The cover to Superman #25 teases that it is a “milestone issue”, and a large part of that is due to the fact that the main fight is between the Man of Steel and his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor. Or rather, a radically different and dangerous version of Luthor named X-El, who possesses Superman’s powers combined with the ruthless Luthor desire to dominate anyone who stands in his way. Even with the help of Superwoman and the real Luthor, who’s still on the side of the angels, this might be one of the biggest fights of Superman’s life!
It’s not hyperbole to say that Williamson has been building up to this. Everything in his run, from Luthor giving control of his companies to Superman, to the “House of Brainiac” storyline, to the fallout from Absolute Power, has set the stage for this showdown. And it’s one hell of a showdown; Superman is not only fighting a ruthless version of Luthor but he’s doing it while being poisoned with Kryptonite by Mercy Graves. Throughout the issues, characters and threads from previous issues of Superman show up, leading to a surprising ending and the setup for at least another year’s worth of stories.
What makes this more than just a big “punch ’em up” is the major question Williamson explores: Can Lex Luthor truly be good? He takes a unique approach to this question by exploring Luthor at three different points in his life: the Luthor who’s the scheming megalomaniac people love to hate, the “good” Luthor from recent issues, and X-El. By showing three distinct versions of Luthor, Williamson gets to explore how much he’s truly changed, and what sets him apart from Superman.
Similar to the setup in Summer of Superman Special #1, Superman #25 sports a collection of artists who draw three different acts of the issue. The prologue is drawn by Jamal Campbell, reflecting the beginning of the series (and letting Campbell draw some cute chibi versions of Superman and Lex.) The first half of the battle comes courtesy of Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreria, and it grows more and more intense as Superman, Superwoman and X-El duke it out (with Luthor joining the fray in one of his supersuits).
Finally, Dan Mora comes in for a grand finale, and once again stuns with some earthshaking panels. What really impresses me is the attention to detail, particularly when it’s revealed that X-El has DNA from Bizarro and starts breaking down. And I mean that literally – cracks appear in his flesh, his eyes start glowing green, and his skin turns the consistency of stone. Mora doesn’t shy away from how horrifying this is, and it’s only made worse by Alejandro Sanchez’s intense colors; X-El looks demented.
Sanchez’s use of color throughout the issue remains impressive. There’s the glowing green of Kryptonite, the flash of red and blue as Clark and Lois use speed and strength to battle X-El, and the eerie glow of Marilyn Moonlight (who’s been sorely missed in the pages of these books.) His best use of color comes during a flashback sequence between Lex and Mercy, which is done entirely in black and white…save for the dissonant green notes of Luthor playing the piano.
Superman #25 is a milestone: not only does it kick off the next phase of Joshua Williamson’s run, but it also explores the many faces of Lex Luthor. Here’s to the next 25 issues, and to Williamson and his creators for bringing some great Superman stories into the world.
