My Adventures With Superman #3
Scheduled to arrive in stores: August 7, 2024
Cover date: October 2024
“The Ones Who Fell to Earth” – Part Three
Writer: Josie Campbell
Artist: Pablo M. Collar
Cover: Li Cree
Variant Cover: Jahnoy Lindsay
Reviewed by: JP Rocha
Clark Kent is being held prisoner for his part in the escape of the Amazo tech. DuBois is interrogating Clark and believes his agenda is to steal Amazo to get an exclusive with Superman. Leaving Clark time to think, DuBois leaves the room as he is not getting what he wants from Cark. DuBois’ real plan is to use him to find Superman, so when he returns to the interrogation room, he releases Clark, planning to track him.
So, where is Amazo? We find that he has been hiding out in Clark and Jimmy’s apartment with Lois and Jimmy, who are not hidden as well as they are, as Ma and Pa Kent shortly join them. It seems Jimmy forgot that he invited them to participate in Clark’s first Christmas in the Metropolis surprise.
The Kents decide to help Jimmy and Lois to move Amazo to Cadmus. The problem with moving Amazo is that it gives DuBois and his team what they need to track Amazo. This puts Jimmy, Lois, and the Kents in danger from the Checkmate team. With Amazo located, they no longer need Clark, which allows Superman to help Amazo, his family, and his friends.
Checkmate sees Amazo as a significant threat, so they engage him on the bridge out of the Metropolis, putting everyone on the bridge in danger. However, Superman secures the bridge and transfers his friends and family, as well as Amazo, to Cadmus before Checkmate can capture them. However, is Cadmus safe?
Story – 4: “The Ones Who Fell to Earth – Part Three” is a silly but fun adventure. Now, only five days until Christmas, will Superman and his friends stop Checkmate and get Amazo the help he needs in time to enjoy Christmas?
The story starts with Clark being interrogated by DuBois. Campbell plays with the secret identity trope by allowing Clark and us to believe that DuBois is wise to the identity of Superman. In reality, he might not even care about Superman’s identity. Instead, he only cares about finding him through his friends Lois and Jimmy and, by proxy, Clark. Another trope Campbell plays with a lot in this issue is the” fish out of water” with Amazo, a sentient AI being, outside a lab for the first time.
Also, there seems to be unnecessary violence happening solely to add action to the issue. First, Checkmate sets up a roadblock in the middle of a bridge. Then Superman arrives, but Checkmate is already convinced he is a threat, so they blindly open fire, putting civilians in harm’s way. Ironically, sticking up for the “Robot”, Superman is proved wrong as he tells DuBois that “the only danger to human lives is you”. Immediately after, Amazo accidentally destroys the bridge, as a result of its anxiety about being recaptured, melts it, putting more lives in danger.
At specific points, the storytelling becomes jumpy from scene to scene. Poor panel-to-panel storytelling can be the writing or art, depending on the collaboration process. For example, there is a scene that jumps from Bloodshot to Amazo, and since all tech designs in the show have a similar style, it is easy to get confused.Art – 4: The book has some great art that matches the show while also leaning into the anime inspiration of the show. For example, the use of chibi faces to express certain emotions. While in the last issue, the art was rushed, in this issue, the art is more precise and sharp. It feels like there is not a single rushed panel in this issue.Cover Art – 4: While the cover does not reflect the issue’s story, like the issue, its storytelling is fun. There is a comedic sense of drama that makes the cover jokingly convey a more serious tone. Regardless, the cover does a good job of conveying the story’s theme.
There are two variant covers. One is a Jimmy Olsen character design cover. The third in the series of character design covers. The second cover by Jahnoy Lindsay features Superman doing his best Goku from Dragon Ball Z impression. The dynamic cover leans heavily into the show’s anime inspiration.
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