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Superman: The Black Ring
Superman: The Black Ring Vol. 2
When Lex Luthor finally regained control of LexCorp, he thought he had everything he wanted. But in BLACKEST NIGHT, he briefly became an Orange Lantern and got a taste of true power. Now he'll do anything - anything - to get that power back. Buckle in for a greatest hits tour of the DCU's most wanted as Lex Luthor begins an epic quest for power, all brought to you by writer Paul Cornell (Dr. Who, Captain Britain and MI-13) and artist Pete Woods (WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON).
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2012
33 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cornell
617 books1,501 followersPaul Cornell is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy prose, comics and television. He's been Hugo Award-nominated for all three media, and has won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, and the Eagle Award for his comics. He's the writer of Saucer Country for Vertigo, Demon Knights for DC, and has written for the Doctor Who TV series. His new urban fantasy novel is London Falling, out from Tor on December 6th.
via Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cor...
via Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 2, 2022
Wow what an epic story by the end!
It took me quite some time to get through it because of work and all but reading it omg I had such a fun time reading it, sure in the beginning it gets kind of boring with Vandal savage and him wanting happiness and all and then his daughter and all but once you're past it, it gets better. It starts with Lex going against Savage and then we flash back into his past where he meets Perry and later works for Intergang and then by happenstance goes to Apokolips and meets Darkseid, escaping from there and learning from Ra's Al Ghul in his past and how it evolves him and sure it changes a lot of history about him but thats what makes it interesting and its such a great retcon.
And later on seeing how he wants to find the black spheres and goes to Arkham and meets the Joker and the tension and drama there and changes and finding the true nature of the black spheres and unleashing them and going against Brainiac and Mr Mind again and then enter the Phantom Zone spirit and merging with it and in that moment we get God Lex and his last fight with Superman.. it also makes sense with the new 52 reboot next issue and well its the final fight between the two arch nemesis and in that moment we have one of the single greatest moments when Lex has infinite power and he can do anything but all he has to do is let go of his hatred of Superman and he doesn't let that hatred go and gives up the god power and that just shows his hatred for Superman and how this arch-nemesis thing will never end between them and also it does well to highlight Superman and his ideals and how he wants to save everything, no matter what.
Such a scintiallting story and it ends with great conclusion and shows the true nature of Lex Luthor and why he is one of the best villains in comics. Plus an excellent ending showing Superman as the hero we all need before the ultimate ending of this universe and leading to new 52. I had Such a blast reading this! One of the best DC stories period.
It took me quite some time to get through it because of work and all but reading it omg I had such a fun time reading it, sure in the beginning it gets kind of boring with Vandal savage and him wanting happiness and all and then his daughter and all but once you're past it, it gets better. It starts with Lex going against Savage and then we flash back into his past where he meets Perry and later works for Intergang and then by happenstance goes to Apokolips and meets Darkseid, escaping from there and learning from Ra's Al Ghul in his past and how it evolves him and sure it changes a lot of history about him but thats what makes it interesting and its such a great retcon.
And later on seeing how he wants to find the black spheres and goes to Arkham and meets the Joker and the tension and drama there and changes and finding the true nature of the black spheres and unleashing them and going against Brainiac and Mr Mind again and then enter the Phantom Zone spirit and merging with it and in that moment we get God Lex and his last fight with Superman.. it also makes sense with the new 52 reboot next issue and well its the final fight between the two arch nemesis and in that moment we have one of the single greatest moments when Lex has infinite power and he can do anything but all he has to do is let go of his hatred of Superman and he doesn't let that hatred go and gives up the god power and that just shows his hatred for Superman and how this arch-nemesis thing will never end between them and also it does well to highlight Superman and his ideals and how he wants to save everything, no matter what.
Such a scintiallting story and it ends with great conclusion and shows the true nature of Lex Luthor and why he is one of the best villains in comics. Plus an excellent ending showing Superman as the hero we all need before the ultimate ending of this universe and leading to new 52. I had Such a blast reading this! One of the best DC stories period.
March 17, 2017
Well that whole mini series was a gigantic waste of my time.
