Superman #24 review

Oh Mercy, and you were doing so well…

Mercy Graves, right-hand woman of Lex Luthor when he was evil, current manager of Supercorp, shocks Superman with the results of her R&D division.

Maybe these drones can do some good, but the designs alone would scare ordinary folk. While Mercy and recovering villain Lex show what else they’ve made, Superwoman Lois Lane joins a Justice League squad’s mission to Markovia. Already devastated by recent events, the Mittel European state has been targeted by warriors from Khundia.

Back at the former Lexcorp, Superman continues to fail to be impressed by new tech supposedly inspired by him.

While Lois and the Creeper check out the mysterious weapons wielded by the Khunds…

… the Supercorp tour is rudely interrupted by Metropolis cops looking for Lex.

It turns out Superman warned them Lex’s memories were coming back, leaving loyal daughter Lena furious. 

Well, she might have mentioned it earlier…

As for Mercy, it turns out she’s up to something even more dodgy than coming up with sinister weapons that could easily fall into the hands of, oh, I don’t know, the Khunds? If the final page reveals are any indication, the 25th issue of this Superman series is going to be even more packed with drama than this one.

Writer Joshua Williamson continues to fill Superman’s world with action and intrigue, with this chapter’s JLU involvement a real bonus. While her current super-power set is known to be temporary, Lois doesn’t flinch from filling in for her Super-Hubby with the League, and is impressively unperturbed by having the seriously unhinged Creeper as her mission partner. Heck, she’s more taken aback by the start of this issue, in which she and Superman catch Mercy and Lex having a right old snog. 

The mission to Markovia is novel not just for Lois’s participation but for Mr Terrific actually leaving his lab and getting down and dirty. One League asset notable by his absence, though, is Geo-Force, Markovia’s homegrown hero. It’s weird the earth-moving powerhouse isn’t so much as mentioned in Williamson’s script. 

The only other quibble I have with the story is that when Vixen strikes, she doesn’t name the animal she’s channeling – the least she could do if we aren’t getting a beastie surprint behind her.

Regular artist Dan Mora isn’t drawing interiors this time, but he does provide the cover, a classic tease concept. It’s basically great but I’m not keen on the loose boots, and the front seams on the trunks look odd; also, bring back the classic round belt buckle. What I do love is the new slogan above the logo – ‘Truth, Justice and a better world’. That sounds about right.

Now, was ‘Biblical rain’ part of Williamson’s script or did fill-in artist Eddy Barrows just fancy shaking things up a bit? Whoever had the idea, the execution by Barrows, inker Eber Ferreira and colour artist Alejandro Sánchez is brilliant. The near-vertical rainfall, the splashes off Blue Beetle’s mask, the puddle Creeper lands in… they all look great, adding extra visual drama to an already fun sequence.

Little things apart – such as Lois’s weird, tiny carrot hands in that kiss reaction panel and the absence of Lena’s distinctive haircut – the art is a treat throughout, with great attention to detail (the texture of Lex’s beard, Lois’s luxurious mane, the unbottoned bottom of Chief Kekoa’s waistcoat, and lots more). And when was the last time the Creeper looked so, well, creepy.

He’s MAAAAAAD, he is.

That tilted panel is typical of Barrows’ gift for page arrangements, panel positions and the compositions within them all perfectly serve Williamson’s script. And Sánchez’s colours are the cherry on the cake, with his facial tones especially great. Plus, Lois’s heat-vision primed for action, shown as lens flare, is a much better reminder of its power than the angry red eyes too often seen on Superman.

And let’s not forget the talents of Ariana Maher, whose lettering is a pleasure – her treatment for the Creeper’s spooky voice is spot-on, for one.

Two years in and Williamson’s enthusiasm for Superman and his world shows no sign of flagging. Working with editor Paul Kaminski – a massive fan of the Triangle Era – and assistant editor Jillian Grant, he’s giving us a consistently enjoyable Superman. Long may it continue.