SuperMegaFest And Laura Vandervoort

The spring New England Super Megafest is the unofficial start of my con season. The event is more about celebrities and pop culture than it is about comics. There usually aren't a lot of creators to get sigs from. And commission wants are even rarer.

As a result, it is usually a nice, easy-going day to seek out the few folks I want to see, thumb through some comic boxes, and generally have a non-stress convention experience.

This year was a little different in that the big draw for me was a celebrity. Laura Vandervoort was appearing! Folks hopefully know what a fan I am of hers. She played a strong, proactive, less moping Kryptonian on Smallville, often outshining her more famous cousin. I liked her on V. I thought Elena was a great protagonist on Bitten. And, of course, she was Indigo on last season's Supergirl.

Seriously. How could I not go meet Supergirl?

I got there early enough that I was the first at her table and got to talk a little bit about Smallville and Bitten.

She seemed to agree that Kara having total mastery of her powers made her detract from Kal and so she needed to be sent away. Just think of all they did - amnesia, sent away, and ultimately cast into the future so 'Clark could fulfill his destiny'.

I also talked just for a bit about Bitten.

With no big comic creators to spend my money on, I opted to get a second autograph, this time on Smallville Season 11 #14, a book which spotlighted Kara on the cover. She liked the cover and flipped through the book which was pretty cool too.

I don't often get star-struck but I am pretty sure that my brother who witnessed the interaction would say I was a little bit nervous. Weird. I guess you can take the boy out of the old man, but you can't take the fanboy.

Anyways, I also got some comic signatures from Bob Wiacek.

That means my Uncanny Xmen #171 now has sigs from the main trifecta - Claremont, Simonson, and Wiacek!

Now the big question ... Terrificon or Boston Comic Con or both?

Review: Smallville Continuity #4

Smallville Continuity #4 came out this week, the final episode of this arc and this book and probably this continuity. I have been both eager for this issue and dreading its arrival.

I have absolutely loved this book as writer Bryan Q. Miller has created a deep, complex, and frankly classic version of a DC Universe. We had a heroic Superman with a strong Lois who was very much in love and involved in the adventures here. There was a League of super-heroes that  liked each other and enjoyed working together. There was a determined Supergirl. And there was Steph Brown Babs Gordon as Batgirl.  So I have been wanting to read this conclusion, knowing it would be great. But I also knew that its arrival meant the end of the book.

Miller has done a great job with pacing the last couple of arcs. The Crisis event at the center of this arc was basically ended last issue. That means all that is left is the wrap-up. And Miller does a great job looking around at this universe he has created and giving us an ending/new beginning for many of them. I was hoping for a nice coda to the book/continuity and Miller gave it to me. (Although, I was sort of miffed that Kara doesn't get much notice here.)

The art on the book is solid as done by Ig Guara and Marcelo Di Chiara, as they go walkabout to all the characters. I'll point out some of the panels that really struck me ... one in particular. And as usual, Cat Staggs gives us a great cover highlighting all these characters. I'll miss my monthly Smallville Staggs cover!

To wrap up this intro, there are enough open character plotlines here that make me think that Miller has more stories inside him. Maybe we'll get a one shot now and then?

The opening scene has Superman imprisoning the last of the Monitors. The Smallville Universe has been entirely recreated.  And Superman has imprisoned all of the remaining Monitors within a crystal matrix until the heroes can decide where and when and how they can be reconstituted and not be a threat.

As usual, there is a little metatext on Superman by Miller here. We hear how almost all Superman 'designates' never kill and those that do aren't here. We won't get a Goyer-like Superman willing to watch his father die, being taught to let a bus sink under the water, or snapping necks here. It's why I love this book.

I don't think Superman should kill either.

With the Monitor imprisoned, we get a tour of the major characters in the universe, a sort of wrap up to all the character plotlines we have loved reading these last years. All of these moments are superb. It shows how much Miller cares. It shows how three-dimensional they all have been in this book.

Steph Babs and Bruce have a final moment. After years of grimness, it was great to see Batman show some emotion. He admits that the joy that Steph Babs brought him actually saved him. He would have sunk deeper into darkness if not for her. How great a moment is this!! I loved it!

Steph Babs heads into space with the Green Lanterns. And Bruce finally meets Dick Grayson, the 'gymnast' we have heard about.

Both storylines come to a conclusion ... but open-ended.

