DC Comics Review: Blackest Night: Superman #3

Rating: *** 1/2*

Blackest Night comes to end for Superman this week - at least for now. Issue three of Blackest Night: Superman is a lot of fun - this whole series has been fun. As I mentioned in a previous issue, sometimes the most simple plots can be the most fun. All you need to know is that the Black Lanterns are resurrecting the dead in the DC Universe, and they are attacking the living. It’s Night of the Living Dead meets the world of superheroes - what more can you ask for?

Writer James Robinson did a very good job with this one. Behind the story of the Black Lanterns attacking Smallville and New Krypton is the story of a family - the Superman family. I like the dynamic between Martha Kent and her sons Superman and Superboy (and of course the family dog Krypto); on the flip side, we see the difficult family relationship between Supergirl and her mother as they tackle their father/husband who has been resurrected as a Black Lantern. Great drama.

Our story jumps back and forth between the events happening in Smallville to the events on New Krypton. Kara is sad and angry over this thing that she has to fight, this thing that looks and sounds like her father. Meanwhile, Superman and Superboy fight off the Black Lanterns of Earth 2 Superman and the Psycho Pirate. The Psycho Pirate has been able to take over Superboy and make him fight Superman, but Superboy is then able to regain control of his senses use his tactile telekinesis to fight off Earth 2 Superman. Conner wants to be more like Superman, but he hasn’t been using this power because Superman lacks his own. Superman tells Conner that he must use all of his powers and be himself, to not worry about being more like Superman.

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DC Comics Review: Blackest Night: Superman #2

Rating: ***

The Black Night continues its reign of terror in Smallville in this issue of Blackest Night: Superman.  I really enjoyed the first issue of this series, but I felt a bit let down with this second one.  One of the things that I felt hurt the first issue of this series continues here and that’s bad dialogue.  As you know, Earth 2 Superman has risen from the dead as a Black Lantern and is fighting Superman and Superboy.  As they are fighting, Earth 2 Superman taunts Superman with this “amazing” piece of dialogue,“My world was better!  I was better!  Earth 2?  No, it was Earth mine!”  Bad.  Just bad.  I can’t believe that this is the same writer - James Robinson - who wrote one the best comics ever in Starman.  What the hell happened?

The story is still decent enough for me to have been entertained along with the solid artwork by Eddy Barrows.  This guy is great.  I look forward to seeing more of his work, hopefully on bigger projects for DC.

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