SuperChat Travels Across the Universe and Multiverse

The Super-Family is spreading. Through the planet, through the Universe, through the Multiverse and through more comics than we can shake a stick at. With so many people wearing the crest of the House of El, we start to wonder: what does that symbol truly represent?

On Earth, it represents family, as Superman and his Super-Son rescue the Super-Twins from Metallo — giving us all a glimpse at the even greater threat hiding behind the curtain, in Action Comics #1054, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, drawn by Max Raynor, colored by Matt Herms, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. The issue includes two back-ups: first, the continuing adventures of Superman and family in their early days in a tale written and penciled by Dan Jurgens, inked by Norm Rapmund, colored by Elizabeth Breitweiser, and lettered by Rob Leigh. Second, a back-up reintroducing Steel to the world, written by Dorador Quick, drawn by Yasmín Flores Montanez, colored by Brad Anderson, and lettered by Dave Sharpe.

On another Earth, in another universe, Jonathan Kent meets another Superman, and comes to find that the symbol for the House of El has a much darker meaning than it was intended for. It’s all in the Road to Injustice in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3, written by Tom Taylor, drawn by Clayton Henry, colored by Jordie Bellaire and lettered by Wes Abbott. 

In a distant corner of the galaxy overrun by Dominators and their superpowered clones, Superboy takes the crest in his own hands, and finds his own way to put the Super in superhero, in Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2, written by Kenny Porter, drawn by Jahnoy Lindsay, and lettered by Lucast Gattoni.

And, back on Earth, Superman digs into Metropolis’ past as he struggles to understand the foes arrayed against Luthor — only to find the Silver Banshee standing in his way, in Superman #4, written by Joshua Williamson, drawn by Jamal Campbell and Nick Dragotta, colored by Jamal Campbell and Frank Martin, and lettered by Ariana Maher.

Armaan Babu:A lot to catch up on, this Superchat. And the Super-books keep comin’ faster than a speeding bullet. We’ve got quite a grab bag on our hands, you ready to get into it?

Tony Thornley: My hell, things are ramping back up. We might need to go back to two editions of the column a month very soon! Let’s get talking!

Action Comics

Armaan: The kids aren’t alright. Jonathan Kent is trying to deal with some complicated mixed feelings — he’s a good kid, but he can’t help but feel a little like his place as the Kent’s favorite son has been taken by the Super-Twins. In the meantime, however, one of those Super-Twins, Otho, has been lured into a fight at an anti-alien protest, caught live on camera seemingly attacking normal people.

The good news is that she hasn’t killed anyone, it was a Metallo drone! The bad news is that she’s now being attacked by a bunch of Metallo drones — not to mention Metallo himself, ready to put the Super-family down. Jon and Osul join the fight, joined not long after by Superman himself. Despite there being four Superfolk in one place, however, it’s not an easy fight when you’re up against people powered both by Kryptonite and warped Warworld tech — and Metallo gets away with the Super-Twins as hostages. 

Tony: A) I’m really glad that this didn’t go with mind control or some plot device along those lines. Otho acted rashly, without a doubt, but she knew exactly what she was doing.

B) How creepy is “sleeper agent Metallo” as a plot device? It’s not totally original (See: Prime Sentinels) but TOTALLY creepy. 

Armaan: Jon’s guilt is compounded here. We talked last issue about how we were enjoying Jon experiencing the kind of inner conflict that his own series has no room for, and I can’t help but feel that comparison is even harder to ignore here. In Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, the plot bends over backwards to explain why Jon is the only person in the entire Multiverse who can face the threat of Ultraman — choice is taken away from him. Here, he is making the choice to go after them: “It has to be me.”

Then again, Superman does prevent Jon from going after Metallo on his own, so maybe Taylor had a point?

Tony: Yeah, that’s true but also Clark has a good reason. Metallo is one of his most dangerous villains and Jon doesn’t know him as well as Clark (in contrast to Ultraman which Clark can’t deny Jon knows him better). I don’t think there’s any reason Jon can’t rally the family- particularly the Steels and maybe Kenan who aren’t Kryptonite vulnerable- and join Clark though. It probably goes back to the quote that I’ve heard attributed to Stan Lee (paraphrasing)- it just depends on whose book this is. Even though it’s more Super-Family oriented, this is still Clark’s series, of course it’s going to center on Clark.

Armaan: Superman tracks the twins down, and takes Metallo out, and here we get one of those moments that Kennedy is really, really good at: a simple quote that cuts right to the heart of Superman’s unshakeable moral values, as he offers to help Metallo find his sister, talking about how his strength doesn’t belong to him. “It belongs to the people who need it.” He manages that fine line between inspiring and preachy, in ways that are so very quotable — right from the start, it’s moments like that that have been my favorite part of the run.

