Jack Kirby's Fourth World #20

Apologies for the lack of interior images, my scanner has let me down by producing wonderful static-filled scans. Gotta love the tech!
 
The Gods Themselves


Story, Pencils, Inks and Lettering: John Byrne
Coloring: Noelle Giddings
Assistant Editor: L.A. Williams
Editor: Paul Kupperberg
Creator: Jack Kirby
Based on the work originally appearing in Forever People #1 and Jimmy Olsen #149
Cover Art: Walt Simonson
Cover Date: October 1998
Release Date: 12/08/2008

Superman is flying through Metropolis, pondering his unknown alien origins. Flying into the Daily Planet and changing into Clark, he encounters Jimmy Olsen, who tells a tale of his meeting with a group of super people called the Forever People, and their mentions of a place called Supertown. Whilst out driving the previous night, Jimmy was surprised when a Boom Tube opened up and deposited the Forever People, causing him to drive off the road. The Forever People save him, apologise for their error, and let him take pictures of them.


Superman's interest is piqued, and he flies off to find the Forever People. So focused is he that he doesn't register being observed by an Intergang helicopter, which gives chase on orders from Darkseid. Superman locates the Forever People in an abandoned lumber mill. The Forever People can't decide wether Superman is an envoy from Supertown or a minion of Darkseid, but before they can choose, the Intergang 'copter attacks with alien weaponry, stunning Superman. Superman tries to down the chopper by hurling a tree at it, but he is stopped from further action by the Forever People, who tell him that they need to track the helicopter to find out where Darkseid is hiding Beuatiful Dreamer.


Superman offers his help, and by using his x-ray vision he discovers a non-terrestial metal under the ground. As the Forever People move in, Superman helps to defend them from a poison gas attack, but he finds himself pinned down by the Gravi-Guards. Realising that Superman needs more help, the Forever People combine their powers to call the Infinity Man, who makes short work of the guards. Infinity Man then calls out Darkseid who appears. Darkseid returns Beautiful Dreamer, deciding that he can extract the secrets of the Anti-Life equation from other minds, before vanishing. Infinity Man then vanishes, returning the Forever People, who greet their lost comrade.


In return for his help, the Forever People open a Boom Tube to Supertown. Superman flies through it and find himself in a floating city where everyone has superpowers. Seeing a young girl about to be crushed by a falling tower, Superman saves her, but is confused when the girl reveals her own powers, tossing the tower around like a toy. Superman is beckoned over by a bearded stranger with a staff, who tells him that his questions about his origins can only be answered on Earth. The stranger then returns Superman to Earth. Orion then appears to talk to the stranger - revealed as Highfather - and they confirm that Earth will be an important part of the war against Apokolips. Highfather tells Orion that the Source has directed him to Earth, but Orion has decided to stop on Apokolips first.

I'm always wary of retelling prior stories in current continuity. Sometimes it works really well, enhancing the bare bones of the story with material relevant to the concurrent stories. Two good examples of this are the two retellings of Hal Jordan's origin, as seen in the Emerald Dawn and Emerald Dawn 2 miniseries, and the in Secret Origins arc of Green Lantern that served to lay the groundwork for the Blackest Night crossover. At other times, the structure of the story being retold is followed to faithfully, resulting in an old-fashioned story being told for little more than nostalgia purposes. This issue of Jack Kirby's Fourth World pretty much sits between the two extremes, its excesses given structure and form by being very blatantly created as a tie-in with The Man of Steel from 22 years previously.

The caption on the first page references the fact that this story takes places before the final issue of The Man of Steel, and it's elements of Superman's character prior to the revelation of his origins that drive the story here. It's the strongest addition to the story, although having never read the issues in question I am unsure as to what the other additions comprise of. Apart from this character drive, it's hard to understand why this particular story needed to be told. Other than their status as one of the four titles that launched the Fourth World, the Forever People have never exactly been a strong component of the concept, especially in the Post Crisis continuity. The more incredible aspects of the team, such as their relationship with Infinity Man, goes pretty much unexplained, and the Forever People don't really make any impact on the reader. It would have been far more interesting to delve into Darkseid and Superman's history, as it is hinted in the Legends crossover that the two have faced each other before. Simply having the two foes share only two panels just doesn't feel like it's enough.

Byrne's artwork here is , in my opinion, his last great Superman work, as I am very much not a fan of his return to Action Comics in 2005. He shows us why he is such a strong intrpreter of the Fourth World - his Darkseid, although appearing in 3 panels, is imposing and menacing, especially on his physical entrance to the story, shrouded in shadow with the barest hint of the omega power issuing from his eyes. His Superman is both powerful and human, his face conveying his confusion and disappointement over his lack of knowledge concerning his origins.

The postscript to the issue reads awkwardly. This issue was the last of the series, and the scene attempts to round off the series with an Important Scene between Highfather and Orion. Sadly, it's a scene that attempt to be portentious without telling the reader anything they probably have learned over the past 20 issues. Orion's fate is to fight his father in the Armagetto. And Earth will be important. Right. Oh, and there's a great example of early CGI imagery in comic books in the establishing shot of Supertown, all awkwardly lit, stupidly designed, and bearing no relation to the designs of the city as rendered by Byrne.

The Geeky Bits: The Fourth World was a concept created by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics on his arrival at the company in 1970. Comprising Mr Miracle, The Forever People, New Gods, and the pre-existing Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen, the four titles told the story of the battle between Apokolips and New Genesis, and introduced readers for the first time to Darkseid, one of Superman's most enduring villains.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World was a 20 issue series created by John Byrne that attempted to continue to story of the conflict between New Genesis and Apokolips. The series was followed by Walt Simonson's Orion series, and the two titles represent the most recent attempt by DC to create new, standalone stories for the New Gods without being tied into other titles or events.

