Review: Supergirl #15

Supergirl #15 came out this week, the latest chapter in the H'El on Earth. So far this has been something of an uneven crossover, each issue tangentially linked to the last but thematically feeling quite different. H'El's story is sort of oozing out slowly over each issue as well. While we know the big plan is to 'save Krypton', we know little of the hows or the whys.

Unfortunately, H'El has decided that Supergirl is the weak link in the super-families. She is the one he can most persuade to join his cause. And, unfortunately, that sets Supergirl up to be the patsy here, the fall guy, the villain. Part of her main story is that she needs to become acclimated to and accepted on Earth. And making her side with the villain, fight Superman and eventually the JLA, derails that. And that would be a shame because there has been such progress on that front in this book.

Writer Mike Johnson has been writing the most sympathetic Kara. We have seen her struggle with her feelings, opening up slowly to people around her on her new home. Seeing her dealing with grief and slowly opening up has been great. And, in some ways, this has made this a more vulnerable Supergirl, strong in resolve but emotionally fragile.

It is this fragility that H'El takes full advantage of here, showing her and reminding her of all she has lost. He even sets himself up as an empathetic figure for her. It is horrible but somewhat understandable.

As always, Mahmud Asrar does solid work here. Action scenes are dynamic. But the quiet scenes have such power, with small art flourishes which add so much.

The issue starts with a flashback of Kara and her best friend Tali joy-riding around the city. It is easy and breezy talk. Tali talks about kissing her boyfriend even though there has been no official gene-match yet. Kara talks about kissing 'someone' but a meaningless kiss. She won't kiss anyone now unless it means something.

That last line ends up being something meaningful. But as important is the tone of this scene. We have rarely seen Supergirl smile. We know she is dealing with major trauma. Seeing her like this, smiling and laughing with her friend, it shows us the 'real' Kara. It also shows us who she can be once she embraces Earth as her home.

We flash forward to the current time. In Sanctuary, Kara is actually crying as she remembers her friend.

When asked by H'El, she immediately toughens up and says she is fine. Even her body language shows it. She looks rigid, as though she is steeling herself. Great Asrar work.

It is sad that this Kara has to bury her emotions, afraid of showing them. It is this stuff that I think Superman could help with. But again it is this grief that H'El is playing on.

H'EL takes her to the now vacated Fortress (we see Superman and Superboy on the outside unable to re-enter). He tells Kara that the key to Krypton's salvation is within Kandor. And then, somehow, he is able to shrink her and send her into the bottle.

If remembering her old life is painful, being shown it like this must be torture. Supergirl calls it a nightmare. While the Kandorians may be in stasis, it must look like a giant mausoleum.

If he is trying to remind Kara of what she lost, of what she can gain, what better way is there?

Now one thing I don't like about this is Supergirl's willingness to go forward simply on faith. I wish she would ask H'El exactly what his plan is instead of having it revealed piece meal and helping with each step. And I also wish she would ask more questions about H'El himself.

For example,  for some reason H'El can't enter Kandor himself physically. He can only send an astral self. And of course, it is his 'true self', what he looked like before his travels. But he can't remember fully what happened.

So why can't he enter Kandor fully? I wonder if there is some sort of Kryptonian DNA filter on the bottle. Only full Kryptonians might be able to enter. And if H'El is a hybrid clone, maybe he can't get through. That mix of genealogies might also explain his hatred of Superboy - a sort of self-hatred tranferral.

My theory on H'El is at the end of this review.

And look at the effect on Supergirl, to see him like this, to hear him like this. He is similar to Kara in many ways, a lost soul, pining for home, and with some memory gaps making things that much worse. He has set himself up to be the perfect kindred spirit.

It is as if he knows every string to pull to get Supergirl on his side. Wonderful expressive work by Mahmud Asrar here.

