REVIEW: Superman #16
Superman #16, “Absolute Power: Magic is Real, Part 1” is heavily embedded in the Absolute Power storyline while the aftermath of The House of Brainiac events are still fairly raw. Worry not, however, if you aren’t aware of what’s taken place across the DCU with the Absolute Power event, there’s a handy recap that will bring you up to speed. Aside from that, we’re looking at the beginnings of a Superman/Zatanna team-up that’s sure to be intense.
The standard cover is by Jamal Campbell. There’s a lot to process as this issue wastes little time getting into the thick of things and this piece captures all those important notes well. Although Superman’s Amazo attacker and Amanda Waller aren’t actually in this issue, their presence is very much felt. Campbell has yet to give us a disappointing cover as his art is simply spectacular.
The Artist Spotlight variant this month is by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. Literally setting the standard for how most characters within DC Comics looked during the 80’s, his work is still used when referencing a retro design. One look at this fabulous wraparound cover you can easily see why.
Shining the spotlight on this story arc’s magical guest star, Nathan Szerdy’s variant is done up like a playbill for one of Zatanna’s shows. Zee’s father, Zatara, debuted alongside Superman in Action Comics #1 and the outfit design used on this cover pays it a clever and subtle tribute. It also plays as an imaginary cover style to what could’ve been a title design for a Zatanna series.
Other great covers include works from Pablo Villalobos, Stevan Subic, and Frank Cho & Sabine Rich.
Jamal Campbell returns to interior art duties this issue. His style has an animated series flair about it that really accentuates the feel of the story. There’s a lot of dark and depressing moments that still genuinely hit, but the under current of hope is visually present. There’s a few hints and teasers for what’s in store from his imagination during this arc and it’s sure to be wild. Simply put, Campbell is a perfect choice for this kind of Superman tale.
Although heavily tied into the events of Absolute Power, Joshua Williamson and Letterer Ariana Maher quickly establish this story’s focus is all Superman related. The fallout from House of Brainiac is also still being felt as various pseudo allies are still recovering from the power drain of Brainiac Queen’s birth. It really is presented with a sense of foreboding, but several tender moments go far to remind us how little effort it takes to truly support others in the bleakest of times. Williamson also throws a nod to when Bruce Wayne studied under Zatara and a possible whimsical reason to Clark’s annoyance with magic. For a series that has been fairly flashy with the action and use of Superman’s powers, it’s nice to see Williamson deliver an exciting and somewhat intense issue without its reliance.
(9/10) I was pleasantly surprised Zatanna’s involvement didn’t revolve around, what I feel is, the obvious reason to showcase her. Even with it being a tie-in, the story has the potential to still stand on its own, and the ending Lois reveal was fantastic.
