Review: Blackest Night Superman #3

Blackest Night:Superman #3 ended the mini-series and provided some interesting fodder for the upcoming finale of the main event. In some ways, it answered some questions that I think we all have been thinking about. It also supplied some info about Black Lanterns that I found pretty interesting.

In other ways it may have irked Supergirl fans. But more on that later.

Perhaps the thing that has worked the best in this mini-series was Eddy Barrows ghoulish art. As I have said before, when Barrows is on his game, his stuff is fantastic. So it bothered me that we had some fill-in pages by Allan Goldman. Not that Goldman's art is awful. It is perfectly fine. But their is a clear difference in style and it took away from the experience.



The book opens up right where last issue ended.

The second page is this 2 page near splash of Supergirl going toe to toe with Black Lantern Zor-El. As I said with last issue, I love Barrows' interpretation of Supergirl's uniform with the enormous S-shield on a near full shirt.

And as I said last time, it is great to see Kara overcoming her fears and actually fighting here. It would have been very simple for Robinson to write Kara as being emotionally devastated by Black Lantern Zor-El's lies, to crumple on the floor crying and helpless. I am positive other writers would have done that. So to see her first be 100% will and then a mix of rage and will as she fights was refreshing.



And Superman continues to battle the Psycho Pirate-controlled Conner above Smallville.

Another thing I have liked in this mini-series (in all the Blackest Night books really) have been the emotional spectrum gauge we see with the characters. How interesting to see all 7 colors of the ring spectrum shown in this panel. Superboy is being forced into avarice and rage. Superman showing the rest as he copes with both Conner and the carnage around him.

While Psycho Pirate can induce rage and avarice in Conner, he doesn't force the 'flavor' of those feelings. I think the lines we read Superboy saying are really buried deep within him. I think we are seeing his own personal demons finally bubble to the surface.

And Ma Kent is trying to fend off Black Lantern Lois in the corn fields behind the Kent farm.

In one of the more ghastly spreads, we see Krypto rip the ringed hand off the zombie and play keep away with it as it tries to reattach to Lois. It is this sort of horrific art which really adds to the feel of this book. It should be frightening on all levels ... not just psychological but visceral.

Krypto finally blasts the Lois lantern with his heat vision, dropping her into a nearby gorge. With Ma momentarily safe, Krypto is able to join the main battle over Smallville.

Now one of the questions I know I have been asking myself is 'how does Blackest Night and New Krypton work together?' In other words, what effect do 100,000 Kryptonians have on the current War of Rings. Will they join in the war? Shouldn't they? You can't ignore their presence in the universe.

So Robinson comes up with an answer on why the citizens of New Krypton will be left off the playing field of Blackest Night. The scientists on New Krypton have scanned the zombie Zor-El and have been able to put together some shielding technology that will repel the Black Lantern energy from the planet. Unfortunately, it also means that whoever is on New Krypton will be forced to stay on the planet. The shield works both ways ... keeping Black Lanterns from coming in and keeping Kryptonians from leaving. If activated, Superman will be unable to return to his new home.

Alura makes the tough but right decision. She tells the scientists to activate the shield after she helps Kara defeat Zor-El.

In some ways it is a convenient way to explain the lack of the Kryptonian military in Blackest Night as well as explain why Superman (who promised to stay in new Krypton) is back on Earth. In other ways it is a bit deus ex machina that the scientists could put this together so quickly. It read a little like Silver Age issues where the scientists in Kandor could do almost anything.

While the shields in space, the battle rages on in Smallville. Kal-L joins the enraged Conner in combat and seems seconds away from ripping the heart from Superman.

Amazingly, Conner is able to shake off the Psycho Pirate madness. Suddenly feeling hope, love, fear, and rage Superboy defends Kal-El by using his tactile telekinesis directly on Kal-L.

Again, Barrows does a chilling job here showing bits of flesh flying off the undead Superman.

Nice to see Conner show some emotional fortitude here.

And above New Krypton, Alura arrives just in time to save Supergirl from having her heart ripped out.

I actually thought there was a lot to like in this scene but only if you have been following Supergirl as a title.

For one, Alura has constantly badgered Kara and at times has seemed to dislike her daughter. So to see her rush off to defend Supergirl was nice.

But more importantly, Alura has basically said all the things the Zor-El zombie has said ... calling Kara a disappointment and failure. I wonder if Alura notes the irony there.

Alura grabs Supergirl and flies back towards New Krypton just as the shields are activated, severing Zor-El's hand off in the process. Zor-El is now trapped outside.

But more importantly, Supergirl is now trapped inside. Does that mean the Kara play no part in Blackest Night? I don't think I will be very happy if that is true. Hence my concerns about being irked above.

Now I suppose that some might say this is another case of Supergirl needing to be rescued by someone else. But I wasn't too upset about it here. For one, if Kal-El needs all the help he can get with Black Lantern Kal-L then Supergirl should not be able to defeat Black Lantern Zor-El alone. Secondly, it was nice to see the mother/daughter team-up here.