Superman would get to know Darkseid more intimately before their first post-Crisis meeting in the Legends crossover. This meeting took place in a pre-Crisis Justice League of America story that has later been defined as 'having happened' post-Crisis. It's a little confusing, I know, but I'll be devoting a whole post to the sticky issue of 'What actually happened to the pre-Crisis stories' in a few weeks time. For reference's sake, the issues comprise Justice League of America #183-185, along with a couple of earlier stories that also fit into this unique category.

Next on World of Superman: The Man of Steel and the World's Mightiest Mortal meet for the very first time!

Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #4

Hero


Story: Louise Simonson
Penciller: John Paul Leon
Inker: Dennis Janke
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Assistant Editor: Chris Duffy
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Artist: Walt Simonson
Cover Date: Annual 1995


The Knight

Superman races to the rescue after a Quraci terrorist organisation attempts to derail the elevated subway. He stops the train before it crashes through a section of demolished track, then heads inside to deal with the hijackers. He brings the gunmen to the police for arrest, and is swarmed with adoring and grateful fans. A comment made by one of them makes him think back to the day Pa Kent showed him the ship he arrived in. Later that day, in the Daily Planet newsroom, news of Batman's appearance in Gotham City breaks. Clark rushes out.


In Gotham, Superman grabs hold of Batman's line, and just as in Man of Steel #3, gets involved with Magpie's reign of terror. Once Magpie has been apprehended, Superman talks with Batman. Realising that the law is effectively powerless in Gotham, Superman agrees not to hand Batman over to the authorities. As he leaves, he discovers that Batman has no super-powers, but is a self-made man.

The Ring

The next day, Clark is relating his encounter with Batman to Ma, while the TV hosts an interview with the latest hero, Black Canary. Suddenly, the interview is cut short for a newsflash reporting that a LexCorp satellite has broken its orbit and is crashing towards Coast City. Superman rushes to assist, but is beaten to it by another hero wielding a green ring. The hero almost catches the satellite, but it breaks free. Superman is able to bring it under control and allow the hero to snare it. The hero introduces himself as Green Lantern, and he explains how he gained posession of the ring. When Lantern asks Superman about his origins, Superman is unable to answer. Green Lantern's ring identifies Superman as the last survivor of Krypton, but Lantern realises that Superman doesn't know this, and witholds the information. The two shake hands as friends.

The Speed

Returning to Metropolis, Clark files the Green Lantern story, to the ire of Lois Lane. He then returns home for dinner with his parents. While there, Pa tells him of a freak snowstorm in a neighbouring country. Superman heads off to investigate and finds the Weather Wizard causing havoc. Weather Wizard stuns Superman with a lightning bolt, but while he is recovering, Superman sees a red blur heading into the fight. The blur runs in a circle, causing a tornado to form that dissipates the Weather Wizard's weather, and topples him from his perch. The blur introduces himself as The Flash, and tells of his origin. Their meeting is interrupted by both Lois Lane and Iris West, who have been investigating the Weather Wizard. Superman discovers that the Wizard had intended to scare people away from the town so that he could rob the bank. He is disgusted that millions of dollars of property damage could have been caused to rob thirty thousand dollars.

The Tide

A little later, Superman investigates a suddenly-formed hurricane, expecting to find the Weather Wizard behind it. He is surprised to find an orange-shirted man trapped beneath a tree, recognising him as Aquaman. Aquaman explains that Poseidon is attacking him. Superman is sceptical of Aquaman's talk of gods, and attempts to dispell the hurricane. He is surprised when the weather takes the form of a face and attacks him directly, knocking him unconscious and sending him plummeting into the ocean. Aquaman recovers Superman, saving him from a mystical whirlpool. With Superman recovered, he and Aquaman lead the hurricane to a desert, where the lack of water forces Poseidon to withdraw. Aquaman suggests that the ocean is now angry at Superman, a claim Superman rejects, even after he has been splashed in the face.

The Alien

Returning to Metropolis, Clark wonders how he can file the Aquaman story and get ahead of Lois without drawing undue attention to his scoops. His thoughts are interrupted by a blaze in Denver, and he leaves to assist. The burning building is about to collapse. Superman helps hold it together, but is surprised to meet a green-skinned hero, who heads inside to save more civilians. Through the smoke and the flames, Superman sees the hero finish the rescue, but get caught in an explosion. In order to get away, the hero changes his shape. After the emergency, Superman tracks down the hero, who introduces himself as a Martian called J'onn J'onnz. J'onn tells of how he arrived on Earth by teleporter, not rocket. Superman tells him that reporters most likely saw his transformation, and that he won't be able to live in secret for long. After Superman has left, J'onn thinks about how the two of them were able to save the last trapped civilians, and wonders what could happen if more heroes worked together.


The League

A few days later, Clark hears that most of the public super-heroes have formed a Justice League, but that their first meeting has erupted into violence, with the heroes attacking each other. Superman arrives, to see the League fighting indiscriminately, with no tactics, just fighting. He notices a nearby robot, emitting a beam, and decides that the robot is causing teh violent behaviour. Superman attacks the robot, freeing the league, and discovers that is was being piloted by a small gnome-like being who vanishes. The gnome was Xotar, a being from the future who has managed to teleport himself into the hands of his era's police. Superman officially meets the League, and is invited to join. However, he turns down membership, instead offering to provide support when needed. Clark returns to the Planet, only to find that thanks to some contacts on the scene, Lois has managed to scoop him this time.

The Origin

Seven years later. Clark is at home for Ma's birthday when he is approached by a phantom of Jor-El. The phantom reveals Kal-El's Kryptonian origins, placing Clark in some sort of trance. Pa breaks the trance by whacking the phantom with a shovel, dissipating it. Superman then examines what he now knows of his origin, before deciding that although Krypton gave him his powers, it is his family that has made him a man.

