Superman #685

The beautiful, sad, almost iconic cover of Superman #685 seems a little puzzling at first, but once you've read the entire issue, it'll make more sense - perfect sense, really.

The story kicks off the World Without Superman story as New Krypton gets underway. The story starts with a jolt as Mon-El lays dying in Superman's arms, in an eerie replica of the cover. This, I felt, lent gravitas to Mon-El's re-entry into the living world, and along with another, later development, gives the reader an emotional pull, which will hopefully sustain us as we now watch Mon-El assume Superman's duties while Superman deals with the Kryptonian issue.

Most of the issue deals with Superman wrestling with the news that Earth has passed a resolution banning all Kryptonians - except him. Knowing that Zod is among the Kryptonians, knowing that Alura is behaving like a facist-in-the-making, he believes he also knows what he must do, but he needs to talk it over with Lois and Martha Kent. Superman desperately wants to help his people, but is torn and filled with sorrow at the way he feels he must do so. Nevertheless, he makes the difficult decision, and the stage is set for New Krypton.

It was a great issue, story-wise. I didn't feel the artwork really stood up to this story, however - it was very ... plain. I mean, I am not a fan of super-busy, overworked pencils, but I do like some details. I do have to admit the facial expressions were very good, it's just that there wasn't really much else there, most of the time. The art on the backup feature was very good, however, more detailed, and just felt a little more complete.

New Krypton looks like it will provide nearly as much fun as first time we saw a World Without Superman - that was way back during the Death of Superman. The Reign of the Supermen was the most fun I'd had reading comics in years, and I can only hope to say the same of the New Krypton storyline once it's done! Let's hope so...

Finally - Down to Business!

I set this blog up awhile back, intending to review new and old books alike, and then promptly forgot about it. Rrrrr. But now that I remember it, I guess we should get started:

Wonder Woman #29

In an odd disconnect, this issue seems to have last month's cover (it features Wonder Woman fighting Genocide, who opened a large can of whoopass on the Amazon Princess last issue), while last month's featured Cheetah (who faces off with WW this issue). Weird.

Still, even though it's the mid-point of an 8-issue story arc, it's a good read despite the cover confusion. Apparently, Genocide leaves some sort of residual depression or rage, and Donna Troy flies off threatening to kill Diana if she sees her again - and Diana looks only a little worried. The plot is thickening around Genocide, her abduction of Etta Candy, the return of Steve Trevor, and the taking of Wonder Woman's lasso. Elsewhere, Zeus went medieval on Kane, the Polynesian god dude. That's bad, because I like Kane. But maybe it is finally getting to the point - it is called "Rise of the Olympian," no?

Gail Simone is so good at what she does, and nobody could illustrate that better than Aaron LoPresti, whose art is a delight to behold. The plot here is almost incidental to the revelations of character. As Donna flies off, Diana's expression is dazed, confused - but still regal. Her murmuring "Be strong. Be Amazon." as she contemplated Etta Candy being held by Genocide was so lovely, and so perfect in the wake of the poor fragile seeming creature whose very core seemed to have been shaken by Genocide. I want my Wonder Woman strong, heroic - Amazon. And it looks like Gail Simone is about to give her back to us this way - her defeat of Cheetah paves the way there.

The only thing I didn't care for so much was - as usual - the always-superfluous Tom Tressor. Sorry, he just doesn't do it for me - the pairing feels forced, like Worf and Troi on Star Trek The Next Generation. A little creepy like that. Here's hoping Tressor soon dies a valiant, heroic death. Sorry, Tressor fans.

The Origins and Omens story was, at first glance, the backup feature version of Tressor (superfluous), since Simone just recounted Diana's origin story in the last arc. But look again, Fellow Reader: Hippolyta fights a dread creature to get the clay to create her baby. And there's the payoff. That's the whole reason the Circle thought she was going to be this horrid demon baby and turn into a monstrous dragon - because of where that clay came from, and what it did for the creature guarding it. So it's worth looking at, after all!

Looking forward to the rest of this story - and that's a great way to feel after the very shaky start to this volume of WW's adventures.