Review: Action Comics #1092

Action Comics #1092 came out last week, the first part of the next Superboy arc in the title by writer Mark Waid. 

Waid has been doing a good job of re-establishing Superboy as part of the Superman mythos here, slowly showing us early Clark discovering his powers, stretching his limits, and trying to become a public hero. The first arc showed us his reveal to the public. This arc he is more of a known commodity but still figuring it out. For long time readers, there have been hints at well established pre-Crisis moments perhaps coming back. But even Zero Hour friend Kenny Braverman has shown up.

This arc seems like it will focus on Superboy's public persona and how that aligns with the military and General Lane. I guess here is where the lifelong hatred starts. It is pretty interesting to see our hero stand up to Lane for the first time. 

Cian Tormey is on art this time and brings a sort of smooth if slightly cartoony style. Slightly! But it works for a flashback story with a sort of teenage dorky Clark. He does well with some powerful character moments here, building the panel to accentuate the proceedings.

I am liking this stealth Superboy book. Hoping others are too! On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #1087

Action Comics #1087 came out last week, the first issue in this look back to Clark's earliest adventures as Superboy. If there ever was a story that needed to be told ... or is it retold ... it is this. With all the soft reboots, hard reboots, and reimaginations of recent years, I frankly don't know whether Superboy existed or not. It is time for DC to put their foot down. There was a Superboy, the adventures of Superman as a boy, who was part of the Legion. Classic.

Who better to write this tale than Mark Waid who also has been handed the difficult task of writing the upcoming History of the DCU. What started the universe? The hand Krona saw? Perpetua? Did Argo City survive Krypton's explosion? What about the Legion? 

I have the sense that Waid will do the right thing. I certainly saw it here. We get a Legion reference. We get a loving Ma and Pa. We get some Pa Kent wisdom. And we get to see a very green Clark whisking into action for the first time. We see him realize these fights are real; he gets a bit battered. We see him get an understanding how powerful he is. It really feels fresh.

Skylar Patridge is on art and brings a very appropriate feel of youth and vitality to the book. I especially love her 'cobbled together' costume with beach shorts and red high tops instead of trunks and boots. Patridge seems perfect for young characters (she was the one bright point on the recent Mariko Tamaki Supergirl stories) so is a great fit.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #1008

Action Comics #1008 came out this week, the second part of the Leviathan Rising arc which, I suppose, will be finished in May with the release of the Leviathan prestige format one shot.

Since Brian Michael Bendis took over the Superman family books, Action Comics has been his home for the supporting cast. This is where we have interacted the most with the Daily Planet staff. This is where we have seen Firefighter Moore and Mayor.

This has also been Bendis' home for more street level crime and old fashioned mysteries. Those topics blend well with the foundation of this book being the investigative journalists in the cast. So as readers we have had to unravel the mystery of the Red Cloud, the leader of the Invisible Mafia, and the motive for arsonists around Metropolis. As a reader, giving me a mystery to solve is always engaging. I have been pretty gripped by these stories, trying to figure out the answers along side our heroes.

Leviathan Rising is no different. Who is Leviathan? Why are they eliminating other organizations? What is the source of the Manhattan-esque energy powers? Is this an existing character (like Talia Al Ghul or my current guess ... see below) trying to grab power? Or is it someone brand new? This issue gives us some clues ... but not many.

The art is by Steve Epting and he brings a grounded approach to the proceedings. His Superman is not some ultra-handsome Adonis. In some places, Superman looks more like a pugilist sporting an old broken nose. But for a Superman book dealing in more military/espionage trappings, Epting's more realistic style works very well.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #999

Action Comics #999 came out this last week and reminded me of the days when you would watch a car's odometer slowly turn over some huge number. We are on the cusp of Action Comics #1000, a mega-accomplishment which brings with it a new, bold direction. We have all seen the 'Bendis is Coming!' ads. I have had waxing and waning optimism about Bendis' run. I am approaching the future with some trepidation.

But we are here to talk about Action Comics #999. This is writer Dan Jurgens' swan song. Yes, a Luthor centric special is in the works. But this is Jurgens goodbye to running the comic and guiding the Man of Steel. After a prolific run which has now spanned 3 decades, this could honestly be Jurgens' goodbye to the character. And as a result, I am looking at this issue like a funeral mass. I was sad going in, hoping to celebrate the creators and this run while also being sad that they'll be gone. For me, since Rebirth, I have had a Superman that reads right, that feels right, and that I have enjoyed. And I haven't been able to say that often these last many years.