This annual can pretty much be summed up as 'How I Met The Justice League' with a bit of origin-angst thrown in to tie all the meetings together. It's a bit like a cheap buffet - there's plenty of food, but none of it is overly satisfying. The vignettes are all good, but each one feels like it should be a bigger moment standing on its own, rather than 5-7 pages contained within one tale. This feeling stems from the fact that the annual uses Man of Steel #3 as its launching point. The Batman strand feels very much like a summary, rather than a retelling, with corners cut to make it fit into the space, and this feeling permeates the other meetings. What really gives this issue a sense of being rushed is that the needs of the story have Superman meeting the members of the JLA all within a few days of each other. Now, accepted DCU history has the modern age heroes appearing in the wake of Superman's appearance, but having them all occur within a week or so stretches credibility a little.

Out of all the meetings, I think my favourite is the Aquaman one. Not only does it echo the 'out of his depth' elements from both the Action Comics and Superman annuals, but it ends more ambiguously than with a handshake and a promise of friendship. Superman gets it wrong in dealing with Poseidon, by not following Aquaman's instructions, and is shaken by the discussion of Gods actually existing. There's a nice moment where Aquaman teases Superman by claiming that the ocean is angry with him, before splashing him with water, deflating Superman's dismissive attitude towards the Poseidon encounter. The ones I least enjoyed were the Batman retelling, and the first team-up with the JLA, both of which recap previously-told stories without bringing anything new to the table.

What does work, and resonates strongly with this period in Superman's life, is the ongoing thread of Superman's lack of knowledge of where he comes from. This element was downplayed until the last issue of Man of Steel, so to make it into more of a driving force for Superman during his early years helps to retroactively set up the resolution to the mini-series. Each of the heroes serves to pique Superman's interest, and each lets him down in their own way, wether by being a self-made hero, gaining powers by accident, or a gift from an alien, or simply by being an alien but stranded on Earth through very different means. Between this and the constant game of one-upmanship with Lois Lane (brilliantly interrupted by Iris West in the Flash story), this story is firmly placed in the early months of Superman's career. This story wouldn't work as well if it had occured post Man of Steel, or even more than a few months after Superman's first appearance, once his presence is accepted as the norm as opposed to something unusual and unique.

John Paul Leon's artwork is not a great fit here for Superman. One of the key elements of his art that I loved in Earth X was his use of shadow to complement what at times was some pretty minimalistic art. In a series that uncovered the secret history of the Marvel universe (only to be retconned as an alternate universe), the high darkness content in the art was well suited. Here, in a story that introduces the some of the key Silver Age heroes to the modern Superman, his use of shadow feels almost inappropriate. The first appearnace of Hal Jordan's ring contructs should be as alien and unusual as anything seen by Superman, but are rendered here as disappointingly pedestrian. Having said that, I do like his Lois Lane - he captures a keen intelligence and focus in her eyes.

The Geeky Bits: This is the second first meeting for Superman and the Martian Manhunter, following Martian Manhunter #20. Funny how J'onn doesn't feel compelled to mention that he has known Superman for most of his life... although in keeping with an issue not written for another five years he does keep Superman's origin to himself.

Magpie seems to have lost her henchmen who look suspiciously like Mike Carlin and Mark Gruenwald. She also uses her 'Happy Birthday' stick of dynamite in place of the corrosive gas  to cause a distraction, and has her secondary base in the same museum as her first.

As has been pointed out several times so far, the Batman segment is a retelling of Man of Steel #3. The Justice League segment is a retelling of The Brave And The Bold #29, although in keeping the with post-Crisis Justice league history, Wonder Woman has been replaced with Black Canary.

Next on World of Superman: Superman and Batman's rivalry has fatal consequences.

Action Comics Annual #7

And we're back, after an absolutely nightmare-ish week-and-a-half at work that left me in a state where I could only work, eat and sleep. But all is now well, and I'm back to take a look at Superman's first venture into space.

Year One: Loss And Space


Writer: David Michelinie
Penciller: Darick Robertson
Inker: Brad Vancata
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Pat Garrahy
Assistant Editor: Chris Duffy
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover: Walt Simonson
Cover Date: Annual 1995

A group of radiation-suited terrorists find that their hijacking of a cargo lorry in Illinois doesn't go to plan when Superman drops in. Heating up the asphalt, Superman waits for the hijackers to sink in before chilling it solid with his freeze breath. He flies off, continuing his journey back to Smallville. Over dinner with his parents, Clark addresses his father's fears that he is pushing too far and placing himself in danger. Clark is not concerned; he is riding on a high of using his powers and as far as he is concerned, he has no limits. Suddenly, the conversation is interrupted when a mental pulse deafens Clark. He quickly discerns that it is coming from the moon. A thought strikes him - if he takes a deep enough breath and pushes hard enough, he could break free of the Earth's gravity and head into space.


Changing to his costume, Superman puts his plan into action. The plan works, and Superman finds himself in orbit. Forcing himself not to be overawed by the sight of Earth from space, Superman makes his way to the moon. Near the site of the Apollo 11 landing, Superman finds an alien craft that is emitting the signal. As he approaches, a hatch opens. inside, Superman meets the pilot, a dying alien, who warns him of the H'tros, a swarm of plundering mechanical aliens who target a world and pick it clean. The alien's planet, a pacifist world, has been targeted, but transmissions from Earth speaking of Superman gave them hope. The alien had been sent to enlist Superman's help. As the alien dies, he gives Superman a choice - press a button to be transported to their homeworld to help, or to return to Earth and let his people perish. Superman chooses to help, and pushes the button.


Transported across the galaxy, Superman finds himself setting foot on an alien planet for the first time. The aliens greet him, but bow their heads in front of him. Superman realises that as a man of action and violence, his presence is resented by the pacifist people. Briefed on the H'tros, Superman heads into space to avert the invasion. It doesn't take long for the H'tros to react to his organic nature, and Superman soon finds himself the target of the fleet. The H'tros detonate a grenade, forming a miniature black hole to trap Superman, but Superman is able to plug the black hole with one of the Htros ships. Superman is then nearly caught with a bluff to draw him away from the approaching mothership, but at the last minute he realises the plan and is able to escaape the trap and focus on the mothership. Bursting in, he battle H'tros guards that seem intent on keeping him away from a certain area. Battling his way through, he discovers the primary power core, and detonates it, destroying the ship and routing the invasion.


