Superman is seeing red. Literally. He’s been poisoned by red kryptonite and is finding it hard not to give in to the accompanying induced anger. His state has come to the attention of the immortal guardian of Metropolis, Marilyn Moonlight. Superman wants her to help find Pharm and Graft, mortal enemies of Lex Luthor who, he’s been told, spiked Superman’s system with the red rock.
Across Metropolis, Lex, whose tentative friendship with Superman has gone the way of Krypton, visits former right-hand woman Mercy, now head of SuperCorp, the former LexCorp.
Meanwhile, there’s panic in the streets.
That’s Pharm and Graft, super scientists. Lex has no intention of fighting them, we learn, as he appears before Superman and Marilyn.
Superman is smart – he’s worked out why Lex sicced the ghostly gunslinger on him.
As for where Lex has gone, we aren’t told, but perhaps there’s a visual clue on the final page.
Also this issue – Lois returns to the Daily Planet Editor’s office now her Superwoman powers have gone. Jimmy goes back to his duties after being burned by a villain while trying to get a snap of the new heroine in town. And Silver Banshee Siobhan is pretty peeved her red-headed romancer was hurt.
LexCorp is reinstated… but Mercy promises she still wants to help Superman in his neverending battle. And there’s a development in the business with the dark Legion of Super-Heroes and Doomsday, now styling himself as the Time Trapper.
There’s lots going on, as ever, in Joshua Williamson’s script, and our title character gets the best showing he’s had for months – he overcomes the red rage, works out how Marilyn can help him, figures how to defeat Pharm and Graft, and cheers up Lois as she comes back down to Earth.
Lex still seems to be on the straight and narrow, Marilyn looks to have a new start… it’s resets and new beginnings all round. You’d almost think this was Williamson’s last issue, but he’s around for at least the next few months and I’m good with that.
I was going to complain that the red kryptonite poisoning was far too easy for Superman to overcome but it being part of a Lex ploy explains things – he wouldn’t want Superman to really endanger the city so gave him only a small dose.
Anyone recognise where Lex is? I’m wondering if it’s Russia’s Science City, as seen in the original Night Force series by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.
The only part of his script I dislike is Jimmy calling Lois ‘Ms Lane’ – it’s bizarre, they’ve known one another for years and hang out together.
Three artists are needed for the 22pp story, and as per, editors Paul Kaminski and Jillian Grant don’t give us breakdowns as to who does what. My best guess is that Eddy Barrows draws the big sequences with Superman, Eber Ferreira looks after the Lois moments, and Sean Izaakse is our man at Super/LexCorp and in Absolute space. There looks to be a bit of overlap with Barrows handing over to Ferreira during the issue’s Lois and Superman scene but you can generally tell when Ferreira is in play due to the rictus grins.
Or perhaps all the non-Izaakse pages are Barrows pencilling and Ferreira inking… what I really don’t get is why we don’t just have one artist per issue? Last month it was the same three chaps, in Superman #25 it was Barrows, Ferreira, Dan Mora and Jamal Campbell. It’s pretty distracting – is Williamson behind on his scripts? Surely it’s not beyond the wit of man and woman to sort this out?
Anyway, I like the work of all the artists. The storytelling is good, the expressions – Jokerfish faces apart – generally fine and the action lots of fun. I especially enjoy the moments with Marilyn, whose interesting visual requires the talents of colourist Alexander Sánchez to work. Letterer Ariana Maher also has fun with colour, giving angry Superman intense white-on-red word balloons, while Marilyn speaks white-on-black. Talking of the enraged Superman, he’s vein-poppingly scary.
Also watch for page 13, the layout is clever and unusual.
Dan Mora‘s cover is good looking, but the floppy Lois is utterly irrelevant.
All in all, I like this issue plenty, but please, sort out the artist rotation, Editors.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Anj here.
Great review (and great minds). This felt like a ‘clear the decks’ issue, wrapping up a ton of plots Williamson has been cultivating over this title’s run. Sad to see some of these plots wrap up. Pharm and Graft never grabbed me so we’ll see if they ever come back (or if they will go the way of Ulysses, Rogal Zaar, etc).
I also checked to make sure Williamson isn’t going anywhere because this book has been wonderful under his helm. Hope he is sticking around.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It always felt like Pharm and Graft were going to have a big storyline showing what they could do, but they’ve singularly failed to impress – the most memorable thing about them is Pharm’s creepy opera gloves.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you’re digging the series. I’ve really only stuck with it this far because of the Legion content. I figure once that part of the book is wrapped, I’ll bounce. It’s not a knock on the quality of the book. It’s more that I’m just not a Superman guy. I’m way more interested in the supporting cast than I am in the big guy himself. And I’m really really really over Luthor. Good Guy? Bad Guy? Somewhere int he middle? I really don’t care.
I’ve come to realize that I’d much rather read about the characters on the edges of the Super books. I’m surprised we haven’t had some kind of Daily Planet book. If they could do Gotham Central, I’m surprised that there isn’t any interest in a book that looks at the reporters and columnists of the Daily Planet. I’d probably read the heck out of that!
As I said, the quality of the book is good. The art teams have been solid and Williamson has a good handle on the characters. It’s just not really my jam.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a shame you’re not enjoying this as much as me, so I really hope the Legion of Darkseid stuff builds into something great. And that a new Legion strip soon follows – I do like the idea of a cross-Multiverse LSH, with the best members from all eras. Give me back Monstress and Kinetix and co!
LikeLike
Honestly… that’s kinda what I want too. Gimme a LEGION Legion. Filled with all the members of all the teams. Gimme Monstress and Kinetix (but also Catspaw and Dragonmage). I’d like the Bendis boot characters that never got a chance to shine. A team that big would probably be pretty difficult to write well, but… shrug! It’s what I’m hoping for after the Darkseid Legion has run its course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d love to see Catspaw again, give her a chance to grab me. As the owner of a 25-year-old puss, I’m open to liking her, but all I remember is that she was one more fuzzy cat lady, not as exciting as Tigra, but not as annoying as that big-tailed Starjammer lady.
LikeLike
I’m still annoyed DC gave each Legion its own Earth instead of using alternate future timelines.
LikeLike
I’m not sure there’s a difference.
LikeLike
A: It’s less complicated.
2: When you don’t have a dedicated Legion comic, one dialog balloon states today’s events mean this is the Legion of their future and no gymnastics to explain it or having to u se the same membership as their last appearance if it doesn’t suit your story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the review, Mart. At the moment this is my favourite Superman starring book (favourite family book so far is Supergirl) and the only one I buy regularly. It’s funny how it was a flagship book for a while, with Jamal as the artist, and then Dan, and now we’re in the multiple artists just to get it out on time era! I do wish (like Murray) JW was doing a bit more with the non-super cast. There’s clearly some intention with the set up on Jimmy and Siobhan but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Lex needs a rest, like the Joker. And yes, I did think Science City too!
Stu
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hurrah, it wasn’t just me!
Great point about our lack of a dedicated ‘star’ artist. I wonder who’d be a good fit. Maybe it’s time for Jorge Jimenez to hop across from Gotham City?
LikeLike