June 29, 2013
This is the second and final part of Lex Luthor’s mini-series, The Black Ring, where he hunts down the energy sources that power the Black Lantern’s Black Rings (see Blackest Night - yup, Geoff Johns sure is imaginative in his naming of things). And he finds them of course, and finally Superman shows up too (he’s been absent for this entire run). But is the mini-series worth reading? Meh. It’s got its moments but its really overlong and kinda pointless, telling us what we already know about Lex and Superman’s relationship.
There’s a storyline where Vandal Savage is trying to do something with Lex regarding his happiness which didn’t make much sense and was very tedious but then things got good when Darkseid showed up. I should mention that this isn’t a very linear story, at least in this volume - the story kind of jumps around a lot before settling into the whole Black Ring plot, and one of those jumps lands us in the past where we find out Lex Luthor in his early 20s was Darkseid’s apprentice in Apokolips! This sequence feels very much in keeping with Lex’s character where his ego leads him to challenging Darkseid despite being basically just a human - super intelligent but still mortal - and Darkseid is a super-powerful god! But the two characters have some great exchanges that were fun to read.
Then we’re on a who’s who of villains in the DCU with Lex working with Ra’s Al-Ghul and learning stuff from him before having a sit down with Joker in Arkham Asylum and a fight with Larfleeze, an Orange Lantern, and Brainiac. All of which is to say that despite it’s rambling plot that it’s never really boring even though I kind of have a hard time believing Lex outsmarted Brainiac (a cerebral version of “who’s faster, Superman or the Flash?”). I suppose it had to be Lex because this is his story - but really?
The final part where Lex basically becomes God and Superman shows up felt a bit tacky. I like to believe Lex is a more multi-faceted character than someone who mindlessly wants to destroy Superman, even though that’s been his character for so long. It just seems kinda lame, y’know? That’s why this part felt a bit dull, a bit un-ambitious in terms of ideas, and more of a standard Lex/Superman scene despite Lex being in a unique position and perhaps doing something more interesting.
The Black Ring isn’t a must-read mini-series even if you’re a fan of Lex as it’s mostly quite uneven, some parts being fun, some parts being boring, and Pete Woods’ artwork isn’t particularly special - but generally, it’s a decent read with enough in it to keep it from being a total waste of time. Paul Cornell’s mostly a good writer and he does DC spinoffs really well (check out Knight and Squire if you can, that book is a hoot!) but The Black Ring is one of his less impressive efforts.
There’s a storyline where Vandal Savage is trying to do something with Lex regarding his happiness which didn’t make much sense and was very tedious but then things got good when Darkseid showed up. I should mention that this isn’t a very linear story, at least in this volume - the story kind of jumps around a lot before settling into the whole Black Ring plot, and one of those jumps lands us in the past where we find out Lex Luthor in his early 20s was Darkseid’s apprentice in Apokolips! This sequence feels very much in keeping with Lex’s character where his ego leads him to challenging Darkseid despite being basically just a human - super intelligent but still mortal - and Darkseid is a super-powerful god! But the two characters have some great exchanges that were fun to read.
Then we’re on a who’s who of villains in the DCU with Lex working with Ra’s Al-Ghul and learning stuff from him before having a sit down with Joker in Arkham Asylum and a fight with Larfleeze, an Orange Lantern, and Brainiac. All of which is to say that despite it’s rambling plot that it’s never really boring even though I kind of have a hard time believing Lex outsmarted Brainiac (a cerebral version of “who’s faster, Superman or the Flash?”). I suppose it had to be Lex because this is his story - but really?
The final part where Lex basically becomes God and Superman shows up felt a bit tacky. I like to believe Lex is a more multi-faceted character than someone who mindlessly wants to destroy Superman, even though that’s been his character for so long. It just seems kinda lame, y’know? That’s why this part felt a bit dull, a bit un-ambitious in terms of ideas, and more of a standard Lex/Superman scene despite Lex being in a unique position and perhaps doing something more interesting.
