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Mild Mannered Reviews - Adventure Comics

Adventure Comics #518

Adventure Comics #518

Scheduled to arrive in stores: September 9, 2010

Cover date: November 2010

"Whispers of Doom"

Writer: Paul Levitz
Penciller: Kevin Sharpe
Inker: Marlo Alquiza

Michael Bailey Reviewed by: Michael Bailey

Click to enlarge



Far from Earth in the 31st Century the Legion of Super-Heroes attempt to capture a villain named Zaryan. The Science Police aren't far behind so Cosmic Boy wants to press their advantage. Saturn Girl in particular wants to capture Zaryan because he had previously slipped past her. Sun Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl fight to where they think Zaryan is but it turns out that he was never on the ship. This doesn't matter because they have the coordinates to where he is heading to next.

Back on Earth Phantom Girl is charged with keeping Superboy company. As soon as young Kal-El was brought to the future for his regularly scheduled visit Brainiac 5 ran off, which struck Superboy as a little odd. Phantom Girl explains that people have been complaining about hearing voices before she flirts with Superboy, which causes the Boy of Steel to excuse himself and head to the Superman Museum.

On the planet Naltor, Zaryan finds practically every member of the Science Police waiting for him. The surprises continue as the Legion arrives and trash his fleet. On the ground an old priest compliments Nura Nal, the future Dream Girl, on "seeing" the impending invasion with her precognitive abilities. Nura feels that her future is with the Legion and after another precognitive flash she sees not only the Legion fighting Zaryan in the future but also the death of a Legionnaire.

Meanwhile Superboy explores the Superman Museum and comes face to face with a statue of Doomsday. As if that wasn't creepy enough he starts hearing a disembodied voice telling him to go home. He heads back to Legion headquarters where Brainiac 5 decides that he needs to go home until his next scheduled visit and reluctantly Superboy agrees. After the Time Bubble disappears the voice returns and says, "Good... at least you'll be safe."

4Story - 4: This issue had a lot going for it. For one thing there was a mystery quality to the story with the "ghost" sub-plot and the images of death Dream Girl was seeing. Levitz gave us a hook to latch on to and it definitely kept my interest going as the story unfolded. The battle with the Legion was interesting as well though I have to admit that it was the one element of the issue that I almost could have done without.

The strength of this issue centered on Superboy coming face to face with the monster that would eventually kill him. I am glad that Levitz chose to deal with this because in all honesty I had never even considered the idea that Superboy would find out about Doomsday. It makes sense that he would. Young Clark Kent travels to the future on a regular basis. Sure Saturn Queen does a mind wipe of sorts every time he heads back to the present so that Superboy doesn't remember anything that could mess up the time stream but that doesn't change the fact that Superboy can walk around the Museum dedicated to his life and find out about things like Lex Luthor, Bizarro, Mongul and especially Doomsday. What would it be like to know that at some point this creature called Doomsday was going to kill you? Weird, huh? Okay, now stand in front of a statue of that creature. It was a great scene and I loved the fact that he refused to look at the date of his future death. It was a fantastic scene made all the better by Superboy hearing phantom voices.

I also really liked Phantom Girl hitting on Superboy and Superboy being really uncomfortable with that. It makes me chuckle.

That scene made the issue for me. It really did.

All in all a solid issue and I am looking forward to seeing how things wrap up.

4Art - 4: The art in this issue was fantastic. Superboy looked a little off at first but that improved as the issue went on. The Legion members were solid throughout the issue though I think the scene with Dream Girl and the emphasis on her chest seemed a little unnecessary but I admit that that feeling could just be me.

My favorite scene as far as the art goes has to be Superboy in the Superman Museum. It was moody and kind of creepy in places with Superboy surrounded by statues of his future enemies, which was great but the highlight of that scene was Superboy standing there with the statue of Doomsday looming over him. I loved that because, as I mentioned earlier, this was the first time I thought about the fact that if Superman was Superboy earlier in life and was friends with the Legion that at some point the younger Clark Kent might find out about Doomsday. The art really sold what Superboy was feeling in coming face to face with the creature that was going to kill him. It was a fantastic sequence.

5Cover Art - 5: This is a fairly powerful cover; Superboy in the shadow of Doomsday. The coloring is interesting as well and gives the cover a sketchy quality, which to me enhances the mood.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2010

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

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