thrilla in... outer space
In Brief: Superman and Darkseid in a good, old fashioned fist fight... in outer space.
This wraps up the series of reviews on Superman/Batman Supergirl, in my opinion one of the great modern comic sagas. Speaking of this issue as well as the whole arc it is accessible, interesting, smart, beautifully drawn and masterfully written. Great holiday fun for the whole family.
The Writing: Loeb wraps up his final contribution to the Superman/Batman series he helped create in good form. Much like the last issue, the writing here is well-balanced. The action and fighting does not overpower the writing, as it sometimes can (read a comic with nothing but panels and panels of action- while this can be fun, it is kind of disappointing too). Action, good action, is motivated by the writing, it carries narrative significance in the form of why they are fighting, what is the emotional investment in the fight? Loeb handles the motivation for the fight between Superman and Darkseid very well- the panels leading up to the fight are just wonderful. Superman flies Darkseid into space, all the while giving us this powerful treatise on exactly why Darkseid is evil, and exactly why he is about to beat the crap out of him. It makes the beating so much more satisfying! It also reveals aspects of Superman's humanity, reminding us all why the Man of Steel is so great. Superman talking about why he loves earth and in so doing reminds us why he chooses to defend it, and it is for all the right reasons (the wrong reasons would be the need for fame, glory, recognition etc... but the reasons Superman lists are all purely good and selfless, its why the interior monologue from Batman that is also going on in this scene tells us how much the Bat admires big blue).
In the end, it is all good, but the writing during the Supes/Darkseid showdown is an instant classic.
The Art: More good things to say about Michael Turner. Check out the first few pages of the comic, contrast them with the depictions of the Kent farm in the last issue. Notice how Smallville starts to look a lot like Apokolips in terms of the color palate? How cool is that? Shows us just how joyless and upset Superman is, his untouchable home, Smallville, the place that gives him moral strength, has become this dark and ugly place (all reds and blacks), shows us just how upset and sad he is, how his world has changed. Again, perfect coordination between Loeb's thematics and Turner's art, the two compliment each other beautifully, a masterpiece of formalism.
The star of the show?: Superman. In this issue we get to see Superman unchained. So often Superman, who could take down most criminals with ease, who could destroy entire cities and sink continents, is above all a being of self-control and self-sacrifice. He can do all these amazing things but he chooses to keep himself in check for the safety of others (we can see this in The Search for Kryptonite where he is fighting All American Boy, he could have handled him more easily if he was not also protecting everyone simultaneously). But lets face it, Darkseid crossed a line. I mean, Superman actually curses! Its a mild curse, but its there! And yet, due to the situation and Loebs writing, it is not out of character. Just a testament to how truly p.o'd he is. But Superman is the ultimate star of this show due to many of the reasons I listed above in the writing section- when he lists off all those aspects of earth that Kara will miss, all those aspects that he loves, he shows us why he defends earth. He loves it for those simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Reading this comic wakes you up to not only how amazing Superman is, but you actually start to look at the little things and appreciate them more- they mean so much to him, what do they mean to you? That is one of the great things that comics can do, they are (at least in this case) more than just entertainment- there is a powerful and universal idea here (appreciating life), beautifully expressed by the Man of Steel. Its why I love that big blue boy scout.
Overall: Great stuff! Lots of action, lots of great ideas. Buy it for Superman breaking Darkseid's arm and slamming him into the source wall. Whats not to love about that?