World of Krypton #5 – Robert Venditti, Writer; Michael Avon Oeming, Artist; Nick Filardi, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It was inevitable that we would get here—Krypton’s time is running out. The whole series has been building to that, but it’s a double-edged sword for my enjoyment of the series. What was so great about this book is how it covered completely new ground, not just the last days of Krypton but the last years. However, this period is what we all know. Krypton is wracked by more and more earthquakes, Jor-El has calculated the remaining time in months—which is bitterly ironic given that Lara is pregnant. Meanwhile, Zod continues to doggedly deny the approaching end, instead becoming more and more obsessed with enforcing austerity to extend the clock. As his brutality on protesters increases, he even starts making threatening moves towards the council. It’s a strong portrayal of a character who may have started out as a patriot, but has become corrupted by power and denial.
And then there’s Zor-El, Jor-El’s brother and partner in science. He’s still obsessed with using the Phantom Zone as a possible escape, and this fixation has led him to ignore his family—unable to even celebrate his daughter’s accomplishments. Kara looks oddly young in the art here, given that this is only months from where her rocket takes off. But even though this story doesn’t feel as fresh as the first four issues, the creative team manages to keep it highly engaging. That’s mostly due to the emotional punch some scenes pack, especially the buildup to the showdown between Jor-El and Zod. It also makes a few major changes to the mythos, including giving Lara seemingly much more active role in saving baby Kal. With only one issue left, I have little doubt that the finale will deliver several more gut punches as the story of the doomed planet reaches its inevitable, tragic end.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
