Superman #655 (Spoliers)

[mrc1214]

Im suprised there was no thread for this already..



Anyway Busiek is writing some very good stuff. I like how hes dealing with Supermans relationships. And Subjekt 17 looks to be another tough addition to the Superman rogue gallery. Any other thoughts...?

[Jack Zodiac]

I hope Subject 17 isn't a permanent addition to his villainous line-up. We can already tell by Arion's involvement in the situation that it's the kind of villain you only want to see brought up once. Aside from that, he lacks any apparent depth and connection to Superman himself, which is usually important for a recurring villain.

Still, it was an awesome issue. Very good pacing, and the surprise appearance of a time-wandering Arion was interesting. The cover was great, too! When's the last time you saw a core character book with a dialogue cover? :D

[Kurt Busiek]

I hope Subject 17 isn't a permanent addition to his villainous line-up. We can already tell by Arion's involvement in the situation that it's the kind of villain you only want to see brought up once.

Oh, he'll be involved in more than one story.

Aside from that, he lacks any apparent depth and connection to Superman himself, which is usually important for a recurring villain.

They've barely met. Lex Luthor didn't have much depth or connection to Superman by the time he'd appeared on as many pages as Subjekt-17 has so far...

Still, it was an awesome issue. Very good pacing, and the surprise appearance of a time-wandering Arion was interesting. The cover was great, too! When's the last time you saw a core character book with a dialogue cover? :D

Glad you liked it!

Word balloons on the next cover, too.

kdb

[mrc1214]

I like Subjekt-17 he seems like a good villian who will at least give Supes a good fight. I really want to see what all his powers are. Great book so far and im glad i got on board. As far as Arion im not familiar with him so ill have to look him up.

[mrc1214]

Who this be good enough to understand who Arion is ???http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arion

[Jack]

Word balloons on a cover? Inconceivable!

I loved the Lana scene so much.

[Jack Zodiac]

They've barely met. Lex Luthor didn't have much depth or connection to Superman by the time he'd appeared on as many pages as Subjekt-17 has so far...

I'll wait and see. I don't know how much I'd wanna' see of pig-face, but if he turns out to be interesting, I wouldn't mind. You're right, though; most Superman enemies aren't as interesting until after they've gotten pasted by him and develope their hatred for him afterwards.

Glad you liked it!

Word balloons on the next cover, too.

Kick ass. :D

Who this be good enough to understand who Arion is ???http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arion

No, that's the Greek poet. DC's Arion is an Atlantean mage who used to have his own series back in the Eighties, around the time Marvel was running their Conan the Barbarian books. He was a back-up in Warlord for a while, too. While he was alive, he was an agent of the Lords of Order, just like Dove and Dr. Fate. The reason he's coming from the past to help Superman is because he died a while ago after the Lord of Chaos, Mordru, possessed his body.

I loved the Lana scene so much.

Yeah, I'm glad Kurt's making better use of Lana than previous writers. For instance, Chuck Austen made me wanna' push her character out a window.

[Kilgore Trout]

Word balloons on a cover? Inconceivable!

There probably wasn't enough room inside... :rolleyes:

[protonik]

With this issue Superman shot up to my top five books alongside Invincible and Godland.

[Guts/Batman]

Loved the issue.

Great art combined with a fun story.

[Ian J.N.]

I was dubious about Subjekt 17 at first. Judging from the #656 cover, he seemed to be a standard 'military project gone wrong' musclebag. From Arion's ominous comments, though, it seems that there's more to the musclebag, or at the very least, more to the story than a fist fight.

Certainly can't accuse the issue of being uncreative. The microscopic book within a book, the concept of an "arcanobiologist"--really cool stuff.

Also, it's official: Kurt Busiek deserves a plaque for "Most Ingenious use of Super-Hearing." I love those bits where it seems like a character is having an aside, or that the scene has switched ("Meanwhile at the Pentagon..." Mr. Narrator might say), and Superman is just as aware of what's happening as the reader is.

[Jack Zodiac]

I'm also glad Kurt's edging in the super-intelligence bit by bit instead of making Superman an instant Reed Richards like his Golden Age stories where he learned completely alien languages in second.