Throughout the Blackest Night books we have been shown how emotion can both attract and repel the zombies. Those people with 'clear heads' or even spectrums (like Dove in Blackest Night:Titans) or multiple emotions (like Superman in this series) have been able to do the most damage against the Black Lanterns.

In an ingenious move, Superboy grabs the Medusa Mask from the Psycho Pirate and forces Kal-L and the Psycho Pirate to 'feel'. Not feel one emotion, but feel them all.

The resulting emotional backlash seems to inactivate the Black Lantern rings forcing the zombies to fall lifeless.

I think I have said before here (and at least discussed with my friends) that a White Lantern wielding all the rings is going to happen and that pure emotion will be the ultimate weapon against the Black Lantern Corps.

So overall I felt that this was a very good mini-series. It really brought the Blackest Night war down to a person level for the super-family. I thought the characterization throughout was spot-on and especially liked how Kara was able to face her own fears of inadequacy as she fought her father's abomination.

While I thought the use of the Medusa Mask as a weapon against the zombies was inspired, I thought the New Krypton shielding seemed a little too easy of an answer. I remain hopeful that Supergirl isn't kept on the bench of the biggest DCU crossover in several years because James Robinson stuck her there.

And the art work was tremendous in those pages Barrows did. I believe he is scheduled to be the artist on Blackest Night:Wonder Woman. Hopefully he can keep up on his deadlines there.

Overall grade (issue): B+/B
Overall grade: (miniseries): B+

Review: Blackest Night: Superman #1

As an admitted old-timer, I actually appreciated the ending of Crisis on Infinite Earths where Kal-L was the ultimate hero and he and Lois achieved paradise.

So I was less than thrilled to see Kal-L reduced to an Alex Luthor dupe in Infinite Crisis. And I was even more unhappy when he died at the hands of Superboy Prime.

You can imagine my trepidation when I first learned that Kal-L was coming back as a Black Lantern. That sort of completes the descent, doesn't it? Kal-L has gone from universe saving hero to dupe to outright villain.

With these feeling in my mind, I purchased Blackest Night:Superman.

While it does further besmirch Kal-L's character, I have to say the book worked for me. I found it creepy and engrossing. The setting, the dialogue, the art, the coloring ... it all worked.

Moreover, it might be called Blackest Night:Superman but it really seems to be Blackest Night:Superman Family. Superboy and Supergirl are big players here too.



The opening pages remind of how idyllic a place Smallville is. It's a place where everyone knows each other by their first names; a place where people stroll down the sidewalk and stop to chat at the general store.

It's a place where you have can have a 'usual' at the local diner.

That sort of paradise on Earth is suddenly shattered by the blood-thirsty risen Kal-L who promptly goes on a killing spree.

We don't initially see Kal-L, getting only glimpses of his shadow as he enters a scene. And the murders are all thankfully done off screen, marked by the cold appearance of rising power levels in Kal-L's ring. It read like a body count, detached from the violence but effective in showing the reader what is going on. That works better in building up the dread of these scenes. I can imagine what that diner looks like ... it is almost better left unseen.

Kal-L's trail of bodies eventually leads to the Kent Farm where Superman and Superboy are relaxing with Ma over dinner. This scene takes place on the day of heroic mourning we have seen in Blackest Night #1 thus explaining why Superman is back.

The meal is interrupted by Kal-L who has disinterred Pa Kent and now wants some Kryptonian blood on his hands.

This is just creepy. An undead Superman standing in a graveyard with Pa's coffin in the background. It is that contrast that works in Blackest Night. To see the heroic Superman so distorted just makes me feel uneasy. It is the same feeling I got in Blackest Night #1 when the Elongated Man is spouting his goofy lines as he bashes Hawkman with a mace. That disconnect throws the reader off and makes the scene effective.

Kal-L decides to eliminate Conner first leading to a brawl in the skies above Smallville.

One thing I find interesting about the Black Lanterns is how they can register the emotional spectrum in their foes.

While being attacked, Conner is feeling a mix of fear (most likely of dying again) and will (most likely to escape and survive).

In what I think is the most powerful panel in the issue, Superman feels a whole range of emotions when he sees Conner being attacked - fear he will lose the battle and Conner, hope he will win, the will to press on, the love for his friend, and the rage of the affront of this attack. All those feelings are swirling him in as he charges into battle. It is probably what he feels before a lot of battles.

Well, if Kal-L is being dragged through the mud as a Black Lantern, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see the Black Lantern Lois from Earth -2. What ... no pillbox hat?

The undead Lois decides to pay a visit on Ma.

Are no characters sacred?

I can only hope that when Blackest Night ends, some of these characters get the peace and respect they deserve.

It is unclear if it is the torrent of emotions that Superman was feeling or just his plain old powers that lets him get the upper hand, but he is able to briefly subdue Kal-L and rescue Conner. I like how the decaying flesh just flies off the jaw here.

Unfortunately, the Conner rescue delays Superman for a moment and allows Kal-L to escape.

