Bullet Review: Teen Titans # 46

Teen Titans #46 came out this last week and with Jon Kent prominently displayed on the cover, I thought this would be a good purchase and a chance to catch up on this book. I had been reading this book when Adam Glass and Bernard Chang were on the book. But somewhere around Teen Titans #41, the title dropped off my pull list. I honestly think it was a victim of the pandemic. I hadn't put the book on my official pull list, just buying it off the shelf when it came out. I suppose this is my folly.

I was surprised to see Glass off the book and instead see Robbie Thompson on as writer. As a huge fan of Marvel's Silk book, I was pretty excited to see what Thompson brought to the book. I wasn't disappointed.

What I don't know is if Superboy is here as a guest in hopes he'll punch up sales. I am pretty sure the book is already canceled given the DC purge of 2020. 

Jesus Merino is on art and I have always been a fan of his work. He recently did pretty stellar work on the Wonder Woman book. His figures are a bit thin in comparison the Bernard Chang's but no one looks sickly or stretched out like Ian Churchill figures. And I like the playfulness he brings to the more private scenes with the characters.

As for Jon ... well ... it is a moment. 

On to the book.

Front Line Providers By Jesus Merino

We live in frightening a dninteresting times.
The world is in the middle of a pandemic.

One off-shoot of the pandemic has been the massive explosion of images of super-heroes in the mainstream, specifically front line workers being super-heroes along with our spandex clad favorites. From a physician answering a 'med signal' while Batman looks on to Superman handing his cape to delivery people and grocery store workers, the message is clear that in our real world, the people keeping the world running in the pandemic are heroes. I am sure you all have seen them.

Far and away, my favorite one has been this one by Jesus Merino. For one, this medical worker holding the heroes back with a sort of defiant 'I got this' look on her face is pitch perfect.

But more importantly, I love how prominently Supergirl is featured in this image. I mean she has a big a presence as Superman and Wonder Woman. Heck, Batman is sort of a floating head. I also love how she is sort of flying/floating. And she also has a determined look on her face.

Bring it on COVID!

I wonder if Kara is a favorite of Merino.

We have seen Merino's take on Supergirl back in Wonder Woman #48:
http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2018/06/review-wonder-woman-48.html#more

I wouldn't mind seeing him do more issues with her. He has a nice take on the Girl of Steel.

Bullet review: Wonder Woman #756

Last week Wonder Woman #756 came out and continued a very solid run on the book by Steve Orlando.

For me, Orlando has brought a sort of classic feel to the book again.

To start, Wonder Woman is talking a lot about loving submission a lot in this book. Gone is the 'sword and shield first' attitude that has permeated Diana for what feels like forever. Loving submission was a main topic of the original Marston run. I have always liked Diana being an ambassador first, warrior second. So this works for me.

Second, in an Event Leviathan quasi-crossover, Orlando reintroduces a version of Paula Von Gunther. Von Gunther was another major villain from the earliest days in Wonder Woman comics. So this also feels very classic. Adding the wrinkle that she is somehow a daughter of the Valkyries and looking for revenge against the Amazons adds a threat level the prior purely human Von Gunther sort of lacked.

So I have been enjoying this. Add in some Donna Troy and I think this is a winner. In fact, Troy is why I am bullet reviewing this. More on that at the bottom

On to the book.

Review: Wonder Woman #48

Wonder Woman #48 came out last week, an issue in which Diana appears on exactly one page. Critics (including me) have bristled a bit about Wonder Woman's secondary role in her own book since James Robinson took over and this issue is probably the strongest evidence of that. In reality, this should be called DC Comics Presents: Jason and Supergirl.

But as a fan of Robinson, in particular his run on Justice League of America - a team where Kara was the muscle, I enjoyed this issue. This read a lot like one of those JLA issues. I don't know if that is praise for the story or criticism for the complete lack of Wonder Woman in her own book. The super-powerful villains of the piece just disappear in the middle so heroes can talk a lot. But if comics are supposed to entertain me, this one did. Your mileage may vary but this is a Supergirl blog and this was a Supergirl heavy issue.

Jesus Merino is on art and I've always liked his style, thin-lined and precise. There's a lot of 'standing around chatting' in this book but he brings some character and expression to the proceedings. And this Jenny Frison variant of an all-female hero group is just gorgeous. I very much like how Supergirl looks younger here, appropriately.

On to the issue.

Review: Superman #23

Superman #23 came out this week, the latest chapter in the Psi-War. Psi-War has been the most interesting and entertaining arc of the Scott Lobdell era on the book with a lot of moving parts and a formidable number of foes aimed at taking out the Man of Steel.

