Random Happenstance

I picked up a McFarlane Super Powers Superman and Supermobile the other day, so apparently I was a little nostalgic for Superman stuff. Despite being from 2007, this one almost fits that bill: Action Comics Annual #10, written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, with art by Art Adams, Eric Wight, Joe Kubert, Rags Morales, Gary Frank, and more.

This felt a little like a recap, possibly intending to set up future stories: in "The Many Deaths of Superman" Lex Luthor cheerfully revisits the multiple ways the Man of Steel could die; after which he could get back to solving all the problems facing humanity. After. "Who Is Clark Kent's Big Brother?" really should have some credits for Robert Bernstein and George Papp's Superboy #89, as this is a pretty straight retelling of Mon-El's origin.

"Mystery Under the Blue Sun" is short, as a Thanagarian patrol tries to find why three of their patrol-ships have disappeared in this sector. Hint: it ain't the "thought-gluttons" from Rann! "The Criminals of Krypton" is maybe a bit of a retcon for Non, the silent brute of General Zod and Ursa's trio; but he wasn't always such. Non had been a brilliant scientist, who had worked with Jor-El and knew Krypton was doomed. Unfortunately, the ruling Science Council considered that heresy, and while eventually Zod and Ursa would come to believe him, someone on the Council had Non kidnapped and chunks of his brain removed. Zod tries to convince Jor-El to join them in open revolt, but he didn't think there was time for that, and Zod and company were a little too quick to murder for his tastes, anyway. The trio manages to kill some of the Council, before being captured: Jor-El argues they shouldn't die, and instead should be banished to the Phantom Zone. Zod, of course, swears vengeance, on Jor-El and his son.

Finally, in "The Deadliest Forms of Kryptonite," Lex runs down the assorted, relatively new, flavors of Kryptonite: most had been phased out post-Crisis, but were creeping back. Unsure which to use, Lex crams a bunch into the chest of an unwilling-looking Metallo, the first maybe not-willing member of Lex's new Revenge Squad...This felt a little like the pendulum swinging back, from Lex having some redeeming qualities, back to being a total dick.