Convergence: Superman #2 (2015)

Convergence: Superman #2 (July, 2015)
Writer/Artist - Dan Jurgens
Ink Art - Norm Rapmund
Letters - Tom Napolitano
Color - Brad Anderson
Assistant Editor - Brittany Holzherr
Editor - Marie Javins
Cover Price: $3.99

Sometimes I feel a bit weird about covering "key" issues.  I never think I can add anything that hasn't already been said.  Today we're going to discuss a wonderful issue... and one that features the first appearance of our current post-Rebirth Superboy, Jonathan Kent.

Let's get right down to it...

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We open with Batman receiving some intel regarding the goings on toward the end of the previous chapter.  His monitors display the fight between his teammates and this new mysterious Kryptonian (and his compatriot in the flying car).  He again considers that this man may hail from Barry Allen's universe... the one in which his son Bruce still lives.

On the battlefield, Superman regains the upper hand.  He again suggests a peaceful resolution... however, the Flashpointers remain wary.  They cite the disembodied voice that delivered THE SPEECH.  One city lives... one dies.  And so, they lay into the Man of Steel.  While Captain Thunder pummels Superman, he hears Lois' cry for help over his earpiece.  Now... there isn't anything or anyone on any planet that can stop him.

Superman smashes Captain Thunder's head into the dirt.  Abin Sur and Cyborg take up the slack and begin to unload... that is, until Jimmy Olsen finally makes himself useful by nailing them with a Whiz Wagon wallop of a blast.

Jimmy gives Superman the thumbs up... and, perhaps I'm reading a bit deep, but seems to hint at knowing Superman and Clark Kent are the same fella.  He's like, if Lois should be about to give birth... she might want her husband with her... wink wink.  Eh, who knows... Either way, Superman heads toward the Gotham he's called home for the past year.

How much do you know, Olsen?

At the Batcave, Subject-1 arrives with a ready-to-pop Lois Lane.  Batman is surprised that El sussed out all of his secrets... but, ya know... Kryptonian.  No secrets here, pal.  We get a bit of expositional information about the Project: Superman miniseries... reaffirming that Lois Lane was very important to Subject-1.  Wayne is a bit put off... he's not sure how bringing in a pre-Flashpointer might effect the "rules" of the Convergence game.

Superman arrives at his and Lois' apartment... and sees that his wife set up the webcam to record what had occurred there earlier.  Also, she is still in possession of the earpiece, which makes her a bit easier to track.  Abin Sur arrives, however, comes in peace.  He suggests that Superman is not his enemy, and proceeds to fill him in on Subject-1's Lois Lane-fixation.  

He also provides the origin for the Flashpoint Batman... we already know that this ain't Bruce, but Thomas.  Superman understands what this likely means.  El brought her to Thomas because he's a doctor... and, ya know... it might just be time.

Superman makes haste, and arrives at the Batcave pretty quick.  On his way in he spears Subject-1 into a wall... which is pretty cool.  Superman and Batman make it clear right off the bat that they have no reason to fight... he even suggests Lois deliver here in the Batcave, as it would keep them safer from an irate Captain Thunder.  Hospitality notwithstanding, Thomas refuses to deliver the baby.  He's given up such things since losing his son.

It's up to Clark to deliver his own child... and it takes almost two whole hours.

At 5:18, Lois Lane-Kent gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.  The new parents bounce a few baby-names off one another, and settle on a name that pays tribute to both of their fathers.  Welcome to the Universe Jonathan Samuel Kent.

We close out with the Super-family expressing their love for one another... which, for all we knew... was going to be the last time we ever saw them.

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I absolutely loved and hated this issue the first time I read it.  It was bar-none the greatest Superman story I'd read in... probably over a decade.  After almost four years of the New-52... and several years of weird stories which spanned from Superman books without Superman in them... to a Superman who decided he was going to walk across the country, this was an unexpected and absolute pleasure.

This was a Superman I could actually recognize.  Not an attitudinal, brash, collared Superman... but the one that I can imagine looking up to.  This is "the symbol"... the hero all other heroes being in awe of... which is never a feeling I got from the New-52 iteration.

So yeah... loved this.  But, also hated it.  Hated it for being so good... for being so, at the time... final.  I hated that we were leaving these amazing characters behind.  This ties such a beautiful bow on the post-Crisis Lois and Clark, that it really felt as though the final page was their "in amber" moment.  I do recall that Convergence ended with the Kents heading back to avert the Crisis on Infinite Earths... so, yeah... I think the smart money was on them never showing up again.