After a brief fight with some remaining Terminauts and after seeing her friend Tali in stasis (another powerful moment feeding into Kara's hope), Supergirl finishes the task at hand. She removes the 'quantum crystal' from the heart of the city. Somehow the city 'needs' the crystal, I assume to maintain the stasis field or life support systems.  But if Krypton never explodes, if The Collector/Brainiac are defeated in the past, then there won't need to be a bottle city power supply. So Kara takes it and leaves.

More than any other place, it is here I would hope that Kara would have asked for the complete plan. 'Ummm ... hey .... before I unplug this city and possibly doom these people, can you explain just what it is you might do? You know, like some details, chance of success, etc?' It wouldn't be that hard.

Once outside, lays it on thicker. He talks about feeling like a monster, abnormal, out of place. And he thanks Kara for treating him like he is whole again. Whole is bolded. More on that later.

But this once more plays on Supergirl's empathy. She must feel like a monster on Earth, abnormal. She mustn't feel whole with so much of her life missing. Of course she will want to believe in him.

Heck ... she'll even kiss him. And we know she wouldn't do that unless there was a connection. And that connection has been laid out this whole time. Heck, she even looks smitten in that last panel (again nice expressive work by Asrar).

Can I understand why Supergirl would fall for all of this? I suppose. Do I wish she didn't fall for it hook, line, and sinker? Do I wish she would have asked a few more tough questions? Yes.

And as for the kiss ...
Well, I have seen her kiss lots and lots of bad guys in the Silver Age. I suppose this could be an homage of sorts. Not that Silver Age stories would work now.

As for H'El, here is my new theory.

I do believe that H'El was Kryptonian and lived on Krypton. I'll even believe he was a contemporary of Jor-El. What if he also learned that Krypton was going to explode and tried to figure his own way out. What if his idea was some sort of cloning/DNA merging, trying to make himself into someone who could survive. And what if that experiment went horribly wrong, making him a walking nightmare, living in pain. Maybe he wants to go back in time to stop himself from becoming this H'El. And all this 'whole' and 'together' talk with Kara. I hope he isn't going to try use her DNA to 'wash out' the other strands.

Per usual, this chapter of H'El on Earth was an interesting read because it is so strong on characterization. Here we see just how Supergirl might be persuaded to join this villain, to turn her back on her new planet, to try to find love in someone who is hurting as much as she is. It is a much better story than the sullen reasons seen in Superman.

Again, I do wish Supergirl was smart enough and curious enough to ask a few more questions.

Overall grade: B/B+

March 2013 Solicits

It is crazy to believe that the March solicits have already been released. I am still worrying about holiday shopping!

These solicits are interesting in that Marvel seems to be surging, Gail Simone was just announced to be off Batgirl, and both big DC families - Superman and Batman titles - are coming off major crossover events. After a time where DC seemed to be surging, it feels like (outside of the Batman titles) things are a bit unsteady at the company right now. No real big surprises this month outside of one potential new title.

Anyways, here is a link for all the DC solicits over on Newsarama:   http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dc-comics-march-2013-solicitations.html

And here are the pertinent solicits.

SUPERGIRL #18
Written by MIKE JOHNSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
• It’s a new dawn for the Girl of Steel after the nightmare of “H’EL ON EARTH”!
• Nothing will be the same for Supergirl as she embarks on a new mission that brings her face to face with one of DC’s deadliest villains!

I have commented on the cover before but I will say it again. Having an evil looking Supergirl crushing the Earth on the cover sends a wrong message. Unless you want an evil Supergirl in your book which means you don't understand Supergirl. I hope that Mike Johnson can keep the editorial barbarians at the gates.

As for the solicit itself, there is a new mission and a new villain. One of DC's deadliest villains. I hope it isn't the Silver Banshee again. I'd rather see a new villain battle this Supergirl. Any guesses?

ACTION COMICS #18
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:25 B and W Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
“We Can Be Heroes” blank variant cover available

• Welcome the new creative team of writer Andy Diggle and artist Tony S. Daniel!
• Inside the nefarious mind of Lex Luthor, who bares his scars—but how did he get them?
• Luthor’s plan to eradicate Superman may make Kal an alien pariah!
• The Oracle awaits at the edge of the Solar System to pass judgment on Superman—and he is not alone.
• You won’t believe who comes calling on the final page!