Tony: This is one of those things that some readers could easily say makes Superman boring, and done poorly, yeah it does. You’re exactly right in that Johnson has done it well since the beginning.

I did kind of hate the Genesis powered energy construct that Clark uses as a finishing move though! Genesis as a plot device to cure Clark of the lethal radiation poisoning that’s been slowly killing him from the beginning of Johnsons’ run? Cool, I’m down. As an ongoing transformative substance that’s changing Clark Kent? Not as much.

Armaan: So I’m still enjoying the monstrous, dehumanizing art for our villains, and the general vibes we’re getting from it, especially with Herms’ acidic color choices. What I’m enjoying a lot less is how little clarity the art has in action scenes. It takes a little bit to parse just what’s happening in the action, which pulls me out of the story — do you feel the same?

Tony: I think Herms’ colors are a better fit for Raynor’s lines than Sandoval’s, but Raynor is much weaker in layouts and driving the action. He’s a good guest artist and fits stylistically really well with Sandoval (there were a few parts of the issue that I thought were him). But yeah, you’re exactly right.

But he does really good character work and I LOVED how he paced the last page reveal!

Armaan: Lastly, we have the back-ups; which I don’t have a whole lot to say about. I continue to enjoy the adventures of Superboy, especially with the slightly more classic art, and the twilight colors. One thing I was particularly satisfied about is the princess Glyanna’s backstory — I was immediately suspicious of her the moment she mentioned she was a member of the royal family and it was the lower classes revolting against her, and sure enough, the comic proved me reassuringly right as she makes her heel turn.

The other back-up is a rather simple, but perfectly serviceable summation of Steel’s origin, with a tease for more to come. With so much recap, I’m going to need the next chapter of this back-up series to know what I think about it.

Tony: Yeah I’m still totally bored with young Jon’s adventures. I found myself skimming it because it’s just not engaging me. That Steel back-up was fun but like you said, very slight. Especially with the fact we’re getting Michael freaking Dorn’s Steelworks… basically by the time we go to press!

Adventures of Superman – Jon Kent

Armaan: We move on to another Earth. In this world, Superman was the only Kryptonian, who snapped and turned tyrannical when he lost his wife and unborn son in an attack by the Joker. There is a war between the superheroes, between the members of Superman’s Regime and Batman’s Rebellion. Aside from the fact that Jon is this Superman’s lost son, from a certain point of view, Jon is also another Kryptonian, who could certainly turn the tide of the battle towards Superman’s favor. A real game changer. Unfortunately for Superman, Jon is quickly discovering that the symbol of the House of El has become a symbol of fear for everyone on Earth, be they innocent or guilty of crimes. 

Which means that we’re covering a lot of ground that’s already been covered in Injustice 2, when this world’s Supergirl came to town. We’ve turned the clock back on Injustice continuity here, to before her arrival, and I gotta say, seeing a retread of a similar tale is kind of disappointing.

(Not, however, as disappointing as it is to reinstall Injustice 2 on my computer to find out that I’m still really, really bad at that game)

Tony: Yeah, I’m glad they keep the focus on Jon here, rather than shifting much to Clark. It makes the story about our young hero learning what happens when his family’s symbol is twisted into a symbol of oppression rather than hope.

Armaan: I’m also beginning to feel like, as much as I usually enjoy Clayton Henry as an artist, he may not be the best fit for the story that’s going on here — and not just because anyone would have a problem with the ridiculously clunky costumes of the Injustice universe. His tone, his characters — they’re all too clean, all too cheery. Everyone looks so hopeful, cheery and earnest, which is great for this book’s normal tone, but does it no favors in a world meant to be bleak, tyrannical and imposing.

Tony: Overall, can’t disagree, but damn does he ever nail the character acting as Jon and this universe’s Lex meet. So much information conveyed without any dialogue.

Armaan: Where this comes into focus most clearly for me is towards the last page, and the layout choices there. Jon saves a baby, and returns them to their mother — only to see her freeze up in fear once she sees the ‘S’ symbol on his chest. It’s a pretty pivotal moment in the story being told here, the moment Jon truly realizes what the Injustice Superman has done to this world in making people afraid of that symbol. It deserves more page space – or even just more page focus – than it gets. Look at this page, and you’re drawn to the mother in tears, comforting her child, the triumph moment of a heroic rescue. It’s an artistic choice consistent with the message that Jon is a hero, that he brings joy, comfort, and reassurance to the people he saves, which is perfect for every other issue following Jon…but it undercuts the power this particular moment is meant to have.

