Superboy 6-11

Superboy (Volume 4) #6
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Marco Rudy

This issue opens with a quiet moment between Superboy and Red Robin that was really touching and showed their great friendship. I loved the mention of Superboy’s old costume and time in Hawaii. Love the continuity and that time period in DC history. Meanwhile, Simon Valentine begins working in Ray Palmer’s lab. The rest of this issue is part of the “Reign of Doomsday” crossover and it is okay although fights with Doomsday are never that exciting. The art is good but maybe doesn’t fit the tone of this book. It is a little dark for Superboy.

Superboy (Volume 4) #7
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Marco Rudy

In this issue, Superboy discovers an alien ship with a black mercy plant on it causing him to hallucinate that he has destroyed the planet and his Luthor side has taken over. It was an okay issue but hasn’t the Connor fears his Luther side been done to death. I never though it was that great back when Geoff Johns was writing it let alone now. I will see how this goes. It wasn’t bad writing or art, just had a been there done that feel.

Superboy (Volume 4) #8
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Pier Gallo

Now this was a fantastic issue. It almost reminded me a little bit of PAD’s Supergirl only replacing Leesburg with Smallville. We learn about the dark occult past of the town and how it all connects to this well. Phantom Stranger shows up! It was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to where this is going. Gallo works so much better for this title than Marco Rudy.

 

 

 

Superboy (Volume 4) #9
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Pier Gallo

I wonder if this Hollowville was inspried by Grant Morrison’s work with Klarion the Witchboy? Sure seems like it. As it turns out – Psionic Lad’s mission is not to kill Superboy but only to kill Simon Valentine. It turns out the real Phantom Stranger is under attack and the one with Superboy is an imposter and the evil plan is to move all the souls of Smallville into Superboy clones. What?! This was a crazy issue. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Gallo is a great artist. He almost reminds me of Jerry Ordway.

Superboy (Volume 4) #10
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Pier Gallo, Pete Woods, and Paulo Siqueira

Most of this issue focused on the history of this evil sorcerer Tannarak. Who knew this story arc would tie into Atalantis and the Viking Prince?! Jeff Lemire makes great use of the DC Universe, even its obscure parts. This continuity nut loves it!

 

 

 

Superboy (Volume 4) #11
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Pier Gallo

This is the final issue of this book before the New 52. It shows how incompetent DC’s management was at the time they would launch a book 11 months before rebooting the entire universe and ruining DC for five years. But anyways, this was a great finales to the series. All of the characters get their moment to save the day including Lori, Simon, Psion, Krypto, and Superboy. Jeff Lemire is a fantastic writer that needs to stay around DC. I wonder if he writes any of the Rebirth books? I love how he has a panel where a teacher is teaching about the JSA during World War 2. This was an ending to a series that should have kept going. Damn you Didio.

Superman 664 – 680

Superman #664
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

This was a good issue but I am glad this whole Arion storyline is over. It was getting really boring….Squad K was a great concept and I am glad Busiek did not write Superman as resenting them.

Superman #665
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Rick Leonardi

Eh this was an okay issue spotlighting how Jimmy Olsen met Superman. I don’t care much about the character so this was only okay for me. Not much to say otherwise.

Superman #666
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Walter Simonson

This was an awesome issue. Krypton’s Hell’s demons coming after Superman is a clever idea and a nice little one-shot story. I especially liked the whole Superman being annoyed with people in his ‘dream’ so he just kills them. Made me laugh…although I am glad that it wasn’t really him.

Superman #667
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

Damn…I thought all of this Arion crap was over!! I guess not…as this continues that storyline. The art is good, but I still don’t dig this story that much.

Superman #668
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Rick Leonardi

Now this was the best issue of this series in a while. It was great to se Robin and Chris Kent meet and how Superman is aware that Batman is always spying on him. I also can’t wait to finally meet the third Kryptonian.

Superman #669
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Rick Leonardi

At first I Was a little dissapointed to see that the Third Kryptonian was an old woman but I ended up really liking the idea that this space-faring adventurer just wants to settle down and rest in her old age and that is why she has avoided contact with Superman. She doesn’t want to be a hero and I like that. Kristin Wells wasn’t an actual Kryptonian pre-crisis and she had an awesome costume that I think her current suit is based on. They should bring back the original costume if she ever does decide to become Superwoman.

Superman #670
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Rick Leonardi

Now this was a great issue of Superman! Action, Character moments, and all around a good time! I wish Busiek wasn’t leaving this title so soon at the same time more of his issues should have been like this! It was great to see the entire “Superman Family” working together and I liked all the set up for the stuff coming up this year with “New Krypton”. Busiek must have originally supposed to be part of that storyline but left due to Trinity. Unless he set it up just for the editor and on Geoff Johns’s behalf.

Superman #671
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Peter Vale

This was an okay start to this arc dealing with an “insect queen”. Not much to say…it was really just set up.

Superman #672
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Peter Vale

Insect Queens always make good villains lol and I don’t know why Chris Kent’s watch blew up but I look forward to next issue.

Superman #673
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Peter Vale

Eh this was okay….nothing really great, I thought the stuff about Superman understanding Chris’s loneliness was stupid. Clark was a baby when Krypton exploded! Why do so many writers write as if he has some strong emotional attachment to the planet. Earth is home…it’s plain and simple. Despite Donner’s obsession with Krypton, it is not THAT important.

