Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics

Man of Steel #92

Superman: The Man of Steel #92

Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 21, 1999

Cover Date: September 1999

1999 Triangle No. 35

Writer: Tom Peyer
Penciller: Tom Grindberg
Inker: (yep, you guessed it) Tom Palmer

"Secret Orgins Part 4: Cogito Ergo Doom!"

Reviewed by: Josh Gehling (rgehling@concentric.net)



(See the MMRs for the past month for information on how these events came to be...)

Superman's mind is now unable of processing any more alternate histories in such a short period of time. Now, his memory is open and vulnerable and can be completely overwritten. The Justice League is in a similar fate (but they're minds have yet to be broken). In one of the many alternate histories, J'onn realizes that none of his surroundings are real and telepathically makes contact with the confused Superman (who now thinks that he was rocketed to Mars as a child). Superman does not recognize J'onn. Telepathically, J'onn makes Superman open his eyes and sees the (uh...) villain standing in front of him. Superman finally sees that he did not land on Mars but on Earth, where he grew to manhood to become... Superman! The two heroes try to push their wills outward so as to exit the alternate world but are unsuccesful. Superman suggests that the two merge their minds instead of just push in the same direction and they are... successful! J'onn and Superman awaken in J'onn's body and break the others free. The JLA continues on into the next room and free Superman (his mind was already released).

The now freed Superman goes after the (uh...) villain and we find out that his name is Cogito (finally!). Superman also finds out that Cogito used a Kryptonian Data Unit that Jor-el (Supes' father) had built to decide which planet to send his son to (obviously, he eventually decided Earth). Cogito goes on to tell the heroes that his planet is in need of Superman's help and he thought that the only way he could get his help was for him to implant an artificial memory into Superman's mind so that he would believe he was from Cogito's home-planet and protecting his home. He also explains that the last offworlders he approached in peace turned out to be the Advance Guard for the Sole Jurisdiction (the Sole Jurisdiction was the group that took over Cogito's home planet) and that he couldn't rick making a mistake like that again. Superman offers his help but Cogito explains that he cannot reveal his planet's location to offworlders. Seeing that he has only one choice Superman takes it... Rocketed as a child from the exploded planet Krypton, the infant Kal-El grew to manhood on X'vyv'x... a world he would liberate from a tyrannical invader!

(in case you're clueless, Superman has volunteered his mind to be re-written so he can help the planet and the location won't have to be revealed (since his mind will be reprogrammed when he's done)) Superman quickly forces the Sole Jurisdiction to leave the planet and X'vyv'x is finally free! Suddenly, the JLA arrives but Superman doesn't recognize any of them. Green Lantern tells him that his victory for X'vyv'x altered Cogito's paranoia to gratitude and he revealed the location of the planet and the means to save Superman to the league.

Later, on Cogito's starship, Steel checks Superman's memory (which has now been restored). Before they leave, Cogito tells Superman that he will just ask for his help next time and that in any reality, he's an inspiration.

Finally, on a spaceship constructed by GL, the JLA travel home and Superman tells them that he didn't have (in any other reality) a group of friends that would cross the galaxy to bring him home...

2Story - 2: : Plain and simple: I didn't like any of the one-man JLA stories. They seemed like (and are) a bunch of rushed filler issues. So many things needed to be resolved and explained in this one issue and I have to give Peyer an "A" for effort but a "D" for the final product. I guess this was better than the normal Superman stories (which have reached an all time low).

3Art - 3: I'm having a tough time deciding whether or not I like this art. I really like all the close-ups and such but the art overall appears sloppy.

4Cover - 4: I like the background (although that can't officially be considered "art") and the Superman/J'onn drawing looks pretty good!


Mild Mannered Reviews

1999

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic was on sale.

June 1999

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