Last time Superman fought a super-powered clone of Lex Luthor, with the original bald baddie manipulated by ex-assistant Mercy into killing his deadly doppelgänger.
That puts Lex in a prison cell and daughter Lena in a rage.
Art by Barrows and Ferreira… I think
Lois is in a lab on the Justice League Watchtower having lost her superpowers.
Mercy has avoided being arrested for siccing the Lex-alike on Metropolis, loyal Lex having come up with a story that leads to him taking the rap.
Lex also gets a visit from Superman, and makes him an offer.
It’s not the worst thing he could say. This is:
Art by Izaakse
And with that, Superman gets angry.
Finally the red Kryptonite subplot stops bubbling under the other story points and explodes. The Man of Steel was dosed with synthetic red K by Lex’s enemies Pharm and Graft. It gives us Dan Mora’s intense cover but it’s actually the least interesting aspect of this issue. I’m here for the interaction among our cast.
Most satisfying to me is Lena, who finally lets her feelings over her father’s treatment of her out. It’s a powerful moment, the emotion conveyed beautifully by artists Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira. There’s an equally evocative image a few pages later as we see where Lena’s off to after breaking ties with her father and Supercorp.
Lois says she’s fine after losing her powers, and it’s true she always knew they had a limited lifespan, but her disappointment is obvious. And that disappoints me – writer Joshua Williamson is spot on with what turns out to be a feint, she’s a newspaperwoman to the core and that’s enough.
I liked Superman’s cockiness as he says goodbye to Mercy, she’s disappointed him. Luthor has too, but I’m not keen on Superman floating far above him as they chat, as if Lex is beneath him figuratively as well as literally. While I enjoyed this day-in-the-life issue, it’s missing Superman as star turn – it feels too much like an ensemble affair rather than Superman and supporting cast.
A couple of storyline-seeding interludes – with excellent page headers from letterer Ariana Maher – further take away from Superman…which isn’t to say I won’t enjoy their blooming.
I did enjoy the visuals, despite an inconsistency of tone – the layouts and character work of Barrows and Ferreira gives way to that of Sean Izaakse. I’m a fan of his work on the likes of Green Arrow and Thunderbolts but here it seems rougher, slightly rushed – given his work shows up mid-scene I suspect a deadline crunch. Actually, even the Barrows/Ferreira pages aren’t consistent – some have the lush finish that says it’s penciller and inker, others look like they’re the work of just one, I suspect Fereira. I dunno… wouldn’t proper credits be great?
I can say the whole book is coloured by Alejandro Sanchez, whose deep tones suit the passion in the pages.
The issue ends on a cliffhanger as one of the best new characters of recent years shows up. It’s a good close to a very entertaining issue.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
How is this red kryptonite? Where are the wings or gigantic cranium? Has Williamson read any Superman stories ever written? Too bad the Luthor fight to the death wasn’t this issue. Terra Man and Black Rock are more interesting and better threats. They need to go and never, ever return. The art? Sorry, I disliked both. I only read it to see who appeared on the last page and yes, they’re cool but they have a very weird bar for when they’re needed. They should be very busy instead of infrequent considering their mission statement.
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It looks like Williamson is looking at the Lois and Clark red K, that caused Clark’s powers to go out of control, with a smattering of Small Ollie red k that could alter his emotions. Or something. I dunno. modern red K is boring.
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Lazy. If you don’t want to use a decades old mineral for the properties it’s had that whole time, give it a different name. Considering how bad the names of those two weirdoes out to kill Lex, I shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t even try.
BTW, does the DCU recognize the sentience of clones immediately or review it case by case? Lex terminated a lab experiment, not committed murder. Not that I don’t think he shouldn’t be behind bars. Maybe when he saves ten times the number of people he killed…
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Superman did a lot of nothing in this issue. Last issue as well. The red Kryptonite angle is better with a Red Lantern ring. Next issue will hopefully be better. Great review as always.
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Merci! And indeed, let’s hope Superman takes centre stage soon.
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