SUPERMAN #690 - Review
Written by James Robinson
Art by Pere Perez
Hex’s Score – 2.25 out of 5
First off, awesome cover by Andrew Robinson. I really love his work. Now to the review:
This was a strange book, it was all over the place with like 4 stories in one issue. It starts by continuing directly from the last issue with Atlas Vs. Steel which was pretty cool, and drawn well by fill in artist Pere Perez. We then switch to Zatara who is being a total ass to his apprentice who ends up saving Zatara from Parasite with some magic but is really some other magic guy in disguise who I really couldn’t care two shits about. Anyway, it’s a story I wasn’t really interested in shoved in the middle of a Superman issue. Weird. Guardian's story next, where he gets cozy with Dr. Light, could be interesting, then the issue ends with Ion/ Sodom Yat (still alive before GLC #33) on his way to Earth to meet fellow Daxamite Mon-El but is stopped by that weird telepathic alien thingy that the Guardian rescued. He says to Ion that he and Mon-El cannot meet because that would bring about evil's victory over good or some such bullshit. Oh, and by the way, all these stories are continued in either an upcoming Superman Annual or a Superman Secret File’s One-Shot. What a piss taking money making scheme, but the issue is called “The Setup”. Not sure if that means the setup of the various new storylines or the setting me up as being a mug for buying this issue, with no Mon-El or any real continuation of his story.
I dunno, maybe I’m being too harsh, it was just an okay issue. I’m hoping a lot of these story threads will pay off eventually so I’m sticking around but this series will not be for everyone and new readers should not expect to pick an issue up and understand what the hell is going on or be blown away with how great the writing and art is. Not gonna happen.
Well “Codename: Patriot” is coming up next issue. Hopefully that will improve things.
What did you guys think of the issue?
Posts
Yeah, I totally agree that this issue was all over the place, but I enjoyed it a bit more than you did Matthew. I'm a huge Zatara fan(weird, right?), so I was pleased to see him getting a place somewhere in the DCU(although he'd be a better fit in Teen Titans).
ReplyDeleteI was also kind of irked that Mon-El didn't show up, but I was cool with the lesser characters getting the spotlight. With a bunch of well-established secondary characters, this book should be pretty strong down the road(hopefully!). Oh, and what was up with practically every story thread getting paid off in a different comic? That definitely sucks!
Yeah its a clear money making scheme to get us readers to buy the other books. it makes me angry. I know they are running a business but they should be rewarding loyal buyers like us especially when there is a recession, not making us buy every book under the sun to get the whole story.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually the kind of stuff I'd expect from Marvel, not DC!
ReplyDeleteHe he. I just typed a huge comment about how much this issue angered me. When I went to post it the internet ate it. Damn it.
ReplyDeleteTo summerize what it said: I felt ripped off by this issue too. I buy this book for Robinson's writing, Guedes' art and Mon-El. This book only had one of those things. And then to be told to buy two or three other books to get the end of certain stories? That's some bullshit right there.
Like X-Man said, I expect this sort of bait and switch from Mavel but not DC.