Superman #276 (1974)

Superman #276 (June, 1974)
"Make Way For Captain Thunder!"
Writer - Elliot S! Maggin
Penciller - Curt Swan
Inker - Bob Oksner
Editor - Julius Schwartz
Cover Price: $0.20

Another one from the "wouldja lookit that cover!" collection...  Seems to be a theme right now!

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We open in a dingy Metropolis alleyway, where in a flash of light a confused young boy appears.  This is Willie Fawcett, and he's got a snazzy lightning-themed belt buckle.  Superman flies overhead, which confuses him... he expresses confusion (and just about any emotion) with the word "Creepies!"  If I can remember, maybe I'll do a Creepies-Count toward the end.  Anyhoo, he takes a bus across town to the Galaxy Communications Building... which, also confuses him.  He was expecting the WHAM-TV building instead.  Hmm...

Superman again appears overhead, and is in hot pursuit of a giant flying lizard... which is clearly a phony illusion.  Superman realizes this, and understands the need to take it out of commission with the quickness as not to incite fear, and so he might suss out the real threat this is distracting him from.  That was probably the clumsiest sentence I've ever written.  Anyhoo... while everyone else is distracted, Willie sees the real menace... some robbers in a helicopter seeking to steal an armored car.  He Shaz... er, Thunders! up and becomes the incomparable (ahem) Captain Thunder!

In his transformation, he finds that he is no longer interested in stopping the robbers... but instead, aiding and abetting them in their underhanded endeavor!  He hoists the armored car over his head and flies off with it.  Over the bay, Superman dispatches the illusion.  He then heads back in to stop the attempted robbery... and to exchange blows and insults with Captain Thunder.  He calls him "flabby" which, I dunno why... but it makes me giggle a bit.

Captain Thunder decides discretion is the better part of valor, and hurls the armored car at Superman.  He then "thunders" down, and returns to his boyish figure... who is somehow none the wiser of the Thunderer's wrong-doings.  And so, he decides to visit with Superman's friend Clark Kent to talk to him about Captain Thunder.  Not sure why he'd be so inclined, but it helps move the story forward.

He also shares his dual nature, and the way he came to have it.  Willie Fawcett's origin begins at a campout for orphans.  He sees an owl, and gets it into his head that he ought to follow it... to a mountain wall which opens up, and leads to the park bench throne of Morokee, the Mohegan Medicine Man who endows him with the powers of Captain Thunder.  We learn that not only does the lad need to say "Thunder" to transform, he also must rub his thunderbolt belt buckle... which, I think might make more sense than just saying a (relatively common) word.

Willie continues, and shares a recent adventure he had as Captain Thunder in which he fought... well, the Universal Pictures monsters, basically.  He winds up trapping them in a strange dimension, however, as he leaves Dracula (?) says they've secretly messed with him, and he'll never be the same!

Clark's not entirely sold on Willie's story, and feels that he might be suffering delusions.  He decides to take the boy to the police station to see if anyone had reported him missing.  He asks Lois to accompany them, so she might beg the question of his chauvinism. When they arrive, Clark uses his x-ray vision to spy a strange tank with a phallic blaster attached to it busting up the garage underneath HQ.

He excuses himself, running off for a hamburger with amazing urgency.  As the odd tank emerges, Willie instinctively "thunders" up, forgetting that his super-powered alter-ego is, ya know... evil.  Superman and Captain Thunder's battle resumes!

Superman leads Cap out of Metropolis so they might fight without endangering the citizens.  They fly through a storm cloud, and Superman uses his super breath to change it into a giant ice cube.  This only serves to slow down Captain Thunder.

From here, the stakes raise... they literally start throwing mountains at one another.  It would appear that the pair are almost too equally-matched... and neither would out-muscle the other.  That leaves it to Superman to trick his foe into depowering himself.  As the Captain says the word "thunder", Superman forces him to rub his belt buckle.  Ay yai yai.

He turns back into Willie, and Superman carries him to the ground.  He shares a theory that Captain Thunder is from a different dimension and puts the boy into a full nelson... he asks him to re-thunder up one more time, so he might speak to the "big guy".

And so, he manages to keep Captain Thunder in the full nelson!  They exchange pleasantries, and Superman implores Cap to think about how he jumped dimensions... and he does!  Captain Thunder thunders down again... and vanishes back to his home dimension.