Superman is able to overcome the fear of his alien heritage by those on Earth. He gives a speech at the White House about how he considers Earth his home and will always protect it.

We see Martha shedding some tears as she listens. She is a proud mother even if she can't admit it freely.

Tess Mercer became the electronic oracle in the book until she finally made a body for herself last issue, becoming the Red Tornado of the Smallville world.

Finally ... finally ... after all my years of reading comics ... a Red Tornado I would actually enjoy reading!

Here, Miller has her approach humanity even further. She has pseudo-skin. She eats and processes food for energy. And she loves. How great to see her and Emil begin a relationship!

With the Watchtower on Earth destroyed last issue, we see Tess head to the moon, the site of the new Watchtower, a true League HQ.

Great endings for these characters. But also with the sense that there are more stories here.

Chloe and Oliver join Diana in the DEO.

Oliver will train a bunch of new recruits the DEO have put together as a unit. Yep ... it's the Outsiders.

After all my worries that Oliver or Chloe or both were going to die, I was relieved to see them survive. And again, this is a logical ending for them. But also, the beginning of a new phase with possible new stories.

As for Lex, just when I think he is going to turn the corner in this book we see him literally eyeing the White House. Power corrupts. And there is a precedent for a Lex president.

What I love is how he misses Otis so much that he makes his new assistant adopt some of Otis' mannerisms.

And finally we have a blessed event. Chloe gives birth to a baby boy. And the gang all arrives to share in the happiness. This is Chloe's family now. And they decide to name the boy after a man they want their son to aspire to be like. They name him Jonathan ....

Hold on, it's dusty in this room. I need to wipe my eyes.

The one off note for me is the lack of a true ending scene for the Smallville Supergirl. There she is on the left (I'm assuming it's Kara).

I'll also miss the black body-suited, skull shirt wearing Diana!

And then my favorite scene and panel of the book. A scene of Lois and Clark alone and clearly in love.

I wondered if we might get the wedding here but I like this scene better. Lois asks Clark to fly here into the nighttime sky so she can parachute. (I love how she comments that you need great core strength to be carried along.)

But Clark says he will never let her go. And they kiss in the moonlight.

I can't help but look at this picture and 'feel' all the initial pictures of Superman and Wonder Woman kissing. It evokes that image. But it isn't Diana and Clark. It's Lois and Clark.

I hope it was intentional. I hope this was Miller saying that these are the characters that should be in that pose.

And I will miss my Lois and Clark moments that this book has provided me. 

I mean ... am I only seeing what I want to see? Am I transferring what I want the intent to be?

And then the ending ...

With Lois drifting to Earth, the 'Boy Scout' answers a call from Tess.

But from now on he wants his call sign to be changed.

"This looks like a job for Superman."

What an ending! I have talked a lot about how this book has been the place for me to go when I wanted a more classic take on Superman and his role in a DCU. Why not end it with one of the most classic line uttered by Superman!

I obviously loved this issue and this book and this universe. I don't think I need to belabor the point.

So all I have left to say is thank you to Bryan Q. Miller, Cat Staggs, and all the artists who worked on this book over these last years. I am sad to see this end. That's the biggest compliment I can give a comic.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville Continuity #3

We are closing in on the end of the print run of Smallville:Continuity and as we near the finish line I feel more and more depressed. This is such a good comic ... such a good 'universe'. It will be missed.

Smallville Continuity #3 came out last week, the second to last issue of the arc and book. And as usual, it has big moments with a very classic Superman defying the odds and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Spectacular.

But as this is a swan song for the entire continuity, writer Bryan Q. Miller does his best to let us have moments with the characters who really define this book - Clark, Lois, Ollie, Chloe, Tess, and Lex. Yes there are super-heroes in abundance. But those characters were the backbone of the book.

The art for the issue is split between Ig Guera and Marcelo Di Chiara. Both do a great job of giving us the big action sequences and the smaller character moments, bringing a lot of energy to the wrap up of the book. And Cat Staggs gives us a great team action shot for the cover.

Last issue had our heroes battling with the Monitors to a standstill. The Monitors decide to bring in their ultimate weapon, the Omega Monitor, to head to the planet and bring about the end of days.

This Monitor flies to Earth in a massive ship, planning to simply ram it into Metropolis to add to the collateral damage. It is up to the strongest heroes to try to stop this thing.

This is a big challenge as the ship is huge and moving fast. It is scary enough to make Supergirl feel a little queasy.

