Superman #10 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Artists: Ivan Reis and Brandon Peterson / DC Comics All right. All caught up. Let’s go punch somebody. Superman #10 finishes up Jonathan Kent’s journey back to Earth and sets up the next fight right away. After finally escaping Ultraman’s volcano prison, Jon finds himself face to face with Superwoman, the evil, superpowered Lois Lane of the Crime Syndicate. This horrifying meeting is cut short (especially compared to the years he spent with Ultraman) as a Deus Ex Machina results in him returning home. My qualm with this book was how little attention was given to Superwoman. After a deep dive into Ultraman’s psyche, I was hoping for a similar back and forth between Jon and Superwoman to contrast her with his mother. Instead, she was only a violent berserker barely saying three words before the scene shifted. The book forsook this chance to move the story along quickly. Jon confronts Superwoman, gets out of the Criminal Syndicate’s dimension, and gets to Earth with haste.

The art is this book’s strength. I’d love that Adam Hughes variant cover as a poster on my wall. Ivan Reis and Brandon Peterson have been going hard on this book for a while now. Throughout the trauma Superboy has faced these last couple issues, the terror and fear on his face creates real impact. No longer at the mercy of Ultraman, Superwoman’s relentless pursuit is a new threat. Later, when he’s safe, there’s a look of relief in one panel that captures the joy of freedom after…