted to him, asking him if she can take advantage of him in his exhausted state. And yet, even this person who seems to have a close relationship to Superman calls him a 'strange visitor'. Now her saying it alone makes me wonder if she identifies him as a citizen of Earth. But more importantly, his defensive response, his need to correct her so quickly, it makes me wonder if this is a sore point for Kal.

So he is lifting the weight of the Earth on his shoulders. It is a decent metaphor about what he feels about defending the planet.

But why the point of stating the five day limit away from the sun? Because we know, based on the zero issue, that at some point Superman is on Krypton. So know we know he will have a 5 day window to still have powers there. (Of course, the geek in me thinks it would be less time because he would be expending more energy fighting the heavier gravity of Krypton.)

Lastly, Kal's throwaway comment about trusting Veritas is interpreted by her as a threat. So even Superman's friends are cautious around him. It is the wrong sort of feel ... and that is in the first scene.

I do like that Lobdell has instituted a Morrison-esque name dropping style of prior events. Here it is the 'Stream of Eternal Maelstroms'. Later we read about things like 'The Talking Sun of Alktos Prime' and 'The Seven Sisters of Sin and Avarice.'

Thrilled with the workout, Superman speeds home. But his inner monologue is worrisome.

Half the planet thinks he's a savior. Not a hero, not someone there to help us lift ourselves up, but their savior. Savior ... that is a weighty word, as if people look upon him as a messiah.Not an inspiration, but a panacea.

The other half thinks he is a vanguard for an invasion, despite doing heroic work for 8 years now. Eight years of half the world distrusting him.

And nothing can change those 2 views.

This isn't who Superman should be ... worshiped by half the world, hated by the other half.

What's worse Superman seems to want to be away from people. He talks about preferring to soak up the sun in space than head to work. He is only going because he has to 'pay the bills'. If only being Superman all the time was his job. He actually says that! That he would rather be Superman all the time if he got paid! He is Clark first in my mind. He would never want to leave that part behind.

And what about his life as Clark? Does that help him connect to humanity?

Well, almost everyone seems to treat him poorly.

First off, he walks in on Jimmy having sex in the shower with an unnamed woman. Is there any real reason why this scene needs to be here? It feels completely gratuitous. It feels wrong in a Superman book.

What's worse, Jimmy actually complains to Clark for a lack of privacy ... despite Clark helping Jimmy out by letting him stay there. If your friends treat you like a jerk ... if they use you ... can you have any respect for people?

But really ... a shower sex scene in a Superman book? There are a million other ways you could get the point across that Jimmy isn't being a good friend. But a shower sex scene? Seriously??

At work, Clark is surrounded by hypocrisy and disrespect.

Clark is worried that the Planet is more like an entertainment tabloid than a true newspaper. And he is going to hammer that point home by telling Lois she wouldn't recognize news anymore. This, just two issues after Lois stood up for journalistic integrity against Morgan Edge. It again reads wrong.

And her response is just as bad. Clark complains about the lack of truth or substance in the news these days. She 'shows him the hand' and calls his concerns a 'nominal idea' ... an idea in name only. Not a real concern. Lois waving off journalistic morality?

That's not Lois! In fact that is the antithesis of Lois.

Clark wonders what could be so important that Lois remains with her face buried in texts.

So he uses his powers to read her private communications. She is moving in with her boyfriend.

But step back ... Superman just used his powers to spy on Lois, someone he supposedly has feelings for. So now Superman is something of a stalker, using his powers to invade Lois' privacy? Is that something Superman should be doing? Was that a lesson the Kents taught him ... to use his powers to spy on people?

What's next? Floating outside her house and using his x-ray vision to watch her, like the cringe worthy scene in Superman Returns??

All of this leads up to the well-publicized 'Jerry Maguire' moment of the issue when Clark stands up and basically says 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!' The news industry has lost its way and someone needs to sheperd it back to its ideals.

Unfortunately times are tough and not many want to rock the boat. Clark quits.

