Now.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

The man stepped slowly through the construction complex, holding two guns in his hands.

"I've got a little present for you, Supes."

Superman didn't move from his position. Instead, he looked down and examined the wound in his shoulder where Bloodsport tagged him.

"No..." he muttered. "Perfect time for these powers to kick out..."

He noticed something about the wound, though. Something he didn't notice before.

It had a glow to it. A green glow.

Elsewhere.

Lex Luthor walked through the large laboratory. At the end of the hall, he came to a door which slid open once he punched in a command sequence.

There were several scientists in this area. A naked man hung in some sort of contraption in the center of the room. His body was connected to all sorts of wires.

Luthor looked at him, and then to the scientists.

"Well..."

"I... I can't figure it out, Mr. Luthor. Any traces of the energy which powered Shockwave have vanished.:

"Impossible."

"That's exactly why it's so perplexing..."

"What?"

"Energy can't be destroyed, so where did Shockwave's energy go?"

"You're supposed to be telling me that!" Luthor exclaimed. "What the hell am I paying you people for?!"

He grabbed one of the scientists by the collar.

"Find out what the hell happened out there!!" he ordered. "I don't care if you have to dissect this subject inch by goddamn inch, just get results!!"

Luthor pushed the scientist back slightly, and walked out the door.

Then.

Amazing... I've flown so many times that it's become second nature to me. But, it's simply amazing how sharply things can come into focus. The battle with Dr. Polaris and Shockwave could very well have been the end of me.

I always seem to be taking my powers for granted. When I thought they were gone, I felt like a part of me was gone as well. Something like flying, which once seemed like such a normal experience for me, now overwhelms me. It's wonderous to be able to soar through the air, above the clouds.

I can feel the wind in my hair. I can smell the freshness of the air. I find myself feeling sorry for all the people down there. They don't know what this sensation feels like - they can't.

While I'm up here, I can simply forget everything. The battle with Polaris and Shockwave, the constant loss of my powers, what the test results will come up as.. forgotten. I could stay up here all day long.

*EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

What...?

It's a high-pitched noise... a ringing... But I can barely make it out. With a frequency like that, that means it's meant for my super-hearing.

It's not that far off... I can hear it grow louder as I approach the source. A construction site. There's a crowd gathered.

Then, in the center, I see him, standing there on the ground. He presses a button on his gauntlet and the ringing stops. He's covered with weapons.

Bloodsport...? I thought he was dead...?

He wastes no time and begins firing.

*BRATATATATATATATA*

No words are exchanged. And he's not aiming at me, he's aiming for the construction workers. I'm moving as fast as I can to stop the bullets before they can hit anyone. I try to tune out the sound of the firing mechanism, and instead listen for the sound of the bullets whistling through the air. Then, I grab them.

When I look up, he's gone. Running into the skeleton of what will eventually be another Metropolis skyscraper.

"Clear the area, now!"

The workers do as they're told and begin to run off. I turn my attention to the framework and begin scanning with x-ray vision.

"Nice entrance, Supes."

He's broadcasting on that high frequency again. There's a ringing in the background as well, making it difficult for me to pinpoint his location. And there's too much lead around here, making it even harder for me to try and locate him with my x-ray vision.

"What's wrong? Can't you find me, Blue?"

Damn him... I can't make out a blasted thing. He had this planned out perfectly.

"Hey Supes... ya wanna know a "secret...?"

"Where are you?"

"Heh... Now that would be telling..."

"You can't keep this up forever."

"Doesn't seem like you can, either."

I try using my telescopic vision to see if I can spot him moving behind any of the girders. Nothing. He's good.

"Hey Supes..."

All of a sudden, my vision goes back to normal.

Not now...

"BEHIND YA!!!"

*BRATATATATATATATA*

I spin quickly, dodging some of the bullets. One of them catches me in the shoulder.

I move quickly into the complex, trying to hide myself behind a girder.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

He tagged me... and with my powers kicking out like this, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep hiding from him.

"I've got a little present for you, Supes."

I don't move. Instead, I just stay where I am.

I look over at the wound in my shoulder. Blood is slowly leaking out of it. But... there's something else... there's a green glow to it... A glow that can only mean... Kryptonite. Great.

Okay... just think this through... Bloodsport's here, and he's got technology capable of taking me down when I'm at full power. That means that he won't fail at all if my powers are gone. He has a weakness, I just have to find it and exploit it.