[TJ Shoun]

Yeah, the Lana scene was awesome.

She's such an endearing character.

Reminds me of how much I hate Lois.

Okay, I won't get started on that again.

Damn -- Pacheco, Merino, and Stewart are just amazing. The art's nothing short of fantastic.

I can't say enough good things about Dave Stewart's work.

[Damo]

Well I'm hoping Subjekt has an interesting origin and turns out to be more than a growling strongman. Of course I'm sure Kurt will deliver on that, but I felt like typing it out anyway.

And Kurt? Thanks for the prominent intelligent female scientist that's important in her sci-fi field.

[Nick Kal]

I have to say that Superman is one of DC's best comics right now. I've never been so excited about the Man of Steel. Busiek is certainly a great writer and knows what he is doing. I believe I am with this book for as long as he is there.

[The K-MAN]

I loved this issue!

I love how Lana is percieved and she looks fine...

I liked how that Jeffrey from Action Bulletin(guys responsible for the Cover of Action Comics) gave grief to Clark

This fight will be huge!+Arion!

Anyone remember the Superman/Arion crossover in DC Comics Presents #75?

[Spamotron]

Wait a second didn't Bruce Wanye become Lexcorp's primary stockholder a while back in Superman/Batman? Will we see the reprecussions of that?

[CaptainAwesome]

Can I just say that I have a competely hetero man chrush on Kurt Buseik? Seriously, he manages to take legendary characters and like Superman and Conan, and actually makes them readable. It would be so easy for someone to fall into the trap of doing an "epic" story for the sake of doing an "epic" story and completely forget that these are actual characters with depth, but Buseik doesnt do that.

Between that and Pacheo's art, this is turning into a great superhero story, and one of my favorite books. How long are these guys set to be on this book?

[saintsaucey]

Okay I have no clue who the bad guy is. Someone want to fill me in.

Reguardless as long as Kurt is on this series and pacheco is doing the art Im on Superman. damnit thats another new ongoing.

Im picking up your action comics too kurt, I waffeled on it when i was in the shop, but i sent an email to my dealer to pull it for me. why did I do it you ask. because you put it in the freeking book. that was great marketing and deffinantly convinced me to grab your issues on action.

one bit of advice or what ever for pacheco, please do something diffenrent with supes when he is struggeling. he looks like he's about to hulk out. everything else was great though

[PastePotPete]

The return of the super-intellect! I'm excited about this. Can't wait to see how other writers handle it.

Superman puts micro-dots with an entire book printed on them INSIDE of another book and then reads 20 books at the same time. I like it. It's insane, but I like it.

[saintsaucey]

The return of the super-intellect! I'm excited about this. Can't wait to see how other writers handle it.


Dude, shut up don't even suggest that Buesik and Pacheco will be leave this book anytime soon.

BTW I to put micro dots on my books so that I can read multible books at once.

At the moment I have the collected works of Shakspere, Steven King's It, Confessions of A Teen Age Drama Queen and the four Princess Diarys books they are all inside my see spot run book :D

[Kurt Busiek]

Wait a second didn't Bruce Wanye become Lexcorp's primary stockholder a while back in Superman/Batman? Will we see the reprecussions of that?

Bruce divested himself. It was getting ridiculous -- he owned Superman's apartment, Superman's workplace, Superman's archenemy's workplace...what, Bruce, the freakin' Batcave isn't cool enough, you have to own your biggest competitior's whole freakin' life?

Bruce no longer has an ownership stake in the Daily Planet, LexCorp or Clark's apartment building. He sold 'em all to sane and responsible people during the One Year Gap.

kdb

[J. Robb]

Bruce no longer has an ownership stake in the Daily Planet, LexCorp or Clark's apartment building. He sold 'em all to sane and responsible people during the One Year Gap.
Good to hear! Superman was starting to become a Bat-book. ;)

[PastePotPete]

Dude, shut up don't even suggest that Buesik and Pacheco will be leave this book anytime soon.