This issue moves the arc forward by adding another faction to the war, bringing in another player that needs to be dealt with. And while that makes this story that much more complicated, it also made me ask a couple of questions about the future of some of these characters. And Superman is almost a spectator in this issue, thrust into the background of the psionic maneuvers of the combatants.

The book also seems something of a substitute special. Old Supergirl scribe Mike Johnson is listed as writer. I can't believe he wrote this issue de novo; I have to believe this was plotted by Lobdell. But there is no plotting credit to be found. I was glad to see Johnson's name because I thought he was moving things in the right direction on Supergirl before H'El on Earth derailed all the progress he made with the character.

And art on the book is done by Jesus Merino over thumbnails by Eddy Barrows. I am not surprised to see that Barrows can't finish the book. He never seems to be able to put even 2 issues in a row on a title. Merino has a rougher style than Merino. But you can feel the Barrows-ness of the art throughout.

I do like the Kenneth Rocafort cover here, a sort of classic montage character piece. In particular I liked the 'army in silhouette' on the left upper corner, adding just a hint of action to the piece.

We start with the origin of the Psycho Pirate, a villain we just met over in Superboy.

An omnisicent narrator, observing presumably psionically, calls him a 'sweaty nerd' who grabs the Medusa Mask out of a museum display. The mask is supposed to have tremendous powers.

But the man is also identified as one of The Twenty. Remember, these are twenty people who went and stayed missing after the Brainiac attack, granted ultimately fatal psionic powers, and living amongst us hidden telepathically. The Twenty folks we have met have all sported massive Brainiac-like heads and end up dead, burned out by the virus.

This person thinks the mask's powers will protect him from the virus. I have to assume it will because I don't think a new Psycho Pirate will be killed so soon after introduction. Nor do I think he'll end up with a huge head.

Meanwhile, Superman battles the Queen Bee. The HIVE leader was kicked out of her headquarters by Hector Hammond last month and she is trying to gain control of Superman to use him as a weapon-drone.

We also learn that the Queen is also a member of The Twenty (how many have we officially met now? Five?). So I doubt the svelte and sultry Queen is going to end up sporting a huge brainy cranium either. Could her headgear somehow protect her too?

And it is interesting to see the different motivations of those effected by Brainiac. Some want to simply hide. The Senator wanted to try to defend the Earth from aliens. The Queen wants to subjugate everyone. I like how Superman calls her plans to eliminate free will as condemning people.

Nice art here, especially the crackling Queen, showing her power.

But I also like how the Queen belittles Superman, calling him primitive for trying to solve matters with his fists.

And the story does a good job showing how tough it would be to fight someone who can basically cast illusions, fight physically with telekinesis, and attack the mind on top of things. Even super-senses can't help.

It is Superman's difficulty with psionics that makes as compelling a story as it is.

Despite Orion's mental blocks, Superman actually succumbs to the Queen's attack, falling under her sway.

And at that moment where he is enslaved, Lois (who recently has become a member of the Twenty) is psionically startled out of her slumber. Most will know that I am not a big fan of her new boyfriend Jon. It must be rough on him to be holding a bedside vigil only to have Lois' first word be 'Superman'.

The snarkiness of the omniscient narrator who comes along for the whole issue should have tipped me off about who that voice belonged to.

The two warring factions in this PsiWar are Queen Bee and Hector Hammond.

Hammond arrives at the Queen's stronghold and prepares to attack.

While some of the Twenty want to prepare for Brainiac's return to fight him. It turns out the Queen's motives are very different. She wants to enslave humanity to prepare the world for Brainiac's arrival, serving up the populace on a platter. She is loyal to Brainiac. Now that is an interesting wrinkle. She seems so independent and narcissistic. I can't imagine her serving anyone. It also makes Hammond the lesser of two evil I guess. He wants to save the world.

Lastly, I don't show it here (outside of the snippet of her head in the lower middle) but Barrows really adds to the feeling that the Queen is bigger than life, or certainly perceives herself as greater than everyone, by having her on the page outside of panel borders, breaking down artistic walls.

Hammond takes over the minds of some of the citizens the Queen has enslaved and a drone war ensues. I love how Hammond's slaves are easily recognizable by their large heads. I have to assume that is some psionic projection as they are able to move around easily and fight.

It turns out that Hammond is actually physically still in the HIVE headquarters. His presence is an illusion. Angrily, the Queen flies off to confront him and that frees Superman. He then has to work his way through the attacking citizens.

