Superman: Lost #3 presents quite a dilemma. Priest and Carlo Pagulayan take Superman and puts him in a place where his reputation can be a significant problem. Someone known for always being helpful will probably stop what they are doing and then go to someone else’s need, and that can usually lead to their problems amplifying, so no good deed goes unpunished. Carlo Pagulayan joins in on this situation and makes the most of giving us a Superman who is on an emotional roller coaster. Get ready to see Superman as an emotional wreck, and just how much of a toll this is taking on Lois Lane.
The opener of this issue feels like it is giving more than it does of how quickly it is featured. We have Lois Lane working on her story with the politician and the money scandal that has been a slow burn in the background. I appreciate that Priest has Lois working on something important and dealing with Superman’s new set of issues. Something I found funny was the fact that Lois was working on laundry and got upset that she was being used as a maid for her husband; is this her having to face a checked-out Superman or not being able to have a super-speed husband who usually takes care of things? Yet, that small problem is genuine with couples or people who have family members who succumb to their inner demons, and I appreciate that touch of realism.
Priest also knows his DC Universe and delivers a fun encounter with Space Dolphins. I got a good laugh as Lobo came to my mind with them, and sure enough, Superman mentions Lobo as his frame of reference for the lovable animals. The encounter is executed skillfully as Superman thinks he can get help returning to Earth via the Space Dolphins, yet they need him. The idea of predator and prey is turned around on the reader as we see the Space Dolphins play a hurt animal and then be revealed as a predator to another organism.
As the main cover shows us, that organism happens to present itself to Superman in the form of a giant sand Superman. The confrontation with Superman, the sand, and the Space Dolphins is excellent reading, as you might find yourself switching sides information gets revealed. I also enjoyed seeing Superman’s reaction to this new information and the idea that his helping the Dolphins has led him to go off course, and his angry response was icing on that perfect cake.
While all that is happening, Carlo Pagulayan, pencils, Jason Paz, inks, and Jeromy Cox, colors, go to town on the art. The freedom they have to create is perfect as they take the known items like Sand Superman and Space Dolphins but put them in new lighting and places. The background when Superman and the Space Dolphins were traveling was awesome and trippy at the same time. This art team handled the macro and micro on such an expert level as we are being treated to the vastness of space, all the while attached to Superman’s emotions as he goes from sad to angry. The art and script give us such a perfectly human Superman.
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