Superman #17 review

The Absolute Power tie-in storyline continues with Superman and Zatanna having fled the Fortress of Solitude, which was under attack by the forces of eeeeevil Amanda Waller, and searching for reinforcements. Finding other heroes from across the Multiverse means treading The Dark Roads, led by the Map of Mordru. But first they have to find it.

First stop, the headquarters of Justice League Dark, where Superman’s feelings about son Jon having become a tool of Waller come out.

As if that weren’t enough, memories of early encounters with mystic forces are distracting the Man of Steel.

Shaking them off, he and Zee reach the next stage of the journey, the route used by Swamp Thing to reach the Parliament of Trees. All is not calm.

Finally, via a passage written by the Queen of Fables, our heroes reach the Oblivion Bar, where spooky heroes and villains who haven’t had their powers stolen by Waller’s Amazos are hiding out. I mentioned in my review of Absolute Power: Task Force VII #3 that such behaviour don’t impress me much. Superman neither.

Also this issue! Lois, Jimmy, Siobhan, Lex, Lena and Mercy hold onto hope.

Zatanna meets a fan.

Waller is uncharacteristically annoyed (yeah, right).

And Superman’s memories come back to haunt him.

That last event seems a bit of a coincidence, but Zatanna explains it all.

Josh Williamson and Jamal Campbell really are a great team, plugging their take on Superman seamlessly into the Absolute Power event. Superman’s moment of frustrated anger makes sense, while Lois and friends’ determination to help is typical of them. There’s a terrific moment when the ‘new’ Lex Luthor – an encounter with Brainiac has locked away his terribly useful criminal genius tendencies – considers the old one.

As for Zee, even without her backwards magic she’s an asset, fighting alongside Superman with her physical skills while providing the magical wisdom. And I’m intrigued as to where this new kid, Adam – presumably Scottish, what with the sword dancing – will fit in; a new apprentice, perhaps?

One thing I don’t get is that Superman and Zatanna are trying to raise an army from heroes of alternate worlds, yet back in Absolute Power #1 the heroes were told…

Maybe they simply don’t believe her.

The only thing I don’t like about the story, and it’s likely editorially mandated rather than a plot point chosen by Williamson, is the business with the Oblivion Bar patrons. Perhaps one or two might stay in and, yes, be cowards, but surely most of the villains would likely want to fight for their world, Waller’s not exactly a popular figure. Could it be that Waller has an agent in there, casting a spell to sap the motivation of good and bad spellcasters? Whatever the case, hopefully they’ll soon all get off their magical arses and point their loaded wands at Waller.

Kid Warlock is a bit of a rubbish villain but I really liked seeing a reference to Superman’s past as Superboy – returned to us by Geoff Johns years ago but rarely acknowledged since (for a great discussion on this I recommend recent editions of Anthony Desiato’s Digging For Kryptonite podcast).

And nice one Jamal Campbell, for dropping in Superboy’s classic logo, even if the arc is reversed. His full colour art is excellent, with clear storytelling and loads of life in the characters. There are two showcase action sequences, with my favourite being Superman’s takedown of the now adult Kid Warlock – who needs super-powers? And the scene with the Queen of Fables’s book is, well, magical.

That one’s built around calligraphy, and while I don’t think letterer Ariana Maher will have laid down the words – they’re too integral to the image – she does a cracking job in this chapter.

Campbell’s cover is an attractive piece, with Zatanna and Superman shining out amidst the darkness of some enchanted forest.

The issue ends with the return of one of DC’s most powerful, but little seen, villains. It’s a promising close to a very entertaining issue.