Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Writer; Scott Godlewski, Vicente Cifuentes, Artists; Lee Loughridge, Matt Herms, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: We’re reaching the last act of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s cosmic epic journey into the far future of the Superman legacy, and the battle for the future has begun. Osul and Otho have been rescued, and Superman’s children have each found their own legacy of power. But more powerful enemies are still gathering – starting with the resurrection of Monugl as a half-alive shambling cyborg monster. While at first he seems mindless, it soon becomes clear he’s anything but – he’s just as ruthless as ever, and possessed by the spirit of all the Monguls who came before. It’s all part of the plan of the master villain of the series – Kryl-Ux, the mad grieving Phaelossian who is seeking to resurrect his family by any means necessary. And as the final showdown looms, we see what’s become of him – and it’s clear that he’s become every bit the monster he’s trying to fight, in more ways than one.
One of the best parts of this series is the way it’s created a whole new world of Super-characters, expanding the legacy of Superman from one family to dozens across the galaxy. I particularly liked seeing our Tamaranean Super, who was mired in an abusive and political marriage designed to surrender her planet, come into her own and stand up for her world. There are so many characters in this book that not too many get the spotlight, but those that do definitely make an impact. My main hesitation about this issue is the fact that the Super-Twins didn’t get all that much to do this issue, and with plenty of speculation that they’ll be saying goodbye at the end of the mini, the scale of this series might be so large that it occasionally loses the emotional core of Superman and his kids – a perfect thematic development for Superman, the most iconic adoptee in fiction.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
