Written by Geoff Johns; James Robinson; & Sterling Gates
Art by Gary Frank; Pete Woods; Renato Guedes; Jon Sibal; Wilson Magalháes; Hi-Fi; & Steve Woods
Cover Art by Gary Frank; Brad Anderson; & Renato Guedes
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for December 2008, this 48-page one-shot consists of: .
Segment 1: (9 pages)
Among others, Clark, Lois, Martha, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen attend Jonathan Kent’s funeral in Smallville. A devastated Clark is haunted by his recent battle vs. Brainiac. Lois consoles her husband echoing not to forget what Jonathan had taught him. Alone inside the family barn, Clark silently reflects on Jonathan’s last words of advice (as depicted in Action Comics # 867).
Segment 2, Part I: (7 pages)
At an undisclosed military site, General Sam Lane (Lois’ father) and the masked Agent Assassin ponder the implications of 100,000 New Kryptonians now released on Earth. They further observe a captive Brainiac. In Smallville, Clark & Martha discuss what Clark must do for his fellow Kryptonians.
Segment 3, Part I: (9 pages)
Superman visits Supergirl’s parents at New Krypton. Supergirl makes a cameo appearance.
Segment 2, Part II: (3 pages)
At their father’s supposed grave in Washington D.C., the Lane sisters bicker over Lucy’s motive to join the military.
Segment 3, Part II: (6 pages)
At New Krypton, Superman & Supergirl’s family watch their fellow Kryptonians exhibit their new powers, including a ‘self-defense’ killing of a blue whale. Despite assurances from his uncle that these New Kryptonians will be Earth’s friends, a skeptical Superman tells Supergirl that he isn’t so sure.
Segment 2, Part III: (1 page)
At the Kent farm, during a rainstorm, Martha silently eats dinner alone.
Segment 4: (5 pages)
At The Daily Planet, amidst a late night rainstorm, Jimmy reveals to Lois the bare details of his dangerous encounter with a para-military group known as ‘Warpath.’ Clearly, Warpath’s arsenal of kryptonite and magic-based weapons are meant to exterminate Superman. At Stryker’s Island Prison, Lex Luthor is sprung from solitary confinement. ex gladly accepts General Lane’s “drafting” of him into military service to thwart a Kryptonian invasion. This storyline continues in Superman # 681.
Note: Also out there is a variant cover and a textless version of the main cover.
REVIEW:
Geoff Johns & Gary Frank’s opener is superb — especially, the silent montage throughout most of its nine pages. Per the cover art, Frank’s expertise re: drawing Christopher Reeve’s nostalgic likeness makes Clark far more relatable, even for non-fans. This segment also offers a neat opportunity to witness Superman’s believable emotional depth. Kudos to Johns & Frank for conjuring up a touching send-off for Jonathan Kent by reminding readers of his character’s importance in the Superman mythos. Johns smartly allows Frank’s visuals to tell the story.
As for the back-and-forth segments, they are just extended teasers. Still, a few individual scenes are minor gems: specifically, the sequences for Martha & Clark; the Lane sisters; and Martha’s solo scene combine excellent artwork with plenty of character depth. The other scenes seem ordinary in comparison.
Predictably, the repetitive shifting in artistic styles varies widely in quality. Depending upon the scene, it also becomes a distraction when the visual style jarringly changes. For Superman fans, though, this comic still proves a worthwhile reading experience.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Rex Ogle’s “DC Nation” segment offers the battle bracket for the ‘Dark Side Club Tournament’ for the upcoming Terror Titans mini-series.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