Recovering in space, panic overtakes Superman when he realises that he has lost his bearings and he cannot find the alien planet. He picks a direction and is about to head off in it when he realises that if he is wrong, heading off will only make him more lost. With his oxygen running out, Superman applies science to retrace his steps to the centre of the explosion that stranded him. From there he is just about able to identify the planet, and in a desperate race against his approaching unconsciousness, he hurtles towards breathable atmosphere. Back on the planet, the aliens are both grateful and mournful for the loss of the H'tros. They despatch Superman back to Earth.


A few days later, Clark Kent is working in the Daily Planet newsroom when a report comes in from NASA of approaching alien ships. The manner of their approach tips Clark off that it is the H'tros, who have somehow survived. On the roof of the Planet, Clark face down the fear of getting stranded in space again and, armed with a larger oxygen supply, heads off to face down the H'tros again.


Repeating his tactic from before, Superman is surprised at the lack of resistance on the mothership. He soon realises why - the power core has been encased in a force-field that he cannot penetrate. The H'tros attack him, and Superman realises that their tactics work to prevent him from getting to another ship. He fights his way into the new ship, and the sound of metal breaking under his assault makes him realise that there is atmosphere present, an unusual occurence for a ship populated by robots. Venturing onward, he discovers the organic creator of the H'tros, who has been commanding their attacks. Reasoning that the H'tros are programmed to follow their creator, Superman hurls the ship into the sun. The H'tros follow, and are burned up. Superman returns to the alien, who he had evacuated from the ship, only to find that he has comitted suicide.


Back in Smallville, Clark confides in his father that his adventures in space have helped him realise his limits.

There's a lot to like about this annual, and I'll get to these things in a second. But first, I have to deal with the elephant in the room, namely the lameness of the H'tros, their plans, and the aliens who get Superman involved in the whole affair. First of all, the aliens, who rate so lowly in the story that Michelinie never bothers to give them a name, are almost completely forgettable, save for the moments where their pacifist nature causes them to regard Superman with disdain. Their world is a one-gimmick world - they are pacifists - and we have no real sense of what it is that Superman is fighting for, other than the fact that he has been asked to fight. As for the H'tros... they attack anything organic on sight , and their whole reason for doing so is that once upon a time their creator wanted to end a centuries-long war. Hold on... organic creator creates an unstoppable race of robotic beings as the result of a centuries-long war that he commands in secret while they annhialate the galaxy... sound familiar?

To be honest, the H'tros aren't as bad as they sound, but Michelinie struggles to give both the H'tros and the nameless pacifist aliens (can't I just call them Neutrals?) a true sense of depth in the 48 pages of this annual. There's a lot to fit in, and a few sacrifices have to be made, including the final revelation that Superman saved the H'trosi creator before sending his ship into the sun - the reveal reads about as smoothly as I covered it in the recap.

So, that's enough of the not-so-good. What works well here? There is a real sense that Superman is out of his depth at several points in the issue. We get to see Superman adapting his use of powers on the fly in a new environment. Things that might be taken for granted in future episodes, such as divining the presence of an atmosphere because of the noise of metal melting under Superman's heat vision, are laid out logically for the reader. And, of course, the real highlight of the issue is the very tangible sense of panic Superman feels after destroying the H'tros mothership, when he realises that he has got lost and very well may die in space. The artwork really sells the idea that Superman is struggling not only for survival but to keep his head in difficult circumstances.

The bookends with the Kents are a lovely touchstone. Between Man of Steel #1 and #6, we see very little of Clark's parents, and catching up with their thoughts, feelings, and concerns for their son during his formative years as Superman is an important thing for us to do. The final scene ties in nicely with the end of Man of Steel #6, as Pa Kent references the fact that Clark's upbringing is as important to Superman as his superpowers.

Finally, on a personal note, re-reading this annual for the blog confirmed just how important writing these reviews are for me. When I first read this annual, a few years back, I wasn't interested in the space story, and because I had bookmarked this issue in my head as 'Superman in space', I had a pretty negative view of the annual as a whole. Going back through this issue several times over the past week (work allowing) has completely changed my view of the book. Although the space story still isn't a particularly strong one (in my opinion), it's the character moments and progression that really make this annual stand out for me. I'm glad I reread it and gave it a second shot, as it's now turned into one of my favourite stories from this time in Superman's life.

Superman Annual #7

Year One: Strange Visitor


Writer: Roger Stern
Penciller: Chris Gossett
Inkers: James Dean Pascoe & Stan Woch
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: Albert de Guzman
Assistant Editor: Chris Duffy
Editor Supreme: Mike Carlin
Cover: Walt Simonson
Cover Date: Annual 1995

As the planet Krypton enters its death throes, it is observed by a group called the The Seven. They see the birthing matrix escape, and deduce that it will reach Earth, although they are forced to stop monitoring when the matrix enters hyperspace and passes from their view.


Forty years later, and the sight of Superman in Metropolis is still an unexpected event. Superman apprehends several members of a drug ring, overheating their guns and causing a blowout with his heat vision. As he flies away, he is unaware of Doctor Occult attempting to get his attention. Superman returns to the Daily Planet and changes to Clark Kent. Inside the newsroom, Lois is still giving him the cold shoulder, having not forgiven him for his scooping her story, even though it was over four months ago. As Clark ponders their relationship, he hears an event in the distance, and races off. As he heads into the stairwell to change, he passes Doctor Occult, coming out of the elevator. Again, he is unaware of the man trying to track him down.

 Just love this panel, completely sums up Clark and Lois' relationship for the next few years!

