DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6

Part 6

October 2009

Written by Greg Rucka and James Robinson

Pencils by Pete Woods

Inks by Pete Woods

Covers by Gary Frank and Eddy Barrows

Synopsis

General Zod has just been shot.  The assassin attempts to escape, but the citizens of Krypton find him and begin to exact their own form of punishment.  Kal-el and his squad break apart the citizens and save the assassin, who is beaten to near death.  Afterwards, Kal-el interrogates the assassin, but learns very little, including if he was working alone or not.  Later, Alura calms the citizens and lets them know the assassin worked alone and they should have faith.  She then charges Kal-el to learn whatever he can from the assassin.  When Kal-el returns to interrogate the prisoner again, he finds out the prisoner has escaped and is no longer on Krypton.  So, Kal-el decides only he and Sueprgirl should return to Earth to find him.  To do so, however, Ka-el realizes he needs to be Superman once more [continued in Action Comics #880]. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“This is a job for Superman!”

The above quote is perhaps a little bit trite, but it worked perfectly within the context of the story.  It actually made me smile a little bit.  Actually, this whole issue produced a smile; this is a great way to kick off the new crossover. 

Often in my reviews on this site (you should really make with the clicky and check them out) I complain that writers will stretch out the story and the plot simply to get to some predetermined cliffhanger for an issue.  It is a pet peeve of mine.  Writers should write to the story, not to the format.  In some ways, this issue feels like the writers were doing that, building the events in this issue so that the last image is Kal-el retrieving his Superman costume.  Yet, amazingly, it didn’t even occur to me how much this issue felt padded until I read the issue a second to prepare to write this review.  It was then that I noticed scenes and conversations seemed to go on a bit longer than it felt like it should, especially the opening 4 to 6 pages, which felt like it was really being stretched, like it was taking up space, waiting for something else to happen.  Maybe it was because I knew what happens and by the second read through I was getting a little antsy to get to the meat of the story.  The first time, however, I didn’t notice it.  I was just too engrossed in the story, which took an unexpected turn with the shooting of Zod.  What I found the most compelling about it is that the writers have managed to craft an interesting story in which the shooting of Zod is a secondary element.  Other characters or events take the forefront (such as Kal-el becoming the head of security or Alura’s speech or Ursa folding like a cheap lawn chair or the escape with the familiar device).  All of this stuff is fascinating on its own, but with the backdrop of Zod’s shooting it takes on a new dimension.  There is a lot here to love.  It is a great way to start the crossover and the cliffhanger, even if the writer’s wrote to the get to that point, was a great kicker to the story.  Can’t wait for the next installment. 

We can gather than General Lane will be involved in this story, but was the assassin working for Lane and if so, how does shooting Zod work into the overall plan and why the assassin think it would benefit Krypton.  It is like an enigma wrapped in a mystery. 

Despite the fact that it felt like it was a little long, I did like the opening sequence, which was told in mostly silence as the throng goes after the assassin and then Red Shard defends and protects him just so they can interrogate him.  It is beautiful sequence, handled well by artist Peter Woods.  I would like to know whose idea it was to put the red streamers, looking a lot like blood, falling all over the place.

I mentioned in the review for the previous issue that I thought Zod wasn’t dead and would probably remain unconscious until the end of this crossover and that looks to be the case here.

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