Morrison's run is over. Let the Diggle era begin.

Certainly, starting out a new run with Luthor arc is the right way to go. I feel like what the Superman titles need right now is a bit of a throwback story - a heroic Superman battling one of his arch-enemies. And the cover looks way more slick than I am used to from Tony Daniel.

Add to that the Oracle and some mystery guest star (I am leaning towards a New Gods character) and I am optimistic.

I have to say, I am intrigued by the new team. Friends of mine whose opinion I trust love Andy Diggle. I only hope he moves away from the isolated, aloof Superman we have seen recently.

SUPERMAN #18
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:25 B and W Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT

• The new H.I.V.E. makes its stunning first appearance in The New 52 by trying to take over Metropolis!
• More on Clark Kent’s life as a reporter away from The Daily Planet!

I sometimes think that an organization like H.I.V.E. might have a better success against Superman than a single big bruiser. So having someone come in to try to insidiously take control of Metropolis should lead to a good story.

Still, we'll wait for the execution of the arc.

SUPERBOY #18
Written by TOM DeFALCO
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

• “H’EL ON EARTH” has ended, and Superboy’s about to land in a new city, with a new secret identity and a surprising new foe on his trail!
• Guest-starring Superman!

The re-re-reboot of Superboy begins. First he was a weapon of NOWHERE. Then he was pumped full of subliminals to destroy Superman by Harvest. Now he has a new secret identity (I guess bank robber didn't work) and a new city. Maybe we'll get a young hero not an addled living weapon thief.

And Superman guest stars ... maybe to be supportive?

So Superboy lives in a city, has a secret identity, gets visited by Superman.
Meanwhile Supergirl lives alone at the bottom of the ocean, no secret identity or interaction with people, no visits from family.

I have no idea what is happening on this cover.

WORLDS’ FINEST #10
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

• After being attacked by a group connected to the missing Mr. Terrific, Power Girl and Huntress take the fight to Holt Industries, where they make a shocking discovery!
• Plus: Huntress is personally affected by a tragedy in The New 52!

Lots to digest here.

First off, Kevin Maguire on solo art again. Let me ask the Worlds' Finest crowd that comes here. Would you prefer the half/half approach per issue or would you rather Perez and Maguire alternate whole issues instead? I can't decide in my head.

Holt is stuck on Earth 2 so I wonder if the discovery is some connection to their old world.

And the 'Death in the Family' ending must be what affects Helena. So ... as a non-Batman reader ... could Damien be the one who dies in that mega-story? Of course, she probably had an Alfred on Earth 2, so he could also affect her as well.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #11
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by PERE PEREZ
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS

• In order to face Bart’s demons, Superman and Impulse confront a reluctant ally: the JSA’s Jay Garrick!
• Lois’s investigation into Lex takes a surprising turn.
• Chloe’s journey through her doppelganger’s memories turns dangerous.
  
According to Bryan Q. Miller's twitter feed, Jorge Jimenez is the artist on this arc.

Is there any word on how many print issues this is going to be?

I keep waiting to hear about the impending 'crisis' in the solicits.

I wonder if Bart's demons aren't true beings from Hell, but more personal demons. After all, Vegas seems to be in the reflection of Impulse's glasses.   

SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #11
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

• Ma Kent finally meets Lois Lane!
• What startling questions might they have for one another?
• Is trouble brewing in the big city?
• Time to take the Super-Pets for walkies in Metropolis!

Is there any character that is comedy gold than Ma Kent in an all ages book. The idea of an elderly farm woman disciplining super-beings is just waiting for shenanigans. We saw it in Super Best Friends Forever. We saw it here with Solomon Grundy. So why not a whole issue!

And I can't wait to see Lois with her. I think Lois knows who Clark is in Superman Family Adventures. 

