Submitted: Ken
Trickey, Comic News Writer
23 September 16
Writer: Phil
Jimenez
Inks: Matt
Santorelli and Joe Prado
Is a world
without Superman devoid of the hope he represented? While Lex Luthor and Lana
Lang attempt to fill the power vacuum proceeding the death of the Man of Steel,
a fearsome unseen puppet master capitalizes on the opportunity by maneuvering
monstrous marionettes in fantastically destructive and brutal ways. Metropolis
is overwhelmed by a barrage of attacks. Lex and Superwoman struggle to keep up
with the onslaught but remain on the defensive. Like a prize fighter backed
into a corner, the good guys are stuck holding their hands up to protect their face
and chests as their opponent pillories them with crushing blows. Bearing that
in mind, please don't interpret my description of her struggles as a negative
review. I really liked this issue. It's just hard to watch someone you like get
beat up like this.
As if her
enemies weren't hellish enough, it appears Superwoman may be suffering from a
terminal illness. Considering her powers were grafted onto her by Krypton’s red
sun radiation after Solar Superman went nuclear, it's not all that surprising
she would experience some negative side effects. But this ailment places a time
limit on her life that is uncomfortably close and exasperated by her physical
activity. Will our newest star burn hot and fast? Or will she find some way to
beat the odds? Conventional wisdom suggests DC wouldn't birth a heroine of this
caliber only to end her run in her infancy, but this series certainly hasn't
been without its fair share of surprises. If I were a betting man, I would bet
a small sum that she’ll find some way to stabilize her radioactivity via some
mysterious Kryptonian technology.
There's some
establishment of Superwoman’s family life with Piggy, Henry, and Natasha Irons.
This is sorely needed and much appreciated. Without these little moments, it
would be hard to understand what keeps Superwoman going. Additionally, there's
a secondary story arc involving the prisoners of Stryker’s Island and their
treatment there. The Atomic Skull alleges that he was tortured. He frantically
fires energy blasts at civilians during a parade in a rage, proclaiming loudly
that he won't be taken back to Stryker’s alive.
While this issue
is compelling, there is a little too much handholding for my taste. The inner
thoughts of Superwoman drive the narrative a great deal. When she’s providing
background information about a character a new reader may be unfamiliar with,
it’s fine. However, there are some instances where her inner monologue could
have been better displayed, either through the artwork or in dialogue. The interview
between Superwoman and Maggie Sawyer is a good example of this. Sometimes it’s
better to trust the artwork and the audience to understand.
The Verdict: Superwoman’s heroic learning
curve is steeper than any other I can remember, and I can’t wait to see what
comes next. Hopefully some good news will arrive in the next issue, because
this one can leave the reader feeling defeated.
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