And this issue is a bit of pure Superman. He is looking for truth and justice. He isn't cruel. He wants to inspire and bring people together. And we see a lot of that here.

We also get Will Conrad on art. There is a fair amount of realism here. The bulk of this issue are conversation scenes that are heavy with emotion and Conrad does a great job bringing us those beats.

But this is a turning point for the creators, for the comics, and for a couple of characters. On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #998

Action Comics #998 came out this week, ending the Booster Shot storyline and bringing the end of the Dan Jurgens run on the book that much closer. With Brian Michael Bendis' run just around the corner, I am glad that Jurgens is able to finish up some of his storylines. And this chapter brings this story to a decent close, although I suppose we'll have to see what happens in the next couple of months to see if it how it truly wraps up.

I have never been a big fan of Booster Gold and here, at least, we get a sense of how much weight must be on his shoulders. With access to time travel, he is probably tempted to try and change things. We see how much self-resolve he has to resist that temptation.

That said, the nature of time travel never quite makes sense to me which is why I find these stories a bit vexing. Throughout the story, Booster says that events in the past are more concrete and cannot be changed. Meanwhile future events are more malleable. But what is 'past' and what is 'future'? Our future is someone else's past. Sigh. I guess I just have to roll with it.

And this story for the most part takes place in the future. So while Superman and Booster are able to escape a heinous situation, the real question is will Superman change that future now. Is there an issue where Zod's control of a planet is addressed now? Or do I have to read Green Lantern?

The art on the issue is done by Will Conrad and he brings a slick precise style to the proceedings. I wouldn't mind seeing Conrad on a monthly book. His stuff is great.

On to the book.

Review: Action Comics #997

Action Comics #997 came out this week, another chapter in the Booster Shot story arc, the last arc for Dan Jurgens prior to Brian Michael Bendis taking over the super titles. Jurgens has certainly shored up the book since Superman Reborn. There has been a classic feel to the stories. And, while not as extensive as I'd hope, he brought in a feeling of super-family to the proceedings.

So it is a shame that this is the arc he is ending on. Because for some reason, this just isn't clicking with me. It may be that the impetus for this time trip is the fact that Mr. Oz turned out to be Jor-El. Not a fan of that. I wonder if the Oz story is going to be forgotten? Picked up by Bendis? Explained in Doomsday Clock? I think forgotten ... which would mean a several year buildup is just swept away.

And then the rest of the story ...  the trip back to Krypton, a story idea that never works for me for some reason. And, of course, Booster ... a character I've never took a shine to.

Here we have a loud, action filled chapter with Superman fighting General Zod, Ursa, and Lor-Zod. It is visually stunning. It is a good battle. But that's all it is ... a battle.

If anything, the subplot of Lois saving her father is the more compelling of the two storylines. That moves forward nicely.

Brett Booth brings a lot of style and zing the the proceedings. But many pages have wild panel layouts which at times made for confusing readings. I had to decide how to read the word bubbles in oddly angled shots. Still, the art was wild.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #28

Superman #28 was the second chapter in Clark and Lois's walk through American history, teaching Jon about the sacrifice of the military in defending this country's freedoms. It also slips in some simple lessons about living in a society and how to impart change. Writers Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason pick up where they left off last issue although maybe a little more heavy handed than they were last issue. There is a lot of history exposition here to bring the point home for Jon. While some exposition is needed, there are whole pages of near text book style discussions of events. I think dialing things back a bit would have made the issue roll a bit more smoothly.

There also is a rather gruesome ending, a moment that was meant to be heartwarming but seems like it is more of a horror movie shock. That ending sort of soured some of the pride that was building in this story.

The art is again by Scott Godlewski who brings a nice feel to the story. The scenes at real national monuments feel real and sharp.

On to the book.

Supergirl Show News: "The Commander" Is Casted

With the Supergirl show's primary characters all cast, we are now getting news about the ancillary roles for the pilot and the season. The latest, from KSiteTV, is that Faran Tahir has been cast as 'The Commander'. Here is the link:http://www.ksitetv.com/supergirl/cbs-supergirl-pilot-casting-faran-tahir-to-play-the-commander/59490

Unlike some of the more recent announcements, I have actually seen Tahir in other roles.

In particular, I thought he was brilliant as (not) The Mandarin in the first Iron Man movie. He was captivating, scary, and dominated scenes. I think he will be able to pull off the role as described below.

