Superman #18 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Jamal Campbell, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: As Amanda Waller tears her way through the DC hero community, Superman and Zatanna have taken on an unlikely mission – heading into the underworld to restore magic and give the heroes an edge. The two of them also make an unlikely pair – Superman is vulnerable to magic, and in fact hates it, while Zatanna has been immersed in it since the start of her life. That causes some tension between them as their quest continues, with it ultimately leading them to a dangerous potential partner – Neron. This trickster demon is coming up on his thirtieth anniversary since his introduction, and it’s good to see him spotlighted again with all the sinister charisma he was created with. But he has a deal for them, rather than their souls – he wants to compromise Superman, making him lie for him, which is very in character and potentially creates a major dangling plot thread for the future.
The other members of the cast don’t have quite as much to do this issue, with Lois, Mercy, and an amnesiac Lex heading to the Fortress of Solitude to find it destroyed. There are some emotional moments here, but the main question is how all this is going to lead to Lois getting superpowers of her own. Superman and Zatanna eventually find their way to the House of Heroes – which has been destroyed by Waller, as she expands her war to the Multiverse. The two heroes come under attack by an unexpected doppelganger before making their way back to the Fortress for an emotional reunion. We’re in the last act now, with the final showdown with Waller only two weeks away – so Williamson closes us out with a big-scale teaser that calls back to one of the most iconic Superman stories of all time. This continues to be one of the most consistent books at DC, and if Williamson had to pick one book to keep, I’m glad this is the one.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
