Syaf’s art, inked by Sandra Hope, is designed to mimic that of his predecessor Shane Davis, but he’s not as good. It’s also the least compelling of the three books to date, and that has as much to do with a growing sense of familiarity. The pacing here, more so than in the previous books, is very cinematic, with significant concentration on Clark Kent and the human supporting cast as on Superman’s appearances. Zod himself lacks any real motivation other than evil for evil’s sake, again, oddly empty for Straczynski considering the depth he’s given his characters elsewhere. An eventual saving grace of sorts is a spirited speech later given at the United Nations. The one deviation from this is hardly the peg on which to hang such a plot. The logic is that the US military establishment is more willing to trust an unknown super powered being who claims to be able to defeat Superman than Superman himself, despite most of his actions being benign. At this point the plot rather collapses, which is unusual for a graphic novel written by J. It might not be, as an alternative solution presents itself, and that’s General Zod, another survivor of Krypton’s destruction. Just in case it’s ever needed, you understand. After three books we’re also presented with the full Lex Luthor, not what you’d expect, working hand in hand with the US government determined to develop a method of killing Superman. This third tale of Superman on an alternate Earth was a long time coming, and features a new artist, Ardian Syaf.
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