KSiteTV has gotten official confirmation that Tahir will be appearing in the pilot as a character known as "The Commander." He is described as "an alien military expert leading the forces aligned against Supergirl."

Now how do you decipher this description?

Is he an alien and a military expert?

I wasn't initially leaning that way. But now, after reviewing all we know, I think he is an alien. We have learned from the leaked Lumberjack audition tapes that the Lumberjack is an alien, with 3 hearts, and was sent by an 'unnamed' him. So maybe the 'him' is the Commander who sent his alien ally to get a measure of Supergirl

 If this is true, maybe 'The Commander' is actually the Martian Commander Blanx! I won't go into too many details about Blanx because I would only be cribbing from the ultimate source of information on the Martian Manhunter and his villains: Idol-Head of Diabolu

Now if he is a human who is an expert on aliens and also a military genius, he might be some sort of version of General Lane. Obviously not Lane ... but a sort of homage. Lane all along has been paranoid about aliens and has wanted to rid the world of them.

He has worked with non-humans before ... like Atlas or The Wraith. So an alien Lumberjack could be working for him.

Anyways, this is another great casting move.

Review: Superman Unchained #5

Superman Unchained #5 came out last week and continues to be a very satisfying read. It seems to exist outside of the current DCU, unfettered by current relationships and characterization, and pretty layered in its storytelling. This feels almost like an All-Star or Classified comic right now. And I am not complaining.

Writer Scott Snyder has been moving several plotlines forward without necessarily linking them. As a result, I have been wondering how all these threads with eventually weave together. In this issue, we finally start to see the linkages. And that makes me an entertained reader.

Despite that connectivity, the plot lines continue to churn forward, both coming to an apparent cliffhanger to a climax at the end of this issue. So we haven't all come together quite yet. And some of the bigger mysteries, specifically about the Wraith, remain unsolved keeping my puzzler puzzling away.

Jim Lee continues to provide the bulk of the art on the book although it seems like a stripped down version of his art, less cross-hatching and detail work. More impressive are the Dustin Nguyen pages, sepia soaked flashbacks that veer to horror at the end.

We start out with one of those flashbacks as Clark first shows the ability to overcome gravity as he saves Lana from slipping off a hay silo.

This opens up an ongoing theme in this particular issue, of Clark hiding his super-abilities while in the guise of a 'normal' human and what that means now and in the future.

As I said above, Nguyen shines in these pages, bringing a weathered old photo feel to the memories. And the linework gives it a golden age simplicity. Really nice stuff here.

While Superman brings Wraith the the Fortress, we catch up with Lois who has been kidnapped by Ascension.

At last we begin to see what is connecting the Wraith plotline and the Ascension plotline. It turns out that the leader of the group is Jonathan Rudolph, grandson of the man who created The Machine, the government black ops group that controls the Wraith.

Still wearing electronic masks (confronting Lois with her father's face is a nice touch), Rudolph tells Lois he wants her to tell their story. That is, unless she continues to be a pest ... then he'll kill her.

I love Lois in this book. Running for her life, thinking outside the box, not waiting to be rescued, and standing up to this group of madmen, she is her own hero. And even after this threat, she continues to needle this guy. This is Lois.

Rudolph's father appropriated the 'equation' from the Wraith's ship. He then fed the machine an altered equation, one denying the government its total power.

But Ascension has figured out the true equation. And using it, they are able to construct 'Earthstone', quantities of the blue crystal Lois stumbled upon last issue. And that crystal is able to interact with all technology, controlling it. That is how Ascension has been able to do all the things it has been able to do so far ... like commandeering a midflight helicopter's controls.

And they want to use the Earthstone to reset the world, razing it so something new can grow. I find it amazing how many bad guys want to do the 'Ra's Al Ghul from Batman Begins' scenario.

I can't help but wonder if there will be some connection between the Earthstone and Kryptonian Sunstone crystals. They seem to similar to not effect each other. Will that be how Superman wins?

So the Earthstone and Rudolph's origins provide a link, connecting the Superman/Wraith plotline to the Ascension one.  I was wondering how they would eventually overlap. It feels very organic too, not forced.

Meanwhile, back in the Fortress, we start to hear a little bit of Wraith's origins. His home planet is in the Triangulum galaxy. I suppose that makes my Daxam guess all wrong.