The Black Ring isn’t a must-read mini-series even if you’re a fan of Lex as it’s mostly quite uneven, some parts being fun, some parts being boring, and Pete Woods’ artwork isn’t particularly special - but generally, it’s a decent read with enough in it to keep it from being a total waste of time. Paul Cornell’s mostly a good writer and he does DC spinoffs really well (check out Knight and Squire if you can, that book is a hoot!) but The Black Ring is one of his less impressive efforts.
October 12, 2015
Solid finish.
While good I don't think it was so good we will be seeing this story in DLX or Absolute printings in the future.
While good I don't think it was so good we will be seeing this story in DLX or Absolute printings in the future.
April 3, 2013
This is mind-blowing. It's operatic, even. I'm writing my MA thesis on Lex Luthor as an American icon and catching the end of this tale in AC #900 was the inspiration for the topic change--while I was trying to write about Superman and immigration (I needed Goyer's "The Incident" from AC #900) and I realized that Lex as a character is by *far* the more compelling and complex of the two. This really is a classical Greek tragedy in graphic novel form.
:::spoiler space:::
As a gender/queer studies scholar, I honest-to-God cackled when Scandal flipped her dad off verbally with the lesbian crack. (And then immediately sent the screencap to my best queer geek friends.) Also, I *loved* Death's cameo. She looks like she's on Spring Break--it's adorable. (But then, when isn't she adorable?) The only part I'm ambivalent about is the Joker stuff--I've not read any of his miniseries (or watched DKR yet), and I wasn't expecting him to come off so much like The Comedian.
:::spoiler space:::
As a gender/queer studies scholar, I honest-to-God cackled when Scandal flipped her dad off verbally with the lesbian crack. (And then immediately sent the screencap to my best queer geek friends.) Also, I *loved* Death's cameo. She looks like she's on Spring Break--it's adorable. (But then, when isn't she adorable?) The only part I'm ambivalent about is the Joker stuff--I've not read any of his miniseries (or watched DKR yet), and I wasn't expecting him to come off so much like The Comedian.
April 8, 2024
En este tomo concluyen las aventuras de Lex Luthor en su búsqueda de poder.
El desfile de villanos continúa, con el Joker, Larfreeze y Brainiac como invitados, hasta que Luthor consigue un poder divino con el que es capaz de destruir a Superman o salvar al mundo.
En los dos números de complemento vemos al joven Lex conociendo a Darkseid y a R'as Al Ghul.
En conclusión:
La saga del anillo negro es una historia que tiene que ser leída luego de la Noche Final y tener conocimientos de los anillos de colores, para comprender con claridad las conexiones que se tejen. Se disfruta la historia en general y tiene una buena sucesión de eventos. El final puede parecer un poco anticlimático, pero es un buen final.
El desfile de villanos continúa, con el Joker, Larfreeze y Brainiac como invitados, hasta que Luthor consigue un poder divino con el que es capaz de destruir a Superman o salvar al mundo.
En los dos números de complemento vemos al joven Lex conociendo a Darkseid y a R'as Al Ghul.
En conclusión:
La saga del anillo negro es una historia que tiene que ser leída luego de la Noche Final y tener conocimientos de los anillos de colores, para comprender con claridad las conexiones que se tejen. Se disfruta la historia en general y tiene una buena sucesión de eventos. El final puede parecer un poco anticlimático, pero es un buen final.
June 2, 2024
Superman: The Black Ring Vol. 2
Luthor continues his quest to gather the Black spheres that are all that remain of the Black Lantern rings and finds an old adversary is working behind the scenes to manipulate the outcome.
A great conclusion to this epic storyline and Cornell shows his understanding of Lex Luthor very clearly. The ultimate power leads to ultimate knowledge and this the knowledge of Superman's secret. The key line is "you don't deserve to be Clark Kent". For Lex, his fear of Superman is eclipsed by his jealousy of Clark Kent and the happiness he had in his family. It is also very telling that it is Superman who drives Luthor through this story, even though he doesn't appear until the final chapter.
Luthor continues his quest to gather the Black spheres that are all that remain of the Black Lantern rings and finds an old adversary is working behind the scenes to manipulate the outcome.