This story was so good... that it's hard for me to point out some bits and pieces, but I'm gonna anyway.  There is very little resolution here in regard to the Gotham vs. Gotham... which, if I'm being honest, I couldn't care less about.  Still worth a mention, though.  Does the pre-Flashpoint Gotham "die" because their "champion" left?  Who knows.  Maybe they mentioned it in the main Convergence miniseries... I don't recall, and I'm not interested enough to dig it out.

This is the issue where a I kind of feel like a veil was lifted for me.  It was with this story that I came to realize something that I should have known for the past couple of decades... that Dan Jurgens is the definitive Superman creator of my generation/lifetime.  So much of how I view Superman... hell, comics in general, I owe to the talents of Dan Jurgens.  I bought (and read) every single issue of the Convergence event... and I gotta say, since it made this two-parter possible, it was all worth it.

Like I said yesterday... this mini is highly recommended.  It is the story from which the Superman we read today stemmed.  If you haven't read it... you probably should.  I can't help but feel DC missed the mark by not including this in the Road to Rebirth-branded Superman: Lois and Clark trade paperback.  Still worth tracking down, though!

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Variant Cover:

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Convergence: Superman #1 (2015)

Convergence: Superman #1 (June, 2015)
"Superman Again"
Writer - Dan Jurgens
Art - Lee Weeks
Colorist - Brad Anderson
Lettering - Sal Cipriano
Assistant Editors - Brittany Holzherr & Michael Kraiger
Editor - Marie Javins
Cover Price: $3.99

Decided to spend another weekend in Convergence-land.  Had a pretty good time checking in with Batman and HIS Outsiders last week... figure I should revisit my absolute favorite Convergence tie-in.  I'm guessing this's anything but an unpopular opinion... but the return of the Real-Steel-Deal, was an absolute highlight of the whole endeavor.  I'd say it made the entire thing worthwhile... but what do I know?

Like I mentioned last weekend, I accidentally ordered my bundle with the lame-o Chip Kidd variants... so the cover above ain't mine.  The cover below... is.

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We're in Gotham City, and a masked vigilante stalks the night.  He watches a drug transaction from atop a building overlooking an alley.  I wonder how much drugs cost "under the dome"... gotta figure demand would go up as the supply goes down, right?  Anyhoo, our man checks in with his radio-mate, Lois Lane who reminds him that he's "not him".  He tells her he's "got this" and hops down to break up the deal.  As he does, we hear a single line from THE SPEECH.

The fight gets pretty ugly quick... one of the baddies pulls out a flamethrower and nails him... luckily, we've heard THE SPEECH... which means the dome is no more, and the super-set get their powers back, because... ya see, this vigilante is Superman.  Okay, not a huge shock... but there ya go.

He makes quick work of the would-be drug lords.  He then grabs a conveniently "in Gotham" Jimmy Olsen so we can get some exposition about "dome life" out of the way before returning "home" to his... very pregnant wife, Lois Lane.  They're both happy that their baby can be born in Metropolis.

After a minute of basking in the possibility that their lives will return to normal after a powerless year in "bat town", Lois plays Clark the recording she made of THE SPEECH.  They realize that they are no longer on Earth... and it looks as though Superman might just be in for a fight before long.  He leaves Gotham and flies into the unknown.

We shift scenes to Gotham City... well, another Gotham City, can't have too many, right?  This is the Gotham from Flashpoint... and we observe as Batman (Thomas Wayne) addresses Cyborg, El (from Project: Superman), Green Lantern (Abin Sur) and Captain Thunder (Captain Marvel/Shazam).  Batman spots a "flier" heading their way, and instructs his team to "take him out".

Jimmy Olsen is meeting with Emil Hamilton, who was also, as luck would have it, in Gotham City when the dome went up.  They are at S.T.A.R. Labs, which is designed very much like the S.T.A.R. in Metropolis.  The Prof gives Jimmy a transportation device... more on that in a bit.

Superman continues his flight, but is knocked out of the sky by a blue blur... a very chatty blue blur, who rattles on about knowing that "she's alive".

Before Superman can compose himself, he is tackled by Captain Thunder.  The two enter into battle with Superman quickly getting the upper hand.  His celebration is short-lived, however, as (a conflicted) Abin Sur and Cyborg arrive on the scene.  Batman is watching, and comments that this Meta resembles Subject-1 (El).