I'll miss this Kara.

Turns out that even Superman, Supergirl, and the Martian Manhunter aren't strong enough to stop this thing. It careens through the city, demolishing the Watchtower. For a second I worried that Chloe (who was in the tower) might have died in the crash. After all, we began this whole series with the death of another universe's Chloe.

In a nice turn, Miller has Tess create a robotic body and become this universe's Red Tornado. And with her new powers, Tess is able to whisk Chloe away.

This could be the only incarnation of Red Tornado that I might actually like! And she'll be gone next issue! But it makes sense, from the red hair to the T on the costume (for Tess and Tornado) to the character progression of Tess deciding to risk harm to herself again by becoming solid.

I'll miss Tess.

And then we get a dramatic team shot as this group of heroes come together to try to take out the Omega Monitor.

It could be chill worthy to hear this Trinity lead the group.
"We stand together."
"We fight as one."
"Now and forever."

Meanwhile, Chloe and Lois, the two 'normal' people left on the planet, need to be protected.

I thought this was a fabulous little piece of characterization, almost lost amid the battle. Ollie asks Batman to protect Chloe and Lois ... because Batman is better than him and they have a better chance at survival.

It shows just how much Ollie loves Chloe. It shows his self-awareness. And his humility.

My favorite arc in this title was Olympus as I love Miller's Wonder Woman. (In fact, why isn't Miller writing Wonder Woman??)

I had to spotlight her attacking the Monitor just so I could say this.

I'll miss this Diana.

As always, it comes down to Superman. A version of him has led similar battles on other Earths. He is the leader. His death will demoralize the others. And so the Monitor orders all the orbiting deconstructing satellites to aim at Clark.

I like the idea of Superman always being Superman, always leading the last battle, on countless Earths.

Let's not forget that Lex has been a big part of this book. He has always veered to villainy. But he has seemed a reluctant villain. There has been a sense of fatalism with him, as if he feels his destiny is to be the bad guy.

Otis, who has been both a lackey and a friend, dies protecting Lex. And Otis says what we all have been thinking. This Lex doesn't need to be a villain. He can decide to be something else.

That last panel is perfect. Lex is small, in shadows, kneeling over Otis, and wondering how Otis can know that if Lex doesn't know it himself.

This Lex has been complicated and devious. And conflicted. I have found him fascinating.

I will miss lots of characters who have starred in this book. But people who have read my reviews know who I will miss the most.

Steph Brown. Babs Gordon Nightwing.

In a perfect turn of events, she inherits Saint Walker's Blue Lantern ring and becomes a beacon of Hope in this universe.

Just fantastic, right down to the blue-energy bats tearing apart the Manhunter drones.

It also opens the door for the unseen 'gymnast' to become Nightwing.

Awesome.

And then, the climax.

The Monitor deconstructing ships are all aimed at Superman. He feels himself being unmade. He sees his memories flashing before his eyes.

And then, in defiance, and inexplicably, he is able to turn the tables. He refuses to be unmade and turns the beams back onto the satellites.

He's Superman. He'll always win the never-ending battle.

But for me ... most importantly ... he says he's Clark Kent and he won't let his reality wiped away. He didn't say 'I'm Kal-El'. He didn't say 'I'm Superman.'

He said 'I'm Clark Kent'. For me, Superman is Clark Kent first. So that tiny little line made my day.

I'll miss this Superman.

And just like that ... it's over. The Monitors have never had anyone actually reverse things on them. They have never had anyone make them blink. And so, they will let this world live.

All that's left is the wrap-up next issue. I suppose the world will need to be rebuilt. I hope we'll see Chloe deliver. And I hope we get a drippy, sugary, sappy ending. This world deserves it.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville Continuity #2

Smallville Continuity #2 came out last week and was another great chapter in this final arc. So much of this Crisis and this deep dive into Lex that has been percolating through the entire series is finally coming to a head. And while this is clearly a Smallville story, it also riffs on Crisis on Infinite Earths. It even metatextually comments on comic book continuity. Heck, it's the title of the arc.

Writer Bryan Q. Miller continues to shine as he gives us the most inspirational, the strongest Supergirl, the most unified Justice League that DC has had since the New 52. This reads like a timeless Superman and I have appreciated that immensely.

But each of these issues is bittersweet as I know that the end is near. We are reaching the end of this continuity ... at least for now.

