Superman #16 review

The Man of Steel is pretty much the Man of Flesh as this issue begins, his powers taken, his flesh pierced by bullets. Amanda Waller’s world coup has taken out most of the heroes, but while Superman is down, he isn’t out, with two of the best surgeons on the planet looking after him.

Elsewhere, Zatanna shows Waller’s hero-herding hoodlums that while her backwards magic isn’t working, her forwards punching is.

The Cavalry arrives in the shape of Supercorp chief Mercy Graves, who recently gained Terminator-style abilities, but of course, Waller’s Nonsense Scheme means they’re not working. Still, she gets Zee to the relative safety of the Fortress of Solitude, where other heroes are gathered.

And guess who else is there!

Superman, clad in his patented post Death of Superman healing suit, needs a plan for the fightback against Waller. And Zee reckons she has one.

Back in Metropolis, teenage brainiac Lena Luthor is leading Jimmy Olsen, depowered Silver Banshee Siobhan Smythe and currently befuddled father Lex to the smashed-up Supercorp, hopefully a safe haven from the Amazos.

I liked this issues loads. OK, there’s not a lot of Superman, but it’s an event tie-in, so we get a great guest star in Zatanna, demonstrating that it’s not the powers that make the hero. She’s not the only Justice Leaguer around – we also have Red Tornado and a pretty out-of-character Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

Ted Kord, genius. This isn’t that guy, though, because a super-scientist like Ted wouldn’t jump to conclusions, he’d base them on observable evidence, not pick an argument with another hero. Sure, Reddy has been taken over by the odd baddie, but who hasn’t? Ted should be asking Reddy for any insights, not attacking him. And Booster isn’t actually an idiot, he’d appreciate how dire matters are. Seriously, when former Luthor henchwoman Mercy Graves is being more of a hero than you are you need to have a word with yourself. I’m surprised at this scene, I’d started to think Joshua Williamson could write any DCU character convincingly.

Also this issue! A dream which shows that Clark Kent didn’t always have a problem with magic. Young romance with Jimmy and Siobhan. And Lex demonstrates a previously hidden ability to grow a beard overnight.

The full-colour art by Jamal Campbell is pretty sumptuous. Mercy’s lack of her trademark specs apart – on first sight I thought I was looking at Lois – everyone is deliciously on model. Zatanna looks especially great – the lighting as we get our first proper look at her is sensational – so I’m glad she’s going to be next month’s co-star. I might complain that Reddy’s wind effect looks more like elastic than a tornado, but I’m just pleased to see his mechanics are still working. I’ve barely mentioned Lois, but she’s in here and rocking a different look… it’s final page stuff, so I’ll leave that under wraps.

The storytelling is terrific too, with splendid panel-to-panel transitions. One thing I would change with Campbell’s art – I’d bring in a full-time colourist; some panels, like the Fortress exterior with pink sky, look great, but Campbell has a liking for combos of red, purple and brown, such as in the Kent home dream flashback, which is a delightfully exuberant scene so far as the drawing goes. I think Campbell may be trying for warmth, but to me it’s just murky. Or take a look at the nicely composed cover, with the logo doing the opposite of popping… maybe that’s a thematic thing, heroes on the run and all that. Still, an effective cover is one that jumps out at you from the racks.

Ariana Maher does another great job with the lettering, I especially like her ‘Clark the Conjuror’ treatment.

So, Superman’s first Absolute Power tie-in is pretty much all win; if the rest of the event is this good, we’re in for a treat.