I do think it odd that the Queen seemed so surprised that Hammond was at HIVE. Didn't he just kick her out of it last issue? Isn't that why she is sort of holed up somewhere to begin with?

When Superman arrives at HIVE he finds a battered and somehow normocephalic Hammond lying in rubble. So someone has basically depowered Hammond. And Hammond actually says that the Queen Bee is dead at the hands of someone ...

Nice view here, looking down at Hammond's shattered body. The emphasis should be on him because we have seen him dominate over that last couple of issues. And his frame and head has been such a important visual on this arc. So this angle helps move the story. Despite everything we have seen and know, Hammond is defeated.

And the Queen ... dead??

At last we learn that the narrator is The Psycho Pirate, who was narrating his own story at the beginning of the issue. And he sounds even more powerful than the old Crisis-era Pirate. And to have taken out Hammond and the Queen so easily is unreal. Calling Superman Clark is a nice line to end on.

But if he really controls all the minds on Earth, why he is flitting around a high school over in Superboy?

I think this was a fine issue. It does what a middle chapter should do, move the plot along, add some new wrinkles, and bring us closer to an ending. Things are different at the end of this issue than they were at the beginning with the two big players in the war now defeated/dead and a new player on the board.

This read very much like a Lobdell book so Johnson kept the feel of the story unruffled. And I actually think that Merino can channel Barrows enough to keep the book looking slick. I have enjoyed this Psi-War arc making the imminent Krypton Returns that much more scary in my mind.

The lingering questions I have involve these members of The Twenty staving off death and mutation as well as Superman's mental blocks no longer working.

Overall grade: B

Review: Superman #12

Superman #12 came out this week, the last issue of the Dan Jurgens 'era'.  This book seems to be struggling to find its way, getting it's third creative team in a year despite this being a major reboot.

Add to that the Rob Liefeld twitter-storm from 2 days ago saying he is leaving DC because the editors were micromanaging his title. I don't read any of Liefeld's book ... but this complaint about creators being stifled has permeated the DCnU and it is disheartening as a fan. We heard George Perez say the same thing about his treatment here.

So I entered this issue with a bit of apathy, a bit of ennui, and a bit of despondency because it seemed like DC just doesn't know what to do with Superman.

As for Jurgens, I think he must have known that his time was short and wrote a relatively forgettable story which echoed his Helspont arc from just a few months ago. Here, an alien is played up as a foil to Superman, a vision of what he could have been, or ... more chilling ... what he might become here in the DCnU.

I think Jurgens has a great grasp of what Superman is and so in many ways I am sort of sad to see him go.

One of the slight missteps I have felt about this last arc has been Jurgens' portrayal of Lucy Lane. She initially is portrayed as a sort of flirty thrill seeker that has men swooning at her feet. She has little patience with people and it is hinted at by Lois that she can carry a grudge.

And yet, Lucy continues to pursue Clark and give him chance after chance. I don't quite know how to reconcile this patience with Clark with the implied quick axe for others. Maybe Clark is considered that much of a catch? That mysterious?

Of course, Clark has been beaten to a pulp by the alien the Russians plucked from another dimension. Trussed up as Superman he is forced to watch the alien opening up a portal back to home ... maybe to let in an invasion force?

As for the Russians, they decide to literally go for the nuclear option, firing a nuclear missile at the power plant where Superman and the alien are, hoping to rid the Earth of both. Seems like a rather quick decision to nuke your own country.

Now despite having been pounded by the alien last issue to the point that the 'indestructible suit' is tattered and back to basic white, Superman handles him pretty easily here. Using a 'stick and move' fighting style, he batters the alien. Seemed a bit off.

At least the two can talk. The alien says he didn't come to Earth but instead was basically kidnapped. He is opening the portal to return to his world, despite Superman's protests that he stay to answer for the crime of obliterating all human life in a Russian town.

Again, like with Helspont, Jurgens uses the alien as a mouthpiece for what Superman could have become under different circumstances. Here it asks why would any alien stay on a world not their own. It's a question some people ask of Superman ... why would he stay amongst us.

Moreover, the alien says that the Russians wanted to make him into a weapon and so he became one.

I do wonder if this might be some slight by Jurgens on the direction of Superman in the DCnU. This is an alien, foreign to Earth, with great power. Why would he do good when he can act as the aggressor? Is Jurgens wondering if the current powers that be are turning Superman into a weapon, a gritty hero, and not the heroic inspiration he has been for decades?

Or is he merely showing that Superman could have felt like this alien, become a force of destruction, but instead rose above it all.

Either way, nice moment.

Unbelievably, the Russian missile actually does strike the power plant but not before Superman has fled and the alien has escaped to his dimension. So lots of destruction for naught.

