By: Paul Cornell (writer), Pete Woods (artist), Brad Anderson (colorist), Nick Spencer (back-up writer), RB Silva (back-up penciller), DYM (back-up inker), Dave McCaig (back-up colorist)
The Story: Lex Luthor has a brilliant new scheme to use the Black Lantern energy domes for his own purposes. The immortal Vandal Savage isn’t too stoked about Lex Luthor’s plans, since they involve the Black Lantern energy domes in his possession. To fulfill a prophecy foretold centuries before, Savage confronts Luthor, forcing Luthor to call on the aid of the unpredictable Secret Six. In the back-up, Jimmy Olsen puts into motion his plan to make Metropolis the most boring city in the galaxy, all in an effort to ward off an invasion of alien swingers.
The Review: The idea may be a little antiquated, but DC’s use of its “Comics” books (Action Comics, Detective Comics, and the recently revived Adventure Comics) as a vehicle for highlighting a revolving roster of characters packs a lot of potential for dynamic storytelling. Paul Cornell has taken advantage of this idea to deliver a fascinating story on one of comics’ most infamous, yet least understood, characters.
One of the major flaws hampering any portrayal of Luthor is that while his uncanny intelligence and malevolence toward Superman is always a must-have, his mission and motives are largely unclear. Does he hunger for power and resents anyone who has more of it than he does? Is there a xenophobic bent to his hatred for Superman? Is he a misunderstood genius who only wants to lead mankind to greatness? Or is he just a sadist at heart?
One of the most interesting beats in this issue is when he retorts to Vandal Savage, “I don’t associate with ‘super-villains’ unless it’s to lead them. They have master plans and costumes and pretensions. We have little in common.” In that little speech, Cornell sums up what makes Luthor a compelling character. He’s not delusional enough to believe himself a god, but he’s an enormous believer in his capabilities as an individual. In that sense, he has a lot in common with Batman, who is portrayed figuratively (and with Morrison, literally) as a god among men. It should be said that besides Luthor, other characters shine in this issue. Cornell has a lot of fun writing Savage as a man who can afford to bide millennia at a time to construct his plots, and how fun is robot-Lois as a foil to Luthor? They are really the Sam Malone and Diane Chambers of their cast.
Great characterization is the selling point of this storyline; pacing is not. After several issues of this arc and despite some zany premises—quickly becoming Cornell’s forte—Luthor’s overall mission to locate and use the Black Lantern energy constructs still seems to lack an apparent purpose. That’s very Luthor, of course—only he really knows what’s going down at any given point—but it can be frustrating for the reader. None of the events so far seem linked in any way, but are just excuses to let Luthor bounce off of other strong personalities. As fun as that’s been, it’s time for an injection of energy to the series, which the inclusion of the always delightful Secret Six in the next issue promises to do.
As for Nick Spencer’s back-up, it’s safe to say that if a Jimmy Olsen ongoing ever got approved, Spencer is just the man to helm the series. His dialogue has all the funny nonchalance toward fantastic events that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Young Justice so great to read, and it’s been a long time since such a ridiculous premise was written with such credibility—and such dire stakes. Who could have known that partying could lead to the world’s destruction? It really gives you some pause before mocking Puritan values.
Both Pete Woods and RB Silva employ a style of art that should be considered the DC standard. Their pencils have just the right balance between realism and cartoon; there is a pleasing level of detail; their character expressions consistently fit the context of the scene (Silva is especially good at this—check out the aliens’ reaction to Perry White’s discussion of his unpublished novel); and their use of perspective is dynamic, maintain suspense to talky scenes that would otherwise be rambling (Woods excels here—if he didn’t, this issue would get a much lower grade). Kudos also to Brad Anderson and Dave McCaig, whose colors heighten the drama and comedy of their respective stories.
Conclusion: Cornell has proven his writing chops, but has yet to demonstrate his ability to keep his creativity in line with a structured plot. So far, even with no specific knowledge of the endgame to come, it’s clear that each issue is taking baby-steps there. Including last month’s tête-à-tête with Death, this makes two dialogue-heavy issues in a row, meaning some action is sorely needed to keep the pace lively. However, Spencer’s energetic back-up makes this issue a great value for its content.
Grade: A-
– Minhquan Nguyen
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