A great conclusion to this epic storyline and Cornell shows his understanding of Lex Luthor very clearly. The ultimate power leads to ultimate knowledge and this the knowledge of Superman's secret. The key line is "you don't deserve to be Clark Kent". For Lex, his fear of Superman is eclipsed by his jealousy of Clark Kent and the happiness he had in his family. It is also very telling that it is Superman who drives Luthor through this story, even though he doesn't appear until the final chapter.
April 6, 2024
4/5
Really good comic and I much preferred it to the first part. For me personally, the jokers inclusion and the part he played were by far my favourite, I loved how at the end the "right decision" thst he'd begged lex to make earlier in the future was actually the one no one else wanted. I felt that he was really depicted well here and kept true to who I personally feel the joker is. Lex was also much better as an mc imo and in the end his story was actually pretty tragic. Superman only pulled up in the final issue but his inclusion was really good and well executed. Orange lanterns pulling up and the rest of the support cast used here was very well selected and enjoyable.
Really good comic and I much preferred it to the first part. For me personally, the jokers inclusion and the part he played were by far my favourite, I loved how at the end the "right decision" thst he'd begged lex to make earlier in the future was actually the one no one else wanted. I felt that he was really depicted well here and kept true to who I personally feel the joker is. Lex was also much better as an mc imo and in the end his story was actually pretty tragic. Superman only pulled up in the final issue but his inclusion was really good and well executed. Orange lanterns pulling up and the rest of the support cast used here was very well selected and enjoyable.
April 12, 2022
I'm not sure why I finished this. I didn't find the second half any better than the first.
October 16, 2012
Despite the book's flaws-a needed epilogue never comes, the whole reaction of Luthor having a Lois companion/mental sparring partner robot is never fulfilled-this book, written by Paul Cornell, a screen writer for Doctor Who, ends up becoming something grandly Who-vian. There's definitely some influence of the Doctor's infinite ambition in Cornell's depiction of Luthor, which oddly fits. The vision is there, just warped to be a savior/conqueror, instead of an observer and helper. He's a human who sees himself as above all other humans, above all aliens, AI intelligences, alien Gods, and especially one alien that claims to be for the people. Luthor's continued quest for cosmically enlightened power leads to more great zingers at super villain grandiosity (Darkseid's I AM GOD pontificating gets zinged), a weirdly poetic riff on Ra's Al Ghul's warped views versus Luthor's, a nicely psychological take on the Joker, and a space/time bending finale that brings in a cosmic horror worthy of the TARDIS. Likewise, with the Who influences, it comes down to questions of morality: a human so bold to believe he should be a deity and an alien who could be a deity but was raised by parents to be a hero to those in need.
September 26, 2011
I read Volume 1 back in April and immediately pre-ordered Volume 2, which turned out to be even better. TBR is one of the best comics stories I've read: it's layered, complex, emotionally powerful, beautifully drawn, and adds richness to characters who've been around forever.
Basically Lex Luthor's "Anti-Hero's Journey," Volume 2 gives us flashbacks to Luthor's earliest days in crime, technology and the long con, builds in two marvelous supporting roles: Robot Lois Lane as the Virgil to his Dante on his road through hell, and a cameo by the Joker as...prophet? trickster god? Greek chorus?, and one of the most classic tragic endings since Sophocles, and I'm not kidding.
The Joker advises Luthor, "Soon, unless you make the wrong choice, you will crack the biggest joke of all time. So make the right choice, for my sake, for all that I stand for." Luthor chooses, and the ancient Greeks would have *loved* it.
Plus, y'know, Robot Lois.
Basically Lex Luthor's "Anti-Hero's Journey," Volume 2 gives us flashbacks to Luthor's earliest days in crime, technology and the long con, builds in two marvelous supporting roles: Robot Lois Lane as the Virgil to his Dante on his road through hell, and a cameo by the Joker as...prophet? trickster god? Greek chorus?, and one of the most classic tragic endings since Sophocles, and I'm not kidding.
