Written by, Dan Jurgens
Art by, Will Conrad
Colors by, Ivan Nunes
Letters by, Rob Leigh
Recap
The last issue left off with Superman and Booster Shot on New Krypton. They are fastened to a post by Zod and his family along with the Eradicator, they all start firing their heat-beam eyes on the pair. Superman is subdued by kryptonite-fasteners and Booster does not have super-human strength without a fully functioning suit. Booster’s force field’s almost depleted, so the situation looks hopeless. In a different story arc, Lois and Jon were ambushed by guerilla soldiers in Logamba while trying to save Lois’ father. It was unclear if they had survived.
Skeets, who appeared to be destroyed at the end of the last issue, has gained control of one of Eradicator’s androids and disrupts the onslaught on Superman and Booster. Superman and Booster immediately fight back against Zod and his family. The citizens of New Krypton quickly question whether they too should fight back against Zod’s control. Skeets works to gain control of the Time Sphere while Booster confronts Eradicator. Superman manages to hold his own against Zod’s family; however, Lor-Zod and his wife each grab one of Superman’s arms and gain the upperhand. In a sudden twist, Skeets gains control of Eradicator’s android arm and subdues the Eradicator. Booster, meanwhile, subdues Zod with a shard of Kryptonite. In a final twist, Skeets ignites the Time Sphere which allows Superman and Booster to escape Zod’s family.
Superman insists that they utilize the Time Sphere for him to witness the final moments of Krypton’s destruction because he has to know what happened to his parents. They transport back to the “nano-second” before his parents are destroyed and what they witness verifies Jor-El’s story. Superman’s mother dies in flames; however, a blue light surrounds Jor-El and takes him away, safely, before the planet explodes. Booster reaffirms the importance of protecting time by not changing the past. Superman asks him, “you never crack and give in?” Booster replies, “nuh-uh.”
Skeets takes Superman back to earth in order for him to see his family. He is shocked to learn that Lois and Jon were in Logamba. Superman leaves the Time Sphere in order to get to Lois and Jon. Meanwhile, Skees informs Booster that Lois and Samuel Lane were gunned down 80 seconds prior to their arrival. Booster promptly goes back in time and saves them from the guerillas prior to Superman arriving.
Overall 7.5/10
Final Impressions:
This story dragged and felt like it was one or two issues too long. The connections made between Zod’s family and Jor-El’s return felt rushed and underdeveloped. However, Superman confirms that Jor-El’s story was true. This story arc explored the father-child relationship through several story-arcs. It was encouraging to see Lois Lane revisit her relationship with her father and it also gave that character a time to shine.
It is a shame that Booster’s return could not have been in a story that would have given his character more opportunities to shine. His role in the story stagnated after an energetic start. He was involved to save time; Ironically, he breaks his own rule to save Superman immeasurable amounts of pain.
The art in the story worked but didn’t blow me away. The colors and inks were strong; however, the overall art lacked any “ah-hah” moments. In the end, this was a basic Superman story: it had dangerous elements, he saves a helpless group of people, and the world keeps spinning. It feels like this character is treading water until May when Bendis takes over.
Comic Book Corps 