Up, Up, And Hopefully Away

Read two comics featuring Kryptonians. One featured kryptonite, one did not. Both featured Supergirl. I think this will be a theme in 2006

SUPERMAN #650--'Mortal Men'


Oh, for the love of all things marketing. This is One Year Later territory again, and this time we're in Metropolis. Here, we see a Metropolis that has not seen Superman in over a year, even though Clark Kent is actually still there. In fact, there not being a Superman seems to be working out for Clark--he can now focus on being a reporter, and he's now become the best in town. Maybe even better than that snoopy investigative reporter Lane. But why no Supes? And why is Supergirl handling all the bad asses? And why do I keep thinking of Superman 2?

Not a bad issue overall, but I'm not sure if I'm going to sign on for the other bazillion issues in this Up, Up And Away storyline. Pete Woods' art looks gorgeous ( as it did back on Catwoman), and the new creative team of Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns knows how to tell superhero tales--but I'm a little fatigued with Big Blue. I enjoy Supergirl, but that was because she used to be a bit of a fringe character, but I think that's going to change with 2006--and with the rumoured Legion of Superheroes cartoon. Still, some nice stuff here--Supergirl trying to reason with Kryptonite Man ('I'm only going to say this once, friend: Settle down. No more of this. I don't need it. You don't need it, and Metropolis REALLY doesn't need it.') was nice, as was the battle, using two panels to show the impact of Supergirl's punch. Worth your money, even if you aren't down with mortgaging your house to get the other issues.

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #16

Back in the Sixties, there was a book called Superboy and The Legion of Super-Heroes. This is now the Oughts, and we get a big kick of Nostalgia Juice with SuperGIRL and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

I haven't really warmed to this latest incarnation of the Legion. After sixteen issues, I'm still waiting for the book to start. Sure, we've had all the Legion touchstones thus far: romance (with more sex than ever before), death (bye bye Dream Girl) and galaxy threatening villians. But it hasn't had that sense of warmth and community that is the Legion. Everyone for the most part comes across as a smart ass, for one thing.

This issue, though, seemed to turn things around, if only a bit. We still have the Legion as well meaning thugs (here, they incite couch potatoes into leaving their homes to shout at them, wondering if the old farts realize the irony), and yet another planet threatening....well, That bit was handled nicely, as was cameras finding a blurry Superman shield in the speedwash of the object hurtling towards Earth. The Legion assembles to handle it, and it was refreshing to see things go wrong.

The issue ends with the arrival of Supergirl in the 31st century, and her words in the last panel are either meaningless or will explain an awful lot about this current Legion. I'm going with the former. Still, it is nice to have a Super back with the Legion that isn't a barely concealed homage (Kent Shakespeare or Laurel Gand).

Welcome to the Legion, Kara. Be warned: these guys are assholes.