Byrne's magic run
John Byrne has worked on many classic characters. He has worked on of course X-Men, his New Man series and most importantly his re-telling of Superman.
This issue starts with The underutilized Phantom Stranger(he needs a cool origin story and series).He is in a grave yard filled with criminals. The soil being littered with these evil men is consumed by their hate and is quite alive itself.The Phantom then tells us the story where Superman is battling a villianess called Arathaza. Somehow Supes is old not sure if this continued from last issue or not but cool anyhows. Faking like he's dead Supes grabs her power staff and destroys her (for now?). However, the staff destryed in pieces one small jewel falls to the earth and lands in the graveyard we are talking about.P.S. is at Supe's apartment where he tells him he needs him however Supes resists and is tired and says that he "is nomore invulnerable to the forces of magic than any other mortal".P.S. than transports Supes to the site where this big towering heap of dirt and stone stands before our cosmic duo.
Of course Superman jumps into action and fights desperatly against the monster. The Phantom Stranger enters the Land Of The Damned wherehe is tried by the dead memories for living. The Stranger proceeds to show the dead their victims while Supes is still battling the thing. The Stranger and the victims fight the dead and gain control of the jewel and Superman hears the Phantom and picks up the soil and heeves it into space where who knows where itlands. Supes comes back to land and destroys the jewel happy ending?
good art and the writing was decent. If I was a writer I would use the dirt and soil and bring it back as something with hatred . I also said earlier the Phantom is underused if there was a writer that could pitch a good idea to DC i'm all for it.