Superman #2
Scheduled to arrive in stores: August 8, 2018
Cover date: October 2018
“The Unity Saga” – Part 2
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Ivan Reis
Inker: Joe Prado & Oclair Albert
Cover: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Alex Sinclair
Variant Cover #1: Adam Hughes
Variant Cover #2: David Mack
Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel
Rogol Zaar has a reputation for destruction on par with Lobo spanning as far back as the wars of the Thanagarians and the Tamaran but with Earth now in the Phantom Zone he may yet have his revenge against the Kryptonians.
The events of the fight with Rogol replay in Clark’s mind and we see what happened directly after his imprisonment. Rogol encounters and defeats a fellow Phantom Zone prisoner just as Earth suddenly appears in the Zone. The warriors rage turns to glee as he realizes he has another chance to kill Kal and Kara.
Superman invites The Flash to inspect the Phantom Zone projector hoping to find how they’ve become trapped in the Zone but Barry surmises that Clark’s device is too small to send a planet through. This is all part of someone’s sinister plan but it’s too early to tell whom.
Suddenly the League’s psychic link pulses with a flurry of messages. The League is taken ill and this means the Man of Steel is the Earth’s last line of defense against the prisoners of the Zone!
To Be Continued…
Story – 4: Nothing happens.
Literally nothing.
Does that mean it was a bad issue? No.
A ‘Quest For Peace’ cameo made me squeal with excitement when I saw it. Clark revealed strength of character within the boundaries of his power management. Essentially the issue was an expanded monologue. Story progression was nil but character examination, both of Clark and Rogol, was intriguing. I enjoyed the issue but beyond the admittedly spectacular visuals it’s neither memorable nor essential to the story.
Art – 5: The art was stunning and elevated the issue to a new level. The cameo of Rogol’s casualty was definitely a high point. For the villain’s appearance alone the issue will be remembered for years to come. It overshadowed the rest of the issue in fact. It is breathtaking to look at, the art team continue to amaze me.
Cover Art – 5: A staple of the movies and television series, the prison transport was inspired art and fx design. This cover is a great image mixing nostalgia with movie magic and giving it the comic book spin. My disappointment stems in pointing out that it never happened in the story…
Adam Hughes Variant Cover Art – 5: Wow… This is like a freeze frame during an amazing action sequence. Breathtaking and I wish I could see it in motion!
David Mack Variant Cover Art – 4: Seeing the cover as part of a series, it does have a watercolor artistic feel that is enrapturing. Separately I don’t feel they are as strong as the others but as a series I find myself lost in the art and its soft palette.
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