But look at that planet. There is a chunk missing out of it. We wouldn't have that detail unless it somehow matters. But how?

Could Wraith be responsible for some major destruction on his world? Is there any life left after such a planet-wide devastation? And does that make Wraith's speech here ... about wanting to bring knowledge and peace to worlds and thinking the USA was the best way to do that ... just lip service?

I have to think there is more to the Wraith than he is letting on. But he has been a 'good soldier' for 75 years. That is a long time to be biding his time if he had something  up his sleeve.

We saw the concept of 'hiding' in the Smallville flashbacks. Here Wraith brings it up, calling Superman's use of Clark as a sort of limbo, a way of trying to live a normal life when he is an outsider. Wraith hints that perhaps Superman would be better used serving his country.

It leads to an imagined sequence where we see Superman staying young while everyone he calls friends age around him. Wraith is pulling at the right strings. This is Clark and he wants to be a man first, super second. He doesn't consider himself above everyone. So being immortal-ish would definitely separate him. And that would be the right psychological tact to have Superman question his mission and life.

Well it turns out that the Wraith does have something up his sleeve. He was hoping that Superman would take him into the Fortress so he could raid its armory for General Lane.

And yet, The Wraith seems conflicted. He doesn't simply pull the trigger. He awaits the order. But he also seems to plead with Superman to give up his current life, to join the Wraith in a life of servitude to his country. I think the Wraith sees Superman as a kindred spirit and is hoping to have a boon companion.

While I think there are more layers to the Wraith than we have been shown, I simply can't wrap my head around him. Why stay on Earth and serve like this? Why was he sent? Where is he really from?

I talked about how this book feels out of synch with the current DCU. Part of that might be the rather 80's feel to Ascension's plot. It is going to fire all the world's nuclear missiles, scorching the Earth. That does feel a bit retro ... no?

And so much for Lois living to tell the tale.

But the threat is enough to pause Wraith from killing Superman and get the attention of the JLA. Now we will see how tightly this links to the New 52.

I do like that first panel, the electronic mask showing an image of the missiles firing while Lois' distorted reflection look on.

Back to a Smallville memory and Clark saving Lana from a deranged farmer who witnessed his flying trick from the first scene. Whether he likes it or not, Clark can't hide anymore, not when he shields Lana from shotgun blasts.

Now the big revelation this issue is the connection of the plots. The minor revelation is the sight of Wraith's planet. And the nuclear devastation plot is retro enough to feel semi-new. What will Superman do once he stops the missiles? Give them back to the countries they were fired from?

So hurray for all those things.

While beautiful and interesting, the flashback scenes and the 'ever-young Clark' sequence didn't seem to resonate enough with this issue to feel crucial. I don't necessarily think these were wasted pages. They just seemed to slow down the pace of the rest of the book. Maybe I needed a pause to digest what I have been shown prior.

Still, this is minor quibbles. This book remains dense and excellent and has a more classic Superman and Lois.

And what is the Wraith's deal? What I do think is that the Luthor-created Jimmy Olsen Doomsday hand is now going to be used to eliminate the Wraith somehow.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman Unchained #3

Superman Unchained #3 came out last week and continued to be a very engaging story with multiple plotlines moving forward. It is only a matter of time before all of them come together, threads weaving a tapestry.

One thing that I like about this first arc is the scope of the story. This is Superman writ big, looking at what the world would be like if there was a pro-active military-based super-power working for America. This is hardly the first time we have seen something like this but usually those stories have the Superman character being raised differently. Here it is another super-being and Superman has to deal with his existence. How can this end? Hopefully not the same way the Man of Steel movie did.

Writer Scott Snyder continues moves that action pretty briskly, working in a classic comic book device of two heroes initially fighting and then teaming up. But action alone can't carry a book for me. I need characterization. Snyder has the right voice for Superman and Lois, both playing major roles in this arc. But he also makes Wraith interesting. And he also makes General Lane a more three-dimensional character, and less of a caricature. That alone is a great feat!

Jim Lee's art is solid enough if less detailed than I am used to seeing from him. That said, the big moments have big art which is always key. And the page layouts vary nicely with a mix of both splash pages and small inset panels as well.

But I have to say, I am wondering how all these plotlines will end up intersecting. And when I am puzzled, I am more invested reader.

We start out in 1938 when Wraith first arrives on Earth after the United States has sent into space a mathematical equation hoping to get a response. 11 seconds later, Wraith crash lands on Earth.