Oh, I don't want these guys off the book. In fact, I'm sad that Busiek is leaving Action so that Richard Donner can write it in a couple months.

I'm just wondering how different writers are going to handle super-intellect. It's a great power for Superman, but it seems like it could be tricky to write in a modern Superman book. You don't want to turn it into a deus ex machina, you don't want to totally ignore it. It's an interesting new wrinkle in the whole Superman franchise. I like it!

Now if they'd just bring back the electric blue powers! ;)

[Smokeyjay]

Awesome issue. A bit on the slow side, but awesome for a series.

I like how there taking it back to the old-school Superman style with Superman being smart-actually using his superspeed and hearing abilities, and the cover.

[bugmenot]

Now if they'd just bring back the electric blue powers! ;)
And you wonder why Spider-Man laughs at your very name!

But, in the vein of silly Superman transformations, it -would- be nice to have a few good 'red kryptonite' stories.

[chriskenny]

Love the book. It will be interesting to see how Arion is tied into this storyline. I loved the conversation with Lana and hope to see this relationship explored. I also loved the inclusion of the micro-dots and Clark's escape from the airplane. While the story is pretty straight-forward--Superman rescuing an old flame from a monster she is studying--it is the little touches that makes the comic book come alive.

I hope Carlos Pacheo can maintain a monthly book, because his take on Superman is fast becoming a definitive rendition.

[CaptChucky]

This was a great issue. I hope they keep this team on the title.

[astronato]

I loved this issue. Subjekt 17 seems like a very cool addition to Supes stable of villains. It's only been one issue but he is all kinds of awesome so far.

Keep Mr Busiek on the Superbooks for a loooooooooooong time please.

[GuyEndore]

My sincere hope is that both Kurt and Carlos are on this book for at least 2 years. Even longer would be terrific.

[Cayman]

Cool issue.

Superman married the wrong alliterative beauty.


Cay

[ForEverAncien]

Well, this is one book, that has many ways of being great. But this is just the build.

Lana, in a company that is dying. It will be interesting to see how long it(Lexcorps) continue to struggle.

All past relationships that Clark had, while traveling the world, before coming Superman...are resurfacing. And it seems, a lot of women were meet.

The multi-level book reading was just...scarey and nice. Yeah, his mental powers are a hoot. But I know and see it coming...they will become a hinderance one day.

Now I have problem with S-17, is he another 'Doomsday'?

And speaking of Doomsday...can someone explain why and how, he was planetside, when in truth, in a Superman mini-series *way back*. He was shunted into a blackhole. After battling Supes.

But anyway...it was very nice. *The C-Book* and Lana was adorable.

[Steel Spider]

The last time I liked Lana Lang was when she was played by Annette O' Toole in Superman III (God, Annette is so hot!)

Kristin Kreuk has done nothing to make me like Lana but look, a likeable Lana in this issue! Thank God!

[Jack Zodiac]

Now I have problem with S-17, is he another 'Doomsday'?

Kurt said he'll be a permanent addition (or at least that he'll be used past just this story arc), so I'm sure there'll be more to him than there was to Doomsday, who was an excellent example of a plot device villain.

And speaking of Doomsday...can someone explain why and how, he was planetside, when in truth, in a Superman mini-series *way back*. He was shunted into a blackhole. After battling Supes.

He winds up on Apokolips, then Lex Luthor makes a deal with Darkseid to return him to Earth where he clones him and uses him in the war orchestrated by Brainiac 13. Lots of weird, totally unnecessary crap happened during that period of the book.

[ForEverAncien]

What??!!!
That is so LAME!!!!!! But thank you for the info.Kurt said he'll be a permanent addition (or at least that he'll be used past just this story arc), so I'm sure there'll be more to him than there was to Doomsday, who was an excellent example of a plot device villain.



He winds up on Apokolips, then Lex Luthor makes a deal with Darkseid to return him to Earth where he clones him and uses him in the war orchestrated by Brainiac 13. Lots of weird, totally unnecessary crap happened during that period of the book.

[BooCoo]

The deal with Clark and Lana was great. I've love to see this in the mix for future isshes. :D