DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #7

Part 7

November 2009

Written by Greg Rucka and James Robinson

Pencils by Pete Woods

Inks by Pete Woods

Covers by Gary Frank and Bryan Talbot

Synopsis

Superman returns to New Krypton with the dead body of Ral-Dar, the shooter who critically injured General Zod, to find the Council debating whether or not to attack Earth.  Commander Gor tells the Council the gun used to shoot Zod was from Earth.  Superman doesn’t think the actions of a few should mean war with all of Earth.  Just then General Zod arrives, still weak from the shooting.  Zod proclaims that New Krypton should not declare war with Earth (just yet) and then promotes Kal-el to General of the armies in his absence before passing out.  A week later, members of Kal-el’s squad depart for a special mission to capture a moon from Jupiter and move into orbit around New Krypton.  Meanwhile, Kal-el talks to Tyr-van, one of the first friends Kal-el made on New Krypton.  Kal-el surmises that Tyr-van was working for Zod.  Because of this Kal-el ends the friendship.  Just then, news comes back that the space mission is in trouble.  Kal-el leads the military guild into space.  Near Mars they find the other Kryptonians engaged in battle with Thanagarians.  However, because of the battle, they lost control of Jupiter’s moon and it is now floating directly towards New Krypton.  

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Somewhere along the way, well about halfway I think, this issue and the series as a whole, seemingly took a complete left turn from where it had been going.  I am not saying this is a good thing or a bad thing.  It just struck me as odd.  The entire situation with the moon and the Thanagarians is disconnected from the machinations of Zod and the potential conflict with Earth.  Everything seems to be pointing to a showdown between Zod and Kal-el and the fate of the two planets and only with a couple of issues to go in this series, I would’ve thought their conflict would take center stage.  And it seemed to, especially when Zod appeared in the Council chamber.  But then Zod passes out and suddenly we get this whole deal with Callisto and the Thanagarians.  Frankly, I am getting into the back-room shenanigans the great characterization (especially Zod) so I was a little disappointed the last half of this issue veered away from it.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a strong sequence and it definitely grabbed my attention that I am curious to know what the Thanagarians are up to.  However, I am not quite sure where Rucka and Robinson are taking the story.  However, this series has been so good since its inception that I am willing to follow it wherever it goes in the next issue.  I am not saying the writers will make this left turn work, but I am willing to find out. 

I really enjoyed the brief scene between Kal-el and Tyr-Van.  It was charged with emotion, with the conversation and Kal-el’s simple end to their friendship playing off events from previous issues.  The scene works now because the writers invested enough time earlier to not only show their friendship, but also the relationship between the two guilds.  So we understand Tyr-Van’s excuse about his position and Kal-el’s anger that Tyr-Van would use that excuse, especially given all that Kal-el has tried to do for them.  And it also works because it shows the consequences of Tyr-Van’s actions as well as the treachery of General Zod. 

Thinking about it, I really think the turning point in the characterization of the relationship between Kal-el and Zod occurred when Kal refused to escape.  Facing certain death, Kal remained because of his convictions and his beliefs.  I think that statement changed the way Zod looked and felt about Earth’s Superman.  Combined with the way Kal-el effectively handled some of the earlier tests (such as the hostage situation or the rampaging animals) and I think Zod has developed a grudging respect for Kal-el, which is reflected in the decision to name him General. 

I would like to think that moving a moon from one planet to another would be something more important and monumental than what it seems here.  I mean, without the moon, will have an effect on Jupiter?  Or the other planets in the solar system?  And wouldn’t someone on Earth notice?  And if so wouldn’t that make them nervous that Kryptonians can move a moon if they feel like it?

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