Superman Homepage
Buy Now!

Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials

Death of the New Gods #6

Death of the New Gods #6

Scheduled to arrive in stores: February 20, 2008

Cover date: April 2008

"Sacrifice"

Writer: Jim Starlin
Penciller: Jim Starlin
Inker: Art Thibert

Neal Bailey Reviewed by: Neal Bailey

Click to enlarge


Superman and Orion battle Scott until Scott compels them to tell the truth and realizes that Orion isn't the killer.

Orion sends them away and challenges the killer to battle. Superman and Scott watch from afar as Orion is annihilated totally by the killer, but don't see who it is.

They discover the wall with the New Gods in it, and try to figure out who is responsible.

Himon appears, hands glowing, and tells them they will not like the answer.

1Story - 1: Ugh.

This went from an intriguing mystery where the culprits were actually potentially interesting into a random brawling book with little passion or understanding in about two seconds flat. Three to four issues ago, I cared for Scott Free and his plight. Now he's a whiny, almost Countdown-style Superman Prime. Except he has more power, and uses it less intelligently despite more experience.

That it even took this long for Free to use the equation to ask Orion who the baddie was is insane, and that he couldn't see who was killing Orion with the ANTI-LIFE EQUATION at his disposal equally so.

And Himon, the culprit? (Or not, if it's a pump-fake, but still).

WHO IS HIMON?

I have no idea, really, and I have read a good deal of New Gods stuff. I'll check Wiki.

Okay. Looks like Himon is a minor character who helped Mister Miracle escape Darkseid.

Well, color me unimpressed. His past doesn't seem to bespeak a desire to destroy the New Gods, and it doesn't seem very sensible from here. Maybe the last two issues will drastically change this, but hey.

The issue also makes pains to indicate that Orion was totally annihilated, which to me is bad writing telling us that all of the gods will be restored, but Orion will be a real casualty. Way to telegraph. Hope I'm wrong.

3Art - 3: I FINALLY put my finger on what it is about this art that drives me nuts, and what it is that I enjoy.

The art itself is VERY early nineties, in terms of sophistication level. I mean, look at Anti-Life Scott and tell me that doesn't scream 1991. But I still enjoy a lot of it, and I couldn't figure out why, despite distorted features at times, odd character work, and a very basic style.

It's the COLORING. The coloring is SUPERB. Page two and three is a rudimentary, almost hokey image, but with the image of Superman on that purple, it pops a bit. THAT is what I've been trying to put my finger on.

4Cover Art - 4: This is a five image. Until you put ORION UNLEASHED! in the corner in a horrid font.

In my writing, I like to eliminate speaker tags. Why? Because they're unnecessary. Or should be, if you're writing well. For instance:

"I DON'T LIKE COVERS WITH WORDS ON IT!" Neal screamed.

Oh, I'm screaming? Wow. You really wouldn't have known that without the speaker tag.

I take it further, eliminating speaker tags entirely, in my novels.

Neal slammed the issue to the ground. "I DON'T LIKE COVERS WITH WORDS ON IT!"

Conveys action AND doesn't treat the reader like they're an idiot and can't figure out who's speaking.

In this case, LOOK AT THAT IMAGE.

If you cannot tell that this cover is ORION UNLEASHED!, you are mentally retarded in some way or another. To re-emphasize this with words is to insult the reader and diminish the impact of the image. It also obfuscates the art. BAD. In a visual medium, BAD.

If you need to explain what the image is depicting, you return the cover, you don't add a blurb.

"It's a throwback, Neal!"

Yes. And that's why. And that's why it should stay thrown back. We progress forward in art for a REASON.

Now, nostalgia every once in a while? Cool. With purpose. But seriously, this? Unnecessary.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

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

January 2008

February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008

Back to the Mild Mannered Reviews contents page.

Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2008.

DISCLAIMER: SUPERMAN and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2023

This Superman Homepage is Copyright © Steven Younis 1994-2023
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to Andrew J Gould - the original keeper of the Superman Homepage!

Since May 2001, the address is www.SupermanHomepage.com

Our Privacy Policy.