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Tangent: Superman's Reign #4

Tangent: Superman's Reign #4

Scheduled to arrive in stores: June 18, 2008

Cover date: August 2008

"Superman's Reign - Chapter Four"

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: Jamal Ingle
Inker: Robin Riggs

Back-Up Story: "History Lesson: Chapter Four"
Write: Ron Marz
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Matt Banning

Neal Bailey Reviewed by: Neal Bailey

Click to enlarge



Green Lantern continues his work on a communications/teleportation device to interact with other worlds.

On the Tangent Earth, the Green Lantern returns with the heroes that escaped from the Tangent Superman's wrath.

Quizzing The Atom, the heroes fight their own suspicions, and find that Atom cannot remember much of what has happened.

Lori Lemaris wanders about with Vincent Lord, AKA Hex, who takes her to a place where they intend to strike back at Superman.

In Switzerland, John Stewart squares off against Tangent Superman, and is basically soundly beaten, although Tangent Superman takes philosophical lumps for his tyranny.

Tangent Green Lantern ushers the Earth-1 heroes to the Tangent Universe just as the Tangent Superman indicates that the Atom the heroes rescued is, in fact, a fraud he's using to find the lair of the heroes.

The Atom transforms into Powergirl, revealing her true form.

Back-Up Story: "History Lesson: Chapter Four"
Write: Ron Marz
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Matt Banning

Guy recounts the tale of Superman's rise to power and his fight with the Ultra-Humanite, all the while moving deeper into the complex with his benefactors.

4Story - 4: I'm going to go with Jeff's idea of reviewing both stories as a holistic experience, at least with shorter backups, even if I'm going to review both stories in Trinity individually.

This issue continues the story apace, without too much revolutionary, though the writing remains rather well done, and the twist, with the fake Atom, was hard to see coming, even though with a little thought it might have unraveled. Unfortunately, there isn't really all that much going on here in terms of forwarding the main plot, but there IS some great characterization of both John and Superman, and an establishment of the philosophical dilemma.

I think the backup story, unlike some I've read lately, seeks to compliment the main story in a way that drags you into the continuing story, which rocks. I tend to be very wary of the backup story when it's not in Dan's hands. He's got a good eye for how to do it, though, and here it continues to benefit the overall bigger picture.

I'm very eager to see and understand the Powergirl of this universe, even though wikipedia gave me a good inkling, and honestly the Tangent universe as a whole, thanks to this series, has really grown on me. Continuing in fine fashion.

4Art - 4: Ingle and Pasarin both work well together to create a vivid and coherent universe. There's nothing here that really blows me away in terms of an epic panel, but there's nothing that doesn't work. It's all good art. I think Superman in particular is a rather chilling character as portrayed. Still a lot of fun to be reading.

3Cover Art - 3: Better than the last, and an interesting parallel between the Batman we know and the Joker of the Tangent universe. The colors in the background are a bit odd, and a lot of Batman is obscured by the logo, unfortunately. Still, not terrible.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

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

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