Tony: I can see where you’re coming from. I thought the moment really worked for me though. To have the moment of heroism make such a sudden turn, it had one of the better visceral impacts of the arc so far. That said, I think the art team that immediately preceded this series- particularly Ruari Coleman- may have played with the most subtle parts of the story better.

Armaan: On the other hand, I do admire Henry for managing to draw two Supermen, meant to be identical, and have them look so clearly distinct from both each other and the Kal-El we are all familiar with. Sure, there are differences in costume, and the way they wear their hair, but the main difference here is in the subtleties of their expression. In the smile Kal-El has in the last panel — it’s smugness. It’s the self-satisfied look of a man who has everything under control, and is pleased at how undeniably right he is over the actions he’s committed. It’s a smile we’d never see on the Prime Superman. Clark smiles, yes, but if he’s ever smug it’s a playful smug. I enjoy this last panel here, of Jon realizing just how clearly this man isn’t, and never could be, his father.

Tony: He’s no different than Ultraman, which is why I’m so disappointed that part of the story got discarded so quickly. The idea of these two evil Supermen going head to head in a more metaphorical sense would have made for some great reading.

Superboy

Armaan: Of course, Kal-El isn’t the only Kryptonian trapped in an unfamiliar galaxy, teaching whole new species what value the ‘S’ symbol has. Superboy joins a new superteam of superteens in a war against the Dominators — but first, the obligatory misunderstanding-fight. Between a speedster, an energy blaster and a giant lady, the Cosmoteers make pretty short work of him! Of course, it helps that they care very little about innocent bystanders, making the appearance of a giant worm a severe liability for Superboy as he attempts to keep people safe while still fighting off the Cosmoteers.

Until the Power Girl series gets here, this is hands-down the most fun book for me of the Super-line. Everything is constantly just out of Superboy’s control, but there he is, riding the wave as best he can, taking the hits and dealing out more. Jahnoy Lindsay gives us pure fun — eye-grabbing action and just a smidgen of silliness. There’s a lot of dialogue, and a lot of captions, and it would be easy for this to all feel too crowded, but between the art and the lettering, it all feels like just the right kind of mess.

Tony: I’m not LOVING this book, but this is such a great modernization of the 90’s series. It’s got the same stakes of Conner trying to prove himself. This does have the added dimension of Conner being such an experienced and intelligent hero though. He’s offering his life experience to the Cosmoteers, and they’re refusing to listen. That’s a great twist on what he used to be. And you’re right, Lindsay’s art nails the tone.

Armaan: With Superboy subdued, the Cosmoteers have a chance to explain their origins. Not unlike Connor himself, they were all clones, lab-created to be weapons. The Cosmoteers, however, proved too rebellious for the Dominators to handle, and are now leading a rebellion against them, not caring who they hurt in the process.

It’s that last part that Superboy has issue with. Like every good teen comic, there are egos flaring up all over the place, especially between Superboy and the team’s leader, Travv. Superboy may be a rebellious teen with spikes and a leather jacket on his shoulders, but he’s as earnest as they come in terms of trying to find a better way. His beliefs seem to be finding a foothold in the minds of the other Cosmoteers, but Travv isn’t making it easy. 

My favorite moment in the book has to be where Superboy, while leading a strike ship right into Dominator territory, takes a moment to wonder what Superman would do…before rejecting the question, and asking what Superboy would do instead. Both heroes would doubtless have the same goal, but the thing about Superboy? He does it with style. 

I do have a certain amount of affection for heroes who really enjoy what they do. 

Tony: Yeah, me too. It’s a very fun, if very slight issue. I think in the end this is going to push Conner forward as a character, and it’s really making me excited for him to have an increased role in the DCU. Conner is the character that made me a DC fan- my first DC ongoing was his series. His problem has been that his stories are often very dated. This feels very modern without being too rooted in the 2020’s.

Superman

Armaan: ‘round the multiverse and back home again, we find ourselves back in Metropolis to witness the new relationship grow between Superman and Lex Luthor, diving into hidden aspects of Luthor’s past.

Before that, however, we see the Silver Banshee get a visit from Dr. Pharm — and he has a new villainous artifact: the Kryptonite Claw! Now, I know I said earlier I was tiring a little of the overuse of Superman’s traditional weaknesses, and Kryptonite is as traditional as they come, but I love this claw.

