Mild Mannered Reviews – Superman & The Authority #4

Superman & The Authority #4

Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 12, 2021
Cover date: December 2021

“Widescreen”

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Mikel Janin
Cover: Mikel Janin
Variant Cover: Yanick Paquette

Reviewed by: James Lantz

As The Authority fights a previous iteration of the team in Dubai and Apollo still searches for Lightray, Superman’s first superhuman foe, the Ultra-Humanite in Solomon Grundy’s body, has taken Superman to Kandor. This was all part of the Man of Steel’s plan. Kandor’s Kryptonian environment has been deactivated. This allows Lois Lane to fire White Kryptonite at the Humanite while Superman discovers Brainiac is the true mastermind behind the attack on his person. Meanwhile, Lightray has been taken by Eclipso. If Apollo doesn’t save her, she could be the key to the villain’s victory over Superman and The Authority.

Apollo and Enchantress have countered Eclipso’s darkness with bright sunlight. Manchester Black has mentally defeated someone from the Justice League Elite. Tired of the constant plots of Brainiac, the Ultra-Humanite and other bad guys, Superman leaves Earth’s next generation of heroes in charge while he and The Authority take on Warworld’s Mongul (see Action Comics #1036).

Story – 5: There seems to be a gap in time between this series and the events in Action Comics. Such a thing leads to a lot of questions. However, I’m confident that we will get the answers to those as various comic book titles progress. Will the resolutions be satisfying? That remains to be seen. I will say, however, that this issue was well written in Grant Morrison’s classic style, and that style worked to increase my curiosity about events leading to it and the stories to come. Superman’s world has changed, and comics like this make me look forward to see what happens next.


Art – 5: Mikel Janin is a highly underrated artist. His work is particularly beautiful in this issue and the entire series. Janin should do more Superman related comics in the future.


Cover Art – 5: The cover really doesn’t reveal too much, but it does make one curious about the comic’s content with its great art.


Variant Cover Art – 5: Like the main cover, we’re given a preview of a knock down drag out fight with incredible art.


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