Superman sees a penthouse on fire. He enters, to find a scantily clad lady needing rescue. As he gather her in his arms, he moves in for a kiss. Suddenly, Doctor Occult appears, commanding him to stop. Superman is confused, especially when the flames melt away to nothingness. Doctor Occult brandishes the Symbol of Seven, forcing the lady to revert to her true form as a tentacled demon. The demon attempts to devour Superman, constructing a barrier to prevent Doctor Occult from assisting. Despite getting a major beating from the demon's magical attacks, Superman is able to blast it with his heat vision, melting the demon. He collapses in Doctor Occult's arms.


Superman comes round in Doctor Occult's office, and the Doctor explains who he is, and that he is aware of Superman's identity. Doctor Occult is a long-lived magical defender. Back in WWII, his partner, Rose Psychic, was kidnapped by the Cult of Thahn. Using her powers, Rose directed Occult to her location, and the two attempted to disrupt the summoning of Thahn. Although the demon never fully materialised on Earth, it was able to fatally wound Rose. Despite assistance from The Seven, Occult knew that he would never hold his partner again. Doctor Occult needs Superman's help against Thahn; The Seven believe that Superman is the key to his defeat, and that his arrival on Earth has forced Thahn to speed up his plans.


Suddenly, Occult's office comes under attack from a rock demon, a pawn of Thahn. Occult telepathically directs Superman as to the demon's weakness, and Superman shatters it with one blow. With the office destroyed, Superman and Occult are cast adrift in a mystic dimension with no up or down. They come under attack from more demons, but Occult is able to create a doorway back to Metropolis, and Superman escapes through it.


In Metropolis, Superman is greeted by Rose Psychic, who leads him to the site of Thahn's last summonning. Again, they come under attack, but Superman quickly realises that these demons are actually corrupted humans, missing homeless people from the area. Superman is overpowered, and is taken to be the sacrifice that will summon Thahn. Rose is captured, but suddenly is replaced by Doctor Occult, confusing the demons. Occult dispatches the demons, and encourages Superman to fight against Thahn's magic. Superman is able to break free, and, by forcing Thahn's magic against the demon, is able to banish Thahn for good. The demons return to human form.

Superman doesn't break. Wow.

Superman demands answers to his questions, including what happened to Rose, and how Occult knew his name. Occult instead fades away, leaving Superman none the wiser. Superman instead helps the ex-demons until the paramedics arrive. Reporting to The Seven, Doctor Occult tells them that Superman is still young, but that he has learned a valubale lesson, that there are forces far beyond his control and comprehension in the world.

So, it's time to lay my cards on the table. I am not a fan of magic in the Superman comics. I understand its function as a force that Superman has no resistance to. I enjoy certain magic wielders, such as the Phantom Stranger, and especially Zatanna. But if you gave me a choice of villains, one magic-based and one non-magic based, then the magic gets shown the door every time.

A big part of it is that Superman's weakness to magic is so complete and total that he ceases to be anything special when confronted by magic. He is brought down to a very human level, and often has to rely on someone else's powers of expertise to save the day. The exception to this is when Mr Mxyptlk appears, as this normally leads to a story where Superman has outhink, outwit, or play by a different set of logic to win the day. Mxy might be one of the most prolific magic-spammers Superman has ever faced, but Mxy plays by his own set of rules, and it's up to Superman to defeat him within those rules.

So, we come to this annual. And unfortunately, this annual is the type of magic story that just doesn't do it for me in the DCU. It features a magic user who at best could be described as D-list, Doctor Occult. The magic user has a loosely defined set of powers, and not one, but two silly gimmicks - the Symbol of Seven, a 'magic multi-faceted disc' that looks like one of those hypno-discs you would see advertised in the 1960s, a circle of cardboard with swhirls all over it, and the weird body-swap thing with Rose Psychic. Having said that, it is appropriate that Superman's first encounter with magic should be in the company of Doctor Occult, who was created by Siegel and Shuster three years before they would create Superman. As Superman is the first DC super-hero, Occult is the first DC magic hero, and is also the oldest (in terms of character creation) character used by DC in their current continuity.

The 'offending' Symbol of Seven.

As for Superman, he doesn't know what hell is going on, how to fight it, and has to have everything explained to him. Oh, and despite his well-known vulnerability to magic, he can somehow resist huge demonic mystical forces with only a little encouragement from a guy he doesn't really like to break free from Thahn.

Ok.

There are some nice Year One touches in here. As is commented on at the end, Superman is very young, only four months into his career, and certainly impetuous. There's a moment at the start of the issue where he chides himself for showing off and missing a bullet that could have killed a bystander. Superman's reaction to several occasions where Doctor Occult either tells him to do something or refuses to explain something is one of anger, fuelled by his lack of comprehension of events. You get the feeling that once he gets back to his apartment after ensuring the homeless people are OK, he is going to sit down with a large hot drink and think things over a lot.

There's nothing special about this annual. It looks good, reads well, but ultimately it doesn't provide very much insight into the early days of Superman. After the great interweaving of The Man of Steel #2 and more current Superman elements in the Adventures annual, this feels like a let-down.

Next of World of Superman: Superman in space for the very first time.

The Adventures of Superman Annual #7

Year One: Truth And Justice


Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciller: Ron Wagner
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Colorist: Linda Medley
Letterer: Albert de Guzman
Assistant (Editor): Chris Duffy
Top Cop (Editor): Mike Carlin
Cover: Walt Simonson
Cover Date: Annual 1995
Release Date: 11/07/1995


New Gods and Kalibak created by Jack Kirby
Much owed to the work of John Byrne

Superman takes down the hostage takes from The Man of Steel #2. As he leaves the bank to tell the SWAT team that the danger is over, Captain Reagan, the SWAT commander, berates him for putting himself in a position where he could have been killed. Superman listens patiently, and tells Reagan that he wants to be an aid to the police. Reagan is about to give him another mouthful when Superman hears a gunfight across town and flies away. Lois Lane runs up, but is told by Reagan that she just missed Superman.


