World of Krypton #1 – Robert Venditti, Writer; Michael Avon Oeming, Artist; Nick Filardi, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: We’ve seen quite a few stories set in the last days of Krypton, and there’s even a YA series out of DC set there right now. What sets this new series by veteran Superman writer Robert Venditti and offbeat cartoonist Michael Avon Oeming aside is that it starts its story much earlier, when Krypton is still a thriving society—at least on the surface. A brilliant scientist and ally of Jor-El finds the first sign of danger when she discovers that a herd of Thought-Beasts have all spontaneously died—and are still broadcasting their last thoughts, a vision of Krypton exploding. It’s a good way to remind us of the ticking clock hanging over the series, but Jor-El has other things on his mind—namely, the naming ceremony for his baby niece Kara. This story seems to mostly be centered on the El family, with the childless Jor-El and Lara as the anchors.
But other faces from Krypton abound—both familiar and less so.
Who even remembered that Jor-El had a twisted cousin named Kru-El? The mad weapons master was an obscure silver age bad guy, but here he’s just an eccentric black sheep who surprises everyone when he shows up to the party. Conversely, General Dru-Zod seems like a friendly man haunted by the war he just finished—and rumors of brutality and war crimes. Krypton is a complex political scene, which is accented when a terror attack hits the House of El at the ceremony. The identity of the mastermind isn’t a big surprise, but what did surprise me is how the battle lines are being drawn as the war to save Krypton begins. This story seems like it’s going to jump around in time, which means we’ll likely see glimpses of Kara’s youth mixed in. For such critical figures in Superman’s history, Jor-El and especially Lara have had very few spotlight stories. This is a promising start that looks to change that.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