The Flashpointers unload on Superman... all the while, Lois is in Clark's ear encouraging him to try reasoning with his attackers.  Superman promises the crew he's not there to hurt them... and they stand down, willing to hear him out.  Unfortunately, it is at this point that Jimmy Olsen arrives with his new whip... the Whiz Wagon, armed to the teeth with ballistics.

Well, the Flashpointers don't dig that... and so the fight starts up again.  We shift to Subject-1 who has arrived in the pre-Flashpoint Gotham... following the voice of the one person who was ever nice to him... Lois Lane.  Uh oh.

We rejoin Batman who is researching the "other" Gotham.  It isn't long before he realizes that this Gotham might just be the one from Barry Allen's world... the world where his son Bruce is still alive.

We wrap up at Lois and Clark's apartment... where Lois finds herself with a surprise guest... Subject-1.  I'm tellin' ya, this is one heckuva creepy scene... it's really quite excellent.

He just keeps approaching... saying he's there to take care of her... really creepy!  While this is going down, Superman is being beaten soundly by the Flashpoint heroes.

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Manoman... how nice was it to read this Superman again?  Such a bittersweet book.  I mean, back in the Spring-Summer of 2015, we never would have thought that the real-steel-deal would ever come back in a permanent kinda way.  I think many of us figured that this was where we would leave him.  We'll talk more about that tomorrow...

Here we sorta kinda sidestep the SPEECH, which is a good thing.  We do get to hear it, but it's not nearly as intrusive and interrupty as it usually is.  I'm cool with devoting a few panels, rather than having our hero stare blankly at the helix dome for a few pages while Telos delivers his spiel.  It was a nice touch that the issue basically opens with a powered-Superman.

I remember when this hit, one of the common complaints was the fact that Brainiac seems to need a countless amount of Gotham Cities... it really stinks that this Superman issue didn't get to take place in Metropolis.  Instead, we needed to excuse Lois, Jimmy, and even Emil Hamilton all being in Gotham during Dome Day... and somehow Batman not also being there.  Seems silly... I mean, I get it... Gotham's "cool", but c'mon.  Also, I didn't realize that the S.T.A.R. Labs building in Gotham is identical to the one in Metropolis... oh well.

The Flashpoint League, from yet another Gotham... eh, I can take them or leave them.  I think I associate them too much with the end of my DCU, that I have a real hard time accepting or caring about them.  That being said, I did like Thomas Wayne's callback to being visited by the Flash during the Flashpoint event proper.  I wasn't expecting that.  

Also, El from Project: Superman... that's a scary dude.  He was used perfectly here, and really brings with him a true sense of danger.  It can't be stated enough... the ending scene here was extremely creepy and very well done.  This was one of the very few Convergence tie-ins where I was actually engaged and looking forward to the conclusion.  Most of the rest were, sadly, just time-wasting fight scenes... this, however, was pretty damn riveting.  Especially with the idea that we were "saying goodbye" to these heroes... nothing was really off the table.  Not saying Lois would die... but, we had to wonder just how far Superman would go in order to protect his wife and unborn child.  Great stuff.

Overall... this is my favorite Convergence tie-in, and I'd bet many longtime DC Comics fans feel the same way.  If you're currently reading the Superman books, and you haven't read this yet... you should.  This two-part tale takes us into Superman: Lois and Clark... which takes us right into the current Rebirth landscape.  The story of Jon starts here... well, actually next issue... but you may as well read this one first.

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(Instead of the) Letters Page:

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Variant Cover:

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Wild Dog Special #1 (1989)

Wild Dog Special #1 (1989)"Dog Catcher"
Writer/Co-Creator - Max Collins
Artist/Co-Creator - Terry Beatty
Letterer - Tim Harkins
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Editors - Mike Gold & Brian Augustyn
Cover Price: $2.50

It's been awhile since we checked in with our old friend Wild Dog here at the humble blog.  The issue we're going to discuss today was, to me, akin to bigfoot.  People swore they'd seen it, even purported to own it... but I'd never laid my eyes on it.  This book occupied my short-list of "White Whale" books, which now is looking a lot more "Lady Cop" than "Wild Dog".

I wanted to keep writing about the Dog... and even considered trying to work his Action Comics Weekly run in here somehow.  That feels like it might be one heckuva undertaking... but not totally out of the question.  Maybe one'a these days I'll woik out the logistics on that.

For now, though... we're going to check in with our man on the heels of Action Comics Weekly.  Let's see how he's been.

