Superman #27 – Brian Michael Bendis, Writer; Ivan Reis, Penciller; Danny Miki, Inker; Alex Sinclair, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: The final arc of Brian Michael Bendis’ Superman has brought a new villain to Earth—the alien Synmar, whose world was fundamentally transformed by the destruction of Krypton and who has been sent to carry out an ancient blood grudge. Facing an enemy he couldn’t understand and needing to protect Metropolis, Superman sent both of them into the Phantom Zone where the battle continues. Ivan Reis is great at capturing alien environments, and this issue’s battle is spectacular. I was surprised by the appearance of Grant Morrison’s mad Kryptonian scientist Xa-Du, another resident of the Phantom Zone, who throws a new monkey wrench into Superman’s efforts to reason with Synmar this issue. The opening narration does a great job of capturing Superman’s key dynamic—despite his power, he is almost always seeking a way to solve a problem that doesn’t involve violence.
Aside from a brief interlude involving Lois Lane and Lana Lang, where they talk about Clark’s secrets and Lois’ mystery new book, this issue is almost entirely contained to Superman and Synmar. As Superman battles to get through to the alien at great risk to himself, the battle changes locations from the Phantom Zone to deep space. Superman willingly exits the Phantom Zone, taking away his advantage of his powers, in an attempt to communicate with the mystery being. The end of the issue shows his kindness rewarded with a shocking twist, as Superman faces what may be the most dangerous moment of his life in a cliffhanger that calls back to one of my all-time favorite 1990s Superman stories. While the pacing of this run could be off at times, I do think Bendis has a good grasp of Superman’s character, and we should be headed for a satisfying finale.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