The Joker advises Luthor, "Soon, unless you make the wrong choice, you will crack the biggest joke of all time. So make the right choice, for my sake, for all that I stand for." Luthor chooses, and the ancient Greeks would have *loved* it.
Plus, y'know, Robot Lois.
November 11, 2011
I think I'm being unfair to the creative team that worked on this book. I'm not a DC fan. Never was, though I enjoy the occasional Batman and Superman story. I guess this is the first time Lex Luthor is a hero, in a strange inverted act of megalomanical lack of altruism, if that makes any sense. He wants more power. The man, a genius, finds earthly pleasure, material possessions worthless, and instead cultivates a lust for power.
Specifically, a power capable of defeating Superman. So these black spheres originating from some recent catastrophe or another of the DC Universe is the answer to all of Luthor problems. Despite their volatile nature, inherent danger, Luthor seeks them out.
Superman has a slightly long cameo in this book. Yep, a cameo in his own book. All I can say, without spoiling any thing, his suffering is proportional to Lex's power.
Specifically, a power capable of defeating Superman. So these black spheres originating from some recent catastrophe or another of the DC Universe is the answer to all of Luthor problems. Despite their volatile nature, inherent danger, Luthor seeks them out.
Superman has a slightly long cameo in this book. Yep, a cameo in his own book. All I can say, without spoiling any thing, his suffering is proportional to Lex's power.
July 10, 2014
This was even better than the first volume. Lex Luthor will never stop being power hungry and will let nothing get in his way to obtain it. This was really great.
March 14, 2015
Minus the Secret Six stuff in the beginning, it had a solid finish.
October 4, 2019
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first volume. It seemed a bit more... complicated than the first, I guess? But not in a good way; not necessarily in a bad way, either... but the first book seemed to have a bit more.... I'm not sure. This isn't much of a review if I can't really explain why I didn't like it as much. Maybe the whole "cosmic being"/Luthor getting the powers of a "god"-thing stretched my suspension of disbelief. I think I wanted a big pay-off, but that was almost... too big? I mean, I don't know what I was expecting, so I can't really criticize, it just didn't hit me like, "Wow, that's really interesting/unique/cool!" In contrast, that's exactly what I got out of the previous volume. That was kind of my general, knee-jerk reaction. On to details: I liked how Superman was represented--as human as we are, even if he's an alien (and even if Luthor won't admit it). I also liked Luthor and the Joker matching wits. And again, seeing Neil Gaiman's Endless was a nice, unexpected treat. I'm not a huge fan of the Sandman series, but the idea is still really cool and I love seeing those characters integrated with DC now and again. I love that sprawling universe we get from that. All in all: If you've read the first book, you'll definitely want to read this one to see how it all ties together. How much you'll like it... I'm not sure. It wasn't what I was expecting, but that doesn't mean it's not good. Worth reading, definitely, but I'm curious what other people think, too. I'd love a discussion--especially since this story arc dives so deeply into who Lex Luthor is as a person and what motivates him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2023
"He sought the answer to the absence that sat inside him like a heart."
Oh, Lex.
This arc is such a good character study of Lex Luthor. It illustrates his flaws, the largest perhaps being his inability to see his own flaws. We see his past, and how a young Lex was influenced by both Darkseid and Ra's al Ghul (and a wee little bit by Perry White, surprise! What if he had taken that job at the Daily Planet?!)
I do wish this had gone a little deeper and shown us even a tiny bit of Lex's past not tied to superbeings - his family, for example? I'm not sure what was canon for Lex's family at this point in the comics, but it would have been interesting and given a touch more insight into his character. The most we get is a line about him hating his father.
Anyway, this is still a solidly action-packed science fiction adventure. We've also got the Joker and Braniac in this. Superman eventually comes into the story in the finale, as Luthor has the chance to achieve . . . well, everything . . . if only he can let go of his hate/obsession.
The ending builds to something grand and epic
Oh, Lex.
This arc is such a good character study of Lex Luthor. It illustrates his flaws, the largest perhaps being his inability to see his own flaws. We see his past, and how a young Lex was influenced by both Darkseid and Ra's al Ghul (and a wee little bit by Perry White, surprise! What if he had taken that job at the Daily Planet?!)