AME-COMI GIRLS #1
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art and cover by EDUARDO FRANCISCO

• The new, monthly AME-COMI ongoing series begins here!
• The Ame-Comi Girls team up for the final showdown with Brainiac!
• Starring Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Supergirl, Batgirl, Robin, Steel and The Flash!

And then the surprise of the month ... and ongoing Ame-Comi Girls book.

I am buying the print version of the current single issue character books (although there is a running story through them) and enjoying them so far as a sort of fun trippy DC Universe. I have heard that Supergirl gets, once again, used and turned evil in the upcoming issues.

Anyways, on this cover, it looks like Supergirl is ready to throw punches at Power Girl. I shouldn't be surprised at this given Jimmy Palmotti is writing. I hope Supergirl gets a fair shake here. I guess I'll give it a try.

But the big thing is the post-H'El tenor of the Supergirl book. What will it be like. 

Review: Legion Lost #15

Legion Lost #15 came out last week, the penultimate wheeze for this series which wraps up next month. I suppose we have to applaud writer Tom DeFalco as he tries to finish this series in a satisfying way, bringing the individual Legionnaires' stories to a close. Unfortunately, to achieve the individual stories' goal, he has to cut corners on the main story. Will we ever find out just what Daggor and Thraxx are doing, who they work for, what they want? Or is an seemingly all-powerful couple of villains just the lubricant to keep this title moving along.

I also think that in some instances the dialogue here reads a little stiff, as if the characters have to say things that are exposition to keep things cruising forward. But there are also some nice lines as the team confronts their secrets but end up staying true to the core Legion values.

The art here is done by Andres Guildano and it is solid if unspectacular. He has huge shoes to fill as Pete Woods is probably already working on Vibe.

So I still don't know if I actually understand what is happening here. Thraxx and Daggor are heralds for some universal being. They destroy planets that get in their way. We have seen them vaporize a world just with their inherent powers. But for some reason here they are still orbiting Earth and instead using android troopers to accomplish their goal?

These things also seem to be trying to put together some sort of robot T Rex as well. I did find it interesting that this thing is called a World Killer a couple of times. Does that tie into the Kryptonian created World Killers at all?

I have always been partial to Wildfire and his plight in the book has been interesting. His suit broken and irrepariable, he has been living on borrowed time. And even though he gave Daggor and Thraxx his best shot and failed, he isn't going to sit on the sidelines. He knows it is probably a suicide mission but he flies off to face them again.

It is selfless and heroic. And I love how he gives a subtle goodbye here. He has been on the greatest team of heroes; he has met the love of his life. It has been a good if troubled life.

Now I know I am protective of Supergirl and look at all her appearances very closely, very critically. So I can only imagine what Superboy fans are thinking of his role here in Legion Lost as brainwashed flunky of Harvest. That's right, with just a key phrase Superboy becomes unhinged, only able to say 'kill, maim, destroy' lashing out against friend and foe alike. He has no self-control or awareness here.

It reduces him to the clumsiest of characters here. And really, he is not integral to this story. He could have easily been left out and spared this presentation.

Any big time Superboy fans out there? What do you guys think of this?

It isn't much of a surprise when Wildfire's suit gets torn apart by Thraxx. And so we see the portion of the helmet that Captain Adym showed to Yera in the last issue.

As a Wildfire fan, I loved his tortured relationship with Dawnstar. It is nice to see her weep for him, admit she never told him how much she cared. But she also should now he isn't dead. She has seen his suit shredded before and seen him simply enter a new one. I am hoping she means he is figuratively dead, trapped in a century where his suit can't be rebuilt, a wraith forever.

Doesn't take away how glad I was to see those tears for Drake. He deserves them.

Despite this assault by this hodgepodge team of Legionnaires, SciPo officers, Superboy and the Ravagers, and Harvest and his cronies, the doomsday machine continues to self-construct. There is no way that this team can delay the inevitable.

With no other apparent choice, Captain Adym decides he needs to take action. He'll use his time bubble to go back even further and use a 'singularity bomb' to destroy this thing. That bomb will kill millions but save the planet. Do these ends justify the means?

