REVIEW: Superman #28
Superman #28, “Legion of Darkseid: Part 1”, begins a new devastating story arc for the Man of Steel. It also acts as the next instalment of the All In Saga as Superman begins to question the reasoning behind the events of the “Summer of Superman Special”.
The standard cover is by Dan Mora. Superman faces off against the corrupted versions of his childhood friends in this great piece of art. Mora always does a superb job, but his color work is especially brilliant as Superman remains a bright beacon amongst the muted tapestry around him. There’s a foil version of this cover as well, which will only make these colors pop more.
Nathan Szerdy’s variant gives us a full look of the Legion of Darkseid’s Saturn Girl. Posed here in a triumphant manner with Clark’s tattered cape, we instantly know how deadly she is. The background color scheme adds a volcanic effect creating a dangerous demeanor to her character.
The variant by Guillem March plays with the heightened attention Krypto’s experiencing lately. The deep tones of a Kansas sunset allow the bright red blur of Krypto’s cape to stick out as Clark whistles him in to eat.
Other great covers are by Tula Lotay, and Salvador Larroca & Pasquale Ferrara.
Dan Mora takes up interior art duties alongside Colorist Alejandro Sánchez. It’s great seeing Mora’s art inside a book again. His characters are so detailed and expressive it’s hard not to imagine them moving on the page. Having him attached to the creative team is an immediate elevation in the quality of story and an indication of how good the story already is. Sánchez also does a great job of maintaining the color tone we’ve come to expect from this series and it compliments Mora’s style well.
Joshua Williamson, lettered by Ariana Maher, gives us a Superman and Legion story unlike anything we’ve seen before. The new Saturn Girl seeks to sate her curiosity about why Darkseid sees Superman as a threat. Imra finds herself impressed as she toys with Clark until Time Trapper shows up and reveals a very unexpected addition to his plans. Once again Williamson flexes his knowledge of the greater DC lore which will make the remainder of this arc quite interesting. This first installment gives us a small taste of what’s to come and it’s truly troubling.
(8.5/10) I’m a huge fan of Dan Mora and the little Easter Eggs peppered in Superman #28 are very fun. However, that last page reveal has me a bit nervous about the direction this story will take, but Joshua Williamson hasn’t disappointed yet so perhaps my worry is unwarranted.