The issue wraps with an epilogue in which Lois forces Clark to buy her an expensive meal.  At the end, she is flabbergasted at the sight of him putting "catsup" on his prime sirloin!  Little does she know that she'll eventually have a taste for boeuf bourguignon with ketchup!

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Such a weird little issue...

I think this is one of the more iconic (Nick Cardy!) DC covers of the 1970's... instantly recognizable, even if you don't necessarily know the issue number, or even which Superman book it occurred in.  When I first saw it, I really thought this was DC playing with a character they didn't yet have ownership or control over, however, upon actually reading it... it's got an ad for a DC published Shazam! collection inside it!

I guess this issue came out at a time in which DC published Captain Marvel comics, but kept them separate from the mainstream DC Universe.  Pretty interesting idea... and amazing restraint by editorial.  I mean, if it were me, I don't think I'd be able to keep everything separate.  The temptation would be far too strong!

For the story itself... it was, ya know... weird.  I enjoyed it, and lemme tell ya, I was happy that this wasn't framed as an "imaginary story", but it really wasn't what I expected.  Folks who know me, know that I grew up a Marvel kid.  I'm used to superhero meet-ups being formulaic in that: (1) The heroes meet, (2) the heroes fight, and finally (3) the heroes team up against a common foe.  That doesn't happen here... and I feel like maybe it should have.

I think the issue spent far more time filling in Willie/Thunder's origin and backstory... which is both amazing and strange, in that the character never really showed up again.  During Flashpoint there was a Captain Thunder... but, unless I'm mistaken, it's not the same one... and honestly even if it was, that story came 37 years and 4 Crises later... it wouldn't really matter if it was!  Let's not get it twisted though, I'm glad this was an earnest effort toward making Captain Thunder feel "real".  Just the fact that they took the time and effort to acronym-ized T.H.U.N.D.E.R. was pretty cool.  Perhaps this was an attempt at a backdoor pilot for the character... or just testing the waters for DC eventually bringing the Marvel Family into the DCU proper.

Overall, this is a pretty iconic and wonderfully strange issue that I would recommend even if I didn't dig it just for the sheer novelty of the thing.  That fact that I did like it, is just gravy.  Somewhat surprisingly, this issue is not available digitally.  It has been collected, probably several times, but specifically in Superman In the Seventies.

Oh, by the way, Creepies Count: 16

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Letters Page:

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All-Star Squadron #1 (1981)

All-Star Squadron #1 (September, 1981)
"The World on Fire!"
Writer/Co-Creator - Roy Thomas
Penciller/Co-Creator - Rich Buckler
Inker/Embellisher - Jeremiah Ordway
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Editor - Len Wein
Cover Price: $0.50

Not much to say going into this one... I definitely want to express my condolences to the late Rich Buckler, whose art fills this issue... and, c'mon... just look at that cover, they don't come much more iconic than that!  Wonderfully talented artist, taken too soon.

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We open with Hawkman flying through Manhattan heading toward the Justice Society of America's nondescript headquarters.  He enters into the darkened meeting room though a mysteriously open window, and finds himself not among his teammates, but ensnared by a certain stretchy individual.  After the misunderstanding, Plastic Man tells Hawkman that he is there on official F.B.I. business on orders from President Roosevelt.  We learn that F.D.R. has been trying to get a hold of the Justice Society all night.  The pair overhear a radio broadcast about several members of the Society (and their associates) having been beaten and captured by the baddies.

We see that Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman have been captured by Solomon Grundy... Superman, Batman and Robin have been caught by Professor Zodiak... if you can imagine it, the Sorcerer Wotan has beaten both Dr. Fate and the Spectre... and finally, Sandman, Starman, and Johnny Thunder were taken by a floating Spanish Galleon.  Hawkman shares a story (which apparently took place during the All-Star Squadron Prevue pullout from Justice League of America #193) where he, the Atom and Dr. Mid-Nite were attacked by a man who said the name "Degaton".  Anyhoo, the pair decide they're D.C.-bound to talk to the President.

Along the way, they find themselves attacked by... King Bee?  What in all hells...?  Okay, here's a fella who goes by "Bee", even though he looks more like a fly... and he's got flying drones he has sicced on the heroes.  The fight doesn't go terribly long, and ends with the King literally... exploding!  Elsewhere at that very moment, F.D.R. advisor Harry Hopkins explains to his men that finding the JSA is of the utmost importance... otherwise, December 7, 1941 might just go down as "the most tragic day in America's history".