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We open with Wild Dog... being Wild Dog.  That is to say, blowing a bunch of fools away with automatic fire.  This is a flashback to our man taking on (and perhaps, taking down) a mob faction.  We shift to Don Lupo's newspaper-cluttered desk, as he wonders aloud... well, to some underlings, anyway... about how to beat our hockey-masked pal.

On pock-marked yes man suggests they try employing the services of a "finder", because they're just kill-bots.  You point, they shoot... but if they don't know where to shoot, they're more or less useless.  These geeks leave as yet another enters.  This one comes with not only aspirin for the Don, but also a potential solution.  For the low low price of one-million USD, they can hire a man known as "The Catcher".  Lupo takes the suggestion under advisement.

We shift to Wheeler Garage where Jack is doing some mechanic-ing.  He is joined by Lt. Andy Flint, who it would seem is trying to reconnect with our man.  Presumably they had a bit of a falling-out during their time in Action Comics Weekly.  Flint is apparently the reason Jack hung up the mask and jersey for good.  They argue for a bit... with Andy maintaining that there's no place (or need) for a Wild Dog.  Jack throws a recent string of terroristic bank robberies in his face as evidence to the contrary.

We next shift to a park bench in Chicago.  One of Lupo's underlings sits down next to a conspicuously non-conspicuous man with a ballcap and trenchcoat.  Yeah, that doesn't look sinister.  The mob-dude hands over a briefcase, with a cool half-mill, and gives him his "target"... Wild Dog, duh.  He's down with the gig... but makes it clear that it's only up to him to catch Wild Dog... anything more is up to Lupo and his men.

We rejoin Jack who is having some target practice at a government shooting range with his old pal Graham Gault.  Jack's a smart cookie and realizes that Gault likely has a motive for inviting him out.  Graham claims he just wants to reminisce about ye olden college football days.  This is a pretty neat way of tossing a page of expositional origin into the story without looking too forced.  They part company, but not before making plans to meet up for a drink later that night.

Remember those bank robbers we mentioned earlier?  Well, let's check in on them.  They're... as luck would have it... robbing a bank.  These fellas are pretty damn ruthless, and don't have a single problem "shooting first".  In just one page we watch them blow away a security guard and a panicking woman.  Just gonna check something real quick... nope, no Comics Code badge on the cover.  Didn't think so.

It isn't long before the police (and media) arrive on the scene... including our old favorite, Ms. Susan King!  Of particular note, Lt. Flint shows up with a partner... who mumbles something about wishing Wild Dog was still around... uh-oh, gotta tow that precinct line there, pal.  Anyhoo... Flint allows one reporter access, and it's his (and our) old friend Lou Godder.  Anyone but that "Geraldo with lipstick".

It's okay though, Ms. King's about to get the offer of the century... in the form of a "national hookup" with CBS News in New York.

That night, we check back in with Jack as he meets up with Graham for a drink.  Gault arrives and looks like the cat who ate the canary... because now, he knows.  This sneaky jerk ran a ballistics check on the pistol Jack was firing with earlier in the day and matched it up with that of Wild Dog.  That's some sloppy vigilantism, Jack-o.  Gault offers Jack a bargain... he plays ball, taking down the bank robbers... and he'll ensure he receives a full Presidential Pardon for his masked-transgressions.

Back with Susan, she's dining with the "CBS News guy", who is really keen to get her hot take on Wild Dog.  She's all too happy to share what she knows, including how at one point she had it narrowed down to four men.  Since then, she's pared her list down to only two... she is convinced that Wild Dog is either Graham Gault or Jack Wheeler.  This chat blossoms into full-on sexy-time between the two... after which, the Catch-- er "CBS News guy" wants to go back to chatting about the 'Dog.

The next morning, there is yet another violent bank robbery.  Four masked assailants gun down a trio of armored car folks.  The security is able to take one baddie down... who the remaining masks decide to leave behind.  Guess all's fair in... well, whatever they're up to.  They flee the scene, and news of the event goes out over the radio.  One person tuned in just happens to be Jack Wheeler.  It's time to let the dog out.

Wild Dog just so happens to find the baddies right away.  Like seriously, they park their van, and exit... and Wild Dog is right there pointing a gun at them.

The best part of all this... Wild Dog isn't even sure these are the bank robbers!  He's just busting their chops until they decide to pull a gun on him!  It's immediately clear that such a decision was not in their best interests, as Wild Dog, without skipping a beat, perforates them but good.  He stands over their dead bodies and thinks aloud that these must be the bank robbers.

