Post by shaxper on Jun 19, 2017 9:47:49 GMT -5
Superman #47
Soul Search, Part Two: "Lives in the Balance"
writer/artist: Jerry Ordway
inks: Dennis Janke
colors: Glenn Whitmore
letters: John Costanza
assoc. editor: Jon Peterson
editor: Mike Carlin
grade: C
If you were looking for more insights or explanations after seeing Jerry White and Jimmy Olsen kidnapped by the Devil (disguised as a night club owner) last issue, keep looking. We still don't know if this is actually supposed to be Satan, nor why she has such an interest in these two random kids. The cover suggests she took two people near and dear to Superman in order to barter for his soul in exchange, but no such discussion occurs in the book within. Certainly, if Satan wanted to capture Superman, it wouldn't be hard to do since he is vulnerable to the supernatural. But the larger point is that, two issues into this three issue story arc, this thing still feels extremely stupid. As I've pointed out numerous times in recent reviews, the Superman Office worked its ass off trying to attract new readership and finally succeeded with Dark Knight Over Metropolis, but what's followed immediately on the heels of that event were three incredibly unimpressive filler stories and now this extremely dumb story arc. It's understandable that the creative teams spent all their energy and efforts on DKoM and were now sort of recalibrating, but once you have an attentive new audience, you have to do something to keep them. Instead, what's been offered are some of the most disappointing Superman stories we've seen in the past two years (since Superman returned to Earth and the "new" Superman Office semi-officially launched).
Really, the only appeal to be found in this installment is our finally getting closure on the whole Jerry White paternity issue (first hinted at as far back as World of Metropolis #1, published two full years prior). It was in that issue where John Byrne first suggested that Jerry White was the son of Lex Luthor and not Perry White. Now we're finally offered explanations and a confrontation: Luthor did figure it out back when he kidnapped Jerry White for a genetic experiment during the "Gang War" storyline (note: that story was published a year before World of Metropolis and written by Marv Wolfman, who likely didn't even know John Byrne had this twist in mind), and Perry White had always suspected but never had the courage to ask.
It all comes to a boiling point with a long overdue confrontation here:
The conclusion is neither definitive nor satisfying, but this is one of the few remaining unresolved plot points from Byrne's work on Superman, and it's nice to finally see it getting addressed. I guess The Superman Office was running out of time to do so if they're going to kill off Jerry White next issue (Oops! Spoilers...).
Beyond that, we've got Superman fighting demons and neither definitively winning, losing, nor particularly holding our interest, Gangbuster constantly reminding us he's an ordinary guy in a costume as he complains about how hard it is to do the things he's seen Batman do, and the Black Racer standing around a lot and leaving us to wonder just exactly what his deal is:
(I never even understood this during Kirby's run. Is he the Angel of Death, or does he only show up for certain deaths? And if he can't interfere because these deaths are fated to happen, then why is he even needed? I just don't get it.)
And, while we don't get any real explanation as to what the hell (heheh. Get it?) Satan is doing in this story (if that's who Blaze even is), we do get her connected to the old Skyhook storylines in Superman #15 and #34. The previous explanation for how Skyhook came to be was pretty unsatisfactory -- he made a deal with The Devil. So now, at least we get to meet that devil. If we end up getting some more meaningful insight into who/what Blaze is, it will tie up those old loose ends quite a bit. Clearly though, no one had Blaze in mind at the time those stories were written.
So I consider this issue a disappointment in pretty much all respects beyond finally addressing the Jerry White parentage thing, and even that wasn't done all that remarkably.
Plot synopsis:
Superman is fighting Blaze in "Hell" but struggles since he is vulnerable to magic and the supernatural, Blaze seeks Skyhook on him and explains that she's the one who made him what he is, we learn that Jerry's girlfriend is also the Black Racer's sister (she was married in Pre-Crisis continuity. Interesting), the Black Racer summons Gangbuster to fight Blaze's earthly form, Intergang decides to torch her club, Gangbuster saves the day, Lex and Perry have their big confrontation, and, back in Hell, Jerry is now controlled by Blaze and fighting Superman.
