Credits: Written and breakdowns by Dan Jurgens, finishes by Brett Breeding and edited by Mike Carlin.
Cast: The Cyborg Superman, Lois Lane, The Guardian, Jimmy Olsen, Mayor Berkowicz, Dr Kitty Faulkner, Cadmus Director Westfield and Dr. Emil Hamilton.
Plot: Lois Lane is investigating a new Superman sighting and sees a picture with a partial profile image, making it look like the real Superman is back. At S.T.A.R. Labs Metropolis’ mayor is giving grief to Kitty Faulkner about letting Project Cadmus take Doomsday’s body, which wasn’t Kitty’s call it was the president’s. Their argument is interrupted by someone with Superman’s build and part of his face, the rest being in shadow. He demands to know where Doomsday is.
Elsewhere, Lois is listening to her police scanner, learning that S.T.A.R. Labs has had a Superman sighting. When she checks this out with her office, Jimmy mentions that the body of Superman is missing, but this we’ve seen here. She believes however, that Cadmus may be responsible and so she heads there and so do we.
At Cadmus, sensors detect an humanoid object heading towards them. Westfield asks if it’s the ‘Kid’ returning and dispatches the ‘Sky Sentinels’ which are the guards for the place, but with jetpacks. This flying man punches through that line of defence. There’s a quick inra red scan on this person and it looks Superman-ish, but with darker patches. Now inside, this person is attacked by the Cadmus Project’s internal defences and then we get a look at Superman.
It is Superman, but his right torso and arm are now mechanical as is his left leg, sections of his right and about 70% of his face. But what is still flesh, is undeniably Superman. Guardian recognises him, but this cyborg being tells him he’s back, but different from the damage and uses his X-ray vision to find Doomsday in a lower level. Using tendrils from his mechanical arm to hack into the vault and finds Doomsday and flies him into space. As he flies off, Lois sees him. The cyborg leaves Doomsday strapped to an asteroid, with monitoring equipment then returns to find Lois and tells her just enough to make her question, whether this is the real Superman. He remembers the name Kent, remembers Kansas. He feels damaged and wants to get his life back. Emil Hamilton, a scientist friend of the original Superman does all kinds of tests and states that as far as he can tell, this is the returned Superman. In space, Doomsday appears to be laughing.
Notes: This is the third of the new ‘Supermen’ and the only one to definitively say he is the original. The Last Son implies it, Man of Steel doesn’t in anyway and from his intro, it seems the Metropolis Kid is well aware he is not the original. This one says he is, so therefore it does look suspect. If you have read this story, or know about it, you know where this is going, but I’m not going down that road today, I’m instead going to be charitable and take this issue on it’s own merits. Things I liked about it include: The fact it isn’t an origin story, like the last two. We’re in the start of it, but we don’t get all the build up either. There’s also reference to what happened to Doomsday and how Superman and related characters would react to that. It’s very action heavy, with intense moments and the sign of this Superman not taking any grief. This is a man who has been rebuilt and has no desire to risk what happened before, happening again. This connection to the past is interesting and the first so far of these new heroes. It is honestly a strong start.
Verdict: Overall 8 out of 10 – I’ve combined the art and writing sections, because Dan Jurgens was both writer and layouts, so his particular stamp is all over this issue. I will not mince word, this era’s best Superman artist was Dan Jurgens. He drew a resolute, heroic and yet human Superman. He shows emotion well, does pin up shots well and kills it in action scenes. It is as close to a platonic ideal of Superman on the page as Kevin Conroy is to the voice of Batman. Jurgens’ Superman is what Superman looks like. Is he the best Superman artist ever? I don’t feel qualified to say that, but for me, he is a personal favourite and remains so. He stands apart, so it gets a 6 or so out of 10, just for him being involved. Why then is it 8? Well he plays the story smart, we don’t see ‘Superman’ for several pages, even though we know it’s him, he holds the reveal until absolutely necessary and as a result, the first full look at this Cyborg Superman is dramatic. He is the guy, he has the powers, but he’s been through something and has come back, changed. He talks about missing memories, but has just enough to convince Lois he knows the things he should to be Superman. The writing is on point, the questions and doubts are there and the pacing is perfect for the page count. Maybe I don’t like this particular character, but I love his introduction.
Next Time: We put out the Fire from Heaven
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