Colourist: Alejandro Sánchez, Letterer: Ariana Maher
The first few stories in Joshua Williamson's time on Superman spent time creating some new characters, such as Dr. Pharm, Marilyn Moonlight, and the Chained. It felt like a bold new era for the character that was brining in these new elements, but this latest arc has been a wonderful melding of these new changes and classic characters to create what might be my favourite arc in the entire run. Not only do we have Lois taking a bigger role as a new Superwoman, but we've got Doomsday, big new lore about the Time Trapper, and even the Radiant. Williamson has brought a lot of different pieces together here to create a truly exciting and engaging Doomsday story; something that has rarely (if ever) been done since his first introduction.
With the Radiant and its army attacking Metropolis in the last issue, demanding that Superman hands Doomsday over to them, things feel at their most desperate here. Clark is fighting side-by-side with Doomsday against the invading forces, and Lois has been snatched out of linear time by the Time Trapper, a far distant future version of Doomsday that can control the flow of time itself. Having previously tried to talk Clark into making a deal with him, Time Trapper is now attempting it with Lois, warning her of the dark future that is close to coming into being that only he can help prevent. There's a moment where it seems like Lois might take the deal, but this is Lois Lane, a woman who's never bowed down to bullies or monsters even when she didn't have powers. Unfortunately, her defiance of Time Trapper leads to tragedy.
Meanwhile, the battle with Radiant and his fleet is raging across Metropolis, with multiple members of the Superman family helping out but unable to turn the time. With things looking grim for the heroes it's time for Lex Luthor to step up and be the hero. After the Lex Luthor special there's some questions as to where he is at the moment mentally, if this is the completely amnesiac Lex, or if this is his villainous side playing a long con, and his actions this issue do little to help clear that up. You could argue that what he does is quite sinister, but his protests that he did it for the right reasons seem completely plausible. I'm enjoying this story for him, and like that Williamson isn't giving the game away yet. Superman Luthor was a favourite of mine, and his time as a hero was a delight, so if we get a good Luthor for a while it's definitely a plus as far as I'm concerned.
As mentioned earlier, there is a moment of tragedy in this issue, and for a while I thought that Williamson was perhaps building up towards a death that would have been absolutely heart breaking. Whilst we avoided that there's no denial that a beloved character has something bad happen to them, and that as a result of that another character may be on a path back to villainy. As someone who enjoys the characters that surround Superman and wants more of a supporting cast featured in modern comics over stories that just centre on heroes and villains I like that this is included here, as it gives this character their own storyline, and seems to suggest that it'll be something that will continue on for a while at least.
The issue ends with two scenes that set up future developments, one of which was hinted at in a previous special issue and that I was expecting to see relatively soon, but the other was a complete surprise as the last two pages hint at huge things not just for Superman but the entire DC Universe.
What can I say about Dan Mora's art that hasn't been said hundreds of times over by now? The man is one of the best artists in the business, and every panel of the book is phenomenal. He perfectly captures the epic scale and chaos of the action, showcasing the raw power of the characters at play here, as well as filling those characters with some beautifully human moments; some of the moments with Lois at the end of the book are beautiful depictions of someone wracked with guilt and sorrow trying to hold themselves together. I don't think there's a character that Dan Mora hasn't nailed yet, and this book and all of the amazing things he's bringing to life are just a genuine delight.
This is my favourite run on Superman since before the New 52. Williamson is capturing a load of the stuff that I love about the 90's Triangle Era Superman titles with a more modern comics sensibility on top, and each issue leaves me feeling both satisfied and eager for the next.
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