Superman Unlimited #8 – Dan Slott/Jeremy Adams, Writers; Lucas Meyer, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Dan Slott has brought on Jeremy Adams as a co-writer for what seems to be a series of done-in-one stories, so it’s no surprise that some of Adams’ favorite characters are along for the ride – including the Green Lanterns. Sebastian Stagg, the sinister son of Simon Stagg (who briefly took over when his father was dead) has pioneered a new form of rockets powered by Kryptonite, boasting to bring faster-than-light travel to the masses – or at least the very rich masses. To pitch this, he’s doing an initial flight featuring top journalists, one of which is Daily Planet EIC Lois Lane. Danger is nothing to Lois, but Superman is worried – because the shuttle could kill him if he tries to rescue her. And he has reason to be worried, because a coalition of alien species really don’t want humans to make their way into the cosmos regularly, and are planning an ambush on the ship as it makes its exit from the atmosphere.
The danger is well known, so current Corps Leader Jessica Cruz deputizes Guy Gardner to guard the ship. And sure enough, things spiral out of control very quickly, with the aliens not only attacking and trying to capture the ship, but deploying a team of Durlans who can shapeshift to confuse any rescue missions. The villains are fairly generic for most of the issue, mostly serving as supervillains to force Superman into action, but there are some really fun twists along the way – including the creepy Toyman, who looks like a little ventriloquist dummy, turning out to be one of the unsung heroes of this issue. The chaotic final escape also exposes one of the other passengers for having an ulterior motive, but among the wild events that take place, there’s a really strong subplot that drives home just how strong Superman and Lois’ marriage is, and why they remain the best couple in the DC Universe.
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