I do like that Superman called the Russian agent on this tactic, wondering why he wasn't warned about the incoming nuclear device.

The strength of Jurgens run has been to hammer home that point that Superman doesn't want to rule, he doesn't want to destroy, he doesn't want to be considered superior. He wants to help.

"They" should know he is here to help ... "everyone". In my heart, I think Jurgens is again saying that to the powers that be. That everyone knows what Superman is about ... so write those stories. I don't want Lobo or Wolverine or Batman in a Superman suit. They aren't Superman.

I would love to ask Jurgens if this was his intent here.

And then, as if giving Clark a little going away present, Jurgens let's him have fun.

He loves being on Earth. He should cut loose. He picks up Lucy for a date of bungee jumping. He's smiling.

Again, it seems bittersweet. Because I think Jurgens gets Superman. He certainly had him say all the right things on these 6 issues. But now he is gone and I have to wonder just what Scott Lobdell is going to bring to the table.

All that said, despite the nice moments, this is a pretty nondescript issue most likely constrained by the impending change in creative leadership.

How can DC not know how to handle Superman??

Overall grade: B-

Review: Superman #10

Superman #10 came out this week and it was hard to get excited for this book with the knowledge that the creative team of writer/artist Dan Jurgens and artist Jesus Merino are simply keeping the seat warm for the next big creative team of Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort.

I still don't have the best sense of this Superman although the Jurgens issues have felt like most of the main attributes of the main character are in place. But it is the ancillary stuff that has been missing here, the rest of the mythos. And how much can Jurgens really do here knowing that his time is short?

Of course, Jurgens was/is probably as handcuffed as George Perez was on the title. Because just how much can be revealed about the 'now' Superman when Grant Morrison is still building the 'then' Superman. The problem here, as discussed in other places in this blog, is that there is simply no foundation for this new Superman right now in the DCnU. As readers we are sort of flying blind, falling back on assumptions of prior incarnations of Superman to make this one make sense.

Now I am not a reader who necessarily needs to fall back on 'does it matter'. I don't need every issue to bring some massive continuity effecting event. I just want good stories. And this story of the untouchable Anguish and the wrong secret identity guess was ... okay. Could part of that be that Jurgens was holding back?

 Last issue, Morgan Edge televised a story where blogger Vic Barnes named Spencer Becker as Superman's secret identity, an proclamation based solely on the weakest of circumstantial evidence. In fact, the story was so weak that Lois had already rejected it.

So this is an interesting side story in which journalistic ethics butts head with sensationalism and ratings. I had wondered if part of what was going to happen here was that Lois was going to step down from her administrative position and instead return to her journalist roots. And I thought I wanted that.

While I will always love Lois as the intrepid investigative reporter, someone searching for truth and justice, I hope she doesn't leave this job. If anything, we need Lois on that wall, fighting for the truth now on a larger scale.

As for Anguish, the untouchable woman, she reveals to Superman that she broke into that bank vault to get a locket with her mother's picture in it.

It is clear that Anguish's father abused her in some way. It is never really stated whether it was neglect, or physical abuse, or sexual abuse. But her power of being unable to be touched or feel anything at all does make me wonder if it wasn't some combination of all of them.

During this time, when her mother was gone and her father was 'caring' for her, Anguish developed this power to 'automatically' alter her density. Thus, she can be walking on the street and hold the locket but also have bullets, heat vision, and punches go through her. It is the ultimate defense mechanism ... interesting given the traumatic beginnings.

That power alone would be enough. But somehow that density also gives her super-strength, enough to hurt Superman and hurl cars around. Too bad because the first power would have been enough for me.

 In fact, realizing that physical attacks are worthless, Superman decides to go after the one thing Anguish does care about ... the locket. But the battle shatters it.

It causes Anguish anguish. She says she was simply going to take the locket and disappear. She didn't want all this drama and damage. But if Superman robbed her of what she loved then she will do the same. And, unfortunately, she thinks Superman is Spencer Becker. She storms off to Becker's house.

The truth is wouldn't every super-villain be heading off to Becker's house? This was my problem with Marvel's Civil War. As soon as Peter Parker unmasked, every rogue would be on their way to 'visit' Aunt May and Mary Jane.

 One thing that Jurgens does establish for this new Superman is the notion of a secret identity ... or lack thereof. Most people don't think Superman has a 'secret identity'. They think he is Superman only. And Superman doesn't do anything to dissuade people of that idea. When Lois arrives at the scene of his fight with Anguish and goes into reporter mode, Superman deftly sidesteps Lois' questions, never really answering her inquiries about where he goes when he isn't working.

