Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics

Man of Steel #108

Superman: The Man of Steel #108

Scheduled to arrive in stores: November 22, 2000

Cover date: January 2001

2001 Shield No. 4

Writer: Mark Schultz
Penciller: Paco Medina and Doug Mahnke
Inker: Juan Vlasco and Tom Nguyen

"Metropolis is Burning"

Reviewed by: Neal Bailey (baileyn@cc.wwu.edu)


A ticker tape parade is being held in honor of Metropolis' first son, Lex Luthor, the new President of the United States of (DCU) America. At least they have a president. Phew.

At any rate, a group of protesters is quickly being hurried away by the police, with a strong hint that they are currently controlled by Lex. The protesters are attacking the situation in Suicide Slum, apparently made worse by the recent Brainiac 13 upgrade. Luthor's former stomping grounds make him stop and consider the protesters.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark stop in to the Steelworks in an attempt to tell John Henry that Superman and Clark are one and the same. Just as Superman is about to reveal himself, John Henry reveals that he already knew, and actually feels a little insulted that they hadn't figured that he would already know by now.

Irons' niece bops through just after Clark changes into Supes, but she thankfully doesn't notice. Lois comments that Clark will obsess over whether or not she saw for weeks.

Luna, meanwhile, has escaped with her new pet from the Phantom Zone, the Lunatick. She challenges 10, the woman who took over the Cybermoths while she was in absence, for leadership, and succeeds.

John Henry finds a worm-hole through the Phantom Zone that he can't repair, capable of allowing energy to go in and out.

The power behind the Cybermoths, a screen silhouette that looks suspiciously like Lex Luthor's mug, asks Luna if her pet is in check.

Turns out that it is feeding on all power nearby, and is destroying the lair. It breaks free and heads to the Lex Tower.

Steel and Supes have a problem with this, and follow it. Luna appears, appraises Superman of the situation, and they attack anew. Heat vision and the hammer of Steel do nothing.

A Superman super slam does nothing.

Steel goes back to the Steelworks to try and figure out a way to close the energy connection the Lunatick has with the Phantom Zone, while Superman continues to try to stop the beast.

Back at the Steelworks, a shadow figure with a metal hand claims to know how to cut the cord to the Phantom Zone allowing the Lunatick to exist. Steel lets him try.

Superman pummels the Lunatick to no avail.

The Phantom Zone sucks the beast back in.

Back at Steelworks, Steel congratulates the mysterious helper, Professor Emil Hamilton, on a job well done.

4Story - 4: I hate the Cybermoths. They're dumb Cadmus drone wannabes with no sense of villainy, more than likely another failed Lexcorp shady operation. And the Lunatick? Another real big creature that dang near destroys a city that will be miraculously back in one piece by the next issue with none of the ramifications of its rampage known. Sigh. But this issue more than makes up for their dumb goon centrality with a cool revelation to Steel that he already knew and the return of Emil, which I felt has been a long time coming. Where's he been, that's what I want to know? And why does he suddenly look hip? Joke.

I think Steel should have learned the secret identity long ago. This was an oversight that thankfully is now rectified.

MAKE THE PLOTS ONE AGAIN! This one-shot format is killing the excitement of the stories.

3Art - 3: Not that bad, actually, but I was thrown off going from one penciller to another, and it made me go, HUH?, which I don't like doing in issues. All in all, though, the characters were nice, though I don't know why 10 would be nearly topless in an underground facility where the only people she could turn on were cybergeeks. I mean, I've heard of pandering to the target demographic, but this is ridiculous...

5Cover Art - 5: I was thinking, gawd no. Not another Lex cover with no point. Then I saw the monster blasting through the background, and I gave this an instant five. I love art that draws your eye to the focal point, and then lets you happily discover the real focus of the piece. This is one of the better examples I've ever seen. Good one.


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Mild Mannered Reviews

2001

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

January 2001

February 2001 March 2001 April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 November 2001 December 2001 Annuals

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