Superman #4 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Jamal Campbell, Nick Dragotta, Artists; Frank Martin, Colorist
<Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: This has been one of the best Superman runs in recent memory, and certainly the best that focuses on Superman in his most iconic settings—Metropolis, with his classic supporting cast, and sparring with Lex Luthor. Lex has supposedly turned over a new leaf behind bars, aiding Superman in his battle against the criminal masterminds Dr. Pharm and Mr. Graft. These mysterious associates of Luthor’s transformed Parasite, and have now turned their eyes on another villain—Silver Banshee, who was retired from villainy and living a quiet life with her new significant other until Pharm showed up at her door. Using a twisted form of Kryptonite, Pharm is super-charging the villains of Metropolis—and Luthor, who nearly kills a particularly rude inmate this issue in a hilarious way, knows more than he’s letting on. And you know what that means—it’s flashback time!
When I saw Nick Dragotta was sharing art duties this issue, I was worried Campbell wasn’t hitting deadlines. Dragotta is a great artist, but Campbell’s art is a huge part of the appeal. Instead, it’s a short segment set during Luthor’s earliest days in Metropolis, when he encountered Pharm and Graft for the first time and uncovered their twisted human experiments—and even made a brief go of trying to be a hero himself. It’s clear Williamson does think there is something better hiding under Luthor, it’s just buried deep and essentially destroyed by his massive ego. It’s a great take on the iconic rogue, one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. And then there’s the oddball last-act twist, which reveals who Silver Banshee’s paramour is—and gives one of Superman’s most iconic supporting characters something new to do in the series. Another fantastic issue.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