I do wish this had gone a little deeper and shown us even a tiny bit of Lex's past not tied to superbeings - his family, for example? I'm not sure what was canon for Lex's family at this point in the comics, but it would have been interesting and given a touch more insight into his character. The most we get is a line about him hating his father.
Anyway, this is still a solidly action-packed science fiction adventure. We've also got the Joker and Braniac in this. Superman eventually comes into the story in the finale, as Luthor has the chance to achieve . . . well, everything . . . if only he can let go of his hate/obsession.
The ending builds to something grand and epic
May 3, 2023
Leído como el número 55 de la colección de DC Héroes y Villanos, tal y como en su primera parte, resulta un tanto irregular. Se divide en pequeños capítulos, que tienen conexión entre sí, pero no es visible del todo hasta el final de la historia, lo que hace que, entretanto, haya momentos en los que genere dudas, y/o parezca que hay aspectos incompletos, o que pasan sin un motivo concreto. Cuando, en el segundo volumen, llega la explicación, casi no recuerdas de lo que te están hablando...
Por otro lado, esa sensación de omnipotencia que se le atribuye durante toda la historia al personaje principal de Luthor no funciona. Haber previsto cada una de las reacciones de TODOS los implicados en su misión, e incluso saber cuándo alguno de ellos se está anticipando a esa previsión para hacer otra contra-previsión, al final, no es creíble, y redunda en una experiencia que no es del todo satisfactoria.
El dibujo es muy bueno, apabullante, en ocasiones, pero esos detalles son demasiado importantes para pasarlos por alto.
La conclusión es, quizá, lo mejor de todo, pero hay puntos que lastran el resultado final, al menos para mí. Una pena.
Por otro lado, esa sensación de omnipotencia que se le atribuye durante toda la historia al personaje principal de Luthor no funciona. Haber previsto cada una de las reacciones de TODOS los implicados en su misión, e incluso saber cuándo alguno de ellos se está anticipando a esa previsión para hacer otra contra-previsión, al final, no es creíble, y redunda en una experiencia que no es del todo satisfactoria.
El dibujo es muy bueno, apabullante, en ocasiones, pero esos detalles son demasiado importantes para pasarlos por alto.
La conclusión es, quizá, lo mejor de todo, pero hay puntos que lastran el resultado final, al menos para mí. Una pena.
February 11, 2021
Reading this in 2021, post Scott Snyder's Doom War Event. You can definitely see where some inspiration might have been drawn.
The Black Ring is a Lex Luthor seeking godhood story that is a lot more behind the scenes and subtle compared to the Rebirth event Year of the Villain. After experiencing the power of an Orange Lantern Ring, Luthor begins a quest to unlock the power of the Black Lantern Rings.
Overall not a terrible story but it's not fully developed. There's a bit of confusion as to how things get started or why certain characters are motivated. Its just sort of a journey you go through but not really understand.
I didn't really care for Cornell's portrayal of Luthor at times. His megalomania came off as overly sensitive and whinny. Pre-New 52 Luthor was a bit crazy on his "I Hate Superman!", and I think they did a good job of sophisticating his character since then.
The Black Ring is a Lex Luthor seeking godhood story that is a lot more behind the scenes and subtle compared to the Rebirth event Year of the Villain. After experiencing the power of an Orange Lantern Ring, Luthor begins a quest to unlock the power of the Black Lantern Rings.
Overall not a terrible story but it's not fully developed. There's a bit of confusion as to how things get started or why certain characters are motivated. Its just sort of a journey you go through but not really understand.
I didn't really care for Cornell's portrayal of Luthor at times. His megalomania came off as overly sensitive and whinny. Pre-New 52 Luthor was a bit crazy on his "I Hate Superman!", and I think they did a good job of sophisticating his character since then.