I love Jimmy's ideas about it. Superman is on a tropical island with anti-detection technology and a harem.

 As I said above, I like that Lois is trying to stand up for the truth in journalism. Edge cares for ratings and even if he is wrong about this Becker story, even if it brings harm to Becker, even if Lois is right, Edge will be happy. Ratings went up.

How will Lois combat her boss about this problem? Should be good to read.

 While villains don't descend on the Becker house, television crews do. This includes Barnes who comes close to a lot of truth but missing the mark. He stalked Becker's work building where Superman is often seen flying around (the building is across the street from the Daily Planet). He wonders if there is a tunnel under this house which exits far away so Superman could leave secretly (similar to the tunnel under the Kent house in the Silver Age). Even Becker's disheveled appearance is explained as his working out in the nearby gym during his lunch hour. Some assumptions close to reality but not true.

Anyways, Anguish arrives hoping to kill Mrs. Becker and the family's young daughter.

 Knowing that fighting Anguish is impossible, Superman again goes back to the one thing that has effected her. He brings her back the locket, repaired via heat vision.

And then he goes into pure Superman mode. It is clear that Anguish is hurting psychologically. And it must be maddening to never be touched, even in a kind way. He offers her help. That is Superman.

But like many victims, Anguish thinks she cannot be helped. She fades away. It is a sad ending. And who knows if we will ever see her again.  But it also shows that even Superman can't solve everything ... certainly not by punching it. It was the most powerful moment in the story and for me the best moment.

The story ends with Barnes being punched out by Becker and with Lois still hammering away about what Superman does when he isn't Superman. If Superman has been around a while, you would think that this argument or question or denial would be water under the bridge. It is another example of how the time gap between books is awkward.

So this was an okay story. The Lois in opposition to Edge moments and Anguish's rain-soaked goodbye stand out as the high points. The art was fine if unspectacular. And so the Dan Jurgens time on the title comes one step closer to the end.

Overall grade: C+

Review: Superman #9

Superman #9 came out this week and was a dense issue which started a couple of new plot threads and moved a couple more forward. One thing that I will say about this issue, it made me feel like there was a long term direction for this book. With several storylines brewing, all of which have their interesting points, it felt like I could settle into this title a bit. And then I remembered the rumors that a new writer, Scott Lobdell, is going to be on coming on board in a couple of months.

Writers Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen are at their best here. We have a couple of plots for Superman as well as the supporting cast. And we have solid characterization for everyone as well, getting a sense of how tough and ethical Lois is, how young and impetuous Jimmy is, and how put upon Clark feels.

Dan Jurgens and Jesus Merino provide the art here and, much like last month, it has a bit of a rough and rushed feel in some places. And unfortunately that distracts a bit. The layouts and character positioning all work. If only the finished piece matched.

One thing that I did notice is that this cover is different than the original one solicited back in February. I wonder if DC realized that having Superman fighting with a woman with a 'Hurt Me' t-shirt isn't a very good image. It's too bad that the context of the image is wrong because the composition of the fight on a street while people click away on their phone cameras is solid and much more visually interesting than the new cover of Superman carrying a submarine.

The book opens with Superman rescuing a Russian submarine. The sub is stuck against an underwater rock outcropping, its hull breached, its soldiers in danger.

But there is more to this than meets the eye. Given the size of the hole, Superman surmises the sub must have been traveling at extremely high speeds. And the crew are worried that Superman will discover what it is they retrieved. So ... any guesses?

It is a decent scene as we see Superman use his powers in variety of ways - low level heat vision to soften the hull metal, high intensity vision to arc-weld the hull closed, and good old fashioned punching to free the sub from the reef.

What didn't sit well is the Russian Captain reference the Lone Ranger. In this day and age, who references the Lone Ranger any more?

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis a publicity-hungry blogger (aren't we all) named Victor Barnes is pitching a story to Lois. He is convinced that Superman has a secret identity and he has proof of who it is. Lois doesn't buy it, wondering why Superman would have time to be anything else but Superman. When he is unable to produce the proof, Lois shows him the door.

It reminds me of the earliest Byrne stories where no one thinks that Superman has a secret identity. Even when a computer told Luthor that Clark Kent was Superman, Luthor refused to believe it saying someone like Superman would be using his powers all the time. In this new DCnU, Jimmy thinks that Superman lives on a tropical island surrounded by models.

But it is good to see Lois stick to her journalistic convictions, refusing to go with a titillating and unproven story which, while good for ratings, didn't pass the sniff test.

