Doomsday will Purple Rain

So, Doomsday is coming back. When the "Doomsday WIll Reign" teaser first broke, I rolled my eyes. Doomsday has existed for around eighteen years at this point, and yet he already feels played out. It's really a function of what Doomsday is, specifically that he doesn't have much depth. He started as an unintelligent, unstoppable force, designed (by the writers) to kill Superman. His second story gave him an origin (which, despite its terrible mangling of evolution, I don't really have many problems with), and his third story made him basically into DC's version of The Destroyer. After that, he showed up a few more times, but as far as I'm concerned the last Doomsday story that needed to be told was in "Superman" #175, where the Man of Steel finally confronted the now-intelligent monster, handily defeated him, and told him in no uncertain terms that he no longer feared him. And, of course, stories have since been told about Doomsday, none of them particularly good. So I was all ready to come into this post full of sighs and snarkiness about DC dredging up Doomsday for no good reason, rehashing old stories, and failing to let Superman have even a few months go by when his titles aren't embroiled in one crossover stunt or another.

But then I actually read the solicitations, and there's no Superman to be found. Instead, this "Reign of Doomsday" storyline seems to be starting in a "Steel" one-shot, then continuing in "Outsiders" (featuring the Eradicator), "Justice League of America" (featuring Supergirl), "Superboy," and some fifth to-be-announced title. And that actually intrigues me. Doomsday's not fighting Superman this time around, instead apparently going after the Superman Family, three of whom showed up as a result of Doomsday's first appearance (and Steel's origin is a direct result of Doomsday's attack). I wouldn't be surprised if the fifth book were "Green Lantern Corps" or a Cyborg Superman one-shot, but I also wouldn't be shocked to see "Adventure Comics" or "Legion of Super-Heroes" in that slot. Despite facing the JLA and Matrix/Supergirl early on, the vast majority of Doomsday's battles have been with Superman. It'll be quite interesting to see how the rest of the Superman family deals with Doomsday.

So interesting, in fact, that I'll be purchasing comics written by Dan Didio and James Robinson to find out.

You win this time, DC Comics.

Walking with Superman: Day 107

A shape-shifting alien parasite turned extreme sports champion Zak Wheeler into the skateboarding superhero Kickflip, but professional disgrace and personal disillusionment have led him back to Newport, Rhode Island, to live in obscurity. But a visit from Superman makes Wheeler nostalgic about their one brief team-up years ago, and he seeks out the Man of Steel for advice on life after being a superhero. The meeting goes a bit off the rails, though, when a celestial entity shows up for Krypton's last son! Wheeler dusts off his cybernetic skateboard and nanotech-enhanced BMX bike, but when the threat is an ancient, world-destroying colossus, what use is a guy who can skate really well?

It's Reigning Men!

So, apparently I'm awesome. I'm pretty sure there are more awesome people out there, but far be it from me to argue with the Invincible One. Anyway, in honor of my head-swelling victory, and in order to explain what Steven found unexplained, I offer you a bonus panel that didn't make it into the final cut. Inspired by this bit from Adventures of Superman #503:


Here 'tis:

30-Second Recap Contest 2008!

Here's my entry in The ISB's Annual Awesomeversary contest. As always, click for larger images.