The finish line is approaching as we hit this seventh installment of Superman: Lost. Still, sadly, this issue hammers home that these are stories written for trade collections, in my opinion. Not to dismiss Priest’s story and the artwork by Carlo Pagulayan, Lee Weeks, and others, but this issue gives minimal growth to the overall story arc. While interesting clashes of philosophy and images that stir emotions have been the norm in previous issues, this portion provides a moment that tricks Superman but can also hurt fans’ interest in the story.
Looking back at amazing stories throughout comic book history – if we explore Superman, for example – some of his greatest adventures are told in one comic, like “For the Man Who Has Everything” and “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, & the American Way?” Sure, you can make an argument about The Death of Superman and All-Star Superman, but you can also find faults with their place in history, and one complaint could be about release time. Superman: Lost, is starting to feel that problem in this anniversary story.
This issue starts with a glimmer of hope in the relationship between Clark and Lois. We gather that Clark is getting help and is making dinner to begin spending a happier, healthier time with Lois instead of brooding and being lost. Clark seeking help is great as it makes the character seem more relatable and showcases how vital therapy can be. Then, we dive back into Superman’s past journey, where an older version of himself visits him. This “specter” of Superman has quite the tale and is embellished greatly by art from Lee Weeks.
The first page is a shocker – what a visual that’ll hit Superman fans right in the big, red S. Yet, as we get deeper into this tale from the older version, we find that it was nothing much but filler so Superman can get to where he needs. As a reader, who wants filler? To wait another month for this story to go on and discover that over half the issue was just a ruse does let down the hype of the adventure. Maybe if the series were bi-weekly or an original graphic novel, this would be a more manageable hit to take, but to recognize that another couple of months till the conclusion hits makes this issue lose my interest.
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