Lois continues to miss Superman, whose exploits provide headlines for all of Metropolis' papers. A few days later, Reagan and Dan Turpin argue about Superman. Their argument is interrupted by Star City Police Officer Maggie Sawyer, in town on a holiday, and eager to learn more about Superman. Reagan introduces himself as a friend of her husband, James Sawyer, but is given the cold shoulder. They discuss Superman, with Reagan taking a reactionary view, which is brushed off by Sawyer and Turpin.


Superman introduces himself to Inspector Henderson at a murder scene, where a mob informant and his police guard were gunned down. Superman uses his powers to provide an initial forensic examination of the crime scene. Seeing blood that doesn't match the victims, he tells Henderson that the shooter is wounded, then takes off, following a lead. The shooter has stolen a taxi, which is careering down the street. Superman appears in the back seat, but the shooter refuses to give up, dropping a primed grenade and bailing from the cab. Superman rises unharmed from the flaming wreckage, and intimidates the shooter into giving up. As the shooter is led away, Toby Raines, a reporter from the Daily Star, tries to corner him for an interview. Despite mistaking her for Lois, Superman refuses an interview. Henderson confides in Superman; with Superman eradicating standard crime, the police are concerned about what will come next.


Ugly Manheim, Boss Moxie's son, makes a power play for control of Intergang. To provide a show of force, he opens a boom tube, and Kalibak appears at the crime conference. The crime lords open fire, but Kalibak shrugs off the bullets and starts attacking, stopping only when Manheim reminds him of their deal. With Kalibak as a force to take on Superman, Manheim takes control of the syndicate.


The next day, Clark Kent books an appointment with Perry White for two days time. As he hangs up the phone, the lobby of his hotel is invaded by Intergang, who attempt to rob the entire hotel. Clark uses his heat vision to trigger the fire alarms, but in the chaos, Maggie Sawyer is taken hostage. The police gather outside, but Apokoliptian weaponry keeps them pinned down. Turpin and Reagan attempt a rooftop assault, but this falls apart when Kalibak ambushes them, knocking Reagan out. Thinking that the noise is Superman arriving causes Intergang to gloat, affording Clark an opportunity to slip away and get into costume. Superman goes for Manheim, but the alien weapons force him back. Intergang threatens the hostages, but Maggie manages to get hold of one of the weapons, and a standoff develops. Manheim attacks Superman with a weapon that bathes him in the fires of Apokolips. Superman is forced to fly for help, getting a fire truck to put him out, allowing Intergang the opportunity to escape.


On the roof, Kalibak knocks Regan out, and attacks Turpin. Turpin is able to get his hands on one of the alien weapons, and unloads it into Kalibak. Enraged by the attack, Kalibak lunges forward. Turpin pulls the pin from a grenade and shoves it down Kalibak's throat. The explosion causes Kalibak to fall from the roof. Down below, Superman has recovered and manages to round up Intergang, disarming them in seconds. Manheim lunges at the prone form of Kalibak, opening a Boom Tube. In the aftermath, Turpin is taken to hospital, and Toby Raines offers to interview Maggie Sawyer about the the events. Lois Lane arrives, having once again missed Superman.


Two days later, as Superman patrols the city, wondering if Intergang's defeat has sent a message to the underworld, he notices a car in the water. He rescues the car and its driver, Lois Lane, and agrees to an interview. When Lois goes to file her exclusive, she finds that she has been scooped by the Daily Planet's newest reporter, Clark Kent.


Reagan and Henderson visit the recuperating Turpin. As they discuss Kent's article, Superman arrives to settle things with the police. Henderson officially welcomes him to Metropolis. Reagan is not happy and leaves. Superman gives Turpin his best wishes and also leaves. Henderson asks Turpin to head up a newly formed Special Crimes Unit. Turpin declines, but nominates Maggie Swayer for the position.

The first of the 1995 Year One annuals that we have come to is also the strongest. Kesel writes with a respect and reverence for The Man of Steel #2, whilst working backwards to incorporate familiar elements of the then-current Metropolis into Byrne's story. There are times when reading this issue is like experiencing the Byrne plot from a different camera angle, and the subtle shifts in emphasis work well. The opening re-telling of the Superman/bank robber encounter works well here, with Superman's powers coming across more forcefully, here setting the machine guns on fire rather than just heating them up. The pages I've used to illustrate this post are another great example of how the annual builds on what came before, here adding headlines to heighten Lois' frustration at not getting the Superman scoop.

This is very much a 'how the gang got together' kind of tale, bringing together the elements of the Metropolis SCU that would function as part of  Superman's supporting cast until the early 2000, namely Dan 'Terrible' Turpin, Maggie Sawyer, and Inspector Henderson. All throughout the issue, the characters drift towards their modern status, with the formation of the SCU looming at the issue's end, and the first meeting for future lovers Maggie Sawyer and Toby Raines.

Wagner provides pencils that invoke the stronger side of Jon Bogdanovich (check out the opening page of the annual). He creates a look for the comic that remains respectful to the 1980s fashions, of which Lois was a follower/victim, depending on your preference, whilst feeling very much modern (well, at least for 1995).

Perhaps the only bit of the issue that feels wrong is the Intergang/Apokolips plotline. Although it's nicely handled (just love Superman's confusion at his first encounter with a boom tube), having Dan Turpin go up against the son of Darkseid and come out on top just stretches credulity a little too much. Admittedly there isn't a rogue's gallery for Superman at this point in his history, but going from goons with guns to the son of the most evil entity in the universe is a tremendous step, even for Superman. That said, it certainly does fit in with Henderson's fears of escalation, a neat moment that is echoed by Commissioner Gordon at the end of Batman Begins.