Of course, 1938 isn't just plucked out of the air. It is a nice little homage to the first appearance of Superman.

11 seconds seems like an awfully quick time for a response to happen. Although I don't understand astrophysics enough to know if that is awfully quick or not.

And we know now that Wraith is apparently an alien. That makes the eventual comparison and contrast to Superman that much closer. Two aliens who can process yellow sun energy land on Earth and have very different experiences.

After that flashback, we pick up where last issue left us, with Superman facing off against Wraith and Lane's troops. Feeling threatened, Superman decides to both fight and take flight.

This is one of those multi-panel set-ups that I don't necessarily associate with Lee.

Wraith's cells are packed with energy and he is pretty tough too, stronger and faster then Superman. But one of the things I like is that Wraith himself doesn't seem like a toadie to General Lane. He actually wants to talk to Superman, work with Superman.

But that isn't how these things work in comics. Hard to know if we can call Wraith a hero but it is pretty common for two heroes to brawl the first time the meet.

So we go from tight small panels with lots of story beats to big panels and crazy action. I liked the transition from one page to the next, jarring in a good way.

And we get a great sense of Wraith's power as we see him boot Superman across state lines. By using small panels the page before and then going big, I don't feel cheated as a reader. There is enough story packed in here to allow big art when needed.

There was something sort of Dragon Ball Z-ish about that lower panel. I mean that in the best possible way!

Now while the Wraith plot line is clearly in the forefront, the Ascension terrorist group and their maneuvers are still sizzling in the background. Last issue they simply cut out the power of the plane Lois was flying in.

One thing I love about this book is that Lois is shown to be strong and independent, saving herself instead of hoping Superman will save her.

So she grabs the controls and decides to land the plane herself, a sort of gliding belly-flop. But even better, she uses her brains, guiding the plane into power lines hoping that a massive blackout will bring a rescue party faster then their plane crashing would do alone.

It's a brilliant scene for Lois. Love it.

After their tussle, Wraith convinces Superman to join him in a conversation and to answer some questions. So this isn't Reactron and Metallo out to destroy Superman at General Lane's command. This is someone who thinks he is doing good and wants Superman to join him.

The includes a tour of 'The Machine' a sort of shadowy black-ops military group, led by General Lane, which quietly and anonymously changes the world for the better. And Wraith is the key weapon.

I love this shot, Wraith's fortress of solitude, filled with mementos from his prior missions. This isn't an interplanetary zoo and a giant metal diary. This is a different trophy room, again widening the differences between Superman and Wraith.

I do like how Lane still has his men in the background aiming their 'black hole guns' on Superman. Even in a truce, Lane doesn't trust Superman.

Now I am a firm believer that some villains think they are misunderstood good guys.

Here Lane is able to show on a map how unstable areas of the world are slowly growing smaller and smaller because of the Machine and Wraith. It is hard to deny results like this. Maybe Lane isn't such a bad guy after all? Or maybe he has no right to determine the fates of other countries?

This is a nice gray area which makes Lane, for once, slightly relatable. Instead of a hand wringing xenophobe who hated just to hate, he is someone looking at the big picture.

And then a very nice exchange. He doesn't hate Superman because he is an alien who was romantically interested in Lois.

He hates Superman because Superman could be doing so much more in the world. He could be a 'hero' - at least how Lane defines it. He could be making the world better on a bigger scale.

This is always the argument with Superman. Should he wrest control of the world and make it good? Or should he inspire good? Is he there to rule? Or, as Morrison said, there to pick mankind up when they fall? Should he eliminate evil by killing? Or should he be a role model of compassion?

Whether it is Morrison's JLA or Kelly's 'What's so funny about Truth Justice and the American Way?' or even JMS' dark mirror of Supreme Power, we have seen this argument before. What I love about this is how it makes Lane a more realistic person than the lunatic who swallowed his own gun in War of the Supermen.

As for Lois, the plane crashes into water and sinks.

But before they can abandon the plane, the engines restart and the propellers actually bring the plane to the surface.

The miracle? Someone wielding a blue crystal which seems to give them powers.

Now the glow of this seems to be the same color as the glow of whatever anti-Superman weapon Bruce was hiding last issue. What is this thing? And how is it going to tie into everything? My guess is it can somehow give energy (as it did here) or take energy. Maybe it drains Wraith?

And is it similar to what Bruce had, which we know was built to defeat Superman?

