So...World of New Krytpon 9 Thoughts? SPOILERS

[Desaad]

Superman World of New Krypton – An improvement over last issue, but still not up to the level of the previous issues.

The series is feeling increasingly like it’s relying on a lot of cosmic/sci fi guest stars to keep readers interested by appealing to nostalgia – and it works in that way, for me, because I’m a big fan – but the story of this issue was exceptionally thin, and neither the plot of this book nor the ongoing mega-story of the Superman titles actually made any progress here. It’s not to say that this issue wasn’t without it’s positive, but I can’t give this issue a good rating when it doesn’t even seem to be ATTEMPTING to tell an actual story, or give momentum to the slow moving mega-plot. There is a lot of talking and a lot of fighting – and a lot of it is GOOD talking and fighting, but that is all it is. With the exception of one particular conversation, which was downright brilliant and absolutely heartbreaking, nothing of real import was said or done.

Now that is a harsh evaluation of the story, and I stand by it. But that said…there were still parts of this issue that I absolute, totally loved. Firstly…J’emm, Son of Saturn in the hizzouse! …Ahem.  Okay, I’m a fan of Morrison’s JLA, and I’m a fan of Ostrander’s Martian Manhunter, so it was just damn GOOD to see that character again, see that his people are still alive and thriving and not forgotten. The DCU is such a weird, vibrant place….it’s wonderful that we as readers, and even the inhabitants of the DCU, can forget that they’ve got an immensely powerful civilization living a cosmic hop, skip and jump away (on Saturn). And talk about the little touches being there – all the races of Saturn are represented! Red Saturians, White Saturians (anyone who wants to know why they are both has to pick up the Ostrander/Mandrake Martian Manhunter run!), and even the Faceless Hunters (last seen in Geoff Johns’ GL run). It’s an easter egg, and it’s something that Robinson has really been doing throughout his books these days. I’ll take it!

Anyway, the conflict really serves little purpose but to make clear that the Saturians are players, and fairly significant players, in the goings on in the Sol system. I suspect it’s more set up for the upcoming war between Earth and New Krypton (see Superman Secret Origin 2 for the first explicit mention of it), but in the short term the conflict also serves to reinforce how important Superman is, and how powerful his reputation/nobility are – his name alone essentially stops the conflict dead.

We get a little look at how his squad, Red Shard, see Superman, we get a scene following up a bit on Tyr and the plight of the Labour Guild (I hope that gets followed up on), we get to see some of the guild infighting, we get a scene showing Non’s inherently decency that made me smile (To sum up Commander Gor’s lesson, everyone, There is ALWAYS someone stronger)…and then we get a conversation between Zod and Superman. It is, by far, the highlight of the issue. The differing viewpoints are on point, both characters are sharp. Zod isn’t some sort of evil cackling villain. He’s self assured, he shows Superman the respect he’s earned. And when Superman asks him why Non is following him around, thinking perhaps that Non means to protect Zod by keeping close to Kal, he delivers kind of a gut punch.

“You are the very image of your father. He [Non] sees in you his closest friend. Then the science council stole his MIND away. He looks at you, and some piece of him remembers who he WAS.”

This works on so many levels. For one, it reminds us of just what Non has lost, and it’s one of the strongest things the Superman writers ever did, adding that kind of tragedy to Non. It makes his every action, now, somehow dirgeful, makes him so much more sympathetic. But it all underscores the power of Superman as a symbol – to the people of earth he’s the greatest hero they’ve ever known, but even here, even on New Krypon, he inspires people to be their best selves. It’s a powerful, melancholy moment and a skillful piece of writing.
The art is a mixed back. Pete Woods continues to own the scenes that he illustrates, but he only does about half the book – the most exciting, action oriented half at least – and the section illustrated by Ron Randall is a huge disappointment and a far cry from the wonderful work of Woods. Facial expressions are unclear, figures are stiff, the backgrounds and architecture are missing that characteristic Woods flare, designs are less vibrant, figure work is less assured. I know Woods hurt his hand, but my hope is that he’s able to illustrate the final 3 issues of the series solo.

Overall, a disappointing issue, but somewhat saved by the power of a single scene.
7/10

[Rev. Calibos]

Originally Posted by Desaad

Superman World of New Krypton – An improvement over last issue, but still not up to the level of the previous issues.

The series is feeling increasingly like it’s relying on a lot of cosmic/sci fi guest stars to keep readers interested by appealing to nostalgia – and it works in that way, for me, because I’m a big fan – but the story of this issue was exceptionally thin, and neither the plot of this book nor the ongoing mega-story of the Superman titles actually made any progress here. It’s not to say that this issue wasn’t without it’s positive, but I can’t give this issue a good rating when it doesn’t even seem to be ATTEMPTING to tell an actual story, or give momentum to the slow moving mega-plot. There is a lot of talking and a lot of fighting – and a lot of it is GOOD talking and fighting, but that is all it is. With the exception of one particular conversation, which was downright brilliant and absolutely heartbreaking, nothing of real import was said or done.