Cat Staggs gives us another great cover. And Ig Guara and JP Mayer do a good job on art here, handling action sequences and a whole bevy of characters. I always wonder if artists like or hate these crazy issues with huge casts.

This Earth is being unmade by the Monitors with the plan to reboot the whole universe, rewriting it into something the monitors are please with. And most of this Earth has been destroyed. It seems only Metropolis is left, with all the heroes of Earth banded together to fight this threat one last time.

And it isn't a big surprise that Lois is smack dab in the middle of it. While the heroes skirmish with the Monitors and the Manhunters, Lois will board the Monitor's ships and plant a virus which will undo all the de-creation that the Monitors have achieved so far.

Miller's treatment of Lois has really been fabulous throughout this title. She has been strong, pro-active, and physically tough. And while I have sometimes questioned her battle prowess, I have always appreciated what she has done in this book. I love that Clark and Lois have always treated each other as equals in this book, no better shown than above. Lois and Clark saving the world is a story that writes itself. And Lois is the most important person in the universe.

But Lois can't get up on the ship alone. She needs some transit. And since Lex is also still around and has information about the Monitor's ships, he needs to help.

I love the interaction here as Lex knows that Lois is the agent, that Superman doesn't trust him, but Superman needs him. There is no choice ... Lex has to join the heroes.

Who here actually trusts him?

This is my favorite page of the issue.

Like many Crisis books, the heroes gather to fight the enemy. Here Superman says they have united to fight for 'this Earth, this reality, this continuity'.

And that second panel is so great. This is what Miller is fighting for. Maybe this is what we fans have been fighting for. To keep this continuity ... these incarnations of DC characters ... alive in some ways. I look at this panel and see that mature Kara in the background, Steph Brown Babs Gordon as Nightwing, that DEO Wonder Woman ... I am going to miss these guys. All of them.

We get lots of battle sequences as the heroes fight the Manhunter robot troops trying to hold back this unmaking.

I have said all along that I think this Nightwing is basically the second coming of Miller's take on Batgirl. Since we won't be seeing her much longer, I had to include her one last time.

And Lex, in an old school Lex-Corp battle armor, has successfully boarded the Monitor ship and downloaded the virus. It looks like our heroes have won and this Earth will be rebuilt as it was.

Unfortunately, we shouldn't have trusted Lex after all.

He wants to rewrite the universe; he wants to reboot this place in the image he wants. He tosses Lois off the ship and gets down to it.

Lois is so matter of fact about the betrayal too.

Lois doesn't die though. She is snatched out of her death fall by Wonder Woman riding a pegasus.

I have had some problems with the New 52 Wonder Woman. While I could tolerate what was happening in her own title, I don't think the 'God of War' Wonder Woman works for me in the main universe.

This arc is probably the last I will see of this Wonder Woman, the DEO agent who loves her special boy Steve Trevor, so I have to include her too.

Yeah, we should save this continuity.

But more troops show up to defend the planet.

The Legion shows up!

But all doesn't go perfectly.

Miller had brought the Green Lanterns and even Blue Lantern Saint Walker into the battle as well, the first time we saw Walker. And then -alas we hardly knew ye- Walker is killed in battle.

Is there some sort of metatextual message here? Hope is dead?

Given the internal sabotage by Lex as well as the heroes united front, the Monitors actually have to retreat.

And they aren't that happy about that.

The will release their ultimate weapon to end this. The Omega Monitor will bring an end to this world.

This is the second issue of an arc and, as such, it does it's job. The plot is moved forward. Whether it is Lex's treachery or bringing together more heroes or even the threat of the Omega Monitor, things progress. And we also get a ton of action here, a perfect way for us to see these characters strut there stuff one more time.

I love this book and I will miss it immensely.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville:Continuity #1

Smallville:Continuity #1came out in print last week and continued this comics unbelievable steady streak of quality. This is the final Smallville 'episode' and the series has been over for the digital crowd for some time. But I still like to feel the pages between my fingers, so I am delayed in my coverage.

We knew from the first issue of this comic that we were headed to a Crisis. And now, after building up momentum through the last several arcs, we are finally there. There is something of a sad finality to this episode knowing that none are planned afterwards. And I can only praise Bryan Q. Miller, as I seem to every month, for bringing me a fun and heroic DC universe and for making me care for the Smallville continuity more than I did while watching the show.