The Geeky Bits:

Estimated Diamond Pre-Orders: 74,470
Diamond Sales Chart Position: 32
Best-Selling Comic Of The Month: Spawn #34

Next of World of Superman: It's Superman vs big nasty magic things for the first time ever!

The World Of Krypton #4

Family History


Story: John Byrne
Pencils: Mike Mignola
Inks: Carlos Garzon
Colors: Petra Scotese
Lettering: John Workman
Editor: Michael Carlin
Cover Artists: John Byrne, Walt Simonson
Cover Date: March 1988
Release Date: 10/11/1987

A missile streaks across the Metropolis skyline. Its target: The Daily Planet. Before it can strike, Superman grabs it and throws it into space where it explodes harmlessly. Landing in a side-alley, he changes into his Clark Kent clothes and walks back to the Planet building. Lois and Jimmy come running out of the doors, looking for the story behind the missile. Lois is upset to find Clark on the scene, confronting him over his ability to scoop Superman stories, demanding to know details of his special relationship with the super-hero. Clark dismisses her accusations, pointing out that she has more bylines on Superman stories, and that Jimmy, as 'Superman's Pal', has a more public relationship. However, in order to calm her down, he tells her that Superman was planning to stop by her apartment that evening to give her an exclusive.


That night, Superman arrives to give Lois her story. She baits him, asking if the story isn't good enough for Kent. Although Superman doesn't rise to that particular bait, he does get her to confess that Kent is starting to get to her, finding him adorable at times. Superman starts to tell her his tale, the story of what happened to his homeworld Krypton.


In the aftermath of the 'clone wars', Kryptonian society became more fragmented, with each individual Kryptonian living alone, communicating by hologram, and only physically meeting at times of great importance. The warsuits were refined and enhanced until they became slim webbed garments, worn next to the skin. Eventually, they became so enhanced that they were fitted to a child at birth and grew along with the infant. Children were produced to order, only to replace a deceased adult, most of whom only died in old age.


He then describes his father, Jor-El, an untypical Kryptonian who replaced his obsession with his planet's history when he became the first Kryptonian in countless generations to fall in love, with an archivist named Lara. Following these feelings, he made the unsual choice to visit the gestation chamber where his son was growing. Whilst there, he named his son Kal-El. Upon his return, he confesses to his robots that he is completely dissatisfied with his life.


A few weeks later, a series of tremors rock Krypton, followed by a general weakening of all of Krypton's inhabitants. His father, Seyg-El, tells him that he feels that he is dying. Jor-El sets up a secret chamber staffed by his robots, and starts collecting data. He makes two significant discoveries - that over 20 million Kryptonians have died in the last day, and that their deaths are related to the tremors. Researching further, he comes across an image of Van-L, and remembers the day that his viewing of the historical tapes was interrupted. Returning to the tapes, he discoveres the Black Zero detonation, and fears the worst.


Jor-El departs the city and heads into the wilds of Krypton. After a long journey, he arrives at the former site of the Black Zero facility. There, a short scan confirms his worst fears, and he returns home. Upon arriving back, he is informed by his robots that Kal-El has been taken from the gestation chamber and placed within a birthing matrix. Lara confronts him, and Jor-El tells her everything. When Van-L detonated the nuclear device, he saved Krypton from an instant death, but condemned it to a lingering one. The energies passed into the planet's core have been slowly turning it to a new, unidentified, green material that emits a radiation that has killed countless Kryptonians and will eventually kill everyone. More importantly, the conversion is building up energy that will soon destroy the planet.


Jor-El shows Lara his plan - to send Kal-El away from Krypton in the birthing matrix to a planet called Earth, where he will live. Lara is repulsed by the image of a bare-chested farmer, calling humans savage and brutal, and despairing of the hell that her son will be sent to. Jor-El shows her the yellow sun that the Earth orbits, telling her that Kal-El will be gifted with great power by this sun and live as a God there.


More explosions rock Krypton. As the birthing matrix is finished being converted to a rocket, the crust of teh planet starts to crack. The rocket is launched and sent to Earth. As Krypton starts to fall apart, Jor-El and Lara hug for the first time, and Jor-El tells Lara of his love for her.


Back in the present, an emotional Superman tells Lois that his father's gift to him wasn't the powers which he uses, but rather the fact that he has not been raised on Krypton - he has been given the gift of humanity.

This a really dense issue, packed with multiple plot threads, that wraps up the story of Krypton's history and ties it all into the then-current Superman comics.

For the first time in the World Of Krypton, we open on Earth, with the Daily Planet taking the place of the Kryptonian city featured on the first panel of each preceding issue. It's also the first issue to take place in the release schedule present, taking place at any point in the immediate runup to the recently-concluded Millennium crossover, specifically Adventures of Superman #437 where Lois discovers that Superman and Clark Kent grew up together. The present-day scenes are lively and funny, my particular favourite moment being the suggestion that Lois dragged Jimmy out of the loo to go snap pictures of the missile aftermath. The Superman/Lois scene fits neatly into the pre-millennium story, with Lois admitting that Clark is getting to her.

The narration of the last days of Krypton feels a little stilted. The status of Krypton at the time of its death takes a lot of setting up, and there are two pages in the middle of the issue that are pure info-dump exposition. Added to this, the final six pages cover the exact same ground as the opening eight pages of The Man of Steel #1, published two years earlier. There is feeling that Jor-El's story ran out of steam between the end of the previous issue and the discovery of the doom of Krypton. But at the same time, the series is called The World of Krypton, and whilst adding little to the narrative, details like the evolution of the battlesuits into skin-tight bodysuits do provide more information about the Krypton, even if it has little to do with story itself.

It's hard to imagine what the intention was with this issue. The opening of The Man of Steel remained fundamentally unaltered by the addition of a scene where Jor-El discovers that his father is dying, or that his ancestor was closely tied to the events that have doomed his planet. The story of Jor-El as presented in MoS#1 is that of a man realising too late that his world is doomed, and choosing to save his only son, and ultimately, at the end of this issue, this story is still the same. Even the addition of a couple of panels where Superman cries and tells Lois about his father's true gift seems rushed, glib, and a pale reflection of the much stronger finish to The Man of Steel #6.