When he tries to help the Russian sailors more, the sub captain asks Superman to move along, making Superman even more suspicious. A lead lined sub traveling at high speeds and shooing away the hero who saved them. Something doesn't sit right.

One thing that made me pause was Superman thinking 'not too paranoid' as he mulled over the curious matter of this sub. Do I want a paranoid Superman? I don't think he is paranoid; he knows the sub is hiding something. But I don't want a public that doesn't trust Superman and a Superman that doesn't trust anyone.  That doesn't sound like a Superman book.

Back in Metropolis, a new super-villain raids a bank vault. It is clear this young woman has issues with her father. And she has a curious set of powers. She apparently has super-strength, smashing open safes. So she can touch things. But nothing seems to be able to touch her. When she is fired on, the bullet passes through her.

She is right to call this Metropolis policeman trigger happy. I mean, she might have grabbed some jewels from a safety deposit box (a pendant she claims is hers) but she is unarmed and not threatening anyone. To fire on her seems premature.

Back at the planet, Clark has some explaining to do. Not about his whereabouts while fishing the Russian sub free. Nope, he has to explain to Lois why he forgot to pick up Lucy. Look at that second panel. Brrr .. talk about the cold shoulder.

One thing that struck me here was that there seemed to be a feeling of repressed romance from Lois here. She is upset that he forgot about Lucy (which to be honest sounds like something you would ask a significant other to do, not a friend). She worries that Lucy will maintain this first impression of Clark being a screw-up (why is Lois so concerned about what her sister thinks of Clark). And to make things up she invites Clark to buy her and Lucy an expensive dinner. It sounds like she is trying to show off Clark to her sister. It felt like she had stronger feelings than just friendship here. And that, of course, flies in the face of the recent Idelson interview where he said a Clark/Lois romance would NEVER happen while he was editor.

I did chuckle that the restaurant is Carlini's, a nice homage to long time Superman editor Mike Carlin (whose nickname was The Great Carlini).

When news spreads of the young thief Anguish reaches Clark, he decides to engage.

Again, her powers are interesting. Superman can't touch her, either with fists or heat vision. But she can touch him and lays him out with a series of punches which floor him. How can she pack such a punch?

I have no idea about how this power can be explained but I am sure her father has something to do with it. 

In the meantime, Barnes has dropped down a journalistic rung and heads to Morgan Edge to pitch his story. And Edge decides to run it. Barnes believes a video game designer named Spence Becker is Superman. Barnes has pics of Barnes getting dressed or undressed in a Metropolis alley where Superman has been seen. Why the heck is Barnes in that alley in some degree of undress. That better be explained.

More importantly, it is revealed Becker has a family. I am sure that his wife and daughter will be put in peril next week as vengeance-craving criminal decide to go hunting. And I bet that somehow Anguish's father issues somehow play off Becker's daughter's story.

So, certainly a lot is happening in this issue. But as I said, these all add some depth to this book. I especially appreciated the time devoted to the Daily Planet staff, especially Lois. Am I the only one who felt there was some romantic sentiment bubbling under the surface?

After the two-part Helspont story and now this world-building issue, I am confident that a Giffen/Jurgens led book would be fantastic. We'll have to see if the Lobdell rumor comes to pass.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman #8

Superman #8 came out this week, the second issue for the new creative team of Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens (finishing artist Jesus Merino is a hold out from the Perez issues). It is also the second issue of the second arc of this book.

It also is the second arc in a row for this book (and third arc since the New 52 - Action also got in on the action) where Superman has to deal with the fact that people on Earth don't like him and are afraid of him. It isn't a theme that I hope gets picked over and over again. At least this time, Jurgens amd Giffen puts the idea on its head a bit, showing Superman isn't that worried about it, isn't affected by it. And there is a speech in this issue which solidified my faith in DC's handling of Superman, that the foundation of the character is still firm.

Something else I liked was that this Helspont story was only 2 issues rather than dragged out into a trade-friendly size. This was fast and furious and felt like it was something of a clearing of the decks. With this arc done, we know Superman is still Superman. And we also have some subplots with supporting characters started. Unlike the first arc, I feel like this title has settled in a bit for the future.

The art this issue seemed rougher than last issue which looked polished and slick.

As I said, Jurgens and Giffen have added to the supporting cast of the book and put some wrinkles into their storylines. Here we get to see a little bit more of Lucy Lane's character. Lois seems to have a strained relationship with her younger sister. And Lucy seems to be someone who is quick to make enemies or label people. Lois is worried that she has already placed a 'bulls-eye' on Clark.

