Superman #33 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Hayden Sherman, Artist; Alejandro Sanchez, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Some of the DC KO fight issues are fairly straightforward showdowns between heroes – and some are allowed to be weird, and are all the better for it. As soon as I see Hayden Sherman is on art for this issue, I know I’m in for something special, as Sherman’s art is some of the most spectacular in the industry – as we see regularly on Absolute Wonder Woman and Batman: Dark Patterns. They’re the perfect choice for an issue that takes place heavily in hell, as Luthor faces off against Etrigan the Demon. This isn’t Luthor’s first time in Hell, of course – he made a deal with Neron previously, and that demon king is returning to bedevil the Justice League right now. But this is an intriguing battle of two very morally flexible antiheroes at best, with Etrigan having a particular reason to want to counter Darkseid and Luthor being the first to admit that if someone’s going to have the power, he wants it for himself.
The first round of this battle is kind of a curb-stomp, as it even looks like a mismatch from the title. But was this unfortunate – or part of Luthor’s plan? After all, now he has access to the entire multiverse, and he’s approaching this like a war plan. His choice of form in the second round arouses Etrigan’s suspicions and quickly allows him to take the upper hand, and that sends the fight back to where it began – hell itself, for a final battle that shows just how manipulative Luthor is and how he’s usually thinking a few dozen steps ahead. These two are the star attraction, but it’s also worth mentioning just how much fun the other subplots are, as Superboy Prime and Lois Lane battle to escape the fortress and ensure that its knowledge survives, with Darkseid’s Legion hot on their tail. Superboy Prime joins Doomsday as another surprise breakout star of this run.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