Tony: So glad to see Silver Banshee back. She’s very much underused, when she should be an A-list villain. She’s got a great design, a powerset that can actually hold up against Kal-El, and is just plain fun. Plus, she has a mysterious boyfriend, which is a great new wrinkle.

Armaan: We’ve been having fun with this book so far, but this issue makes it abundantly clear: it’s going to be hard to enjoy it if you can’t enjoy how silly it all is.

On the simplest level, the claw is a visual treat. Five glowing green gemstones, sharpened to a point — eat your heart out, Thanos — but added to that, we have the additional MacGuffin-y comic-book-nonsense-specific joy of knowing that the different kinds of Kryptonite, interacting with each other in unique ways, can affect more than just Superman. We have the good ol’ green, mixed with red (unpredictable effects on Superman), gold (turns Supes into a human for a bit), blue (for when you want to hurt Bizarro but also make him super-intelligent) and what I believe is silver (which affects Superman…magically?) — all of it vague enough for Claw to do pretty much whatever the writers want it to do.

It’s the kind of stupid that works perfectly for these sillier, wilder Superman adventures that we have going on in this book.

Tony: Don’t forget, we saw Dr. Pharm using the Blue kryptonite to dissect Bizarro earlier in the series.

I love great MacGuffins, especially if they have a good gimmick. These mixed Kryptonite effects set up a new twist on the old threat. It’s fun to see these told silver age elements getting reused. 

Armaan: Now, we all know that Lex Luthor is a bully. In prison, however, we get to see another facet of that: the petulant bully who gets upset that other prisoners are saying mean things about his friend. A simple acorn, flicked just right down a man’s throat, and Luthor’s back in his Magneto-cage for dangerous arch-rivals. Superman is exasperated — though the pair are working better as a team (especially now that Lex is finally dispensing non-lethal advice), he’s still got plenty of reasons to mistrust Luthor, not least of which being the Luthor’s still holding something back from him.

And it’s here we get to the silliest plot point of all: before Superman showed up, a young, fully-haired Lex Luthor put together a costume, and went around cleaning up the streets of Metropolis as his own gadget-wielding superhero. His first nemesis? Dr. Pharm and his evil henchmen, the Pharmhands, which I think is just brilliant punning.

Tony: Look, I kind of love this. The idea that Lex would have been Metropolis’s greatest hero if it wasn’t for Clark has been floating since at least Crisis. We’ve seen heroic Lex more than once, including a great face turn during Rebirth. I love this twist on it. Lex Luthor, science hero? Great stuff.  It’s a fascinating adventure too. I would not mind more of these stories. Maybe Williamson could do a full-length annual.

Armaan: Superman investigates Lex’s story, and floats through an under-Metropolis to find Dr. Pharm’s lab. I absolutely love the idea that Metropolis has been built up so large, and so high, that its sewers are filled with abandoned ruins of buildings from years past. A ghost city, underlying the shiny new one. Has that ever been mentioned in the books before? 

Tony: This isn’t totally unlike the Underworlders plotline from the Triangle Era of Superman. It’s not totally the same, but also not dissimilar. It was a great long-running thread, as the normal unhoused citizens needed defending from alien criminals (who might have been from Warworld if I’m remembering it right). So it’s something that Johnson and Williamson could play with the new status quo pretty easily.

Armaan: I hope it’s something other books run with; it looks gorgeous. There’s a broken grandeur here, a dramatic shabbiness, that the art team brings to life beautifully. It looks even better when Silver Banshee shows up, whose brilliant white hair trails behind her in a Starfire-esque way — there’s no end to it, it’s constantly swirling off the page. The fight between them, short as it is, looks nothing short of spectacular on the page.

It’s all interrupted, though, by Jimmy Olsen, who declares that he loves Silver Banshee, a twist that…has no real stakes. Superman already knows that Silver Banshee’s being coerced into fighting him, he was already trying to talk her down. It’s a silly twist for a silly twist’s take…and if this book wasn’t so great to look at, that might bother me more.

Tony: I liked it! Jimmy Olsen dating a reformed villain is perfectly in-character for him! Also gives him something solid to do outside of the Planet.

This issue was a huge improvement over last though, more in line with the first issue. I hope the series continues to be more like this, rather than the weaker ending to the Parasite story.

Daily Planet Headlines

• Wonder Woman really got the short end of the characterization stick in all versions of Injustice I’ve ever read or cutscene’d through, and this continues to be the case.
• Lex Luthor’s “I see things others can’t” is HILARIOUS when what we’re seeing on the page is a giant danged headline filling the panel.