Our next scene features the Four Horsemen of State U having some drinks.  Andy is furious that Jack would don his Wild Dog persona again.  Gault tells Andy to back off, because it was his idea... and Jack was just doing as he asked.  Andy's all "screw this, I'm going home", however upon leaving he finds himself at the business end of a gun.

And so, Andy is taken captive by a masked individual.  This fella is more than happy to inform Wheeler that he's got his pal strapped to a chair... and suggests he, or Wild Dog, show up to try and rescue him.  It doesn't take much convincing... Wild Dog will be happy to attend.

Inside the warehouse, Wild Dog takes aim at the captor... who we'll just call "The Catcher" from this point on, because that's who it is.  The Catcher informs him that firing even a single shot would be to his detriment, as Lt. Andy's chair is coated in highly flammable plastic explosive.  Flint tells Dog to fire anyway.  Thankfully for him, he doesn't.  Now the Catcher gets all James Bond villainy, and tells him how he "cracked the code".  This is pretty great, Andy makes such a disgusted face when he realizes Susan King is involved.

After story time, the Catcher tosses a gas grenade to kayo half the Horsemen.  Next we know, Wild Dog is a caged animal, waiting for Don Lupo to arrive and put him out of his misery.

Lupo's geeks get cocky and begin to taunt the Dog.  One places his hand on the cage bars to mock the "Wild Wussy".  Well, this Wussy packs a punch... in the form of a stun glove!

The other geek unloads his gun into Wild Dog's chest.  You really think a homebrew vigilante ain't rocking body armor?  Idiot.

Dog kicks his way out of the cage and kills his captors.  Not the Catcher though... remember, his only part of the deal was the catching... he's long gone by now.  Andy calls out to Jack... who is quick to correct him, he is Wild Dog.  It would appear that Wild Dog is officially back.

We wrap up with a furious Don Lupo shouting at the Catcher over the phone.  Catcher's cool though... he simply reminds him of their deal.  He was hired to catch Wild Dog... and that's exactly what he did.

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Well... I'm of two minds on this one.  First, I always enjoy a Wild Dog story.  They're too fun not to dig.  This though feels almost too open-ended.  It's as though this was a pilot of sorts, but then in the (not the) letters page, the editor flat out says that Wild Dog will be going away for awhile.  Weird, right?

There's something about the pacing that makes me think that this was meant to be parsed out during Action Comics Weekly, though I could be completely off-base.  It's weird, every so many (8-9) pages we get a strange and abrupt break.  The captions are purposely written to tie two panels together.  It reads pretty clunkily (if that's a word), and makes it feel like we're getting a rejoinder that we didn't really need.  Overall though, I thought this over-sized issue told a great story.

I gotta say, I know I gave Terry Beatty some grief during my earlier Wild Dog discussions... I think I said his people looked like posed action figures... but I really enjoyed the art here.  Beatty provides some great faces.  I laughed for perhaps an inappropriately long time at Flint's scowl upon realizing Susan King was involved in his kidnapping.  It was just too perfect!  Especially in that it immediately followed a panel with Susan and the Catcher in bed!  Speaking of Susan... more great facials.  She looks so phony and disingenuous all throughout, and it's awesome!

It wasn't only some of the faces that made me laugh though.  The very thought of Wild Dog cruising the streets, pulling up to some suspicious types and giving them grief is hilarious.  Unless I read it wrong, it isn't entirely clear to him that the trio he tracks down were in fact the bank robbers... and yet, he still pulls up and points his gun at them.  Gotta figure this is just something he does... and damn, I find that just wild-ly (ha!) funny.

I suppose the only bad thing I can say about this (outside of a few awkwardly placed captions) is that it didn't lead anywhere.  Not something I can hold against the book itself... it's just that the creators had other priorities in mind at this point, including their creator-owned Ms. Tree.  No harm, no foul... and when the worst thing one can say about a book is "I want more", you're doing something right.  At least we still get our monthly fix of the Dog in the pages of Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye from DC's Young Animal, which as luck would have it, Reggie and I discuss monthly on the Weird Science DC Comics Podcast.  I also hear he's on TV somewhere... if you're into that kinda thing.

*By the way, if you wanna hear people talk about Wild Dog's earlier exploits, do yourself a favor and check out WildPod: A Wild Dog Podcast from our pals over at SNGProductions.

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(Not the) Letters Page:

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