KindleDownload iBookBuy Now

Mild Mannered Reviews - Superman/Wonder Woman Comics

Superman/Wonder Woman #10 Superman/Wonder Woman #10

Superman/Wonder Woman #10

Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 9, 2014

Cover date: September 2014

"Evolutions"

Writer: Charles Soule
Penciller: Paulo Siqueira and Pascal Alixe
Inker: Pascal Alixe
Cover: Tony Daniel and Tomeu Morey

Reviewed by: T.A. Ewart (aka liheibao)

Click to enlarge



Superman/Wonder Woman #10 Outside the orbit of Jupiter, Steel and Lana Lang desperately try to find Superman and deliver a message. Superman, or Superdoom, is busy demolishing alien spacecraft, and continuing his tete-a-tete with himself i.e. Clark Kent and Doomsday. Steel and Lana find Superdoom, and are shocked at his appearance. In Metropolis, Lois Lane completes the possession by Brainiac, and becomes his thrall (Lois Laniac). Wonder Woman appears and tries to sort out what's happened to Laniac, but is attacked for her concerns. Laniac bombards Wonder Woman with the mental pain of her past, but Wonder Woman is able to resist. However, Laniac summons the mental essence of Metal-Zero (Metallo), and uses him to attack Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman seeks to reason with Laniac once more, but to no avail. Laniac takes the head of Metal-Zero and flies off to unite with Brainiac at an undisclosed location. At the orbit of Mars, Cyborg Superman heads a fleet that is preparing for the conquest of Earth, but the appearance of Superdoom, changes things. Cyborg-Superman exits and confronts Superdoom, while within Superdoom's consciousness, Clark Kent and Doomsday vie for dominance of Superman's mind.

3Story - 3: A needlessly busy issue. It's great to see that the threads of Lois Lane being possessed are still be being tied together, but between that plot-line, Steel, Lana Lang, Wonder Woman, Metal-Zero, and Cyborg Superman, this issue is busy to say the least. Oh, let's not forget Brainiac as the looming, though unseen Svengali of these events. The sole appeal of Superman: Doomed was the internal struggle of Superman vying for control of himself with Doomsday within him; a battle that he cannot win with blows or superpowers. A battle he cannot win by killing. It seems, however, that the planning for the aforesaid gave or has given way to a Transformers scenario or bombast and litany, but no true substance and no Optimus Prime to centre the action around.

The dialogue between Doomsday and Clark Kent is telling as to how the writers see Superman: Clark is the true persona, while Superman the disguise to be worn. However, as we've so little of Clark in this title or any other, it doesn't ring true, and is yet another grab for the foundation of the past. The opportunity to develop Clark for the New 52 was squandered with alienation, separation from Lois and the Daily Planet, and giving him absolutely no reason to be Clark other than it's in the script. Why not give himself over to Doomsday completely? The world would be saved, and he needs to save the world, right? Yes, heroes don't do that sort of thing, but when was the last time that Superman did anything heroic? Superdoom is the latest in a long line of Evil Superman send-ups, and if that is what readers truly want to read, watered down pastiches of Waid's Irredeemable, then just let it happen, retitle him as The Superior Superman, and be done with it.

The dialogue between Wonder Woman and Laniac was odd. If we're supposed to take away that Wonder Woman is incapable of having a relationship with anyone, point taken. Paolo Siquiera's splash details the New 52's Wonder Woman's attempts with relationships as destructive and deadly. What's more, that Steve Trevor lad occupies a lot of that memory, much more than he should at this point. Logically, of course, in keeping with what's been established in previous issues, there is no image of Superman, unless one can count the cadaver embracing a blanketed Wonder Woman; a far cry from the handsome, robust image of Steve Trevor. Yes, she loves Superman, all right. Laniac's words read like a caricature of "girl talk", just as Metal-Zero treads deep into the stalker boyfriend, completing the dysfunctional relationship that never was, but seems to have once been.

There is little if anything that is redeemable about this issue. It's an exercise in excess and asks the reader to bear with it, to look at the bigger picture. 10 issues in, Superman and Wonder Woman have spent more time apart than together in a book that should promote the converse, and when they are together, Sweet Grace, run for your life. We're consistently reminded that these two should not be together, but mostly in the form that there is something wrong with Wonder Woman. She doesn't know how to maintain a relationship; she can't "keep a man," if we're to believe Laniac. Siquiera's excellent pencils can't save this issue, but why to save what's been doomed from the start?

4Art - 4: Siqueira and Alixe combine for a visually pleasing installment. A shame that there is no substance behind it.

3Cover Art - 3: The cover is just as busy as the actual story, so at least there's a thematic connection somewhere.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2014

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2014

February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014

Back to the Mild Mannered Reviews contents page.

Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2014.