The ghost of Manchester Black has gained enough physicality to go toe-to-toe with Superboy Prime. But if he’s going to force the wannabe Superman to do what he wishes – use his reality altering power to reshape the world to his ends – he’s going to have to use his mental powers to sap Prime’s will to resist.
It doesn’t work. Prime knows Lois, for one, is giving him a chance – the vignettes are just more of Black’s projections. So how about Prime uses his abilities to shift them away from Black’s mental landscape, and onto his own turf?
That would be the Metropolis comic shop where he works as Super-Nerd CK.
It’s the very comic we’re reading. And this copy comes with a free gift.
But after Black fights back with a distinctly meta-monster, mocking CK for his love of comics, Prime demonstrates the unstoppable power of four-colour funnies.
And words.
And that’s not even Prime’s best speech of the issue.
Can we agree Prime has had his redemption arc? He couldn’t sound more like a hero.
Which isn’t to say this is the end of the issue; there are a few more pages of his tussle with Black, a lovely positive scene at the comics shop, a hint Prime is getting his own series next year and a tease for the upcoming Zod crossover.
Writer Josh Williamson, artist Dan Mora, colourist Alejandro Sánchez and letterer Ariana Maher have to be one of the most sympatico creative teams since the glory days of the Uncanny X-Men, when Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Glynis Wein and Tom Orzechowski gave us exciting, innovative, fun, great-looking comics month after month.
Manchester Black, introduced as a cynical, self-proclaimed anti-hero in the classic Action Comics #775, is perfectly situated to stamp on Superboy’s dreams of redemption. And it’s wonderful to see him fail, again and again under Williamson’s proverbial pen. The writer takes advantage of comics grammar and tropes, having fun with fan thinking but never in a mean way. He’s celebrating the joy the comics medium can give us.
Mora continues to produce stylish storytelling, his dynamic compositions impressing, but never bringing the story to a dead stop. While CK is identical to a younger Superman, Mora’s given him his own body language, an attitude that’s all Prime’s own.
The power of the panels in which Black is whacked in the kisser by hundreds of comics is as good as anything I’ve seen in a fight scene – the throw, the landing, the aftermath… perfect.
And the cover is trade paperback worthy, able to attract readers without giving away all the clever goodness within.
And it’s perfectly coloured by Sanchez, who lays down the bright tones with glee, making me a very happy reader – I’ve had it with comics ‘filmed’ in Drabvision.
As for the letters by Maher, they’re perfectly pitched for nuance and drama.
Prime time, for CK, has lasted five issues – I really hope ratings have been good enough to get him a second season.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 