REVIEW: Superman #25

Superman #25, “Last Lex Standing”, continues the incredible story-arc that Joshua Williamson has created. This issue is action packed, truly shocking and so damn exciting, in my opinion it is a must read if you are a Superman fan.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The main cover is by Dan Mora and is a stunningly detailed wraparound bringing together every character introduced by Williamson in this arc. There are some surprises there and some that don’t actually feature in this issue, with that said they are very much still a part of the story.

Laura Braga’s variant is simply stunning, and now having read the issue, is even more impactful. We see Superman and Superwoman glide in the skies with a sunset backdrop, it is so romantic and perfectly captures the adoration they have for one another.

The variant by Fico Ossio is awesome! We see Supergirl and Superboy back to back looking badass, whilst this very much seems like an action shot, the beautiful backdrop makes it even more stunning and effective, I’d love to see Ossio on a mini-series of the two of them.

There are also variants available by Raf Grassetti, Jeff Dèkal, Guillem March, Brad Walker & Trish Mulvihill, Dave Johnson and Dan Hipp.

Superman #25 opens up with a flashback of Lex and Mercy putting together their PR strategy for Supercorp. Within that flashback we get confirmation that everything that has happened has gone according to their plan, all except the release of X-El, a cloned version of Lex who is deemed to be too dangerous. And just a few pages in, we can see why… it seems Superman and Superwoman have got a lot to contend with. Honestly, I’m still shook with this revelation, I genuinely thought Mercy had turned a corner and was innocent, and I feel betrayed, that’s what writer, Joshua Williamson has done so well, he made us believe that. Letters are done by Dave Sharpe.

This issue had me throwing my fist in the air with excitement several times. Just in the nick of time we see the return of a newly introduced but beloved character and I couldn’t be happier to see her back in the pages of a comic. That wasn’t the only time I cheered, this issue is PACKED with action and excitement and we even see Lex don his iconic mech suit and team up with Superman to fight this evil version of himself. As the fight goes on and X-El relentlessly beats on Superman, something changes, the clone starts to crack and we see why the real Lex deemed it so dangerous. But with all the action it’s Lois who pulls the hardest punch as this flawed Lex Luthor has the cheek to threaten her son. Though she pulls the hardest, she doesn’t pull the final punch and despite him trying to help, the person that does shows everyone exactly the kind of person he is… and how he differs to Superman.

The interior art is certainly a team effort. We see art from Jamal Campbell, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Dan Mora, and colours by Campbell and Alejandro Sanchez and despite there being so many names on this particular issue, it flows effortlessly. There is some incredible action, emotion and pretty much everything you’d want from a comic book. Each page is stunningly detailed and the more you look at a page, the more detail you find, this is an excellent looking book.

(9/10) In the midst of the battle in Superman #25, something changes in one of the characters, I won’t spoil what, but I have to say I am disappointed it got cut short. But with that said this was an incredible milestone issue that is not to be missed by any Superman fan!