The World of Krypton was an interesting mini-series. Krypton had been shown as radically different to the Silver Age version in The Man of Steel #1, and for readers at the time, this series was a great reveal of where Kal-El had come from. The narrative tricks in the series, with each issue taking the reader away from the events within, from following first-hand in #1, to the flashbacks in #2, recordings in #3, and finally narrated memories in #4, work well and, despite the differences in each issue, work to create a strong identity for the series. The series falls down in the final issue with the lack of a strong resolution, and by not bringing anything new to the familiar 'death of Krypton' scene.

The World of Krypton has been collected several times since its first printing. The most recent printing was the Superman: The World of Krypton TPB which collected several notable Krypton stories, both pre- and post-Crisis.

The From Crisis to Crisis podcast episode covering The World of Krypton can be found at this link, and covers all four issues in just over 1.5 hours.

Next time on World of Superman: We dip our toes into the Golden Age as we take a look at the origins of several stalwarts of Superman's supporting cast - The Guardian and the Newsboy Legion.

The World of Krypton #3

History Lesson


Story: John Byrne
Breakdowns: Mike Mignola
Finishes: Rick Bryant
Colors: Petra Scotese
Lettering: John Workman
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Artists: John Byrne, Walt Simonson
Cover Date: Febuary 1988
Release Date: 13/10/1987

A thousand centuries later...


Jor-El intently studies recordings of the final battle of the Clone Rights War. Two servo-bots, including the original Kelex, express their concern over Jor-El's pre-occupation with events of the past, and note that Jor-El posseses a great heart, unlike most Kryptonians. As Jor-El studies, visitors arrive at his building - his father Seyg-El, the Master of the Gestation Chambers, and Nara, grandmother of the young Lara who has been selected to become Jor-El's wife. Seyg-El berates his son for not greeting them, and Jor-El begs to be able to finish studying his recordings.


The recordings pick up just after the events of the previous issue. Van-L and the scarred lady to whom he gave his warning to have traveled across Krypton in battle-suits to the stronghold of Black Zero. The battlesuits easily penetrate the defences, and the two Kryptonians are surprised when the terrorists readily agree to take them to their leadership. Proceeding on foot, Van-L is confused when his companion alludes to having met him before, even though he is unable to recognise her.


As they enter the inner chamber of Black Zero, they are taken aback to discover a giant silver egg-shaped device suspended over a shaft that appears to lead to the core of Krypton. As they wonder over the engineering skills required to build such a device, they are greeted by the leader of Black Zero - Kem-L, who has lost his mind following his murder of his mother and her clone. 

At this point, Seyg-El's patience wears thin and he forces his son to come and meet their guests. As Jor-El leaves, the recording continues.

The silver egg houses a nuclear device that he plans to fire into the core of Krypton, destroying the planet. The scarred lady shows her mechanical arm to Kem-Z, showing him that Kryptonians have moved beyond cloning to maintain their bodies. Although this seems to pacify him, Kem-Z takes the opportunity to activate the device via a concealed control panel. Energy shoots out, injuring all in the chamber. Van-L is able to summon his battlesuit and enter it, using its weaponry to prematurely detonate the device, destroying it and the entirety of the Black Zero compund. 

In the aftermath of the explosion, Kryptonian troops led by Jan-L, son of Kem-L, find Kem-L's battlesuit. Although weak and unsteady, Kem-L leaves his suit and finds the broken body of his scarred companion. He promises to take her to a hospital, but she tells him that she can't be put back together this time. As she dies, he realises that she was Vara, his long-lost love. The recording ends as he cradles her body.


Back in the present, Jor-El is informed of the untimely death of another Kryptonian, which has created the space for a new child. He is introduced to Nara and told that he is to produce this new child with her granddaughter. Defying Kryptonian tradition, he asks to see the face of his mate, and upon seeing her proclaims her 'beautiful'.

This third chapter in the history of Krypton wraps up the 'clone wars' story whilst simultaneously bringing us closer to the destruction of Krypton and introducing us to Jor-El. The closure to Van-L's story is effective, if unspectacular. Of the two surprise reveals, one works and one doesn't. The revelation of Kem-Z as the leader of Black Zero is gently surprising, partly because he hadn't been seen firsthand in the series since he killed his mother, and partly because the story could have allowed for anyone to lead Black Zero. Vara's reveal is less effective, mainly because the mystery around her identity is basically a whodunnit with only suspect, the other 'eligible' character having been killed offscreen and revealed as a clone in the opening of this series.

With the introduction of Jor-El into the series, we are invited to make comparisons between him and his ancestor Van-L. However, this issue and the next make it hard for us to do so. We are told so much about Jor-El, either from Seyg-El, Kelex or, in the next issue, Clark Kent, but all we witness him do firsthand is watch some videos in a darkened room then fall in love with the first girl he sees. This doesn't exactly compare favourably with the leader of Krypton who risked his life to save his planet but lost his love in the process. We are told that Jor-El is something of a rebel, and un-Kryptonian, but we see so little of modern Krypton that we are unable to see this for ourselves. The changes to Kryptonian society in the wake of Infinite Crisis and that we see in the current New Krypton storylines make it even harder to see this difference - if anything, Jor-El is restrained and stoic compared to the inhabitants of New Krypton. It's also a shame that the climax to the issue is Jor-El's proclomation of Lara's beauty, without a reaction from the traditional Kryptonians.

As a side note, Seyg-El is far less testy and forgiving of his son that the semi-maniac seen in Starman #51, even though the two stories would appear to take place fairly closely, going by the fact that Jor-El describes himself as still a child.

Next time on World of Superman: We take a jump forward again, as Superman tells us all about the last days of Krypton.