Final battle with Apokalips, but does even Superman have the wherewithal to bring Darkseid to heel? Your Major Spoilers review of Superman: The Coming Of The Supermen #6 awaits!
SUPERMAN: THE COMING OF THE SUPERMEN #6
Writer: Neal Adams
Artist: Neal Adams
Ink Assists: Buzz
Colorist: Tony Avina
Letterer: Cardinal Rae
Editor: Andrew Marino
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Superman: The Coming Of The Supermen: Okay, I’m gonna be honest here, Faithful Spoilerites: I got nothin’…
SCREAMIN’ AT THE TOP O’ THEIR LUNGS!
This issue seemingly opens in mid-sentence, with Lex Luthor giggling maniacally while Darkseid rages out of control, even calling him a “pusillanimous pile of Earth slime.” Their battle is centered on an energy cube upon which Darkseid has copied all of Luthor’s technology, all the while Superman watches with a smirk, making a point to remember the day when his two greatest foes had a slapfight like a couple of second-graders. Superman destroys the cube, leading Darkseid to attack, but not until a giant horned alien named El arrives, a dog turns into Highfather, Orion punches Superman. Aaaand then, after chucking all of Darkseid’s parademons through the boom tube portal back to Apokalips, Superman…
…turns it… inside out, with his bare hands?
DARKSEID LOOKS LIKE A GORILLA
I have no idea what is going on in this comic. I have read it four times now, after perusing the first six issues of the miniseries, and I’ve come up with three important bits of information: Neal Adams can still draw, but the coloring isn’t doing his work any favors in this issue. Superman is a fun character to see in action, even when it’s a weird not-quite-recognizable Superman, whose dialogue (like the dialogue of every other character in the book) is unusually casual and flippant. The other Kryptonians (the ones whose presence gave this mini it’s title) play zero role in this issue, other than offering the survivors of New Genesis a place to stay on their world, and it’s impossible to reconcile this childish, whiny, ranting, gorilla-faced Darkseid with even the gooniest moments of Kirby’s Fourth World.
THE BOTTOM LINE: SOUND AND FURY
It’s easy to blow this off as an example of how ‘old-school’ storytelling doesn’t work any longer (and I’ve seen a couple of reviews that imply as much), but that’s not true at all. For all the skill in his drawings, Adams’ script for this issue is utterly incoherent, although he does a good job of creating an upbeat ending for Superman, Highfather and the insignificant Kryptonians. Superman: The Coming Of The Supermen #6 confuses volume with intensity, has some real issues with over-production in the coloring, and is just generally not particularly readable, but looks good enough to snag 2 out of 5 stars overall. I don’t know that it’s an experience I would recommend, but it is an experience…
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.
2 Comments
Ok, Matthew I did read every issue of this series and I was just as confused as you were so reading the five previous issues will do nothing for you. In fact it will just bring up more weird plot points and questions that never get answered. I swear it is worse than Lost in that rescpect. I might have missed some little hidden detail that explains something so please forgive me but it’s incoherence was very difficult to follow. Quite frankly I think by the end of the issue my brain was throwing in the towel and just trying to get through it. How the heck did you read it 4 TIMES!!!! I applaud you for your dedicated professionalism and your high tolerance for pain.
I am really not trying to be a hater, I love Neil Adams art, huge fan. That’s why I started buying this in the first place. I will say it didn’t feel as clean as his art was when I was a kid but the guy is in his 70″s so I can’t fault him, it install really good. I think this comic would have benefitted greatly (in the art department) if they let an inker that does nice clean lines. It could have corrected the sketchy quality to the inks, which felt a little like sloppy pencils at some points.
Sadly nothing short of hiring a good writer could have fixed the story. Neil Adams is no writer, he needs to stick with his strengths. Could you imagine if some one gave him a good script for a miniseries and he took his time with the pencils and then let a good inker and colorist go at it. That could be a master piece, I would buy it all day long. I don’t think he could keep up with a monthly series but at his age he shouldn’t have to. Neil needs to do something at hi own pace not tied to deadlines and when it’s done people will buy it. I only got every issue because of my obsessive completism. That and the vague hope that I could figure out what was going on
It was called The Coming of the Supermen but they were already there in Issue one when Superman gets back to Earth and then they pop back in for a few milliseconds here and there and thats it. it was a great title that promised alot and delivered nothing. It also skipped quickly from one idea to the next so quickly it was jarring. It felt like the dog from UP was telling mea story… SQUIRREL!!!
One final thought. Who the hell was the weird green alien demon thing with wings and why did Darkseid respect him and do what he said. Did I miss something, was he some old Silver Age character that I am not familiar with? His name was El which is Superman’s family name but they say nothing about that. Even at the end Superman comments that he still has lots of questions but doesn’t bother asking any of them. It actually was a pretty infuriating read. I have never dreamt about selling any of my comics before but when I put down issue 6 I serious considered putting them up on EBAY for sale. Neil I love you, please put down the typewriter and pick up your pencil, no no no not the writing one, the sketching one.
My review process involves multiple readings…
And the “El” character looked remarkably like one of the monsters from Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali..