Superman: Lost #9 – Priest, Writer; Dan Jurgens/Brett Breeding, Carlo Pagulayan/Jason Paz, Artists; Jeromy Cox, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Of all the directions this fascinating psychological study of Superman was going to go, I was definitely not predicting it taking this one. Two issues ago, Lois Lane sought out the help of Lex Luthor to find a way to bring Superman out of the stupor caused by his time-lost years away from Earth—and he responded by giving her cancer. A twisted gambit to force Superman to focus on his life here and return to his original nemesis. He just didn’t account for one thing—Lois wasn’t going to play his game. Instead, she created an elaborate ruse to hide her symptoms and went on with her life. But Superman might not be the world’s greatest detective, but he’s also not clueless. And as he figures out the truth, he—and Luthor—are both filled with dark visuals of what is about to happen to Luthor. These segments, illustrated by master Superman artist Dan Jurgens, are shockingly dark and intense.
But then something interesting happens. The confrontation between Superman and Lois about her hiding this from him gets a little harsh, but never cruel, and the two are able to reach an understanding. Superman’s therapist helps him understand his obsession with Luthor and his rage a little better as well. Lois investigates, and uncovers the truth behind Luthor’s scheme, revealing a feint that is perfectly in character. And Luthor is left to stew in paranoia as the slow healing process begins for the couple. But after all that, with one issue to go, there is still a massive plot thread hanging over the final issue—where is Hope? We finally get our answer at the end of the issue in a huge cliffhanger, and it’s so obviously a feint that I would consider it hilarious if this series hadn’t been so good up to this point. Can’t wait to see how Priest brings the whole thing home next month.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