Meanwhile, Ascension (which seems to be the biggest threat of the book) ends up hijacking Russian drones and sending them into Tokyo airspace. With a bigger threat to deal with, the Wraith and Superman put aside their political differences to work together.

I think it fascinating that Ascension, an anti-tech cult seems to have major technology on their side. My guess is that someone has taken over the group for their own ends.

Now Wraith has been a secret weapon, in hiding, and unknown to the world for 75 years. Doesn't this seem a bit conspicuous? Standing on a Tokyo roadway and standing on cars?

Of course, we end with the threat. Wraith knows at some point he will kill Superman.

As has been the case with the book, we get an epilogue by Peter Nguyen.

The last plot has been Luthor breaking free from prison by downloading his sentience into this robot frame, his body inert in the center. Where does he fit into all this? At first I thought he might be behind Ascension but now I don't know. And what the heck does he want with Jimmy Olsen? My guess - all he wants is the signal watch. Luthor wants to talk to Superman about some threat which could effect them both.

I was pretty happy with this issue, mostly because of the more serious and less maniacal look at the US military and General Lane. Lois is treated very well. Wraith and Superman continue to be odd reflections of each other. And the multitude of plots all simmering along are like some puzzle. I am trying to figure out how it will all come together in the end.

While Jim Lee's art isn't his usual dense pencils, there are nice flourishes.

Another solid chapter in Superman Unchained.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman Unchained #2

Superman Unchained #2 came out last week and continued to percolate the multiple plotlines that writer Scott Snyder and artist Jim Lee put into motion in the inaugural issue. Between the anti-technology but highly technological terrorist group Ascension, the super-powered military agent Wraith, and Luthor doing 'good' things, this title hit the ground running. Moreover, these are my favorite sorts of plotlines because you know at some point they are all going to merge in to one major event.

Jim Lee's art is solid in this issue. I do have to comment on the cover (something I will comment on in the review as well). This cover image of Superman clutching the American flag could be considered a patriotic image, especially given the proximity to Independence Day. Unfortunately, after reading the story you realize the tanks Superman in fighting on the cover are American tanks! I am pretty sick of story after story of Superman fighting the American military. It would be nice if ... maybe every now and then ... we see Superman fighting along side out troops. Knowing now he is toppling over American troops, this image becomes almost symbolic of treason!

The issue opens with Superman in Dubai. Ascension has bombed the Burj Khalifi, the world's tallest building, toppling the upper half and leaving Superman 11 seconds to save everyone. Snyder gets us inside Superman's head as we hear him wracking his brain to come up with an answer. I think one of the perceived problems of writing Superman is getting around his near omnipotence and perceived infallibility. How can you create conflict or drama in someone this powerful. By reading this desperation in Superman, it humanizes him, let's us now while everything might look easy and rosy, he struggles with answers just like everyone.

Of course this panel got my attention especially given the recent spate of issues around killing and death with the Superman character. Here he talks about coming up with the solution which will cause the least amount of deaths. A Superman willing to concede death isn't necessarily a classic interpretation.

But just when I was getting ready to roll my eyes yet again over a more cavalier approach to death by Superman, Snyder turns things on his head. He actually has Superman come up with the solution to save everyone, freezing the nearby water to prop the building up. Kudos to Snyder for letting Superman save the day completely!

I also love the humility seen in the last text box as Superman thanks whoever is 'up there' for saving these people rather than tooting his own horn. This gets back to a more inspirational Superman character I am used to.

The next stop on Superman's to do list is the Batcave. Superman has asked Batman to investigate whoever pushed the falling satellite out to sea in the last issue. But first we get to see one of Batman's new toys, a suit which renders him invisible to Superman's vision powers. There is something more collegial about this interaction. This isn't Batman sneering saying look what I have. In fact, it is downright friendly for Batman to tell Superman he developed it. Interesting that Superman asks Batman if the suit will be destroyed.

I like the amiable conversation throughout this scene as Bruce and Clark talk about Ascension. I also think it is an telling choice that Clark came in street clothes while Batman is in full regalia. These are the 'real' personas here.

The conversation turns to Ascension at first. The group is powerful enough to be able to commandeer all the airwaves. Powerful enough to knock satellites from the sky. Powerful enough to topple buildings and take over Constructicon like mecha. And yet, their symbol is Ned Ludd famous for destroying machines and impeding technological progress. And we also kept hearing last issue they weren't strong enough to pull this off ... so someone is pulling their strings. Any guesses?

