Mr. Mxyzptlk takes things a bit too far with his torturing of Clark and Lois in Superman and Damian Wayne gets Jon Kent to help him mess with Luthor over in Super Sons. It’s a very super edition of comics reviews.
Superman 19
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Art by Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray and John Kalisz
After an amazing issue of Action Comics last week – a double sized 975th “anniversary”issue – there was a lot of pressure on following up here in part three of the SUPERMAN REBORN story. With Mr. Mxyzptlk revealed as the mysterious “human” Clark Kent and the reasoning for Mr. Oz taking the Fifth Dimensional Imp “off the board,” we’re left to wonder what Mr. Oz meant when he said that neither this Clark or the New 52 Superman were what they seemed. We get some answers here, but with just one issue left in the story, it seems as though DC Comics is determined to make us wait.
in last week’s issue of Superwoman, we learned that the red energy that was supposed to be killing Lana was actually the spirits of the New 52 Clark and Lois. And the pre-Flashpoint versions of the characters that are featured in the Rebirth books have spent this storyline bathed in a blue light, reminiscent of the classic Superman Red/Superman Blue stories. While all this is hinted at here, we’re still looking for answers. Although the Imp does leave us with some clues.
Despite appearing on the cover, Mr. Oz doesn’t actually factor into the story of the issue, which is a little disappointing when you’re hoping for answers to the questions they’ve been pushing for 9 or 10 months now. Instead, Clark and Lois play Mxyzptlk’s games trying to get Jon back, while starting to forget that Jon ever existed, or that they were ever married. Mxy here is just as creepy and unsettling as he was in Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow.”
The final pages set up whatever is going to happen in the next issue, coming out next week, but the issue as a whole will likely feel better as part of the collected edition than it does in a single issue. Necessary to pick up but altogether disappointing. Hopefully, business picks up next week.
Super Sons 2
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Jorge Jimenez and Alejandro Sanchez
Damian Wayne has a pretty big chip on his shoulder. In recent weeks, he’s been captured by Bane and roughed up by Nightwing (Damien ever started that one) all while leading his team of Teen Titans in an effort to prove that he’s the rightful heir to the mantle of Batman. He’s a pretty busy young teenager, and yet he still finds the time to head off to Metropolis to prove that Lex Luthor is up to no good. Of course, he brings young Jon Kent along to use as bait or a distraction.
We kick off the issue with Damian using Jon as a distraction after being caught by Luthor and Damian callously drops Jon from a building and forcing Luthor – who really isn’t a bad guy anymore to and save him.
Of course, the super-buddies discover the existence of a Kid Amazo, who was part of a family that was affected by the Amazo virus that ran through Justice League before Rebirth, which gave random people in Metropolis powers. As Kid Amazo spends the first half of the issue killing his parents and brother, we’re probably seeing the rise of Jon and Damian’s first real arch-villain. But first, they probably should deal with their fathers, who are looming large in the first issue.
Of course, they should also learn to work as a team…
Seriously, I’ll buy every issue if it includes a panel of Jon pushing Damian into something.