So who is this 'new' Lucy Lane? Fun-loving stewardess? Fanatically loyal daughter of Sam Lane? Cat Grant variant ... someone who stirs the pot? Whoever she is, it seems like Lois has something of a strained relationship with her. Even the panels, with Lois' back to Lucy, a distance between them speaks of it.

After that opening, we are greeted with several pages of Superman being hunted down like a dog in Metropolis. The army is after him (or 'it' as they call him). The army hates him. The people are scared of him, the 'No Superman' symbol seen painted on walls. Even the other heroes are afraid of him as off screen we see Green Lantern and Batman join the attack.

It is a scene I have simply witnessed too much of late.

Luckily, this time it isn't actually happening and is, instead, a vision planted in Superman's head by Helspont via the tentacly thing seen on the cover. As has been said before, this resonates with the Black Mercy flower of Alan Moore's 'For the Man who has everything', instead with Superman being shown his fear rather than his ultimate desire.

It is an 'inevitable' future according to Helspont. And, as I said before, it feels inevitable because it has been shown to us in Superman comics for the last handful of years, from New Krypton to Grounded to now. Is this really what we have come to? That Superman can't be accepted as a hero?

 It turns out that Helspont feels it is inevitable because he has lived it. He was the most powerful agent for the Daemonites, a warrior for them who brought billions under the empire's control. But eventually the empire feared him and cast him out. Helspont wants revenge. He did good work and got exiled. He wants to destroy the Daemonites, he needs an army to do so, and he wants Superman on his team. For joining in, Superman will be 'ceded' Earth to do what he wants.

In some ways, he is a warning for Superman, something Superman could become if he lets distrust worm its way into his psyche, and isolates himself. Helspont is 'Superman gone wrong'. I have seen this 'dark reflection' plot device elsewhere recently and it is very effective.

 Superman's response to this offer is absolutely perfect.

He talks about being adopted by Earth and its people. He learned everything he needed to know about people from his parents. He was 'raised on hope'. And he will always fight to defend it.

It is 'timeless' Superman. It is the way he has talked and it is the way he should talk.

I wonder if this is Jurgens and Giffen's commentary on all these recent story arcs. Was this simply their way off strengthening the underlying structure of Superman. I felt like they were saying to me 'hey Anj, I know Superman hasn't been written like Superman too much recently. But don't worry, we understand who he is and the important stuff won't change.' And best of all, it read well. Not overdone. Just right.

This scene gave me hope for Superman again and stood out as the most powerful part of this issue.

Superman and Helspont then brawl. It is a decent fight scene with big action.

During the fight, Helspont seems to be significantly injured and Superman worries that he may have overdone it. It turns out to be a 'rope-a-dope' trick by Helspont giving him a temporary upper hand in the fight. But it, again, showed that Jurgens and Giffen 'get' Superman. Superman doesn't want to kill or maim anyone, even someone like Helspont. Life is sacred.

The fact that Helspont thinks it is 'maudlin sentimentality' further shows the gulf between these two beiings.

And once Superman knows that Helspont is fine, he bludgeons him and drops a mountain on him. Yes, Helspont teleports away to fight another day. But Superman won the fight ... the physical fight and the moral fight.

Back in Metropolis, Clark is reminded that Jimmy is moving in with him for a bit.  This should be fun.

But look, even in the 'real world' those 'no Superman' graffiti signs are present. Of course there will be some people who don't accept Superman and don't trust him. But what I want to see is just as many people accept him, view him as a hero and a role model. That is who Superman is. What this panel shows is that despite already feeling some of what Helspont warned him about, Superman's feelings are chiseled in stone, unyielding. He still feels hope despite this already present undercurrent of distrust.

After the confusing, dense, and somewhat muddled opening arc, this 2 issue story was the prefect palate cleanser. Superman defeated a villain, remained true to his convictions. The supporting cast was added to and plot threads were begun. That's all very good.

And ... Superman sounded like Superman. That's great!

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman #7

We are only half a year into the DCnU and already Superman has a new creative team. In some ways I would think that was a sign of instability. In other ways, I might wonder why DC would green-light the Perez run if they knew he would only be around for one arc. This was supposed to be a jump-on point and switching directions and creators so quickly seems off.

That said, I was pretty underwhelmed by the George Perez story arc. It certainly was stuffed with story, being one of the denser books that I have read recently. But it seemed to concentrate on the wrong aspects of the story. And that ending ... well, I talked about it enough in my review.

So in comes comic veterans Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens to guide the Superman ship moving forward. I am a Giffen fan since the Legion days and more recently the Doom Patrol. And Jurgens was the captain back in the 90s. Would they be able to recapture some of the magic of the Man of Steel?

Well, I have to say 'so far so good'. There were some things that worked very well in this issue. And there were other parts that didn't sparkle quite as much. But overall, this was a good read.

The opening page sort of set the table.

This is such an iconic type pose for Superman, shielding people from harm while lasers bounce off him. I even liked the grasping of the cape, adding some surface area to his protection. I am a Superman fan. That means I like seeing Superman be Superman. And this counts.

Some sort of tech/robot minotaur-like unit is blasting through the city. And as the battle unfolds, we get some insight into Superman himself ... some much needed characterization. Superman says this is a 'call out', an encounter where someone starts tearing up the city to get Superman's attention. He hates them and almost wishes he could set up schedule. Annoyance at these bothersome brawls makes sense.

But this is a construct after all which means Superman can unload on it.

It is a quick fight once Superman knows this isn't a living thing. So we know this is someone who cares about the sanctity of life, even his enemies.

Now part of the problem with the last arc (and even Grounded) is the overwhelming sense that people don't like or trust Superman. Once the battle is over, we get to hear the reaction of the crowd. Some are still worried or hateful. But others are cheering and adoring. I am sure if Superman was really around there would be people on both sides. But at least now we get to see some supporters.

The minotaur-unit is hauled away to S.T.A.R. labs. And we learn that it was a drone of sorts sent by the Daemonite Helspont. Helspont realizes that if Superman becomes his agent, he will be able to take over Earth.

Now I don't know anything about Daemonites or Helspont. So that makes it tough for me as a reader. Does he have the power to enthrall? Is he just a despot? Is he an alien? I suppose I will learn more soon enough.

He does look really cool though!

One thing I really liked about this issue was the handling of Superman in his Clark identity.

He is bombarded with requests by his friends. Jimmy needs a place to stay while his apartment is being fumigated. Lois needs someone to pick up Lucy form the bus station. And Perry wants him to rewrite his articles to play up the Superman angle. Somehow in the cacophony, Clark mistakenly agrees to it all. I love the sort of dumbfounded 'what just happened'. It makes Superman more human. He can pound alien robots but can be overrun by friends.

I also like how Clark struggles writing articles about Superman, the ultimate in conflict of interest. He is already humble. It must be tough to pump his own tires.

In an variation of the 'calling out', Helspont sends his drone to the Daily Planet to attack Superman while he is Clark.

In a nice nod to the past, Clark runs into an empty conference room to change into Superman. (I would have preferred a supply closet.) Here we learn that the bio-suit he donned on the Collector's ship must be made of unstable molecules. The Clark clothes seem to morph into the Superman suit. I could never easily explain where the cape and boots were when he was in Clark-mode. So this explains that. I think I will need to think about this more before I give it a full seal of approval.

The bigger thing here is that Superman says that no one knows that Superman leads a normal life. No one wonders what his secret identity is because no one thinks he has one. I like that. It harkens back to Byrne's run.

This fight with the unit is even shorter as it teleports Superman to the Helspont's headquarters.

An interestingly calm conversation ensues. There is a bit too much monologuing here as Superman permits the Helspont to talk for some time. Earth has been looked over by the other Daemonites. Helspont wants to rule it. He is surprised how many beings on Earth are near godhood (as we see Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). And he wonders why Superman doesn't rule.

I like that Superman says he 'doesn't do Dominion'. There is also a sense that Superman is almost humoring Helspont by letting him prattle on. But after a while, Superman has had enough. It did feel like Helspont went on just a bit too long here.

Again, since I know nothing of Helspont, I don't know how much I should be understanding the things he is saying. Superman says it is nonsense. I have to agree.

With one blast, Helspont defeats Superman. At least I get a hint that Helspont will fill me in soon. I don't need to know everything right away as a reader, just enough to know motivations.

But there is more consequences here than just an alien tyrant trying to take over. Lucy is left at the bus stop! I had to include this if only to show that Lucy is in the DCnU. Will she be as interesting here as when she was Superwoman?

So, overall, this felt like a Superman comic. Since the end of New Krypton through Grounded and into Perez; arc, all I said I wanted was Superman to be Superman, defending Metropolis, being a beloved hero, and interacting with the Metropolis gang. This issue had all that! Hurrah. It has only been a couple of years!

Now I have some reservations about the Daemonite plot, especially if Superman gets controlled and acts the part of the bad guy next issue. I wish there was some background to Helspont provided as that might make this an easier arc to grab me from the beginning.

Jesus Merino continues to provide great finished art here.

Overall grade: a good solid B