DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL

New Krypton

December 2008

Written by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates

Pencils by Pete Woods, Gary Frank, Renato Guedes

Inks by Pete Woods, Jon SIbal, Wilson Magalháes

Covers by Gary Frank and Renato Guedes

Synopsis

Funeral services are held for Jonathan Kent.  His adopted son Clark imagines vengeance against Brainiac, who he blames for his father’s death.  Elsewhere, an unknown general talks to Codename:  Assassin about the appearance of Kandor and what it means to Superman.  They then discuss Brainiac to see what they can learn from him.  When Brainiac tries to escape, Codename:  Assassin stops him.  In Smallville, Clark apologizes to Ma for not saving Pa, but she tells him he has nothing to apologize for.  In Kandor, Clark visits with Zor el and Alura, Supergirl’s parents.  In Washington D.C., Lois Lane visits her father’s grave, along with her sister Lucy, who has followed her father’s footsteps into the military.  Meanwhile, the Kryptonians begin to realize they have power underneath the yellow sun.  Superman offers to help the Kryptonians about Earth, but they don’t seem to be listening.  On top of the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen waits for Clark to discuss what he learn about the plot to kill Superman.  In Stryker’s Island, Lex Luthor is freed from prison to stop the Kryptonian invasion by General Lane. [continued in Superman #681]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

On the cover, in the middle-to-upper left hand side, you’ll see a small Superman shield with the number one in the center.  That means this is the first part of a multi-part, serialized story that will meander over different titles for the next month or so.  But at the same time is a continuation of stories that have unfolded in the various Superman titles from the previous month.  In essence, this issue is a funnel, taking different plot points and story nuggets and trying to put it into one story.  From Action Comics, we get the continuation of Kandor.  From Superman, we get the continuation of the general and the plot to kill Superman (also from the Jimmy Olsen special).  And from Supergirl we get, well, we get the continuation of her parental issues.  Plus we get a few new pieces, such as the Lane drama and Lex Luthor.  The fact that it works as well as it does is a testament to the writers and editors to make such a cohesive issue.  Suddenly, you can see what Robinson was doing with the Atlas plot and how that works into Johns’ Brainiac story.  It is a masterful stroke of plotting, showing how tightly everything is being woven together.  Hopefully this will continue as we get more and more into the story.

I am not saying that it works completely.  The opening sequence with the funeral of Pa Kent and the single page of Ma Kent alone are heart wrenching, but feel out of place amongst everything else.  I think (and this is just me) that I would have preferred a separate issue to deal with the death of Pa Kent.  It is a milestone event, and whether or not you agree with the decision or think it makes for good storytelling in the future, doesn’t really matter.  I still think it deserves a little more than a few pages at the beginning of a larger story. 

Take those pages out of this issue, I think you’ve go the killer set-up for the world of Superman in the near future.  I loved the Kandor section, with the way the Kryptonians are reacting to their new home world, and their new powers.  The reason it works is not so much that these people are the equal to Superman in physical powers (although that certainly helps) but that they are not as ethically or morally strong as Superman, as evidenced by the death of the whale.  Unlike Atlas, this is not a challenge of strength, but inner fortitude.  The Kryptonians, like most people put into their situation, are drunk on the powers they have been given.  They will test Superman in different ways and I like the potential for those stories.  

I am a relatively new reader to comics so I am not that up-to-date on some aspects of continuity.  Although I know that Sam Lane died, I was uncertain how or what the aspects of that death would have been.  I suppose that he didn’t die and his “death” was staged in order to plan the murder of Superman.  I suppose it doesn’t matter, as long as it is addressed in some way.  That bit of continuity is actually fairly easy to resolve.  The one that isn’t is the character of Lucy.  I suppose Infinite Crisis could have wiped out her marriage to Ron Troupe.  Since Ron has been seen at the Daily Planet recently, I am guessing that would be the case.  Regardless, there is too little information in this issue to know for certain, so like the death of Sam Lane it will need to be addressed. 

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