Comics Reviews: Superman 317, Action 477

Superman 317 coverSuperman #317 – “The Killer With the Heart of Steel” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This continues right from last issue, with Metallo gloating about how he beat Superman and how he plans to use Superman’s super heart to power his own android body. Metallo leaves Superman to die, surrounded by kryptonite. When will these villains learn, you never walk away and assume the hero will die; once you’re out of sight, all kinds of crazy shit can happen. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 317, Action 477”

Comics Review: Superman 316, Action 476, Warlord 9

Superman 316 coverSuperman #316 – “The Heart Attack That Crippled Superman” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This continues the Metallo/SKULL storyline from a few issues ago. We see Metallo robbing the Metropolis Natural History Museum of some kryptonite and Superman trying to stop him. Supes gets zapped by  Metallo’s green K chest beam and Metallo takes off with the kryptonite. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 316, Action 476, Warlord 9”

Comics Reviews: Superman 315, Action 475

Superman 315 coverSuperman #315 – “Good Evening Superman: I’m Clark Kent … and You’re Not!” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one continues from last issue, showing us what’s happening after the plague ended in Central City. Superman and Supergirl go to the Fortress of Solitude and send Nam-Ek into the Phantom Zone. Supergirl takes off, leaving Supes to relax. But his downtime is interrupted when an alarm goes off warning him that SKULL is making a move. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 315, Action 475”

Comics Reviews: Superman 314, Action 474

Superman 314 coverSuperman #314 – “Before This Night is Over, Superman Will Kill!” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one continues directly from last issue and there’s a lot of plot convenience in the first few pages. We get a recap of the story so far: Amalak sent an alien named Jevik to a news conference to infect everyone with some kind of space plague and Superman figured out Jevik was “disguised” as a stray dog that Steve Lombard’s nephew Jamie picked up. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 314, Action 474”

Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3

Superman 313 coverSuperman #313 – “The Only Way You’ll Save the Earth … Is Over My Dead Body!” –  Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one continues from last issue with a recap of what’s been going on; the journalists’ conference, the mysterious epidemic, Superman fighting Nam-Ek, and he and Supergirl confronting Amalak on his spaceship. Amalak gloats to a chained Supergirl that Superman taking Nam-Ek to Earth to cure the plague won’t work because it’s spread too much. Amalak figures Superman will be so distraught at not being able to save all the people that he’ll fall apart emotionally. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3”

Comics Reviews: Superman 312, Action 472, Warlord 7

Superman 312 coverSuperman #312 – “Today the City…Tomorrow the World!” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Springer

This issue continues the story from last issue about the mysterious illness at the World News Conference in Central City. We get a WGBS report recapping the outbreak and Morgan Edge freaking out because a bunch of his top people (Clark, Lois, Steve Lombard) are at the conference and he doesn’t even know if they’re still alive. Superman flies in a bunch of supplies and builds a treatment center for the patients right beside the hotel. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 312, Action 472, Warlord 7”

Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2

Superman 311 coverSuperman #311 – “Plague of the Antibiotic Man” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Springer

This one starts with my least favourite trope, the old “let’s start the story in the middle then do an extended flashback to catch people up” trick. So we start with a freaky-looking horned dude beating the shit out of Superman and Flash. From the dialogue, we learn that the one-horned purple people eater is named Nam-Ek, he’s from Krypton, and Supes thinks he’s responsible for a plague that’s been ravaging Central City (though Nam-Ek denies it). Flash gets punched right into orbit and then the flashbacks begin. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2”

Comics Review: Superman 310, Action 470, Warlord 6

Superman 310 coverSuperman #310 – “The Man With the Kryptonite Heart” – (Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Tex Blaisdell)

This one starts with agents of SKULL breaking into STAR Labs (so many acronyms) and stealing radioactive material. Superman shows up and slaps them around, but one of the SKULL guys is accidentally caught under some falling debris. After Supes leaves, we see Albert Michaels, STAR Labs scientist, cooperating with another SKULL agent. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 310, Action 470, Warlord 6”

Comics Review: Superman 309, Action 469

Superman 309 coverSuperman #309 – “Blind Hero’s Bluff” – (Gerry Conway/Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez/Frank Springer)

This is the end of the goofy “Krypton never existed” arc. We start with Superman busting up an operation by Sam Simeon’s mob (no, not the guy from Angel and the Ape). This has been an ongoing thing, with a mob war between SKULL and Simeon running for the last few issues. Simeon was planning a strike against SKULL and Supes took them out before they could execute it. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 309, Action 469”

Comics Review: Superman 308, Action 468

Superman 308 coverSuperman #308 – “This Planet is Mine” – (Gerry Conway/Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez/Frank Springer)

We start where we left off last time, with Superman whining about being an Earth-born mutant instead of a Kryptonian, and Supergirl telling him to grow up and accept it. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 308, Action 468”