Now that is a harsh evaluation of the story, and I stand by it. But that said…there were still parts of this issue that I absolute, totally loved. Firstly…J’emm, Son of Saturn in the hizzouse! …Ahem.  Okay, I’m a fan of Morrison’s JLA, and I’m a fan of Ostrander’s Martian Manhunter, so it was just damn GOOD to see that character again, see that his people are still alive and thriving and not forgotten. The DCU is such a weird, vibrant place….it’s wonderful that we as readers, and even the inhabitants of the DCU, can forget that they’ve got an immensely powerful civilization living a cosmic hop, skip and jump away (on Saturn). And talk about the little touches being there – all the races of Saturn are represented! Red Saturians, White Saturians (anyone who wants to know why they are both has to pick up the Ostrander/Mandrake Martian Manhunter run!), and even the Faceless Hunters (last seen in Geoff Johns’ GL run). It’s an easter egg, and it’s something that Robinson has really been doing throughout his books these days. I’ll take it!

Anyway, the conflict really serves little purpose but to make clear that the Saturians are players, and fairly significant players, in the goings on in the Sol system. I suspect it’s more set up for the upcoming war between Earth and New Krypton (see Superman Secret Origin 2 for the first explicit mention of it), but in the short term the conflict also serves to reinforce how important Superman is, and how powerful his reputation/nobility are – his name alone essentially stops the conflict dead.

We get a little look at how his squad, Red Shard, see Superman, we get a scene following up a bit on Tyr and the plight of the Labour Guild (I hope that gets followed up on), we get to see some of the guild infighting, we get a scene showing Non’s inherently decency that made me smile (To sum up Commander Gor’s lesson, everyone, There is ALWAYS someone stronger)…and then we get a conversation between Zod and Superman. It is, by far, the highlight of the issue. The differing viewpoints are on point, both characters are sharp. Zod isn’t some sort of evil cackling villain. He’s self assured, he shows Superman the respect he’s earned. And when Superman asks him why Non is following him around, thinking perhaps that Non means to protect Zod by keeping close to Kal, he delivers kind of a gut punch.

“You are the very image of your father. He [Non] sees in you his closest friend. Then the science council stole his MIND away. He looks at you, and some piece of him remembers who he WAS.”

This works on so many levels. For one, it reminds us of just what Non has lost, and it’s one of the strongest things the Superman writers ever did, adding that kind of tragedy to Non. It makes his every action, now, somehow dirgeful, makes him so much more sympathetic. But it all underscores the power of Superman as a symbol – to the people of earth he’s the greatest hero they’ve ever known, but even here, even on New Krypon, he inspires people to be their best selves. It’s a powerful, melancholy moment and a skillful piece of writing.
The art is a mixed back. Pete Woods continues to own the scenes that he illustrates, but he only does about half the book – the most exciting, action oriented half at least – and the section illustrated by Ron Randall is a huge disappointment and a far cry from the wonderful work of Woods. Facial expressions are unclear, figures are stiff, the backgrounds and architecture are missing that characteristic Woods flare, designs are less vibrant, figure work is less assured. I know Woods hurt his hand, but my hope is that he’s able to illustrate the final 3 issues of the series solo.

Overall, a disappointing issue, but somewhat saved by the power of a single scene.
7/10

Well said, a nice review.

I'm in the same boat. While I've found the series to be really enjoyable I think that the focus should have been solely on New Krypton and Superman's time over there. Since then we've seen WONK be a part of a larger crossover (Codename: Patriot) and now we've seen Hawkmen, Saturnians and finally Adam Strange thrust into things.

For a series that is about New Krypton there's a lot of non-Kryptonian things going on, you know? I think that time would be better spent exploring New Krypton and the various guilds.

[Desaad]

As someone not really into Superman or Krypton, I love all the extra elements. The Thangarians, the Saturians, Adam Strange, the Green Lantern...I wouldn't even mind some ancient martian technology or demons or gods coming into play!

My problem is that, in this particular case (and this wasn't true of the Thanagarians or the GLs) they seem to be appearing with no real purpose. They appear to appear, to show that they exist and maybe to appeal to those of us that remember them. You could argue that they are there to remind of us of all the different players out there, and that's fair, but nearly half the book is taken up by the conflict between them and the Kryptonians. And that is far, far too long, because they don't push the story forward, they don't reveal anything about any of the other characters, they don't add anything new or crucial. There are no repercussions, no illuminations, as a result of their presence. That's a bad guest appearance, IMHO, because it's an extraneous guest appearance.

I loved seeing the Saturians...I just wish it could have been worked in more organically. Ostrander certainly did a great job with them in Martian Manhunter, made it something organic.