We shift to the skies north of Hawaii where an armored figure soars on winged horse.  We learn this is the Shining Knight and his steed Winged Victory.  We get the quick and dirty on his background... he's sort of like a medieval Captain America, frozen in ice since the Middle Ages.  Once thawed, hooked up with a group of heroes that we know as the Seven Soldiers of Victory.  He notices a campsite near a volcano and decides to land and check it out.

He wanders into the camp, where he meets a young volcanolgist named Dannette Reilly.  She is here to investigate the nearby volcano that looks to be ready to erupt... on this tiny island, which only days earlier... didn't even exist!  Shining Knight decides to lend a helping hand... er, blade, and chops their way into the volcano, where they run right into... Solomon Grundy and Captain Underpants Professor Zodiak!  Shining Knight and Dannette are beaten down fairly quickly.

When he comes to, the Knight finds himself bound in odd manacles.  It's here that he (and we) are introduced to the man of the hour... Per Degaton.  He calls himself the Master of Worlds and Time... you'd figure anyone who refers to themselves as that would have a less horrible haircut... but, whattayagonnado?  Anyhoo, he introduces his crew and informs us that he has come from the far-flung future of... 1947!

We shift scenes to... Pearl Harbor, where we meet the volcanist's brother Rod Reilly and his fellow Navy man Slugger Dunn.  Rod was at one time the masked hero, Firebrand.  Anyhoo, they chat for a bit... but only a bit, because this is when the Japanese decided to strike.  They both flee back to the U.S.S. Arizona, however, Slugger trips and falls.  Despite his buddy's insistence to the contrary, Rod stops to help him... this costs both men their lives.

At the same time in Washington D.C.'s Griffith Stadium, the Washington Redskins are on their way to beating the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14.  Such great attention to detail... this game was actually happening during the Pearl Harbor attack!  In the stands the Atom and Dr. Mid-Nite are cheering on the home team.  The latter overhears some officials being called to an office... and decides they ought to follow.  A strange man in a hat and trenchcoat follows them as well.  Inside the office, they learn of the Pearl Harbor attack... which makes the Atom, er, throw himself into a door to try and leave.  Dude, calm down.  The trenchcoated fella unmasks, revealing himself to be... Robotman (not that one).

Atom and Mid-Nite decide Robotman might be an asset, and agree to let him accompany them to the White House.  On their way, we see a pair of media types chasing the scoop... this is photographer Johnny Chambers and radio war-correspondent, Libby Lawrence.  When they see the heroes flying above, they both disappear and reemerge (separately, and unbeknownst to the other) as Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle.

The gaggle of heroes assemble on the steps of the White House... where they argue.  These folks can be really territorial.  Finally, they all realize that there might just be strength in numbers... and they enter to meet with President Roosevelt, who tells them he would like for them to assemble an all-star squadron consisting of all the nation's costumed crime-fighters.

They (obviously) agree... and set out to the west coast, in case of further Japanese attacks and to try and locate their captive cohorts.  In an interesting (to me) bit, Liberty Belle has to make a phone call to Philly... so they can ring the actual Liberty Bell and charge her powers.  I had no idea that was even a thing... how neat is that?

The issue ends with a submarine's periscope rising in San Francisco Bay.  It's our poorly quaffed pal, Degaton... and his captives, Shining Knight and Ms. Reilly.

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Wow, such an ambitious concept, right?  Mixing real-world situations and Golden-Age concepts to tell a pretty riveting tale.  DC's early-80's Roy-Thomas-iverse has been one of my blind spots due to just how big of a commitment I always thought it would be... and lemme tell ya... this series/corner of the DC Universe still feels like it requires a big commitment of time and energy.

I mean, damn... this issue was dense.  I thought it was great, and I love all of the nods to real world events, with such great attention to detail too... but, this is definitely not "light reading".  This isn't something I'd be able to read a stack of before going to bed... there's just too much here!  That's not a bad thing by any means, but I gotta say, I'm pretty well spent after reading and recapping the 22 pages I just read.  There was just so much important information given here... I felt it would be a disservice to leave just about any of it out of the synopsis!

