Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Dan Jurgens; Mike Manley; John Costanza; & Glenn Whitmore
Cover Art by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
SUMMARY:
Entitled “The Zero Effect,” it was published by DC Comics for December 1994. With help from Professor Hamilton, Superman gets his acquired Mother Box working again to transport himself to New Genesis. Unbeknownst to the Man of Steel, the Atom stowaways. At New Genesis, Superman discusses with Orion, Lightray, and Highfather the possibility that a comatose (and still-captive) Brainiac has somehow manufactured the mysterious Superman corpse currently on Earth.
Desperate to reverse the de-aging effects from the recent Zero Hour that has left him an increasingly amnesiac teenager, Ray Palmer hijacks Metron’s chair. His rash decision inadvertently lands Superman, Metron, Lightray, and the Atom in a hyperspace predicament. The Man of Steel’s next stop in his ongoing investigation is revealed.
Note: Despite his spread-eagled prominence on the cover, Brainiac has only a cameo role. In terms of ongoing continuity, this issue is # 46 among DC’s monthly glut of interconnecting Super-titles.
REVIEW:
Impressively, the art squad’s above-average visuals hold up well – even the inking still looks fresh. As for Dan Jurgens’ storytelling, it’s good enough, particularly as a team-up with the Atom.
The only eye-rolling moment is how Professor Hamilton, without prior knowledge of Apokolips and its technology, can somehow get a deactivated Mother Box working again … seemingly within seconds. Generally speaking, this unremarkable issue isn’t worth tracking down from afar. However, if one comes across it by chance, Superman # 95 offers a decent (and kid-friendly) read.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The well-written “DC Universe # 23” is a single-page Daily Planet headline story revealing that Deathstroke’s corpse has vanished from a New York City morgue. There’s also a two-page “Metropolis Mailbag” letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