Tyroc doesn't think so. Again, it shows the determination of the Legion that Tyroc still thinks there has to be another solution, a last second victory to be had, without being part of a massacre.

From the beginning I have guessed that Adym becomes Harvest. Now I wonder if this singularity bomb somehow fuses Adym, Daggor, and Thraxx. It would explain his link to the future and Harvest's unique look. Heck, maybe some of the android  T-Rex is thrown in there too.  Remember, you read it here first.

One thing that did stand out as feeling wrong is this scene where Gates loses his nerve fearing his own death and thinks of running out on his friends. He'll use Adym's time bubble to skedattle back to the future. I don't know ... it just doesn't seem like something the irascible Gates would do.

Also, I wonder why everyone else Hypertaxis' effects (Timber Wolf's shootable claws, etc.) have simply gone away but Gates' Two-Face appearance remains intact.

As much as I liked the Dawnstar moment, I think this was my favorite moment in the book.

When Tyroc says he will stop Adym if he tries his 'singularity bomb' solution, Adym asks his allies for support. That includes SciPo officer Lure and undercover agent Yera. Both of them reject his ideas. And Yera finally voices her ultimate loyalty. She is a Legionnaire. She won't betray her teammates.

I think this underlying feeling of family, of ethics, of fidelity to the cause ... that is Legion

Harvest has always been the monkey wrench here. What are his motives in all this. He arrives here, wiping out everybody, and apparently embracing the idea of the bomb.

So how can all of this wrap up in a mere 20 pages? How do we learn about all the secrets the Legionnaires have been hiding, what Harvest wants, what Daggor and Thraxx wants, get the Legion home, and put a bow on it.

This issue had some nice moments. But overall it was something of a loud mess, a brawl where some characterization broke out. I never thought that the Hypertaxis storyline had legs to be a long-running plot. I wasn't sure if the the Legion in our time would work as a title when the Legion in their time struggles. And so Legion Lost approaches its end.

I hope these Legionnaires are rolled into the main book and that title gets some more creative TLC.

Overall grade: C+

Sales Review: November 2012

The sales numbers for November 2012 were released last week and, as usual, ICv2 covers the story. Here is a link to their list of the top 300 titles in sales for last month: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/24568.html
As always, I'd recommend heading there for total coverage.

Supergirl #14 came out last month, the first issue on the title as part of the H'El on Earth crossover event. I loved the issue as it really showed a Kara that was growing, becoming closer with Kal, respecting life, and not easily wooed by promises of the past. (Of course all of that was undone by Scott Lobdell.)

Sales on the book went up 6%! The book 'sold' 31,270 units, up from 29,450 from the prior. Much of that is probably expected from the boost of the crossover. Any boost in sales is welcomed. Of course, for visitors to the character, they are probably even more flummoxed by her uneven portrayal in the story than I was.

Now to put in some historical perspective, Supergirl #35 (last volume) was a New Krypton crossover with a variant cover and sold 45K.

Personally, I would be thrilled if the title settled out at around 30K of sales. Hopefully some of the H'El readers will stick around.

And what about the other title I like to follow sales on?

Legion of Super-Heroes continues to bleed readers. The last issue, probably the most forgettable of the title was down even more.

Legion of Super-Heroes #14 sold only 17,767 issues.

Will the return of Keith Giffen on the book give this title any boost?

Review: Superboy #15

Superboy #15 came out last week, the next chapter in the H'El on Earth storyline. I have yet to be floored by this crossover yet. The opening prologue with the Kryptonian dragon was a decent hook. The Supergirl issue was a good character driven chapter. The Superman issue was loud and brash but was so different from the Supergirl issue that if felt off.

