REVIEW: House Of El – Book Two: The Enemy Delusion

House of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion is the second in a series of Young Adult Graphic Novels that recount Krypton’s last days through the eyes of two star crossed teens from opposing castes. 

The first book was a knock out success for me, delivering some amazing world building and dystopian intrigue to the story of Kal-El’s homeward. In addition to all that heavy lifting, writer Claudia Gray also gave us the added bonus of stellar characters and relationships which bring the story down to an enjoyable personal level. The art by Eric Zawadski and colorist Deron Bennet was also fantastic, delivering grit and detail to the cyberpunk / futurism inspired world of Krypton, as well as giving us realistic, charming, and great character designs.

The question is do you want MORE of that? More excellent art and storytelling? More twists and turns? More intrigue and adventure set on the backdrop of Superman’s past? If you do, go ahead and get yourself a copy of House Of El Book Two. Well in this volume, our two main characters grow closer together, while uncovering the mysteries behind the House of El and the broken culture of Krypton as a whole.

I would not be surprised if all three books in this series were written and illustrated at the same time, because the quality of this series does not skip a beat, and keeps on delivering what I, as a Superman fan, want. This series is sure to fill the void left by the Krypton TV show’s untimely cancellation, because it has a similar vibe. Though perhaps it’s even better as it manages to tell an engrossing story all by itself, without relying on familiar names and faces besides that of Superman’s parents and one other famous Kryptonian. 

Thanks to this little gem of a series, the new World of Krypton series by Robert Venditti and Michael Avon Oeming has a lot to live up to. Books like this and “Superman Smashes the Klan” are outshining the mainstream series in my opinion and I think it has a lot to do with their simple, honest, back to basics approach, all while still managing to tell impressive and engrossing stories without resorting to gimmicks.

House of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion is WELL worth your time. If you have any interest in the world of Superman’s birth, make sure to pick this series up, as it might just be outshining its contemporary brothers and sisters in TV and mainstream comics.

Haven’t picked up House Of El Book Two: The Enemy Delusion yet? You can get it here (UK) or here (US).

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