I think my sole complaint would be that this launched out of a prevue-pullout.  I get why they do this and know it's a very "DC" thing to do, but c'mon... the book has a #1 on it, it really should be the beginning.  I don't want to get a few pages in and realize I need to dig an issue of Justice League of America out of a different long box if I want the full story.

I really wanna mention the cover... I know I commented on it during the preamble, but damn... such a great cover.  It tells you everything you want to know... and fills you with so much curiosity.  I mean, imagine seeing a cover like this today (where it's not a Skrull or baby-fied homage or something)... tell me you wouldn't pick it up!  I know I would.  While sorta on the subject, the art throughout is very good.  Perfect clean comic book art... even down to Per Degaton's terrible split-loaf haircut.

Overall, I would definitely recommend checking this out, however... with a bit of a caveat.  Like I said above, this isn't "light" reading.  There is a lot of information here... and a lot of characters introduced and reintroduced.  And, for full context... you might wanna have your Google machine at the ready... so you can learn about Harry Hopkins and what football games were played on December 7, 1941.  This is a wonderful package, and is obviously a labor of love for Roy Thomas.  If you have the time to sit down and actually "receive" a superhero story... this book is for you.  It is available digitally, and (if you don't mind black and white art) it has been collected in a (currently out-of-print) SHOWCASE Presents volume.

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(Not the) Letters Page:

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Ain't no Magpie I ever met.

Action Comics #980 (2017)

Action Comics #980 (July, 2017)
"Revenge, Part II"
Writer - Dan Jurgens
Artist - Patch Zircher
Color - Hi-Fi
Letters - Rob Leigh
Associate Editor - Paul Kaminski
Editor - Mike Cotton
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.99

It's funny, I've been covering more and more contemporary stuff here of late.  When I first set out to put my little corner of the internet together, I never would have guessed I'd have anything with (Current Year) following the title.

I only say this because, in writing the creator credits for contemporary books, it feels like nearly half of the creators are editors!  In this day and age of sloppy continuity, uneven characterization, and the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing... we have more editors than ever before!  I don't get it.

Now, don't get it twisted, I'm not talking about this book in particular, because, to me, this is one of the few "constants" in the comic book world.  Just something that struck me when I was typing up the credits is all.

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We pick up right where we left off with Cyborg Superman putting his plan into motion.  He reminds his all-new Revenge Squad why they are there, and why it is in each of their best interests to come together and take down the man responsible for stopping them individually at every turn.  It doesn't really take all that much selling... these folks hate Superman enough as it is.

Speaking of Superman, we join him as he heads back to the new Kent apartment.  Ya see, he knows that (at the very least) Eradicator and Blanque know of his dual identity, and wants to make sure his family is safe.  At the apartment, young Jon is acting... well, like a kid who has just been told that they're moving.  He has trouble understanding why they need to... because, the most important thing to them is Superman... and Superman can be super from just about anywhere.  

Lois blah-blahs about their "day job", and we can tell that Jon doesn't think writing for a major metropolitan newspaper is anywhere near as cool as beating up bad guys.  At this point, Superman returns home... and kinda spills the beans on the ongoing super-villain team-up, before leaping back into action.  The art here, and I may be thinking too hard, is kinda telling.  Superman is talking like this won't be a big deal at all... however, his face is... for lack of a better turn of phrase, is... lacking hope?  I mean, his brow is sorta furrowed... there's no twinkle in his eye.  If this was the intention, than damn... what a great job by Zircher.  Even Superman's body language is kind of... stiff, uncomfortable... just really great stuff.  Lois seems to see right through Clark's facade... and knows that this is likely to be a "long night".

We rejoin Superman aboard the Justice League Satellite so he might track the Eradicator via his unique energy signature.  He is joined by Batman just as he gets a "ping".  Turns out the Eradicator is in... Belle Reve?  Now, I'm not following Suicide Squad so I'm not entirely clear on this black-bubble surrounding the prison.  We'll find out in a bit that it's called the Black Vault, and shares properties with the Phantom Zone.  Anyhoo, Superman and Batman briefly debate the value of the Suicide Squad's work and Amanda Waller's methods, which is a pretty neat way to illustrate the ways in which they look at their disparate approaches to superheroics.

We shift to Belle Reve where one-half of The Reign of the Supermen (or two-thirds, post-Rebirth) are working their way through the Black Vault.  Inside Henshaw is haunted by his own past... going all the way back to when he was just a dollar-store Reed Richards.

