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Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics

Superman #672

Superman #672

Scheduled to arrive in stores: January 9, 2008

Cover date: March 2008

"Gossamer Wings"

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Peter Vale
Inker: Wellington Diaz

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge



Chris is sick. Very. Lois decides it best that while he's burping red solar radiation that he ought to stay put in his Superman obsessed bedroom with a complete stranger - Mrs Bridey Nelson. What a good mom and keeper of the most important secret in the Superman mythos.

Off to work she trundles and spells out just how stupid she has been written through some fairly obvious in not over explained dialogue.

Superman is busy.

Clark is hot on the trail of a nasty moon-based roach infestation.

Insect Queen for reasons of her own has decided to become Lana's clone and then armor plates her body with exoskeleton. Lana is as flabbergasted with this mess as we are and asks the questions we're not really interested in hearing - what's your name good looking? And where am I?

Insect Queen reveals to us that she's from a bug planet far from Earth, one that allows only one royal and the others are killed or sent out to spread their unique brand of pestilence through the DCU quicker than Dan Didio.

During her uneventful travels she came into contact with Lex Luthor. Naturally he tricked her into servitude with the promise of power and domination. Luthor naturally weaseled his way out and vanished leaving Lana in charge. As revenge for Luthor going missing and abandoning his financial empire and power base, Insect Queen took over his secret Moon Base and began impregnating all the human staff to be her slaves.

Insect Queen reveals she is only keeping Lana captive to help her clone her body parts and feed her slave armies and pupae, Lana is as is wide eyed and slightly gobsmacked at what has been revealed (probably wondering how this arc was okayed for publication) meanwhile her high school sweetheart is on his way to the rescue.

The secret moon base that is paradoxically not really that secret with black and yellow décor, spotlights and video cameras has been turned into a giant hive - perchance Lana's prison? Naturally Lana with one hand tied behind her back and wrapped in a silk cocoon is busy writing her diary. No honestly - she is. Lana then produces a piece of the Insect Queens armor that she kept hidden on her person. Slicing through her bonds unnoticed she overpowers the bug guards imprisoning her. Superman meanwhile has gained entry to the hive and sees thousands of eggs ready to hatch and bug soldiers working hard to keep the moon base in a bug-like fashion, just like a set from the 1960's Batman show.

Lana is still busy writing. She comments that she feels light and strong... super-powered... she sneaks into wreckage and while in the shadows she's grabbed!

Elsewhere Superman finds himself suddenly in the throne room and sees Lana in armor, but instantly knows it's not her... he threatens the Queen and is promptly overpowered by hundreds of the bug army.

Lana, still writing her diary, finds that she's stumbled onto the hiding place of survivors. They haven't been to Earth for over five years, so they don't know their boss is a criminal or that he isn't the boss or that Senator Ross is now divorced and the head of the company is his former wife.

Bugs have taken over a secret base? No! Yes Lana you dummy just 11 pages back, the Insect Queen TOLD you that. Still what the heck we need it spelled out twice in the same book.

They broke into the base captured many and squirted alien reproduction fluid in us to make us bugs - we saw our friends change so we hid, that's why we're called survivors - say aren't you supposed to be savvy running the second largest company on the planet?

No she's still stupid. Case in point: Wait we're on LEXCORP LUNA base One? As in on the MOON? Lexcorp has a moon base? NO WAY!

Lois is at work, worrying that it was a mistake to leave behind her sick super-powered child and after chatting to an intern, heads home. Her hubby mean while is still having his butt handed to him by bugs, naturally he can't cope with them and is quickly at Insect Queen's mercy.

Lois sees out Mrs Nelson and tends to Chris. The sickly child reveals a swollen veiny arm glowing with red solar radiation. Lois reveals the watch was never meant for Chris - it was calibrated to Clark (despite Bruce and Clark SPECIFICALLY custom making it less than 6 issues ago). Somehow Chris seems to be overloading with Red Sun radiation.

Lois decides if you have a build up and it is becoming more and more dangerous - why keep it contained? Let's take the watch off and release it!

Awkward moment, as an absent minded Mrs Nelson returns to collect a book in time to be caught in the explosion only to be rescued by Lois before the building's entire three upper floors incinerate.

Meanwhile Superman, who has also been impregnated with alien fluids is injected with the Queen's mutant tongue...

To be continued...

1Story - 1: Junk. Harsh? Maybe.

Personally I thought I was being generous. Why do we need EVERYTHING explained through dialogue, through artwork and then AGAIN through dialogue and artwork and just in case we missed it make doubly sure by doing it AGAIN. Oh and throw in Lois whispering and Lana's mental DIARY.

4Art - 4: The artwork is very nice, not heavy enough in some places but with all the hammy, overused dialogue, it's a true compliment to the artist when it helps to tell a better story (try it, ignore the words and just follow the art - it makes a MUCH better read).

3Cover Art - 3: A VERY nice cover, making you see that this bug woman is one tough cookie and you are genuinely emoted to worry for Clark. It fails, however, on the fact that we KNEW Lana Lang's half clone was the new Insect Queen and that this 90's device of semi silhouette is tired and overused already. Why fake out a mystery that's already been revealed? From a PR/marketing point of view that's misrepresentation of product is it not?


Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

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

January 2008

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