Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics
Action Comics #898
Scheduled to arrive in stores: February 23, 2011Cover date: April 2011
Lex Luthor in "The Black Ring" Part Nine
Writer: Paul Cornell
Penciller: Pete Woods
Inker: Pete Woods
Cover: David Finch, Ryan Winn & Alex Sinclair
Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel
While Spalding's co workers mutter about his untimely demise Lois-bot is busily monitoring data. Lex is also surprised the drone he stole from Brainiac wasn't reporting her finds on the black sphere energy. They have now firmly tracked all the Black Lantern energy and Lex's quest is almost over.
At this moment Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern, and his 'pet' energy constructs attack Lex and his base of operations. Apparently, Glomulus, one of the constructs had found and eaten one of the spheres.
Glomulus is ill from the containment so Lex offers to help by taking possession of the sphere. A fight ensues and when the Orange Lantern takes a hostage, yet another Lexcorp employee dies, at Lex's hand.
The battle turns in favor of Lex and Larfleeze is swallowed up like Spalding into the Black Lantern sphere that had converted itself to white. Lois-bot tries to convince Lex to convert the energy of the other space bound black spheres remotely but Lex prefers the personal touch and readies a plan to retrieve the spheres.
For the distress caused and the success of locating all the spheres, Lex awards his staff a hundred-thousand dollar bonus. Meanwhile Larfleeze escapes through one of the other converted spheres and discovers the truth behind the energy Lex is addicted to...
...so do we, unbeknownst to Lex, Brainiac's Lois-bot has been secretly working for Brainiac all along.
To Be Continued...
Story - 1: Wafer-thin plot that didn't really move any further on the plot reveals that we discovered from part six onwards. How one of the greatest minds on the planet hasn't figured out he didn't format Lois-bot correctly is beyond me. Moreover nine months into the story and it's still not ramping up. I am not a Larfleeze fan, sorry, if I were maybe I'd be more forgiving? But truly aside from guesting yet another character in this drawn out saga it added nothing to the mix.
Art - 3: The art sticks to the numbers, no real story to go with, so Woods happily occupies the space with a crash, bang, wallop between Lex and Larfleeze. It's great to look at but it still fails to add weight to the chapter.
Cover Art - 4: The fight between Lex, Larfleeze and the constructs is the high point of the book. The color clash of the orange hues and glow flares work to great effect against the deep blue. I'm backing Larfleeze in this fight!
Mild Mannered Reviews
2011
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2011
- Superman #705
- Action Comics #895
- Superman/Batman #78
- Supergirl #58
- Superboy #1
- Adventure Comics #520
- Justice League of America #51
- JLA/The 99 #2
- Time Masters: Vanishing Point #5
- Action Comics Annual #13
- Action Comics #896
- Superman #706
- Superman/Batman #79
- Supergirl #59
- Superboy #2
- Justice League of America #52
- JLA/The 99 #3
- Time Masters: Vanishing Point #6
- Superman #707
- Secret Six #29
- Action Comics #897
- Superman/Batman #80
- Supergirl #60
- Superboy #3
- Steel #1
- Justice League of America #53
- JLA/The 99 #4
- Young Justice #0
- Superman 80-Page Giant 2011 #1
- Superman #708
- Action Comics #898
- Superman/Batman #81
- Supergirl #61
- Superboy #4
- Justice League of America #54
- JLA/The 99 #5
- Young Justice #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #2
- Superman #709
- Action Comics #899
- Superman/Batman #82
- Supergirl #62
- Superboy #5
- Jimmy Olsen #1
- Outsiders #37
- Justice League of America #55
- JLA/The 99 #6
- Young Justice #2
- DC Universe Online Legends #3
- DC Universe Online Legends #4
- Superman #710
- Superman/Batman Annual #5
- Justice League of America #56
- Superboy #6
- Action Comics #900
- Superman/Batman #83
- Supergirl #63
- Justice League of America 80-Page Giant 2011 #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #5
- DC Universe Online Legends #6
- Young Justice #3
- Superman #711
- Action Comics #901
- Superboy #7
- Superman/Batman #84
- Supergirl #64
- Justice League of America #57
- DC Universe Online Legends #7
- DC Universe Online Legends #8
- Young Justice #4
- Action Comics #902
- Superman #712
- Superman/Batman #85
- Superboy #8
- Supergirl #65
- Justice League of America #58
- Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #1
- Flashpoint: Project Superman #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #9
- DC Universe Online Legends #10
- Young Justice #5
- Superman #713
- Action Comics #903
- Superman/Batman #86
- Superboy #9
- Supergirl #66
- Justice League of America #59
- Flashpoint #3
- Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #2
- Flashpoint: Project Superman #2
- DC Retroactive: Superman - The 70s #1
- DC Retroactive: Justice League of America - The 70s #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #11
- DC Universe Online Legends #12
- Young Justice #6
- Superman #714
- Action Comics #904
- Superman/Batman #87
- Superboy #10
- Superboy #11
- Supergirl #67
- Justice League of America #60
- Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3
- Flashpoint: Project Superman #3
- Superman Beyond #0
- DC Retroactive: Superman - The 80s #1
- DC Retroactive: Superman - The 90s #1
- DC Retroactive: Justice League of America - The 80s #1
- DC Retroactive: Justice League of America - The 90s #1
- DC Universe Online Legends #13
- DC Universe Online Legends #14
- Young Justice #7
- Justice League #1
- Action Comics #2
- Superman #2
- Supergirl #2
- Superboy #2
- Teen Titans #2
- Justice League #2
- DC Universe Online Legends #15
- DC Universe Online Legends #16
- Young Justice #9
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2011.