But then the conversation leans towards the unknown 'handprint'. There is some comic book science here as Bruce is able to investigate the presumed appearance of whatever did this and find out that they can absorb sunlight at an even higher efficiency than Clark. In theory this being is stronger than Superman. And that makes Clark a bit concerned. How interesting that Batman is the one who thinks Clark should go in with the idea of trust since this person helped save people.

As I have said before, in the current DCnU Batman is a better mentor than Superman. Batman has multiple proteges. Superman has estranged family. Now Batman is more trusting than Superman. The DCnU is a strange new world.

A cursory conversation with Lois leads Superman to believe the US military is involved with whoever made the handprint. I am trying to place this storyline in the DCnU timeline. With Clark still answering to Lois and the Planet, it is some time in the past.

Superman decides it is time to confront the military about this being. I don't know if I agree with Superman being this pro-active and provocative with the military. Alas, General Lane is all to eager to have a showdown like this. Lane emerges from the bunker with a swagger, calmly sipping his coffee. And then the troops show up, armed with 'black hole' bullets designed to suck solar energy away, a weapon clearly designed specifically for Superman.

Unfortunately, Superman is pretty demanding and threatening here, lighting up his eyes like he is about to kill Dr. Light. It seems a bit too much too soon for this display.

Not surprisingly, one of the troops gets spooked and fires the first shot at Superman, resulting in yet another fight between Superman and America's infantry. I am so weary of this trope.

The black hole bullets seem to work. I worry about this as well. Remember in New Krypton when the military had unlimited Green K bullets, red sun handcuffs, power dampeners, etc. You can't have Superman be 'invulnerable' if the army has many weapons which can kill him.

Luckily (??) the Warith arrives to stop the fight between human and super-human. That's the good news. The bad news is he seems to be itching to fight Superman himself.

So my one problem with this is the fact that the Wraith has been around since at least the 40s. If he is this tough, wouldn't the military have sent him after Superman and other super-heroes long before this? Or is he too uncontrollable for that. I hope that aspect of his origin is explored.

As I said above, it is the multiple plotlines here that are making this an enjoyable book for me. If this was just Superman vs the military I would be pretty underwhelmed.

But there are three scenes that wrap this book up that perked my interest back up.

One, the man found at sea at the end of last issue, the one calling for Lois, turns out to be a member of Ascension who is on the run. My guess is the doctor is about to say there is a 'creature' attached to him. That is fascinating. Could Ascension be some sort of symbiote/alien threat?  Regardless, they aren't happy that Lois is investigating and decide to knock out the tech on her plane. Nice cliffhanger for that plot line.

And nice characterization of Lois in this book, running the show but still doing some of the legwork for stories.

And Luthor finally shows his true colors, taking pieces of the miniature solar 'tree' fed city he was designing and making it into some makeshift armor to escape captivity. As I said last issue, why would anyone give Luthor access to any technology.

One thing I did like about this escape is that Luthor knew the prison would use sedating gas to stop him if he went rogue so he somehow downloaded his consciousness/personality into the suit. I love this image of an incapacitated Lex flopping in the exoskeleton while a smirking image of him does some trash talking.  Nice cliffhanger here as well.

The epilogue is also interesting. Again we focus on Batman and how he has kept assurances against Superman at Superman's insistence. So there won't be destruction of the 'invisibility suit' and there won't be destruction of some unnamed odd appearing crystal spike either.

Again, I like the feeling of cooperation here. This isn't Batman preparing for Superman on his own, paranoid. And this is Superman making sure someone can stop him, someone he trusts.

But this completely feels like the loaded gun seen in the first act of a movie. You know it will be fired by the end. I won't be surprised if Superman ends up using some of these anti-Superman devices himself as he fights his dark reflection Wraith. So presumed nice foreshadowing here.

So, like many of my Superman reviews these days, this is a measured review. There were some very nice moments here. In particular, the opening scene and Superman's internal dialogue was very good. But the confrontation with General Lane and the Superman/army fight seemed forced and overdone. In fact, that scene alone soured the rest of the book for me.

Am I being blown away by this comic. No. But I am finding it to be a dense multilayered Superman book with decent characterization. As with Superman, I am more interested in the background plot threads than the main one where Superman is squaring off against the Army's super-man. Had Superman not initiated the conflict with the Army I might have given this issue a higher grade.

Overall grade: B