It is a nice moment I suppose with Clark standing up for something important. But this sort of 'rage against the machine' approach rarely works.

Rocafort does solid work here showing everyone other than Cat Grant trying to look busy. The muted colors of those folks makes Cat stand out, almost as if a light is being shone on her. The use of falling paper between the panels also worked, invoking an image of Clark tossing all his desk papers in the air, out of frustration.

And it is somewhat hard to believe that of all people, Cat Grant follows him out the door. She seems somehow sweeter in this brief scene than the Cat we are used to. She even has a nice line saying if their work is meaningless than they are meaningless ... profound.

That last line by Clark where he wonders how Cat will support ... something. It makes me wonder if her son Adam is still around in this new 52 continuity.

The conversation is cut short when Clark uses his super-hearing as a sort of Daredevil like sonar to 'see' that a giant shape is coming in at high speed. It is an odd but massive dragon-like creature, one with three heads (although the 2 minor heads are actually feet).

It's immensely powerful, throttling Superman. It also is genetically decaying and not truly alive. So Superman feels okay immolating it by tossing it on an oil field and exploding the underground oil reserve with his heat vision.

So a couple of things here. I suppose it is an innovative use of his heat vision. But super-hearing as echolocation/radar?

The decaying DNA here reminds me of either a Bizarro-like creation or a faulty clone made by H'El. So add a mystery to the mystery.

But you know what happened when Superman tried to clear the oil field of its workers when the dragon is heading to them? One of them says they should be running from him since he's an alien. I am so sick of an untrusted Superman. This person would rather run away than be saved by a massive dragon by Superman.

Remember at the end of Supergirl #13 when she saw Superman battling a monster? Well, her response isn't to rush to help Superman. It isn't to save the people from a dragon.

Nope. Instead it is to yell at him, calling him a liar since this dragon is from Krypton and he told her it was gone. Sooooo .... all those retained memories of Zor-El talking about the planet's destruction; the visit to Argo City, ripped from the planet; the AI at Sanctuary, a goodbye gift from Dad ... all that data about Krypton's fate is tossed out the window because she saw this creature. So we once again get to see 'angry Kara', prepared to fight with her cousin. This isn't the Supergirl we have read in her own book recently.

What's worse is Superman's response! Not 'hey Kara', not 'I'm glad to see you.Can you help'. Instead it's a snarky 'great' and how he doesn't want to fight her again. This response seems especially wrong since in her book he has reached out to her; how their last conversation was emotionally draining but physically calm. How he has wanted to see her and talk to her.

Do I really want super-cousins who don't want to see each other??

And here is the cliffhanger, H'El observing everything ... invisible to Kal and Kara while they argue.

Sigh.

You know, before I read the issue, I questioned the wisdom of Clark quitting the Daily Planet, thinking it as one more layer being peeled away from who I think Superman is.

After reading the book, that was the moment that probably bothered me the least. At least that is Clark standing up for something and trying to inspire.

It is the bulk of the rest of it ... people fearing Superman (Veritas thinks he threatened her, half the people distrust him, people he is trying to save scared of him), his wondering about being Superman full time, a Jimmy Olsen shower sex scene, Superman snooping on Lois, Lois more interested in ratings than truth, echolocation, not wanting to see Kara ... that just felt wrong.

Read that list sentence again and ask me if you think any of those belong in a Superman book. Any one of them. Instead we get them all.

There are all these tiny little phrases and scenes that just chip away at the foundation of who Superman should be as a character. Who wants this floating Superman, disconnected from humanity? Someone with no job, no friends, no Lois, no family? Who thinks this is the Superman that comic readers want? Is it Didio? Is it Berganza or Idelson? Is it Lobdell?  Is this their understanding of Superman?

I suppose I will hold out hope that H'El is some sort of transfiguring arc, that things will be better after this trial. But somehow I don't think I'll be happy.

Again, let me say that the artwork is strikingly beautiful. The images are wonderful even if the story content isn't. Rocafort should be commended.

Overall grade: C