And now we have Superboy #15. And like this entire arc there are some good things and some bad things about this issue. This is the first prolonged meeting between Superboy and Superman and that carries some weight and importance. And, for the most part, Superman is treated nicely here, doing whatever he needs to do to help. As for Superboy, he also has some nice moments, suppressing his brainwashing and dealing with some bad news. And Supergirl makes a brief appearance which has creepy overtones. Still, despite that, this whole issue had an uneven feel to it. And I don't know if it necessarily moved the big story forward that much.

Perhaps adding to that is the artwork of the issue. There is no RB Silva here. Instead we get a hodge podge of artists: Ron Frenz on breakdowns, Roger Robinson on finished work, with a hand from Iban Coello and Amilcar Pinna. We go from murky thick-lined shadow art, to fine-lined precise, to somewhere in the middle.

The issue picks up in the aftermath of Superman #14. There is a fair amount of property damage from the battle with H'El. Superboy is dying on the street. And Superman is still engaged with H'El.

As I said, one of the high points in this issue is the characterization of Superman. This is pretty over the top dialogue, but it is still good to hear Superman say that no one threatens his planet.

It's funny but I don't know if H'El has threatened us per se. He definitely thinks Earth is below Krypton. But maybe his plan is actualized in a lab. Anyways, Superman is here to help. And not only help the big picture, but individuals as well. His super-senses tell him Superboy is dying.

Here is the one mini-misstep in how Superman was portrayed.

As he is trying to whisk Superboy away for medical attention, a crusty sort of Harvey Bullock-type cop tells him that he can't remove a 'suspect' from the scene. Perhaps the old Superman would have got a 'thanks for taking him away for us Superman!' But not here.

And instead of Superman replying, 'I am taking him for medical attention and will return him if warranted' he menacingly glares at the cop. Yeah ... that's a nice way to foster trust and teamwork.

I suppose one view would be this humanizes Superman. How else to respond to a jerk trying to stop you from doing the right thing. But I want Superman to be the model.

I still don't quite get the overall stance on Superman in this DCnU. And Superboy's thoughts don't help matters. As he is being whisked to the Fortress for medical care, Superboy calls him arrogant and reckless. Superman ... arrogant?

He also says some people think that Superman is the point person of an alien invasion. So after 5 years of heroics and not leading an alien armada to take over, there is a segment of people who still think him as a vanguard. I don't get that either.

At least we get 'some people consider him the world's greatest hero'. Some people. And they consider it.

Look, I get that in the current world people would naturally have some trust issues with someone like Superman. But here is the deal, I read comics to escape the current world. Can't there be some heroes in this universe?

In the Fortress, Superman scans Superboy in discovers that his DNA is a three stranded model that is disintegrating. Three strands ... interesting. And more on this later.

One thing that I did like here is that Superman's first thought are for the well-being of his cousin. It is bad enough that H'El has duped and kidnapped her. Now we know he has the power to unmake her. Again, I will stress how nice it was to read this especially coming off of Lobdell's

As for Supergirl, she is back in Sanctuary with H'El.

There is something oily about this whole scene starting with the rather coquettish and vulnerable position she is in. But then the cringe factor gets dialed up when H'El cradles her head in his hand, looking her in the eyes, and talks about how she will always be protected by him. Does H'El have romantic aspirations too? Yeesh. It just continues to foster this feeling that Supergirl is the patsy in all this.

Luckily, Supergirl looks a little creeped out by the whole thing as H'El teleports away.  I also thought it was nice that Supergirl couldn't believe that Superman would say the horrible things said last issue (by a transfigured H'El).

Superman's scanning of Superboy gets a helping hand from Cyborg and Professor Veritas. The three strands of DNA are human, Kryptonian, and something else, something unidentifiable. So the mystery of Superboy gets some new information. I guess if it unidentifiable it might be something new. So guesses like DNA from the Saturnians on Titan (to explain telepathy/telekinesis) are probably wrong.

Since at least 1/3 of Superboy is Kryptonian, Superman theorizes that his Kryptonian armor, a genetic based nanotech, might help. Not a bad idea I suppose.

I am on the fence about Dr. Veritas' provocative comment that Kryptonian DNA might mean Superman was 'busy'. I suppose she has shown some attraction to Superman so this might be some flirting.

