My Adventures With Superman #2 – Josie Campbell, Writer; Pablo Collar, Artist; Nick Filardi, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Having the same lead writer of this series as the animated series really helps this spinoff feel not just like a side comic, but like a complete addition and almost a bonus season. When we last left off, Superman fought a mysterious robot that almost seemed to be asking for his help even as it tore Metropolis apart – but before he could communicate fully with it, it was captured by a new government super-squad led by Robert DuBois, aka Bloodsport. This group is being set up as a rival to Waller’s group, with Slade in particular taking a dislike to DuBois, but they’re in control now – and the base where the robot is being held is equipped with anti-Kryptonian tech, so Superman can’t just bust in. The solution? Clark, Lois, and Jimmy attempt to enter as reporters to investigate. But things quickly go south – starting when Jimmy is denied entry due to his conspiracies getting a little too close to the truth.
This issue does an amazing job of getting to the core of Superman’s character – including that he’ll never turn his back on someone who needs him, even if that someone is a rogue AI. We get some surprising cameos from other villains this issue, proving that Campbell is really well-versed in 90s Superman comics in particular. As things deteriorate between Slade and Dubois, a war emerges and the famous robot winds up being drafted back into the conflict. That leads Superman to make an extremely risky choice – one that winds up having serious consequences for Clark Kent. The voices of the characters are top-notch, and Pablo Collar does an even better job this issue of capturing the faces of the characters from the cartoon. It all comes together into another example of how the Superman line of comics is having some of its best luck in decades – just about every corner of the line is fantastic.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
