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Superman: Metropolis #4

Superman: Metropolis #4

Scheduled to arrive in stores: May 21, 2003

Cover date: July 2003

Writer: Chuck Austen
Penciller: Danijel Zezelj
Inker: Danijel Zezelj

"The Will of God"

Neal Bailey Reviewed by: Neal Bailey (baileyn@attbi.com)



A mother prays in her poverty stricken household. Her children fight over food, then the television tells them to stop. It's a long white bearded visage of God, and he wants to talk to their absent father. He tells them to get him on the phone.

Jimmy, meanwhile, sums the audience up on what has happened thusfar, and takes pictures high above a group of protestors standing against B13 in front of a church.

Rebecca Muldoon shows up and tells Jimmy she hasn't told anyone about the watch. He tells her that Sloan told him differently. She offers him a stimulant, perhaps, or some kind of drug she's using to stay awake.

Back in the poverty stricken household, "God" instructs the woman to go to a certain business to help her with her money problem. Once there, she finds a man who gives her a package to deliver, in exchange for some cash. She takes the children to the bathroom to clean up before leaving.

A man enters the business, and the owner pulls a gun on him. He tells the man, "lightning" that he wants him to leave. Lightning tells him that he isn 't supposed to be dealing drugs in this neighborhood.

A scuffle ensues, and when the woman comes back out from the bathroom, there are stacks and stacks of money for her, and no owner.

In jail, the absent husband tells Lightning that his wife would never be involved with this drug business unless O'Dell, a man who cultivates the image of God because of his initials to make people do things, were somehow coercing her.

When they get home, the mother sees "God" on the tv again, and he asks her about the money and the drugs. She tells him that she knew he would disapprove of the drugs, so she flushed them, and took the money with her. "God" tells her to stay right there until he comes to get the money if she wants to stay alive. They are naturally puzzled.

Jimmy, instructed by Lena, arrives at the scene. The poverty stricken woman explains what happens, and "God" arrives on the scene. Jimmy begins taking pictures, and "God"'s henchman starts firing at him.

As Lightning arrives, she shoots "God" in the head, telling them all that it was God's will that she protect the money. Jimmy is spared, and "God" looks up from the floor with a bullet in between his eyes.

4Story - 4: This was an interesting story, but I'm not exactly sure of why it fits into this arc. I mean, it is something that could have been there or been left out. We know that Lena acts in strange ways on people and Metropolis, but why throw in the sudden human interest story? Does it make much sense? No. Is it a good story, however? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes, very much.

But it wasn't really a Superman story, per ce, save in the sense that Jimmy Olsen is a part of it. I don't know...it doesn't advance the plot of the mini-series, necessarily, but it definitely was worth a read.

So I'll take one point for being tangential, but otherwise, this is a neat story. It's too bad "God" had to die. He seemed like an interesting villain...heh.

Why is Muldoon taking drugs? What does it mean? I hope this is explained. But all in all, this is the kind of story that would go into a regular series and fit very well, but not a maxi-series with a choreographed point. It seemed thrown in. But it was a good throw in, I'll admit.

5Art - 5: I like the dark feel this has. It's like the dark side of Metropolis, and I love seeing it. Especially since though the art lacks a firm definition, you can really tell what everything is just by looking at it inferentially. It's really understated, and I like that. Of particular interest in this issue is the dual full shot of Jimmy above the church. It's almost Batman, but it's still super cool. I am liking this art, because it is in its context and it is well done.

3Cover Art - 3: This isn't a great cover, but it is a dynamic one. The cover is more dramatic than relevant to the issue, and I don't like it when comics do that, but all in all, it is interesting, it doesn't show something that DOESN'T happen in the issue, and it looks cool. Jimmy is beginning to get a little old on the covers, but then, he's the focus, I guess. I just think something more relevant, like the mother and their children, would make a better cover, and I shudder to think that because Jimmy Olsen sells and a black mother with impoverished children doesn't, they chose a dynamic cover with the star and not the most relevant and pervasive image of the comic.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2003

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2003

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