Thursday, August 24, 2017

None of those look like Brando...


Today's comic had "Infinite Crisis Crossover" right on the cover; which is a stronger warning label than Mr. Yuk, but it was fifty cents so I bought it anyway. So, it's on me, then. From 2006, Action Comics #836, "Superman, This is Your Life, part two" Written by Joe Kelly, art by Dan Jurgens, Kevin Conrad, Dick Giordano, Ed Benes, Ian Churchill, Phil Jimenez, Tom Denerick, Renato Guedes, Lee Bermejo, and Doug Mahnke.

This issue recaps Superman's continuity alterations, from the earliest versions to Man of Steel up to the more recent Birthright; with narration by an S-shield caption box. I thought the narrator was going to be Superboy-Prime; but it was actually the Earth-2, pre-Crisis Superman. E-2 Supes tells it straight for a while, then inserts himself into the narrative, how he would have done it differently: keeping Batman from distancing himself, stopping Lex Luthor for good with Bats, and not letting Doomsday kill him. Yeah, seems pretty easy to Monday morning quarterback that.

After that one, E-2 Superman takes a harder line: when Dr. Light rapes Sue Dibny, he gives the JLA a third option instead of jail or mind-wiping, banishing Light to the Phantom Zone. Later, Wonder Woman and the League confront him on it, but Supes has his own team ready to defend his decisions, including members of the Elite! Right now he's willing to do anything if he thinks it will save his Lois, but hasn't gone too far...yet. Meanwhile, something happens to Jimmy Olsen, as he seems to fall through different incarnations of himself.

I honestly can't tell from this issue if it "actually happened," or if it was just Old Man Superman's wishful thinking, or grouchy crabbing. Still, it's pretty obvious he's breaking bad here, but will probably recant in the next chapter or something; or regular Supes will show him the error of his ways. The next issue was "One Year Later" with Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns, which sounds halfway decent...

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

Damn, no kidding about that Monday Morning Quarterback stuff, Jesus supes, all of that may have worked in your earth, but not here. Batman is Batman no matter what, so I'm not so sure he'd be able to reach the stubborn-ass Batman back then, maybe, but he'd face the same difficulties as the other Superman. As for Doomsday, well of course the Earth 2 Superman would've won. He was way ore powerful than his Earth 1 counterpart by far. Even if he couldn't kill Doomsday, he'd just banish him to the Phantom Zone, which really would've been a pretty good idea to do to Dr. Light. Oh well.