Superman #63 (January 1992)



"Shadows from The Past!"

Script: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Dan Jurgens (layouts); Brett Breeding (finishes)
Inks: Brett Breeding
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Letters: John Costanza

Grade: D

Well maybe last issue didn't provide any kind of satisying follow-up to 1991's big cliffhanger involving the rise of Lex Luthor II, but certainly this issue will focus on...



ahh f**k it.

I don't know what any of this means and (worse yet) I don't care. A tie-in to promote the new Aquaman title, of all things, really feels like a hijack here. Save it for a month; we have major plot points to develop and resolve!

I give Jurgens respect for digging deep into Post-Crisis continuity to find a meaningful connection between Superman's world and Aquaman's:



which then opens the door for this surprise twist that anyone could see coming from a mile away:





It doesn't seem like it's going to go anywhere since Lori is resolved to keep her secret and Superman has no real clue that she is still out there. So unless Cat Grant starts mentioning visions of mermaids rescuing Clark in the ocean next month, I think we're in the clear. And yet I find that all the more upsetting. It was uncomfortable enough when Byrne felt the need to introduce the idea of Clark having relationships before Lois. It's realistic, and I got over it, especially now with Jeb Freedman. But the idea that Clark loves them EQUALLY--that he still regrets losing Lori when he has Lois--that really irks me.



Clark and Lois have one of the greatest, most realistic, and beautifully executed romances in all of fiction here. Why do these writers keep feeling the need to shake it up? Find conflict in The Kyrpton Man trying to conquer Earth and The Daily Planet going on strike; not in our favorite engaged couple's feelings towards one another.


Meanwhile, Jurgens seems to enjoy making multiple nods to recent continuity in this issue, summarizing Clark's amnesia, Jeb Freedman, the Daily Planet Strike, and even the mayoral race (which seemed like it was going to be a big deal in these comics but now is just over without ever having occupied center stage):



I guess we'll find out he's in Lex Luthor II's pocket soon, and that's how he won.


We also get the first reference in a very long while to Superman keeping his Clark Kent clothing in a secret pouch in his cape.



I STILL don't understand how this works.


Heck, even the main antagonist of this issue (if you can even call it that) is a leftover from the recent Blackout storyline:



Though it takes half an issue for Carlin to provide an editor's box, explaining where this happened for forgetful readers:





And yet there are quite a few continuity errors in this issue, too. For example, our two henchmen trailing Lois don't know why she is of interest to Cerberus



when he outright told them just last week:




And Jimmy is upset that his car is snowed in:



when just last issue it died because he couldn't afford gas for it. Was he planning to put it in neutral and push?

Similarly whatever Simonson and Bogdanove were doing with turning Jimmy into comic relief, closely resembling Archie Andrews, is totally ignored here. We are asked to take him seriously and pity his plight once again.


Sure, either of those glitches could be blamed on Simonson and Bogdanove, or poor inter-office communication in general, but it's a little harder to defend these next two errors:

1. Superman's wet hair.



I guess he no longer has an aura of invulnerability?


2. Running out of breath.



How many times has the Post-Crisis Superman office established that Superman can hold his breath for an extended period of time? Man of Steel #3 first established that Clark could fly into space but would still need to breathe occasionally, Action Comics #588 said Superman could hold his breath for about an hour even while doing intense physical activity, and Superman: The Earth Stealers and Superman #33 later extended this out to be about two to three hours. Whichever version you believe, there is no way Superman was under the water for even one hour.


Anyway, continuity blunders and Breeding's awkward finishing over Jurgens' breakdowns aside, there are two genuinely worthwhile moments in this issue. The first is seeing that, indeed, Pete Ross and Lana Lang are faring well together:




and the second is this little moment for Superman:



I love moments where it is less Superman's natural powers and more his character and perseverance that save the day.


So not a total loss of an issue, but there was a lot I could have done without here.




Important Details:

1. Lori Lemaris is still alive and still in love with Superman.

2. Aquaman does not know that Superman is Clark Kent.



Minor Details:

1. We're reminded again that a month in our world equals a week in Superman's.


2. How did Clark and Lois come to decide that Clark would get the big story while Lois would go shirt shopping for him?



I'm starting to think that Jurgens has no respect for the sanctity of this relationship. So many previous stories spent so much time establishing them as equals, even showing how they work out who gets the story on several occasions. This is supremely disappointing.


3. Here's a bit of weird foreshadowing:



If only Jurgens knew what was exactly twelve months away...