Here, Miller and artist Ig Guara start the episode out with a bang, showing the effects of a Crisis through time, bringing a couple of classic COIE moments, and ending with an inspirational scene for Clark which reminded me why I love the character.

I have 3 more issues and 3 more months of this comic. I am going to savor it.

We start out in the future where the Legion, while on a rescue mission, come across an all too familiar white wave of energy erasing the universe. Here we see the first homage to Crisis on Infinite Earths. The unmaking of the universe is happening in all times at once.

As for Superman and Lois, they finally made it back to their Earth after a few detours. And with some yellow sun rays, Superman gets rejuvenated.

But the Crisis is already happening here. I love the tenacity of Superman here. "It is never too late to make a difference!" Fantastic!

Unlike prior Earths though, the Monitors are using blue crisis energy. They aren't destroying this world. They are breaking it down in order to reboot the whole thing. And that brilliant idea came courtesy of Lex.

I don't know if I understand the Monitor's motivations are here. Why are they doing all this? Am I forgetting some key moment? I mean, the Anti-Monitor craved power. That I understand.

And I suppose Lex, who has been reborn and is still frustrated by his lack of memory, probably would welcome a reboot even if that means dying and coming back.

Throughout all of this, I have started to see some cracks in Otis' loyalty. Will he eventually betray Lex?

The Monitors have arrived. And they first place they have unmade is Washington D.C. The heroes there are able to slow down things enough to get the president out of there. But this is a loss. The city is gone. There is that blue energy, breaking down a city into its components. Yes, Lois and Superman are going to fight to save the planet no matter what. But this is personal. General Lane and Senator Kent both live in D.C.

Again, why the Monitors would agree with the reboot idea is something I still need to wrap my head around. Will Superman be in the new version of this universe?

It is the end of days. That means some tough decisions need to be made. Diana decides she needs to warn Paradise Island of the threat. She might never see Steve Trevor again. So she says goodbye to her special secret boy.

Hey look ... Wonder Woman! At least a recognizable one ...

I would love to read a Bryan Q Miller Wonder Woman book.

How about another great and classic Crisis moment!

Does anything say Crisis more than all the heroes together in a satellite or headquarters, preparing to team up? This reminded me of the famous Monitor satellite scene from Crisis on Infinite Earths #5.

Love it!

Despite all the action happening, despite the world being unmade around them, Miller does a good job giving us some nice character moments. We should see how these characters we have come to love would react to what's happening.

Here Chloe is weary by all the near-apocalypses she has lived through. What will it mean for her baby?

I also like how, especially in this issue, Miller references many Smallville episodes. I have to assume this magic tears moment actually happened at some point. Fans of the show must be appreciative of this internal continuity.

And here is a great Tess moment. I have liked the arc that Tess' character has been on in this book, killed, reborn as living data, acting as something akin to Oracle.

But here, Oliver wonders why she hasn't created a tangible body for herself. Maybe she is scared of feeling again, of being physical again, of being vulnerable again. The second panel with Tess small and alone is a great image for this point.

Will Tess make herself a body and somehow be sacrificed? Hmm ...

This Smallville book has really embraced a sort of classic take on the DC heroes here. This isn't the New 52. The core of these characters are pretty solid here.

Here, Superman and Batman try to figure out a way they can defeat the Monitors without killing them. How do you end a war without death?

These are two heroes who hate when people die. It would be easy to say that a 'zero body count' is an impossible mark. That they should go in with lethal force. But that would be easy. Instead, they make more coffee and keep thinking. They don't kill.

And then this page where Clark, on the Planet roof with the other heroes, rallies them to battle. This includes another panel where the American flag.

Can I say, I love that this is Clark giving this speech and not Superman. I wish I could verbalize why. Maybe it is that I think that Clark is the real identity. Maybe because he is fighting for Earth, being in this identity carries more weight. But I thought this was great.

The stage is set ... bring on the Crisis.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville Chaos #4

Officially, Smallville Season 11 has ended, its last digital chapter released last week. But some of us are addicted to print and so have a little more time.

Smallville: Chaos #4 came out last week, the last chapter of this 'episode' and, as usual, it did not disappoint. One of the things that I think is interesting in this particular issue is that Superman doesn't necessarily do too much. This episode seems to belong to the Superman family and Lex. It is apparent from the cover, a great action shot of Supergirl, Superboy, and Steel Hank Henshaw.