I don't like this at all... I usually just take out the bad guy by relying on my powers. Staying in the shadows, exploiting weak points, that's Bruce's job.

I turn my head around the corner to see Bloodsport's back facing me. The perfect chance.

I quickly dart across to another girder.

*BANG*

Blast! Not fast enough! This time, he got me in the leg. It's gonna make this even tougher.

Mental note: when you get out of this, Clark, be sure to get Bruce to teach you some of his tricks. If you get out of this.

He's equipped with Kryptonite bullets. That means that even if I was at full-power, he'd be able to take me out with a well-aimed sho--

Urgh!! M--my gut... feels like it's.... on fire.... what's going on?! Is this an affect of the Kryptonite?

Wait... I'm starting to get that feeling I got earlier... I feel... energized... I look down at my shoulder to see the wound is glowing blue. It's the same in my leg.

I touch the wound and I feel a tug. Slowly, I pull my hand back from it, and the green glow follows it. The bullet comes out, but it doesn't drop to the ground. Instead, it follows my hand?

I do the same thing to the bullet in my leg. Amazing... is this why my powers have been acting up?

My hands are glowing, now. I'm starting to feel a little bit better about this battle...

"Where the hell are you?!" Bloodsport exclaimed.

"Bloodsport..."

The assassin spun quickly on his heel to see Superman standing there, his eyes glowing brightly with energy.

"This ends now."

"Yeah, we'll see about that!" Bloodsport shouted, pulling the trigger.

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

For Clark, the bullets seemed to move in slow motion. He lifted his hand and outstretched his palm. Suddenly, the bullets stopped. He dropped his hand back to his side, and the bullets fell harmlessly to the ground.

"What the hell is this?!" Bloodsport demanded.

"Oh, I think you can guess," Superman replied, magnetically grabbing ahold of Bloodsport's weapons and crushing them. He hoisted Bloodsport up by the metal in his outfit, and wrapped a girder lying on the ground around him. Not enough to crush him, but just enough to keep him contained.

"I think you can explain to the authorities why you're up there, don't you?"

Superman looked up towards the sky. Rather than seeing the familiar form of blue and red streaking heavenwards, Bloodsport watched what seemed to be more like a lightning bolt streaking across the sky.

"These first two issues set what I suspect will be the style for the series. The dialog between Clark and Lois feels right, and his concern as a newly wed for his wife was spot on. As for the story in this issue, it was interesting to watch the play between Supes and the villains. My knowledge of current Superman continuity is sketchy at best, but I'm already intrigued by the power-loss story. Couldn this be related to solar-flares or something happening to the Sun? Just my personal guess and I'm waiting for Dino to come up with something more as the real reason.

Complaint: It wasn't very clear at the end of #2, whether Superman had his powers back, or if he was still powerless. Minor complaint for two enjoyable issues.

-Des Davies"


Thanks for the comments, Des. My knowledge of Superman continuity around the cut-off point was also sketchy, as I've only recently been able to fit the Superman books into my funds.


"As Dino has told me time and time again, he's not particularly comfortable with Superman yet. I can see this throughout the story, but with that in mind, I do have to say I enjoyed parts of it.

The simple opening alone, the classic lines, was a happy sight for me. It gave me a feel for the icon that Supes is. The opening narration also sounds like a classic description, although I think it was a bit unnecessary considering who we're talking about. Dino handles the bit between Clark and Lois well enough, especially since Lois's sickness was forced on him by my use of her in JLA #1. I like seeing them together in this.

Once the action starts, things seem to get kind of rushed and very plainly laid out. It's easy to follow and quick, which is good, but I don't like to just rush through scenes like this. Doctor Polaris and Shockwave both seem like interesting opponent choices for Superman, and I'm looking forward to their battle next issue, especially with Superman's sudden current state. Again, that seemed a little forced, but I like seeing Superman in situations where he's not definitely going to win.

Again, it's obvious that Dino hasn't hit his groove with this book yet, but considering that it's the first issue and that Dino is always a progressing writer, I'm expecting more as things go along.

-Will Short"

You are indeed correct that the action was rushed, Will. I was so psyched about writing Superman, but when I got around to it, everything I planned out just wouldn't come out.<

"See Spot run. Run, Spot, run. See Superman fly. Fly, superman, fly.

I’m sorry if that description is a little harsh, but it’s how I view the unbelievable lack of description in these two issues.

