Writers Si Spurrier and Phillip Kennedy Johnson throw us a little bit of a curveball here. We get flashback stories of Superman and Mongul's younger years. So much of Superman's values are given to us in the form of 'Pa Kent Wisdom'. We know about Mongul's lineage is based on sons killing fathers and taking up the mantle of Mongul. Now in this issue we get what might be the biggest dose of Ma Kent Wisdom I have ever seen. We see how Mongul's mother raised him to never love and always think of himself. So both parents have impacted their sons' lives. That is pretty brilliant.
The art is a wonderful mix. Dale Eaglesham brings his thicker line and grittiness to the Mongul pages. Meanwhile Ian Churchill brings his finer line to the Smallville pages. The bright Kansas pages differ from the red-soaked Warworld pages. Both styles are different enough to contrast but somehow similar enough to keep the book's flow intact. Even the cover, a rougher looking picture by Francesco Francavilla adds to the feel. Here Mongul is separating Superman from his family (albeit it the Kryptonian parents) perhaps to show how important family is.
If you're looking for a story to inform you of who these opponents are but more importantly why they are who they are, this is a great story.
On to the particulars.
