DC Round-Up: The Summer of Superman continues in SUPERMAN #28

THIS WEEK: The Legion of Darkseid finally ventures into the present-day DCU in Superman #28. Also, Justice League Unlimited continues to be overly-complex, Absolute Martian Manhunter continues to sing, and “H2SH” continues to disappoint.

Note: The reviews below may contain spoilers.

Superman #28

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist/Cover Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez
Letterer: Ariana Maher

Given this is Superman’s big month, it seemed right to highlight Big Blue’s main title this week. Superman #28 is the first issue in a new storyline, “Legion of Darkseid,” that promises to push the line-wide DC All In story forward.

As you’d expect given the story’s title, the Darkseid-ized versions of Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic Boy that have appeared sporadically since the DC All In Special return in this issue. Their goal is to assess and break the Man of Steel, and because they are who they are, they’re uniquely suited to do just that.

The issue begins with Superman reflecting on his time with the Legion of Super-Heroes. In that sequence, writer Joshua Williamson does a great job explaining what makes Superman’s relationship to the Legion so compelling. The Legion are Superman’s childhood friends, the group he could truly be himself with as a teenager. Superman is close to the Legion in a way he isn’t to, say, the Justice League, or Lana Lang and Pete Ross.

Separately, and yet at the same time, the Legion is concrete proof that what Superman does in the present day will matter in the future. On the days when Superman is unsure whether he’s succeeding, or whether what he does is worth it, he can think of the Legion and know his actions in the present day are creating a better tomorrow. For both these reasons, the Legion of Super-Heroes is quite meaningful to Superman.

By itself, the Legion of Super-Heroes is often a hard sell for me. Given the Legion’s recent inability to hold down a long-running series, I think I’m not alone. But any story that meaningfully explores Superman’s relationship to the Legion, and the Legion’s relationship to Superman, effortlessly overcomes that hurdle. Pairing the Legion with Superman, poking at the intricacies and interdependencies of their cross-time relationship, always makes the Legion interesting to me, and it always seems to bring out the best in Superman.

Superman #28 is no exception. Attempting to find one iteration of the Legion, Superman instead encounters the Darkseid-ized versions of three of his best friends. On the last panel of page seven, artist Dan Mora renders a great panel of Superman looking so genuinely hopeful, so enthused to see his friends and learn they’re safe. Within the span of two pages, that hope transforms into anger and despair, as Superman learns his worst enemy has corrupted his childhood friends. (Or at least, a version of them. Superman thinks the Legion that appears in this issue is his Legion, but if I’m understanding the overall All In story correctly, this is actually the Legion from the Absolute Universe.)

There is no one who can uplift us like our friends, and there is no one who can tear us apart like our friends. Williamson, Mora, and co. get that, and most of the rest of this issue becomes a test of Superman’s will, when confronted with perverted versions of his friends who abhor everything he values. Mora continues to be one of the best artists in superhero comics, and while I prefer his art when paired with colorist Tamra Bonvillain rather than Superman colorist Alejandro Sánchez, there’s not a page of this issue that doesn’t look good. And unlike Mora’s pages in Justice League Unlimited #9 (reviewed below), every page in Superman #28 flows seamlessly.

Perhaps more importantly, as stated above, Mora nails Superman’s (and everyone else’s) wide range of emotions throughout this issue. Because while this issue has some punch-’em-up action, and it ties into the DCU-wide breakdown of time, its real stakes are this: Can Superman save his childhood friends and the future? That’s the emotional core at the heart of “Legion of Darkseid,” and after having read Superman #28, I’m invested in learning the answer to that question.

One last thing before I go: This issue’s last page will likely prove quite polarizing, as the character who appears there has many fans and many detractors. Me, I’m game for this reappearance, if only because I didn’t expect it and (I believe) this character was last left in an interesting space. Typically, “surprise character appears on the last page” cliffhangers don’t do much for me these days, but this one is actually intriguing – and for that reason alone, I’m excited for Superman #29.

The Round-Up

• • While “We Are Yesterday” eventually clicked for fellow DC Round-Up reviewer Joe Grunenwald, it never quite did for me. I feel the same way about Justice League Unlimited #9, a “We Are Yesterday” epilogue issue that’s as scattered and overly-complex as the crossover itself. A lot of this issue is an exposition dump, in which the Time Trapper and the World Forger explain why time is breaking down to the League. Various time-displaced iterations of our heroes pop in and out of the issue, Mister Terrific and Blue Beetle complete a meaningful sidequest, and there is of course a big fight between the League (including its time-displaced variants) and the Trapper and the Forger. In a vacuum, none of that sounds bad. But this issue’s pacing, and the choices of what to include and what to gloss over, feels just a bit off. Some pages feel like they’re missing a necessary panel, while others include unneeded references to other All In stories. This is still a Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and David Sharpe comic, so its floor is quite high. But with “We Are Yesterday” in the rearview mirror, I’m hoping Justice League Unlimited will focus up a bit.
  • In what is an incredibly strong period for DC, Absolute Martian Manhunter may be the best book in the line. Writer Deniz Camp, artist Javier Rodriguez, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou deliver another stunner this month, with a story about shadows, darkness, and dark sides that is at once beautiful and terrifying. Because these creators are meshing so well, it’s tough to pull distinct pieces of this issue out and say they, specifically, are why each page or piece of the story works. Yes, Rodriguez’s dynamic layouts, clean linework, and bold colors provide most of each page’s punch. But Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is matching and enhancing Rodriguez’s flow and energy. And Camp’s stories are giving Rodriguez and Otsmane-Elhaou so much to play with. It all adds up to one of the most unique and poignant superhero series DC has ever produced, one that you should definitely be reading. (And that I’m quite glad we’ll be getting more of.)
  • Meanwhile, Batman may be the worst book in the current DC line. After a month’s delay, Batman #161 delivers the fourth chapter of “H2SH,” a story that started out rote and nonsensical and has only gotten worse from there. Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair’s art is nearly as strong as ever, but it can’t save a story that is content to retread familiar ground, pushes characters to act in unbelievable ways, and includes some of the most overwrought captions and dialogue to ever appear in a Batman comic. At this point, it’s unclear whether writer Jeph Loeb actually had another Hush story he wanted to tell, or DC simply decided it was time to cash in on the sure-fire revenue a “HUSH” sequel would bring in. Either way, “H2SH” continues to be a misfire for this reviewer.

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