My Adventures With Superman #3 (and the show it’s based on) obliterates a long-standing complaint I’ve heard in comic book fan circles: “It’s hard to write a Superman story.” Clearly people either haven’t been taking advantage of his rich supporting cast (especially Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen) or his vast variety of villains (contrary to what some movie adaptations might have you believe, Superman’s fought more bad guys than Lex Luthor or General Zod). Josie Campbell and Pablo M. Collar aren’t most people.
For starters, the issue opens with Clark Kent being held prisoner by Robert DuBois, aka Bloodsport. This seems bad, but Campbell takes it in a hilarious direction when Bloodsport makes a off-base conclusion about why Clark and Superman are never seen in the same place…and it’s all Clark can do not to crack up. Clark also makes excellent use of his super speed and super hearing to reconnect with Lois and Jimmy, because as he points out the place where he’s being held isn’t Superman-proof. It’s this mix of humor, suspense and action that makes My Adventures With Superman such a joy to watch, and I’m glad Campbell keeps it intact.
The issue also boasts an anime-level fight scene between Superman and Bloodsport. You’d think that would be an easy fight, considering one guy is bulletproof and can fly while the other has an arsenal of different weapons. But Collar’s artwork makes it a truly epic fight: Superman is a blur of red and blue as he flies into the path of bullets to protect people, while Bloodsport uses the laws of physics to his advantage. The standout is a two-page spread where the Man of Steel has to stop a bridge from collapsing, and Collar makes it look like the majestic sight it is, with the image of Superman holding up a bridge taking up the majority of the spread.
But Nick Filardi also deserves a great deal of credit for how he uses color to bring this world to life. Filardi works with three different sets of colors: red and blue for Superman (and mostly blue when he’s Clark), blue and gold for Bloodsport, and purple and green for Amazo (who’s hiding out with Lois and Jimmy). It makes their showdown all the more visually appealing while also standing out among the reddish-orange sunset and bustling traffic of Metropolis.
My Adventures with Superman #3 continues the combination of superhero action, humor, and emotion that makes the television show worth watching, while setting the stage for the final issue. I don’t know if I’ve said it already, but with a third season confirmed – and the reveal of another fan-favorite Superman character – I hope there’s another series that takes place post-season 2.
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