No sooner do they pull through, than Superman enters himself.  He is haunted by his failure to save his parents.  If I'm not mistaken, we still don't quite know how or exactly when they died.  Not sure if we're going all the way back to pre-Crisis "tropical island flu" or whatever that was that claimed 'em back then.

He emerges... well, actually... no.  He doesn't "emerge" from the Black Vault... he's yanked out of it by the throat!  Cyborg Superman holds the real steel deal aloft... leading Superman to realize that the stakes have just been raised immeasurably.  A battle rages!

Which kinda goes to a no-contest.  Superman and Henshaw become overcome by Black-Vault visions, and it's only due to interference from the Eradicator that our Cybernetic friend is able to escape.  The chapter ends with Superman still haunted... not only for the loss of his parents, however... but by everyone who is and has been important to him.

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Great Zod issue.  Wait, what?  No Zod?  Ehh, no bother... maybe they used next issue's cover here.  Or... or... maybe as soon as someone mentioned "Belle Reve", several ears perked up... and all at once everyone squee-ed "Harley Cover!!!"

I kid... but only sorta.  I know complaining about covers is tantamount to whatever adorable Simpsons meme you can think of about old men shouting about things that don't matter... but, it's just as easy to draw a cover that depicts the story as it is to draw one that doesn't.  Now, let's not get it twisted... I think this is a great cover... really high quality and striking... but, it's not the cover for this issue.  Next issue, perhaps... but who knows?

And, so ends my "complaint" section... because, that's really the only real problem I have with this issue... and if you ask me (and you didn't), that's pretty damn good!

I wanna focus on the brief scene at the new Kent de-luxe apartment, because this was my main takeaway.  Now, we've always knows Superman to be an altruist... but now, he's also a father.  This, obviously, raises every stake... and is a whole 'nother layer of worry every time he goes out and risks his life to save the world.  His uneasy "Yeah, no biggie... I got this" attitude here is pretty neat.  I mean, just who was he trying to convince here?  Lois and Jon... or himself?  What must be going through his head at this point... at this juncture, he's not trying to "save the day"... but save his hide, and the hides of his family.

I really love how transparent his attitude was to Lois.  She knows what's up... but she'll play along, for Jon.  I mean, we've all been there, right?  When there's something weighing down on our minds... our souls even, but we don't dare discuss it because it might cause others to worry.  Even when we're actually doing the people in our lives an aggressive disservice in not telling them... we still twist it up in our heads, that we're keeping them in the dark... for their own good.  I wanna say again... Patrick Zircher knocked this scene, not only outta the park... but outta whatever city the park is in.  His excellent facials and body language really punctuated the scene.

The Black Vault... is a Suicide Squad thing that I don't have any real context for.  With that said, it's perhaps a bit of a blah way to waste a few pages... but here, I can't say that's a negative.  We're still in rebuilding mode for Superman, so seeing him face his fears and failures really helps to fill in his nebulous backstory.  Also, we were able to see that Henshaw's past is... basically/exactly his post-Crisis origin.  I don't want to see much more of "hero faces his his fears and failures", however, here... it works for me.

Overall, another top quality issue of Action Comics.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again... this is the pinnacle of the Rebirth initiative for me.  I really hope the upcoming Doomsday Clock doesn't undo all (or any of) the good that Jurgens, Zircher, Tomasi, and Gleason have done for the Man of Steel.  Definitely worth your time.  If you happen to be a lapsed Superman fan... it's safe to "come home".

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Flash (vol.5) #22 (2017)

Flash (vol.5) #22 (July, 2017)
"The Button, Part Four"
Script - Joshua Williamson
Art - Howard Porter
Color - Hi-Fi
Letters - Steve Wands
Assistant Editor - Amedeo Turturro
Editor - Brian Cunningham
Special Thanks - Geoff Johns & Tom King
Cover Price: $2.99

It's funny when I think about spoilers as though they actually matter.  Whenever I review a recent (or even a semi-recent) issue, I make sure to note that my piece includes spoilers when I share them on social media.

In the past two weeks, however, I feel as though I've been spoiled... just by the covers of these books!  We had the Cyborg Superman reveal on the cover of Action Comics... and hey, don't look now, but I think that's Jay Garrick on this very cover!

DC's kinda silly... just last month they were doing whatever they could to keep the Mr. Mxyzptlk reveal under wraps (though folks on social media had no qualms about ruining that for folks anyway)... and now, we're spoiled before even cracking the book open.

