Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Jorge Jimenez; Carrie Strachan; & Saida Temofonte
Cover Art by Scott Kolins & Carrie Strachan
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for March 2013, this glossy thirty-page issue kicks off Haunted. An amnesiac Lex is haunted by the heckling specter of his murdered sister, Tess. Desperate to recover his lost memories, Lex resorts to aiding Superman thwart a new threat, Psimon. A skeptical Lois meets Lex’s dim-witted office assistant, Otis Berg (a sly in-joke re: “Superman: The Movie”) before interviewing his evasive boss.
Meanwhile, Superman & Bart “Impulse” Allen reunite for a ‘Fastest Man Alive’ race to India. They are re-routed by Chloe to the Louvre in Paris to battle a villainous duo familiar to Teen Titans fans. While Impulse and Superman thwart some monkey business, Lex seeks a captive Psimon’s aid. Impulse senses that an ominous dark predator is pursuing him.
REVIEW:
The story is solid, as writer Bryan Q. Miller dangles some intriguing sub-plots. In addition to well-played action scenes, Miller sprinkles some terrific comic relief. For instance, the “Otis Berg” joke (even if this Otis isn’t actor Ned Beatty) is LOL!
It’s cool to see how Miller’s Smallville subtly pays homage to Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise with such class. Jorge Jimenez’s artwork is B+ caliber. Some of his renditions (Cassidy Freeman as Tess & Michael Rosenbaum as Luthor) are spot-on. The same applies to Lois, as the resemblance to actress Erica Durance is passable. Jimenez does better with a rebooted Otis; the Barry Allen-like Impulse; Chloe’s cameo; and the puny Psimon (though he resembles Lex too much).
Jimenez’s representation of Tom Welling’s Superman, however, is a mixed bag. Jimenez captures Welling’s general look, but this twenty-something Superman too often resembles a teenage Superboy. Still, the cover image is a terrific reflection of the story’s contents.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The first half of Season 5’s episode guide (Episodes 1-11) is summarized in two pages. Snapshots from this issue’s artwork accompanies the summary. Artist Cat Scaggs’ digital variant cover (with Lex Luthor) is displayed, as well as Bryan Q. Miller’s explanation for upgrading Impulse’s costume. The last page promotes DC Comics’ daily news blog, “The Source.”
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars
