Supergirl #16 – Sophie Campbell, Writer; Joe Quinones, Artist; Paolo Villanelli, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The Kingdom of Zod event kicks off this issue, with Supergirl taking the lead (Superman hasn’t returned from his journeys in space just yet), and at first she’s mostly working to stop the Superboys from killing each other. Conner Kent has a well-earned grudge against Superboy Prime, and the reformed Prime can’t help but ragebaiting anyway. It’s not long before ther crew gets a message from El Caldero’s leadership that they’re needed there, and Kara assembles her own Super Force – the band of underdog heroes she’s picked up over the course of Campbell’s series – for backup. But as they arrive, it becomes clear it’s a trap. General Zod has been lying in wait, looking to lure Lois Lane into his clutches so he can extract his powers from her, and he’s talen over the country and unleashed a powerful new version of the Eradicator – the Eradicatrix – to serve as the muscle. It’s a strong set-up for an action-packed event that still has plenty of Campbell’s charm.
Superman: Action Comics #1101 – Mark Waid, Writer; Montos, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: After over a year, Superman is ready to arrive back on Earth. There are just two problems. One, his younger self is still tagging along with the group of superheroes who rescued him. And more critically, he’s arriving on a planet that has been poisoned by Kryptonite, with the Eradicatrix seeding the whole planet with an experimental isotope that leads to fast-growing crystals as deadly to humans as Kryptonians. While the entire cast battles to survive, Lois and Zod are left alone together as the mad Kryptonian dictator tries to reclaim his powers. But it doesn’t take long for Lois to get under his skin in the issue’s best segment. Waid has some excellent characterization for Zod here, painting him as a man who is undeniably insane and evil, but is also driven by a level of loss few could understand. You almost pity him for a short time – before you remember he’s causing all of this and the calvary shows up to fight back.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