The armor works in a sense. Superboy is suddenly feeling better. His strength is augmented. But it completely cuts off his tactile telekinesis.  It is so jarring that Superboy initially can't stand the feeling and rips off the armor. Of course, that means eventual death so he eventually puts it back on.

My guess is the armor suppresses the other genetic strands and only augments the Kryptonian part of him.

But this was one of the weakest panels of the book. Superman says the armor is 'concentrating and condensing' his telekinesis. He then immediately says 'don't ask me where that came from'. When a character apologizes for the dialogue he just said, the writer should know it isn't right to have them say it. I don't know where that came from either.

The bottom line is Superboy is stable.

And then, a nice moment which hopefully will help Superboy deal with his brainwashing. Superman extends a hand of help and decides to team-up with Superboy to fight H'El. There is a simplicity to Superman's plan. Track H'El and defeat him. Again, for the most part, the characterization of Superman was very good here and that might influence Superboy tremendously.

It won't be easy. H'El shows up in the Fortress and tosses the two heroes out.

So this is a decent issue. I have some worries about Supergirl (I always do). And some of the dialogue seemed off. More importantly, there wasn't much progress on the storyline itself. Plus the art was so mishmash it was a bit rattling. But the mystery of Superboy deepened a bit. And Superman proved himself to Superboy as a force of good. That part was solid.

I hope we get RB Silva back soon.

Overall grade: B

Review: Smallville #8

It has been a week and a half since Smallville #8 came out. I am woefully behind in my reviews and I apologize.

This issue closed out the Superman/Batman main plot while moving forward on all the subplots that writer Bryan Q. Miller is weaving into the story. There are a couple of stories being juggled in this book but Miller makes sure that we check in enough to keep them simmering. Perhaps most impressively, he actually has me interested in the Ollie/Chloe relationship. My 'spider sense' is tingling about that plot; I am sensing a sad outcome.

And Miller continues to infuse just enough humor into these stories, even some with tragic overtones like this, to keep the reading popping. Add to that the inclusion of Steph Brown Barbara Gordon as a quirky strong Nightwing and this issue continues the trend of Smallville being one of my favorite titles each month.

Art this month was split between Axel Gimenez and Kevin West. Neither is as polished as Jamal Igle or Chris Cross. But there is a sort of raw energy in their work which suits the issue.

I have said before that the subplot I have been most interested in has been the possession of Lex by Tess. Tess has slowly started to gain control of Lex's body. It has been amusing to read their interactions. This issue I loved that Lex said he was inconvenienced by Tess' presence. She retorts that of course she is more inconvenienced since she is ... in fact ... dead.

I also liked that Lex didn't want Tess to take any more liberties with his body while his consciousness was sleeping. He will be strapped to a bed and locked into a room so Tess can't roam any more. Lex doesn't want to wake up to being in the amorous grasp of any of Tess' prior lovers.

As for Superman, he is healed after some minor surgery by Bruce. The two are recuperating with Lois and Babs on a well-equipped freighter, untraceable back to Batman.

It is the similarities and differences with these characters that make their interactions so wonderful. Clark remains at heart a simple country boy so hearing Bruce complain about his butler must be crazy. First world problems indeed. And Bruce being so irascible in the presence of Clark's sunny disposition is also funny in its own way.

The two realize they need to go after the Prankster and Mr. Freeze. With the powers those 2 posses, some wardrobe upgrades are needed.

As I have said before, I am just not an Ollie guy. But was intrigued by his part to play in this story, especially last issue when he was arrested for helping Batman escape the police.

Chloe on the other hand has become much more interesting over time in my book. She really is strong and independent and the brains behind the super-hero team here. Here, she shows enough knowledge of the law to play the part of Ollie's 'attorney', presenting a good enough case to get him sprung.

Of course, it makes me wonder what she sees in such a brick like Ollie.