Soul Search, Part Two: "Lives in the Balance"
writer/artist: Jerry Ordway
inks: Dennis Janke
colors: Glenn Whitmore
letters: John Costanza
assoc. editor: Jon Peterson
editor: Mike Carlin
grade: C
If you were looking for more insights or explanations after seeing Jerry White and Jimmy Olsen kidnapped by the Devil (disguised as a night club owner) last issue, keep looking. We still don't know if this is actually supposed to be Satan, nor why she has such an interest in these two random kids. The cover suggests she took two people near and dear to Superman in order to barter for his soul in exchange, but no such discussion occurs in the book within. Certainly, if Satan wanted to capture Superman, it wouldn't be hard to do since he is vulnerable to the supernatural. But the larger point is that, two issues into this three issue story arc, this thing still feels extremely stupid. As I've pointed out numerous times in recent reviews, the Superman Office worked its ass off trying to attract new readership and finally succeeded with Dark Knight Over Metropolis, but what's followed immediately on the heels of that event were three incredibly unimpressive filler stories and now this extremely dumb story arc. It's understandable that the creative teams spent all their energy and efforts on DKoM and were now sort of recalibrating, but once you have an attentive new audience, you have to do something to keep them. Instead, what's been offered are some of the most disappointing Superman stories we've seen in the past two years (since Superman returned to Earth and the "new" Superman Office semi-officially launched).
Really, the only appeal to be found in this installment is our finally getting closure on the whole Jerry White paternity issue (first hinted at as far back as World of Metropolis #1, published two full years prior). It was in that issue where John Byrne first suggested that Jerry White was the son of Lex Luthor and not Perry White. Now we're finally offered explanations and a confrontation: Luthor did figure it out back when he kidnapped Jerry White for a genetic experiment during the "Gang War" storyline (note: that story was published a year before World of Metropolis and written by Marv Wolfman, who likely didn't even know John Byrne had this twist in mind), and Perry White had always suspected but never had the courage to ask.
It all comes to a boiling point with a long overdue confrontation here:
The conclusion is neither definitive nor satisfying, but this is one of the few remaining unresolved plot points from Byrne's work on Superman, and it's nice to finally see it getting addressed. I guess The Superman Office was running out of time to do so if they're going to kill off Jerry White next issue (Oops! Spoilers...).
Beyond that, we've got Superman fighting demons and neither definitively winning, losing, nor particularly holding our interest, Gangbuster constantly reminding us he's an ordinary guy in a costume as he complains about how hard it is to do the things he's seen Batman do, and the Black Racer standing around a lot and leaving us to wonder just exactly what his deal is:
(I never even understood this during Kirby's run. Is he the Angel of Death, or does he only show up for certain deaths? And if he can't interfere because these deaths are fated to happen, then why is he even needed? I just don't get it.)
And, while we don't get any real explanation as to what the hell (heheh. Get it?) Satan is doing in this story (if that's who Blaze even is), we do get her connected to the old Skyhook storylines in Superman #15 and #34. The previous explanation for how Skyhook came to be was pretty unsatisfactory -- he made a deal with The Devil. So now, at least we get to meet that devil. If we end up getting some more meaningful insight into who/what Blaze is, it will tie up those old loose ends quite a bit. Clearly though, no one had Blaze in mind at the time those stories were written.
So I consider this issue a disappointment in pretty much all respects beyond finally addressing the Jerry White parentage thing, and even that wasn't done all that remarkably.
Plot synopsis:
Superman is fighting Blaze in "Hell" but struggles since he is vulnerable to magic and the supernatural, Blaze seeks Skyhook on him and explains that she's the one who made him what he is, we learn that Jerry's girlfriend is also the Black Racer's sister (she was married in Pre-Crisis continuity. Interesting), the Black Racer summons Gangbuster to fight Blaze's earthly form, Intergang decides to torch her club, Gangbuster saves the day, Lex and Perry have their big confrontation, and, back in Hell, Jerry is now controlled by Blaze and fighting Superman.