Superman #674
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Renato Guedes

This was another decent issue from Busiek that brings an old Justice League villain back. The stuff I am more interested in is the stuff with Mon-El. Nice art as well.

Superman #675
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Renato Guedes

Busiek’s final issue on the title wraps up the whole what if civilization collapses plot-thread by introducing the idea of Superman creating a library full of human knowledge. I like the idea and it is a great concept. Busiek still writes the character in Trinity and that is a really good series. More people should be reading it.

Superman #676
Written by Vito Delsante
Art by Julian Lopez

Okay was that supposed to be Connor Kent at the end….apparently cloned and in stasis long before his debut? I think so….nice touch. This was obviously supposed to be in Superman Confidential but it makes for a nice fill-in. It was kinda bland though and I am kind of sick of Solomon Grundy right now.

Superman #677
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes

James Robinson begins his run on Superman with this issue and I have to say it’s decent. I mean I am not jumping for joy about it but it is pretty good. Atlas seems like a worthy opponent for Superman and I like how Superman says that he beat the traditon of Superhero relationships by staying with Lois. **Cough Cough I am looking at you Spider-Man and Marvel Comics**

Superman #678
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes

This issue was just confusing. I am not sure if I really get Atlas’s origin. Where is he from? Why is he so strong? And why does Jimmy keep talking about Superman’s breakfast? Weird…..

Superman #679
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes

Not enough happened in this issue to make it an issue. Superman fights Atlas and then Supergirl does and Krypto appeared. Albeit this is the most excited I have ever gotten about Krypto appearing anyways. Maybe because we get to see his thoughts. I think it is a little out of character for Lois to be jealous of Zatanna. So far Robinson’s run has not been as good as I expected.

Superman #680
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes

We still know next to nothing about Atlas at the end of this but I suspect that Robinson will bring this up at some later point. The highlight of this issue was Superman’s talk with Zachary Zatara and Krypto thinking “happy” at the very end which made me smile. Robinson actually made me like the idea of Krypto….which is a rare thing. This arc could have been much shorter though.

I Say F**K Arion

Superman #663
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and cover by Carlos Pacheco

Busiek is a fantastic Superman writer. He really gets the character. I hope he stays around for a long time. I am enjoying his run better than Johns and Donner’s Action Comics run. I love how Christopher is mentioned in this issue though. The art in this issue was fantastic and the shot of Superman watching Earth from the Moon was breathtaking. The Young Gods are very funny too. I am starting to like the New Gods stuff more and more. Originally, I wasn’t a fan but I think DC has really won me over with them. It was nice to see Lana again and some acknowledgment of her running of LexCorp. I like the idea that she is still cleaning up all of Lex’s “secret projects” including the baby Chemos. I also liked the whole fake Arion thing as it explains a continuity error from Day of Vengeance. I am a sucker for stuff like that. Superman’s speech about why he will stay Superman to Arion was wonderfully written as well. Very Good Issue.

Not My Cup Of Tea

Superman #658
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and Cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino

This issue did not really grab me much. I guess because this is esentially an imaginary “what if this happened in the future” type of story and I usually do not like those. This is the Continuity Blog and if it is not part of continuity, it usually bores me, as did this issue. Nothing too exciting or to write home about. The art was pretty good but the story was just plain. Not bad persay, it just did not excite me. Usually Busiek’s writing does excite me but this did not. Next issue stars Krypto which looks interesting. It has to be more exciting that this. Although, I did like the end with Arion’s theory about the rise and fall of civilizations. That did make me think. What if some bad things are supposed to happen and the heroes shouldn’t stop them? But in the end, I believe Arion is wrong. But he does have interesting ideas.

Superman 653 – 657

Superman #653
Written by Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek
Art by Pete Woods

I am not going to lie, I like my Lex Luthor being the powerful corporate evil man, not a super-villain. But this was still damn good. I love the ending, Lex Luthor telling Superman, “I hate you, I really hate you.”

Superman #654
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

This is the first issue of Kurt Busiek’s solo run on this title. And I got to hand it to him, he knows how to write Superman and he knows how to write him well. This was basically a day in the life type of story, and it was done really well. I loved the moments with Clark and Lois, and I loved the excellent use of Superman’s powers. I love how he is doing his job as well as being Superman at the same time in the scenes. Great art too.

Superman #655
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

I loved the momets between Clark and Lana in this issue, especailly since I am a fan of Smallville. The other stuff was okay, nothing to get too excited but not bad. Subjekt 17 seems kind of a lame monster villain but knowing Busiek, he probably has something up his sleeve. I don’t know how I feel about Superman’s “Super-memory”, it seems a little silver age.

Superman #656
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

And I was right in saying that Busiek had something up his sleeve about Subjekt 17. Subjekt is not jsut a lame monster villain, but instead is what Superman would be if he landed in the wrong place, at the wrong time. This was a very sad character and I really hope he ends up okay in the end. The way the humans treated him was sad. I wonder what Arion was talking about in the end of this though? Definitely reccomended.

Superman #657
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Carlos Pacheco

In this issue, Arion tells Superman and the daily planet staff about the future he worned about. It is very “Day After Tomorrow”. I really enjoyed it. Seeing the future in a comic is always fun and I don’t think the DCU has had that since that arc in Teen Titans. Very cool. I wonder how they end up preventing this from happening? I look forward to next issue.