We knew from the beginning that this season was ending with a crisis. We finally get there here.

Art is done by Agustin Padilla who bring a sort of angular feel to the proceedings which works. Lots of action here. His Kara looks fierce. I like it.

The book opens with the Super-family dealing with the Eclipso plague in Metropolis.

This is one of those small humorous moments that are common in Smallville. I'll miss these.

A news helicopter is covering the fight and it is implied that the female reporter is told by her boss (who assumes Supergirl is wearing a skirt) to get an upskirt shot of Kara. The reporter says it is idiotic and no one would fly wearing just a skirt. Of course it doesn't make sense to fly in a skirt.

It did remind me of the whole 'bike shorts' debate from years ago.

In the brawl, Hank Henshaw is somehow able to use his technology to mentally link to the Eclipso horde. And we are privy to the history of the black diamond from its discovery to the evil of (I assume) Mayan sacrifices. I do like that we get a little history of this cursed thing.

I don't know how a living computer program can telepathically link with people's brains ... but there you go.

That link does give Henshaw an idea. He can lure all the Eclipso gems out of the innocent citizens by offering it the super-powered bodies of Kara and Conner.

I don't know if I quite understand why it would take the bait. But it does.

I did chuckle at Kara and Con's 'eew' when Eclipso talks about making them into an Adam and Eve first couple ... meaning breeding. Eewww indeed.

Great art here though. Love that second panel, showing the heat of battle.

Meanwhile, in Antarctica, Lex continues to barter with the Monitors. Why destroy when they can simply recreate? And Lex's pitch has the Monitor's intrigued.

While Lois decries Lex for aiding and abetting the enemy, Lex has a much more tempered response. He is the only one who right now might save the world. Again, it shows some of the warped ethics of Lex. He thinks he is the good guy here.

Of course, there is some meta-ideas here, as rebooting universes has been happening in DC for a while now.

Now out in the open, the Eclipso demon's weakness is suddenly evident. Sound waves can shatter it.

Supergirl and Superboy ask 'for whom the bell tolls' and answer Eclipso!

The shock of the attack makes all the tiny shards recede and coalesce back into the true diamond form. Suddenly the epidemic is controlled.

Great Supergirl (and Superboy action here).

Inside the Monitor ship, which is in the Bleed between universes, the Monitors decide to kill their captives. They throw Superman out of the ship where the chaotic environment will kill him.

He is resilient though. He flies to the other side of the ship and breaks back in, albeit significantly injured. Superman knows the Bleed environment will kill the Monitors too. His only hope is to get Lois into an escape pod, disable the ship and head to Earth.

You have to love the Smallville Lois. She won't back down to anyone. When the Monitors acknowledge they underestimated Clark and Lois, Lois says 'you bet your ass you did.'

I will miss this Lois.

Back on Earth though, there Hank Henshaw realizes the only way to protect the Earth from the Eclipso diamond is for him to take it into deep space. He leaves the planet ... thanks to a little boost of Green Lanterns ... taking the gem with him.

Remember, Henshaw went a little nuts earlier in the series. It is great to see him turn it around and become a hero, inspired by Superman. He leaves for space because he knows that is what Superman would do. Nifty!

As for Lex, his Yellow Lex Corps decides to go rogue. Skeets is able to help free Booster Gold, Michael Holt, and Ted Kord.

But Lex has the ultimate defense against his own troops. He also wears a yellow ring, the master ring which controls everyone elses. He has the rings self-destruct (unfortunately his own as well) killing his troops.

There is no honor among thieves.

Superman and Lois are able to escape the Monitor ship and land on an Earth. Clark is badly wounded.

And things don't look like they will be getting any better. The Monitors' ships have arrived on the Smallville Earth. It is the beginning of the Crisis.

We knew that this 'episode' was the set-up for the final Crisis. We finally get to the big event, the one hinted at back in the first issue of this series. As a result, things do need to wrap up a bit quickly. The Eclipso ending, the destruction of the Yellow Rings, Superman and Lois returning to Earth ... they all happened fast and a bit loose in this issue. But that said, there is so much fun, so much character progression, so much depth to the characters here that I am able to roll with it a bit.

(In my head I compare it to Lobdell's Krypton Returns where plots were very loose and things happened fast AND there was bad characterizations and lack of progression. That I could not simply roll with.)

And so I get to cling to Smallville a little longer.

Overall grade: B/B+