In only one of two instances does Mr. Pollard describe something in more detail than just what action it’s doing. I haven’t read his other work so I have no idea if this type of writing is his style or not. I just don’t feel that this style fits anything that has Superman’s name on it. He is the most colorful, inspiring and amazing hero EVER! It’s just disappointing not to see him written with those same emotions.

One other thing this series lacked was any sign of buildup. Most writers slowly build up to point in the plot with dialogue or a little more description. Dino’s style almost forces it on the reader. Take the main plot of the first issue. Dr. Polaris arrives at Metropolis Electric with his buddy Shockwave to absorb energy. Unfortunately, that’s about how much description we’re given. Since when does the plot of the story get squeezed into two lines? That scene could’ve used tons of dialogue. Since when is the villain quiet in a comic book? They aren’t supposed to shut up. It’s in the rulebook. Trust me.

Speaking of dialogue: my favorite parts have been when Supes interacts with his supporting cast. Dino seems to have a pretty good understanding of Lois and Clark’s relationship and that comes off strong. Also, I enjoyed the scene with Superman and Steel. I thought it was well thought out and very well executed.

In the other characterization, Dino falls short. In the first issue, Superman swoops in and tackles Dr. Polaris. What does he know Dr. P to have done wrong accept a little energy fluctuation (which I don’t even know how Supes saw without those dumb energy powers). Anyway, Superman has never seemed like the “hit first, ask questions later” type. I forget, am I reading Superman or Batman? And then Dr. Pepper’s characterization seemed to fluctuate. At some points he seemed to be enjoying the fight (like when he took control of Steel’s armor). Then, when Supes was at his weakest, he just left. Those are the times when I just had to scratch my head and move on.

After all this negativity maybe you’re wondering why I read the second issue. Well, the ending, with Superman loosing his powers, peaked my interest so much that I want to see how it ends and that is what will keep me reading this series. If Dino keeps the mystery going, then he won’t loose this reader. And if he reveals that Superman gets energy powers I’ll scream!

These are three that make or break a Superman series:

1.) Superman is more than just a collection of cool superpowers. His most powerful weapon is his mind. My favorite moments are when Superman and Lex Luthor have a battle of wits with one trying to outsmart the other. That’s the other thing. Luthor can’t just be any normal supervillain. He is a mastermind. He just doesn’t hire any villain he can to deal with Big Blue. Luthor can think of a way to handle “the alien” himself. Take away the super minds of these two characters and you’re left with a generic comic book story. – So far, I’ve yet to see this in Dino’s run.

2.) Change is a huge part of Superman’s life. Looking over the last 10 years of his career (actually longer, but I digress) his life is in a constant state of flux. From dying and coming back, then becoming an energy being, then finding out he is alive in the sun in the 853rd century, and Metropolis’ transformation at the hands of Braniac 13. That is what gives Superman so many challenges in his life. – The lost of Superman’s powers in Dino’s run is a perfect example of this and it gives the series a lot of points in my book.

3.) Superman is inspiring while still remaining human. He is what all other superheroes strive to be like. A role model, a powerhouse, and the most human person ever all rolled up into one. – I’ve noticed the potential for this in Dino’s series. He just needs to have a better grasp on how impressive Superman is. Dino has a pretty good grasp on Clark’s human side and I look forward to seeing it explored a little more.

One more thing: Any Superman story should not be finished in three pages (printed out). Where’s the description? Where’s the dialogue heavy villains? Where’s the people on the street looking up to see Superman fly by? And how in the world did Supes see that “energy signature”?

Overall: I’m nervous about posting this review after all the Sophism controversy lately. I may have been overly negative, but I hold Superman in high regard and expect a lot from his writers. Absence of description and plot build up hurt this series. It does make up for this with plot twists that keep readers coming back.

-Les"


I could easily start a flame war here with Les and defend my writing with every ounce of strength. I could simply come up with the classic, "let's see YOU do better" line. But, I won't be doing that. And for one, simple reason:

He's right. Every single word in this review is correct. I've known it ever since I finished the first issue. I've known it ever since I've finished the second issue. Les hit this nail right on the head.

I suppose it can all be boiled down to one, simple fact: I'm not good at writing superheroes. Well, at least not big-league superheroes like Superman. That's one of the reasons that I've decided to step down from writing Superman. However, from past experience, I know that it can be a headache to finish a previous writer's story. So, I will finish my opening story-arc first, and then, the book will be handed over to Batman-scribe, Steve Crosby.

NOTE: My departure is in no way related to Les' review. I came to this decision after I finished Superman #2. In fact, I hadn't even read Les' review until after I completed this issue.