Superman ‘78 #6 – Robert Venditti, Writer; Wilfredo Torres, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The story that’s essentially the third Christopher Reeve Superman movie comes to an excellent conclusion this issue, as Superman battles to save Metropolis—and the world—from Brainiac’s onslaught. After escaping from the bottled city of Kandor, Superman finally faces off face-to-face with the alien intelligence—if face-to-face can be a thing with a being that’s long ago given up on having an organic body. The choice to make Brainiac another refugee of a doomed civilization is a very smart move, giving his mad quest to preserve civilizations ahead of their destruction a poignant edge. His downfall has an oddly comic edge at times, but one that’s tragic and feels like wasted potential. It also nicely lets him defeat himself, keeping Superman’s hands clean as he focuses his efforts on saving Kandor—and the countless other cities that have been bottled by Brainiac.
But Superman’s biggest test still lies ahead, with Metropolis about to crash down to Earth. This is one of the best segments of the series, and reminds me of some classic feats of strength in superhero comics like Spider-man digging his way out from that basement. And just like that, things are back to normal, with one last inspiring moment from Superman as he beats death again. It’s a classic moment, but one that also sets up a fascinating new status quo with not just one but countless bottled cities in the fortress—and Superman’s birth parents among them, able to communicate with him and help him develop his powers and knowledge of Krypton in the future. On that note, this series is really begging for a follow-up where the creative team explores more corners of the Superman universe. What would Mxyzptlk look like in this world? Superboy and Supergirl? Even some iconic villains like Doomsday and Darkseid? I’m hoping DC lets us find out.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
