Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton vol. 1

And at last, it’s all coming together.  Brainiac is back, and he is after Kandor.  And if you’ve been paying attention, Lex Luthor is right there with him.  Superman is duking it out with him.  And Mon-El is by his side.  And Supergirl is fighting against Brainiac’s hordes on New Krypton.  And Superboy has joined the action as well.  And the Legion of Super-Heroes are involved, working to save the future.

Superman: Mon-El – Man of Valor

The second (and last) Mon-El volume in this New Krypton saga holds up as well as the first one, making this stream of the story the most enjoyable for me amongst the three Superman “spin-off’s”.  Part of that is because Mon-El as a character is actually likeable, he’s genuinely heroic, and their are some great moments related to the Legion of Super-Heroes.  

Superman: Codename Patriot

Codename: Patriot, by Greg Rucka, James Robinson and Sterling Gates, follows right on the heels of New Krypton vol. 3, showing the aftermath of the assassination attempt on General Zod.  The culprit flees and Krypton’s military, now led basically by Commander Kal-El (the other two ranking officers being the brutish and dopey Commander Gor and the psychotic but lovestruck Commander Ursa) trace him to earth.  He follows, but in his more traditional guise (the first issue ends with the book’s best moment as he takes out his familiar costume and says, “This is a job for Superman.”)

Superman: Mon-El

I’ve just reread Superman: Mon-El and have to say that so far it’s the New Krypton volume I have enjoyed the most. 

Waaaait a minute… (Superboy #89, continuity, and storytelling)

I’ve been reading through my Legion of Super-Heroes archives with my children lately, which has been a lot of fun, and given me the chance to relive a lot of familiar story moments through their eyes.  It’s also meant I’ve realized the my previous re-readings were a bit glib at times, glossing over some of the details.  Reading them out loud to my kids has meant I’ve caught every word…

For example, when I was re-reading Superboy #89, which is the debut story of Mon-El, I couldn’t help notice an inconsistency I’ve never picked up on before. 

Stories I Like: The Legion of Super-Heroes

When I was still a young man – 18 or 20 – I remember telling my mother that I assumed I’d someday outgrow comic books.  I recall specifically saying that I figured it was pretty unlikely I’d still be reading them when I was 40.  I guess I didn’t consider myself “grown up” at that point and assumed that someday I would.  Well, here I am at 41, and though I have changed in a lot of ways in terms of maturity and responsibilities, I am still reading comic books.