Thursday, March 24, 2016

Superman: Lois and Clark #6 Review


That's My Boy


Written by: Dan Jurgens
Art by: Lee Weeks, Scott Hanna, A Larger World Studios and Jeromy Cox
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 23, 2016

It's starting to look like a good time to be a Superman fan again, what with him getting his powers back in the regular run of books (thank goodness!), the promising Super League story just around the bend and a couple of other great Superman books being on the shelves each week.  Of those others, this is the one that excites me the most because it is in continuity and pointing to big things that could affect Rebirth.  Will Jon become Superboy?  Will Pre-Flashpoint Clark help get Superman's identity back?  Will I stop asking questions and get to my review?  Yes, yes I will...




The issue opens with a flashback moment that fans have been waiting for in this book...Lois outing Superman.  Not this Lois or Superman, mind you, but the regular versions.  That sounds a lot more confusing than it should, but the moment ties everything together and really puts this book square in the regular continuity with a good frame of reference.  Good for the reader, but not so good for either pair of Lois(es?) or Supermen.



Back in the present, Clark is trying to find Cora (Lois/Author X's editor) using her ringtone for Lois and Jon is doing an after school report on  a hero of his.  I just want to say that with all the precautions that Lois and Clark have taken to maintain their identities, someone should have told Cora to be a bit more subtle with her phone contacts.  However, I did like the Hollies reference (and Salt N Pepa earlier) and I love everything that has to do with Jon in this book.  By the way, his report is on Superman!

Speaking of Superman, he heads off to rescue Cora and does so in pretty brutal fashion, but it may be too late...she already spilled the beans on Author X.  It's a cool juxtaposition with the regular Lois and Clark identity reveal, but this one could be even deadlier.

Dan Jurgens then continues with the Badass Nation television show that I actually forgot all about. The whole concept is ridiculous, but I like the iron man suit and it also provides a very unfortunate distraction for Clark because Intergang has gotten to Lois and Jon.  For once, could Superman just let people die?  Of course not!  Why would you even ask that question?!?!



With all this crazy stuff going on, I actually also forgot about a very important part of this book...Hank Henshaw.  We get a very brief part with him trying to lie his way out of his current (and past) situation and Jurgens ties it in nicely with what is going on with Lois and Jon.  What's going on, you ask?  Bad shit's going on, that's what!

All of this leads to a whole lotta tension going on as we swipe between scenes of Superman saving people, Jon wanting answers from Lois, Hank Henshaw pleading his case, other people in great danger, Lois and Jon in fiery danger and Superman unwittingly joining in on Badass Nation.  If I told you I was at the edge of my seat for all of this, I might just be downplaying it a bit.

With all of these plot threads flying around, you'd think there would be danger of this issue just being setup, but there is some great payoff here.  We find out who has been chasing down the Oblivion Stone since the first issue as she arrives to complete the task and we finally see that Jon is no ordinary boy.  The later is what I've been waiting for and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time!



This book continues kicking mucho asso.  Dan Jurgens is giving us just the right amount of information to keep it from feeling like too much setup, while still leaving the reader wanting more, more, more.  It is still not known what this book is leading to in Rebirth (Super Sons anyone?), but no matter what it is, I'm going to miss THIS book more than I would have ever imagined when it started. Only a couple more issues and that is so bittersweet to me because I want those issues right now.

Lee Weeks is back this issue and his art is awesome as usual.  His character models are what does it for me and they are top notch from the main characters right down to Blackrock.  His art is the perfect match for a Superman book and I hope that DC realizes that and does him and his fans (I'm at the front of that line) right and puts him on a Rebirth Superman book.

Bits and Pieces:

Another month, another great Superman: Lois and Clark issue.  Dan Jurgens deftly juggles multiple plot lines with ease, giving us some big moments, but leaving the reader wanting more.  It's all leading to an explosive ending, but I just want to slow down and enjoy it while it's still around. Believe me, I'm doing that and so should you.

9.0/10

8 comments:

  1. I'm hoping for Rebirth Super Sons to be both Jon & Conner Kent. The biological son & the clone of said Biological son. DC could use a good Family book, kind of like Fantastic 4. Not every title needs to be so dreary.

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    1. They kind of teased a Damian/Superboy book today which i would guess is super sons

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    2. I guess that could be cool. But I don't know why Damian would know or have a reason to know about pre-flashpoint Superman, Lois & Jon.

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    3. If I remember correctly, Conner died in one of the latest Teen Titans issues.

      He sacrificed himself or something.

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    4. If I'm not mistaken, that may have been at the end of the Krypton Returns crossover.

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    5. I thought Conner was recently in Teen Titans where he was framed for murder, it turned out to be shapshifting Durlans.

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    6. Conner seemingly died at the end of Krypton Returns, but later we find out that he was saved by the Space Oracle and when he returned in Teen Titans lately, he left with Harvest to see where his destiny would take him.

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    7. point is: writers are a dick to conner kent XD

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