The Prankster meanwhile shows that he is pulling a lot more strings than he initially showed. He takes control of Mr. Freeze's power suit, sending Fries out into Metropolis to indiscriminately kill and destroy.

Having traced Superman and Batman to the freighter, he sends an army of thugs to the boat.

And, for good measure, he uses a Captain Carrot Action Figure to get control of a military drone bomber and sends that to the ship as well.

A Captain Carrot figure! I'd buy it.

Unfortunately, Superman and Batman are in their fancy suits and not on the boat. Superman is in a lead-based suit, enough to block out the Kryptonite the Prankster has at his disposal. Batman is in a heated sun suit to fight Freeze.

The Prankster has his own power-suit, a sort of Giant Robo/Metallo mix.

I love Superman's deadpan 'another robot'.

Whatever she is called, this Nightwing reads like Steph Brown to the point that she is Steph in my mind.

With that gang of bruisers storming the boat, Lois and Nightwing prepare for battle.

Steph Babs says she is ready for an ass-kicking, a sort of reverse tough statement. When Lois calls her on it, she recognizes what she said and moves on. That is laugh out loud funny. And that, by far, was my favorite moment of the issue.

And then  Lois and Nightwing bring the fight to these guys, taking them down.

There are other fun moments like Ollie knocking the controlled Mr. Freeze off his feet with a boxing glove arrow. Even better is Ollie basically saying he had to do something comedic - either a boxing glove arrow or a bad pun.

But the Prankster is really looking to make a splash. He has overloaded Freeze's suit. It is basically a cold bomb which will wipe out a chunk of Metropolis.

While Superman defeats the Prankster's K-Suit with some ingenuity, Batman unplugs Freeze.

But the big thing here was that both hero, when faced with something disastrous (Kryptonite or cold suits)  says 'Not if I take them out of the equation'. It just was a nice way of showing that these guys might not be as different as they seem. Both know what needs to be done.

The freighter in the mean time has been perforated by drone missiles and is sinking.

As Nightwing and Lois scramble to make it to the surface the whole boat lurches. Superman has hoisted the ship on his shoulders, saving the day.

These two panels are great as the particulars all respond.

Nightwing is shocked.
Batman is incredulous.
Ollie is calmer but still amazed.

And Lois pronounces her love! Man, I miss the Clark/Lois relationship. It is so good to see it alive and well here.

Later, Bruce places roses in Crime Alley. Superman shows up.

This was a very well written scene and I wish I could include it all.

For one, there is this part where Superman reminds Bruce that he tried to save Chill from the Prankster. Bruce would not have killed Chill if he had been given the chance.

But there are also panels where Clark says that Bruce not only mourns his parents but the death of his own innocence as well.

Again, you have a mix of humor and seriousness sprinkled nicely throughout the book.

And then some joy with Chloe announcing she's pregnant.

Now that is interesting!

But I do worry here. We have already seen on Chloe die in this comic, albeit the Earth 2 Chloe. But could that be foreshadowing?

I doubt Miller would resort to a 'refrigerator' role for Chloe. But I do think this adds a layer of peril to her character. I will be watching closely.

And so 'Detective' comes to a close. But not without a cliffhanger.

Lex suddenly realizes that Tess probably has valuable information about Superman, information that is literally in his head. And it is time for him to have access to it.

Maybe having Tess downloaded into a robot shell would have been favorable.

So I think the small moments in this book, the dialogue and characterization is all solidly entertaining. Do I quite understand why The Prankster was doing what he was doing, why he brought Freeze along, why all these things intersected? Not really. But I think I can roll with it given everything else that comes here.

I also think, unlike a lot of DC books right now, there is a sense of fun and joy in this book. It isn't slapstick ... but it does feel like real life. There are ups and down, sad moments and happy ones. How great was it to hear Lois say she was going to kiss Clark's 'stupid face'? Completely endearing.

Smallville continues to be the most well-rounded of the super-books. It has a nice pre-New 52 feel to it without the ennui of the television show. I wasn't even sure I was going to get this book. I am glad I did!

Overall grade: B+