REVIEW: Superman & The Authority #4

Superman & The Authority #4 is a fantastic finale which leads Superman and his team to their core mission on Warworld. I have loved getting to know these characters and cannot wait to see what good they do in Action Comics.

Superman & The Authority #4 is finally here and I have to say I have been really enjoying this series. It’s great to get to know these characters that I wouldn’t normally get to explore in Superman comics and I can’t wait to see what they do next in this final issue.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by Mikel Janín and it is spectacular. We see our newly formed team of superheroes take on a plethora of villains, some that we haven’t yet been introduced to. The detail is phenomenal, each and every character are full of detailsand of course are sporting their new designs. This is a great action cover that really gets you excited for what’s to come.

Superman & The Authority #4 Review | The Aspiring Kryptonian
Photo Credit: DC Entertainment

The variant cover is by Yanick Paquette, with colours by Nathan Fairbairn and I have to say it is rather shocking! A de-powered Superman takes on Solomon Grundy who has been taken over by the Ultra-Humanite, as the rest of The Authority, plus more are piled up underneath them. This cover is great! Again there is so much detail and as you look at the pile of characters you notice even more characters with each glance. This final issue is clearly going to go out with a bang and these two creatives have expressed that perfectly in their cover.

Superman & The Authority #4 Review | The Aspiring Kryptonian
Photo Credit: DC Entertainment

Superman & The Authority #4 sees Superman and his new found team spread across the planet, as they soon realise that they are being tested. Grant Morrison has done an excellent job of really going into detail as to what kind of heroes this new line up of The Authority is, not only that but they have done a great job of really drip feeding us information to keep us intrigued and to set up for what’s to come.

We first see Superman unconscious with an overtaken Solomon Grundy, who is actually The Ultra-Humanite. He explains his plans for Superman as he thinks he has the upper hand over him, he is very much mistaken. Superman who is that beacon of hope at all times comes through and regains control over the situation thanks to an assist by his sweetheart, Lois Lane.

Now this sequence was rather gory as Superman quite literally rips the head from Solomon Grundy to fully analyse it, which gives Superman yet another lead and clue as to who is helping The Ultra-Humanite in his grand plans. This moment actually raised more questions for me than answered them, it seemed rather random to suddenly include a particular villain in the mix, especially when we had already established the motive behind The Ultra-Humanite, but perhaps there is more to see of that.

From this, we establish that Superman’s new found team isn’t the only new team, as The Ultra-Humanite and his partner admits that they have paid a crew of assassins who are just as talented as the new line up for The Authority. What I loved about this moment is that though each of them are sent to attack, each member of The Authority is able to get through to them and get them to really question their motives – just like Superman would. When I was first introduced to some of these characters I was skeptical, but now I can fully understand why Superman chose each and every one of them.

We then see Superman and the rest of his team come together, as he explains what they are all really here for, the mission to Warworld. I loved this moment, Superman gave a really great speech as he perfectly explained the stakes to them and why he has chosen each of them. They know that this is a dangerous mission, but because it is Superman that has brought them together, they know how important this is and want to help Superman as much as they can.

Though this series has come to an end, this story and mission will continue in the pages of Action Comics from #1036. I cannot wait, the final page in this issue confirms my theories of being in continuity with the other titles, though I do still have many questions. Not only is the story continuing elsewhere, but Ultra-Humanite actually went on to threaten Superman’s son, so hopefully he will appear in Son Of Kal-El at some point too.

The artwork by Mikel Janín in this issue was fantastic as always, I adore his artwork and this series gives us just a peek at what he can do. Combined with colours by Jordie Bellaire, this series has been one of my favourites in terms of artwork. I have loved seeing their unique designs of each and every character, and I am glad that it wasn’t just for this mini-series. Their atmospheres and detail are perfect and give off a huge sense of realism, which for me just adds to the stakes of the series and the upcoming mission.

Superman & The Authority #4 is a fantastic finale which leads Superman and his team to their core mission on Warworld. I have loved getting to know these characters and cannot wait to see what good they do in Action Comics.

Haven’t picked up Superman & The Authority #4 yet? You can get the standard cover by Mikel Janín here (UK), or here (US).

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