Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #4 review

What is it about covers homaging Silver Age 80pp Giants that I never get tired of them? This example from Kryptonite Spectrum creators W Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo is delightful and nicely reflects the nuttiness inside.

Mind, the nuttiness is controlled, perfectly meshing into the overall storyline, which has Superman testing new varieties of K-metal that have drifted to Earth. At the end of last issue Batman, who’s been helping his best pal negotiate this pretty dangerous trail, announced that the next rock in line, Rainbow Kryptonite, isn’t actually Kryptonite. What it is, is a link to the 5th Dimension, home to Mr Mxyzptlk… and he needs help.

This issue opens with a glorious look at a 5D version of Metropolis.

And inside the Daily Planet building, our hero has been writing as if his life depends on it. Maybe it does.

Back in the regular world, Batman tells Lois Lane that Superman is dreaming, he’s ’stuck in a world of nonsense’ that could prove lethal. Time to call in a specialist – Dr Fate.

In the world of 5D, meanwhile, Clark Kent is channel hopping.

‘It’ is the impending end of Mxy’s home due to the lack of imagination of a bowl-cutted boy named Brian-iac. Can Superman find the resources inside himself to meet the 5th Dimension on its own terms? As it happens, he can, summoning…

I already want a plush.

Kal-Elf is a great name and he has a great design, with the rainbow curl a lovely finishing touch. I hope he returns – and so does he.

Goodness me, there’s a lot of love for Sixties Superman in this issue, from that opening take on Perry White’s classic ‘Great Caesar’s ghost!’ exclamation to a sub-plotting Lex Luthor’s take on a classic villain. Moving forward in time, there’s also a likely nod to the Ambush Bug stories of Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming with the metafictive script, playful nature of page designs and other bits of business. And the entire vibe is Grant Morrison at his most approachable.

So many disparate elements could combine into a dissatisfying smorgasbord but Prince and Morazzo cook up an exceedingly tasty treat, a feast for the eyes and mind. There is a melancholy theme that pops up a couple of times, the idea that ‘home is a thing that hurts’, but it doesn’t overwhelm the fun.

Morazzo’s art is just lovely, a cracking combination of classic and cartoony, with colourist Chris O’Halloran and letterer Good Old Neon vital parts of the overall visual experience. The members of the entire creative team gel wonderfully, easing us through one of the dizzier days in the life of the Man of Steel. The compositions are thoughtful, complementing the script, with occasional good use made of photo drop-ins. We also get pictograms, blocks of text… a lot of work has gone into this nice change of pace issue.

I’ve not heard much discussion of this Black Label series, which is a shame as I can see it becoming an evergreen read once collected. If you’re reading it I’d love to hear your thoughts, if not, why not?