Don't think that Blackest Night is going to leave Kara unscathed.

All along I have wondered if we would see a Black Lantern Zor-El. Now we know.

Poor Zor-El. He was re-introduced, killed, and reanimated as a villain in under a year! We don't see much more besides his rising although the look of fear on Kara and Alura's faces speaks volumes.

I would love to hear when the decision was made creatively to re-animate Zor-El. Was it an easy decision? Did the super-teams vote on it? When he was killed last year was it already decided he would rise?

Zor-El has been portrayed as a stand-up sort of nice guy and loving father. I hate to see him arise as villain too. But again, it is that deranged mix-up between words from a loving father coming from the murderous undead that adds to the eerie feeling of the book.

Back on Earth, Conner and Clark track Ma's heartbeat into town.

I love the contrast in their responses when they find her in the clutches of Kal-L and Lois. Clark has the will to hold back and assess the situation. Conner is enraged and want to fly right in to battle.

There is Kal-L and Lois with Pa's casket and Ma. This could get ugly.

Of course, I don't know why they wouldn't immediately splatter Ma unless there is more to these Lanterns than a body count. But it seems silly that Lois has Ma in a choke hold rather than holding Ma's still warm heart in her hands.

This is the only Blackest Night character crossover mini-series I am planning to get. I am not getting Blackest Night:Batman, Blackest Night:Titans, or Blackest Night:Wonder Woman. But if those miniseries shake up those characters as much as this issue shook up the Superman family tree ... well fans of those characters should throw the mini-series onto their pull list.

This was a thrill ride of an issue ... a sort of kick to the gut for everyone in the Superman Family. Kal-L, Lois, and Zor raised and evil! Ma threatened? Pa's body in peril?

But it is the balance of straight forward superhero action with the emotional weight of loved ones returning as murderous undead that really gives Blackest Night its punch.

We have seen how profoundly Zor's death effected Supergirl and Alura in the Supergirl book. Zor-El's rising should have as significant effect on the two of them and for some time into the future. What will they be feeling when they need to fight him?

And we saw what effect Pa's death had on Clark. We know how much Superman revered Kal-L as the original hero. How much will this battle weigh on Superman?

Add into this the setting of all this carnage is tranquil Smallville and you have a recipe for a great story.

I have praised Eddy Burrows' art in the past. When he is on, his stuff is very slick. I thought this issue showcased his style nicely. This wasn't as strong as Action Comics #876, the Ursa knife fight issue, but it was still fantastic.

And I feel I need to praise colorist Rod Reis for his use of shadows and grays as well as the negative images of the emotional spectrum. The color really added to the tone of the issue.

It all worked enough to push my concerns about the sullying of Kal-L into the back of my mind a little bit. And that says something.

Overall grade: A

More Sneak Peeks on The Source.

Well there certainly has been a lot of Supergirl news this week and I have been trying to keep up. I haven't even had the opportunity to sit down and review this week's comics: Action Comics, R.E.B.E.L.S., and Tiny Titans.

But I felt those reviews could wait given the sneaks and information released over on DC's Blog The Source which covered a day in the life of super-title editor Matt Idelson. Here is the link:
http://dcublog.dccomics.com/2009/04/17/a-day-in-the-life-of-superman-group-editor-matt-idelson/

Of course, the whole post is worth reading but here are the Supergirl pieces.


Some more gorgeous pencils are in from guest-penciller Fernando Dagnino for SUPERGIRL #41—man, he’s SO good. Looking at our schedule, however, I’m thinking it might be more logical to ask Fernando to draw the upcoming SUPERGIRL ANNUAL rather than ACTION #878-879.

So it sounds like Supergirl #41 will be drawn by Fernando Dagnino, whose work I am not familiar with. I am pretty sure this was originally the issue slated to have Talent Caldwell as artist.

The pages I posted on April 16 from the DC blog showing the Supergirl/Superwoman fight were Dagnino pieces. His style seems to complement Jamal Igle's work more than Caldwell's.

But look at that Superwoman above with one red eye. Makes me want to think about voting android a bit more. Actually when I saw it the first time I immediately thought of one person ... Cyborg Superman! He would actually fit in soooo many ways. And that would be absolutely devious.

And I am tickled to hear that we will get a Supergirl Annual this year.

All of the sudden it’s 1:30, which means it’s time for the weekly Superman writers’ chat. Liz, Sean and Wil reemerge from their offices to join me, and we phone up Greg, James and SUPERGIRL writer Sterling Gates and begin a very focused discussion on our next crossover between the Super-books in August. What these guys have come up with is simply amazing, and I’m getting more and more excited about the event. About five minutes in, Geoff Johns joins us—in person!

Well, after the success of New Krypton and the re-integration of Supergirl into the Superman titles, I am glad to hear that another crossover event will be happening. August isn't that far away. That is only a third of the way through World of New Krypton and smack dab in the middle of Blackest Night. Maybe the crossover event is trying to take down the Zombified Kal-L?

Anyways, looks like good stuff is planned. I am excited.