Rob Williams and Guillem March take over for a two part story that involves Lex Luthor, tech-controlled wolves, and an unlikely team up. Sounds like good Superman comics to me!
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
“EVE OF DESTRUCTION” part one! Superman finds himself side by side with Lex Luthor once more, but is his former foe truly committed to being a hero, or is it just a ruse to gain the Man of Steel’s trust? As world events point to something dark on the horizon, the mysterious Mr. Oz makes his final move against the Man of Tomorrow.
Why does this matter?
Anyone who wishes for some classic Lex vibes should pay attention to this. Not only is he in a green suit with a purple tie, but his ego runs rampant! Williams is also bringing some much needed fun to a series that has been all business when it comes to the mysterious Mr. Oz. Fun reprieve it is!
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Cool use of the red blur.
The plotting of this issue is quite good, moving from Superman saving a submarine (it’s always gotta be big objects with him) to having him save people from themselves (ugh mind control). The story flows well with Lex weaved in seamlessly and Williams uses the distrust Superman has for Lex well. Make no mistake, Williams is going for a fun version of Superman and his exploits, complete with him screaming like a madman quite a bit (reminds me of Neil Adams series last year!) and villains entering scenes in dramatic fashion.
Fans will be talking about the Lex/Superman scene the most though. These two riff off one another well and it’s fun to see how Williams plays with Lex’s ego. There’s enough there to see they mutually respect each other which makes sense more than ever since Lex dons a Superman suit himself.
The art by March is strong with many dramatic panels and full page spreads. You can tell they’re going for an old school vibe with the in-your-face style panels and the melodrama certainly gets ramped to 11 when Superman is seen screaming his face off in utter rage here and there.
Note to self: Do not let Superman dog sit.
It can’t be perfect can it?
An emotional Superman seems so off though! The character has been relatively calm throughout some insane conflicts in the last year, but here he is screaming at Lex through glass like an unhinged jerk! The super smart Superman is not on display here and instead, we get an emotional character who is quick to judge. That does give you an old school vibe certainly, but it feels off given recent stories.
It’s also safe to say this is a reprieve for Dan Jurgens to get his Mr. Oz story in order. Want a fun two parter that doesn’t add to the bigger mythos that has been building for nearly every issue for over a year? You’ll love this. If you, however, have been loving the bigger story you won’t get it here.
Is It Good?
Blockbuster style panel work with a story that’s just plain fun.
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