April 6, 2018
Consensus seemed to be that this arc started strong but finished weak. Being a contrarian or perhaps just not that invested in what Cornell's trying to say, I feel the opposite. The opener, a two-part Action Comics/Secret Six crossover, is kind of a wreck, unfocused and unable to put together a strong narrative. The Darkseid and Ra's flashback chapters are nearly impossible to follow graphically (particularly the Darkseid installment) and the Larfleez issue felt like psychobabble nonsense. I did like the Luthor-Joker banter in that issue, and the Brainiac chapter was fine if unmemorable. The finale - Luthor-as-god vs. Superman - works for me. Luthor's hubris vs. Superman's decency. It's not a great Superman story, but it's an effective one.
March 23, 2017
I read the first volume of this last year, having got it from the Title Wave. It was great, and I sought this one out, finding it at the Eugene Library. It starts off pretty weak, with some random misadventures including a Secret Six issue. I like the Secret Six, but that's not what I came to this book for. Luckily, the end of this book made up for it, culminating both volumes really well. The final issue of this is probably the best Lex Luthor story I've ever read. In short, he acquires the powers of a god and is able to grant every being in the universe complete bliss. But at the cost of any negative thought, which means he can not use the power to destroy Superman, which has always been his goal, giving people freedom and happiness by killing Superman. Cutting out that middle step though, doesn't fly for him, and he loses the god power and everyone loses bliss because of Lex's petty feud with Superman. It's one of the best written "villain as flawed hero" stories I've ever read. I definitely want to add this to my Superman collection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2025
Although this was a reasonably entertaining read, it never quite reached the levels I thought it would and it should have. Top notch guest stars and Paul Cornell writing the perfect Lex Luthor were offset by quite a weak ending unfortunately, and the fact that ultimately the story never lived up to its promise.
I didn’t care much for the David Finch covers either.
All that being said, there were moments of fun throughout, and Cornell writes some blinding dialogue.
One for the Superman fans.
I didn’t care much for the David Finch covers either.
All that being said, there were moments of fun throughout, and Cornell writes some blinding dialogue.
One for the Superman fans.
January 9, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this! The book went through an onslaught of major villains throughout the DC universe. You delve deeply into the Lex Luthor character. I would have never guessed to give him a backstory like this, but it makes a lot of sense. The ending was pulled off fairly well. I'll recommend this to quite a few people.
December 30, 2018
A satisfying end to one of the very best Lex Luthor stories ever told. I've always liked a well done Luthor arc, and this was definitely it, an actual tragic ending because he was brought down right before victory by his own inner faults. Superman is certainly the vehicle but Luthor and his search for ultimate power is the real story here. Cornell and Woods have done something special here.
November 22, 2025
Some fantastic villain moments for Lex and Co. I enjoyed the other villain cameos, especially the side-plot on Apokolips (one of Darkseid's best mic drops as he completely destroys Luthor: "This is just you. Child."). Superman's appearance at the end ties it all together. Part of me wishes Big Blue had been present a bit more, but what we do get is nothing short of awesome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 23, 2023This might be my favorite Lex Luthor story, fantastic character work coupled with fun mumbo jumbo sci fi superhero action, and uses an array of elements from the DCU to tell its story, which I always love to see. The Marco Rudy drawn flashback where Lex meets Darkseid was tops
August 29, 2022
This should be called Lex Luthor: Black Sphere.
There's like ten pages in the ENTIRE comic with Superman on them. There's none with actual black rings.
There's like ten pages in the ENTIRE comic with Superman on them. There's none with actual black rings.
May 18, 2024
Superman the black ring vol. 2
Great book. Always enjoyed a Superman book no matter the topic of the stories. Great for any and all Superman fan.
Great book. Always enjoyed a Superman book no matter the topic of the stories. Great for any and all Superman fan.
July 3, 2024
Excellent storytelling, one of the better Lex Luthor stories.
March 25, 2025
Borefest! Holy crap! I now realise I hate Lex Luthor more than Superman. And that's saying something.
August 11, 2017
What the Hell is going on in this book?
I just finish the first book and yet I have no idea what's going on? This story is all over the place and it feel like an Elseworlds tale most of the time!