Oh well.

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Picking up where we left off, Batman and Flash are chasing a button-holding Thawne through the timestream.  He refers to some old (pre-Crisis, even) events between he and the heroes, and threatens to remake time in his own image... sorta.  As they continue their run, a faint voice calls out to Barry.

Bruce can hear it too, however Barry writes it off as yet another "siren call of hypertime", like the voices of his mother and Iris.  Thawne decides to continue being an ass by threatening to change time so that he would be Barry's guardian... and raise him to be his acolyte.  The Cosmic Treadmill begins to fall apart just as Thawne reaches his destination.

And it's a good thing too... because where Thawne winds up, isn't very nice.

Back in the timestream/speed force/wherever, Barry and Bruce hear Thawne's final scream... and they continue to hear that whisper of a voice... which identifies itself as "Jay".  No sooner does Barry say "Jay" than...

Jay Garrick emerges and pulls the heroes through the stream and back into the Batcave.  He identifies himself as a friend... and a Flash, and implores Barry to remember him... just like he did Wally.  Unfortunately, this is one speedster Barry doesn't seem to recognize.  And so, Jay is pulled back.

We jump ahead to Barry and Bruce standing at the graves of the elder Waynes, considering the Thawne-Effect on everything that has gone down.  They also discuss Thawne's claiming to have seen a "God"... and weigh the possibilities of continuing down this path.

That night, the Bat-Signal hangs in the skies of Gotham... however, Bruce isn't quick to answer it.  He thinks about the last words his father said to him in the Flashpoint Universe... to have is own life, to find happiness, and to let Batman die with him.  I'm guessing this "down time" will be short lived.

Elsewhere... the Comedian's Button is picked up by a bright... blue... hand.

The issue, and story ends with a two-page epilogue featuring a pair of nine-panel grids in which the Button draws ever closer to the "camera"... when it draws back we see the familiar Superman symbol.  Looks like Clark's about to get dragged into this too.  Well, in about six months anyway.

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In a word... underwhelming.

After so much build up... both in and out of story for this issue... and all we get is a tease for a story that won't even begin for six months.  I gotta wonder if this was always the intent... or if maybe Geoff Johns realized he could fit in some comic writing toward the end of the year, and things changed to accommodate him.  I'm not going to go in too deep about the Tim Drake stuff, as that was all changed between the time comps went out, and finished product hit the stands... but it stands to reason that there are many moving parts we're not aware of at play in DC's war rooms (nor, I suppose, should we be).

I guess it's hard to be too angry... this isn't the Marvel way of connecting crossovers or anything.  We didn't just waste upwards of $50-100 and six to eight months of our lives reading something that won't pay off until three crossovers from now... we just read a crossover between two titles.  If not for the incessant real-world hype, this would have been not unlike any other day at the office for Batman and Flash.

So, as for the issue itself... whatta we got?  Well, like real-Wally before him, Jay Garrick fights his way out of the speed force... however, unlike real-Wally, Barry proves not to be his "lightning rod".  Was this just fan service... or is Jay still on the table?  I hope this isn't the last we see of him... and I sorta doubt that it will be.  Just as long as we don't see that New-52 Earth-2 version, I'll be cool.

I get the feeling that they thought the closing page with the blue hand picking up the Button was supposed to be some sort of epic reveal... but, c'mon... we're a year into Rebirth, and from day one... we all knew this was Dr. Manhattan... right?  I mean, that wasn't just me, right?  Definitely a let down... we didn't even get to see his face... not that it would have made it any bigger a "reveal" or anything.

The epilogue... hmm... well, it ends with an announcement of the upcoming Doomsday Clock storyline... with Superman front and center.  The sound you just heard was my stomach tying itself in a knot.  I mean, we just got Superman back... are they gonna screw with him already?  Please tell me they're not gonna screw with him already!  Just whisper it in my ear... I won't tell anyone.

Overall, this is a vital piece of Rebirth-reading, however, one that I feel doesn't quite deliver on the hype that proceeded it.  The writing here is great, really enjoy Williamson's dialogue and storytelling... and the art is fantastic.  Absolutely adore any collaboration between Howard Porter and Hi-Fi coloring.  It really makes any book they are on feel extra special.  Despite my reservations, I think I'd lean toward a recommendation.

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