[paulski]

Originally Posted by Desaad

The series is feeling increasingly like it’s relying on a lot of cosmic/sci fi guest stars to keep readers interested by appealing to nostalgia – and it works in that way, for me, because I’m a big fan – but the story of this issue was exceptionally thin, and neither the plot of this book nor the ongoing mega-story of the Superman titles actually made any progress here. It’s not to say that this issue wasn’t without it’s positive, but I can’t give this issue a good rating when it doesn’t even seem to be ATTEMPTING to tell an actual story, or give momentum to the slow moving mega-plot. There is a lot of talking and a lot of fighting – and a lot of it is GOOD talking and fighting, but that is all it is. With the exception of one particular conversation, which was downright brilliant and absolutely heartbreaking, nothing of real import was said or done.

Desaad, I've been feeling much the same for the past 4 or 5 issues. This book started off just amazingly, but it's completely lost its buzz lately. In fact, if there weren't only 3 issues left, I'd be dropping it. Even the artwork isn't anywhere near as attractive as it used to be, which is understandable considering the monthly schedule required.

Counting down to the climax of the series and a (somewhat) return to the status quo, with Geoff Johns hopefully writing a Superman book somewhere.

[jeangreydp]

I'm so glad to hear other people are feeling the same way. I was beginning to wonder if I'd missed something that made this series work.

I was just looking at the cover- we are on issue 9 of 12 and what has happened? I'm wondering what the point is. I feel like the stories being told in the other books are very interesting. What is going on back on earth without Superman- that is keeping me interested, but Kal-El on New Krypton doing nothing much is starting to wear on me.

Shouldn't we be on the edge of a banging story at this point? Three issues to go and hopefully they will be good ones because these last nine have been all random build-up that seems to lead to dead ends.

[General Grievous]

Good issue.

The art was a bit rushed and looked stale in places.

Was that the faceless hunters from Geoff John's green lantern run on new krypton?

I really dug the guest appearance of Jemm and hope to see him again soon or even hope he is involved with the superman event next year.

Adam strange next issue? ! Sweet.

[WorstThingUS]

Okay, I know little to nothing of Jemm, but why do people from Saturn use our Greco-Roman name for their planet and species? Is this a 50's science fiction movie?

[CBikle]

Originally Posted by WorstThingUS

Okay, I know little to nothing of Jemm, but why do people from Saturn use our Greco-Roman name for their planet and species? Is this a 50's science fiction movie?

There was no editorial note for it, but that whole conversation was probably spoken in Interlac - a shared language used by space-faring races in the DCU.

It makes sense that a meeting between New Krypton and Thanagar would do this.

Figure that, in the dialogue, whatever the Saturnians normally call "Saturn" is how they refer to it, but it's translated for the benefits of the readers.

[CBikle]

Originally Posted by General Grievous

Was that the faceless hunters from Geoff John's green lantern run on new krypton?

The Faceless Hunters from Saturn are old silver-age villains; one of them was a member of the League of Forgotten Villains.

[Mat001]

In the case of the artwork, Pete Woods was injured a while ago and Ron Randall has been helping out. Hence two artists at once and the differing contrasts.

The Thangarians were used because of their past conflict with Krypton as shown in Superman Annual #14. The Saturians are used because of their moon being moved, it would logically stand to reason that they make their objections known. And odds are, they're probably going to be involved in the coming conflict.

[dupersuper]

Originally Posted by Mat001

The Saturians are used because of their moon being moved, it would logically stand to reason that they make their objections known. And odds are, they're probably going to be involved in the coming conflict.

So, when New Krypton decided to steal Saturns moon, did Superman just plum forget to tell them there were people on Saturn who might object...?

[CBikle]

Originally Posted by dupersuper

So, when New Krypton decided to steal Saturns moon, did Superman just plum forget to tell them there were people on Saturn who might object...?

Also Saturn Girl's people who live (or will eventually live) on Titan.

[Spiffy]

Originally Posted by dupersuper

So, when New Krypton decided to steal Saturns moon, did Superman just plum forget to tell them there were people on Saturn who might object...?

Apparently.

I mean all kinds of stuff seems to drain his brain. Maybe it was a new kind of Kryptonite or something.

[AllisterH]

Makes my head hurt....

The dialogue obviously makes it so that Superman is aware of the Saturnnians.

Yet, BEFORE moving the moon in Saturn, why the hell did Kal-el not think "Maybe we should ask the guys whose moon we're moving...."

Huh?

[CBikle]

Originally Posted by AllisterH

Makes my head hurt....

The dialogue obviously makes it so that Superman is aware of the Saturnnians.

Yet, BEFORE moving the moon in Saturn, why the hell did Kal-el not think "Maybe we should ask the guys whose moon we're moving...."

Huh?

I don't have the books with me, but didn't this whole "moving-planets" business start without Superman's knowledge ?

Maybe he (unwisely) assumed that the Science Council used a little common sense and worked things out with their interplanetary neighbors before undertaking a project of this magnitude ?