Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Eddy Barrows, Penciller; Eber Ferreira, Inker; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Lois Lane isn’t the only character going through some major changes in this run – ever since Lex Luthor got mindwiped in House of Brainiac, he’s become a new man. At first he seemed almost simple and childlike, but since then he’s started evolving. This version of Lex wants to bond with his daughter, is starting a relationship with Mercy, and seems thoroughly uninterested in all the mad scientist stuff he doesn’t remember – even as Lena tries to jog his memories with items from his past life. But a problem is emerging, as Mr. Terrific struggles to come up with answers for the chaos left in Darkseid’s wake. Because of the psychological contagions spread by anything associated with the Omega effect, they need a darker mind to investigate it. They need Lex Luthor – but that might mean unleashing something just as dark back into the world.
This issue doesn’t have much action at all, but it doesn’t need it. Williamson has done an amazing job of giving us a psychological profile of Luthor, as he struggles with the hatred he’s earned from the public while seeing that person as almost a foreign individual. Flashbacks to his childhood show a loving relationship with his mother, a toxic relationship with his abusive drunk father, and a first invention that gave him a surprising connection to Superman in both their early years. We start to see the first glimpses of memories come back to Lex, as he starts to tap into his genius again – but is this a good thing? This isn’t the first time someone has toyed with Lex taking on a more benevolent role in the DC Universe, but this might be the first time I’ve actually felt invested in what happens to the character. It’s a testament to how good Williamson’s writing is that these one-shot issues feel like essential character studies.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