First off, isn't Action Comics a Superman thing? Well, someone must've forgotten to tell ol' Supes to make an appearance cause this book is solely a Lex Luthor thing and though I do think he's a great villain, I don't really want to read a whole book about him and his a**hole ways!
The tertiary characters in this book are so bad and Lex is written so over the top! It's just a hard thing to swallow!
I couldn't figure out who this team of second rate villains is as they were like a really bad version of the Suicide Squad complete with a girl who was wearing a black mini-skirt one minute and then a top hat and fishnets with a chain wrapped around her arm and spikes protruding from her body the next! It was like Zatanna's evil heavy metal twin showed up all of a sudden! She even spoke backwards like Zatanna but then in the next issue she's like a Goth Dr. Fate complete with his golden helmet and a totally different costume!
The first issue ends with a remote detonator button being pushed by a white gloved hand and in the corner they show the Jokers face. Yet in the next issue the detonator is laying on the ground and there is no Joker! Whaaaat?
Instead of anybody trying to get out of the place before it blows that literally just stand around and smile at each other! Couldn't the heavy metal Zatanna wannabe just teleport them out of there?
The character Bane is a part of the group and he seems really quite civilized for y'know...Bane!
At some point as they're falling off a building a giant green catchers mitt appears randomly as I guess a Green Lantern appears? I don't know...it really wasn't made very clear! Then the Ragman stands there looking like an angel talking to some dude in goggles that looks like a member of Hydra from Marvel Comics and there's no explanation! Apparently that's not the only Marvel rip-off as Wolverine's daughter is there also, even though they said she's Vandal Savage's daughter, it's clear from the claws that she's Wolvies kid! *Sigh....this book is so bad I just don't even want to continue on with the review!
Then according to the two stories, we're supposed to believe that a young Lex was grabbed by Darkseid and taken to Apokolips and trained there under him and later he hung out with Ra's al Ghul and was actually killed by him and then brought back in a Lazarus pit? By the way...here's some great writing in the form of Darkseid's quote, "Ready your mind, there's a danger it'll be blown!"
The stories in this book are all over the place and long winded, they're so far fetched even for Lex Luthor and it's all a big waste of time!
I just finish the first book and yet I have no idea what's going on? This story is all over the place and it feel like an Elseworlds tale most of the time!
First off, isn't Action Comics a Superman thing? Well, someone must've forgotten to tell ol' Supes to make an appearance cause this book is solely a Lex Luthor thing and though I do think he's a great villain, I don't really want to read a whole book about him and his a**hole ways!
The tertiary characters in this book are so bad and Lex is written so over the top! It's just a hard thing to swallow!
I couldn't figure out who this team of second rate villains is as they were like a really bad version of the Suicide Squad complete with a girl who was wearing a black mini-skirt one minute and then a top hat and fishnets with a chain wrapped around her arm and spikes protruding from her body the next! It was like Zatanna's evil heavy metal twin showed up all of a sudden! She even spoke backwards like Zatanna but then in the next issue she's like a Goth Dr. Fate complete with his golden helmet and a totally different costume!
The first issue ends with a remote detonator button being pushed by a white gloved hand and in the corner they show the Jokers face. Yet in the next issue the detonator is laying on the ground and there is no Joker! Whaaaat?
Instead of anybody trying to get out of the place before it blows that literally just stand around and smile at each other! Couldn't the heavy metal Zatanna wannabe just teleport them out of there?
The character Bane is a part of the group and he seems really quite civilized for y'know...Bane!
At some point as they're falling off a building a giant green catchers mitt appears randomly as I guess a Green Lantern appears? I don't know...it really wasn't made very clear! Then the Ragman stands there looking like an angel talking to some dude in goggles that looks like a member of Hydra from Marvel Comics and there's no explanation! Apparently that's not the only Marvel rip-off as Wolverine's daughter is there also, even though they said she's Vandal Savage's daughter, it's clear from the claws that she's Wolvies kid! *Sigh....this book is so bad I just don't even want to continue on with the review!
Then according to the two stories, we're supposed to believe that a young Lex was grabbed by Darkseid and taken to Apokolips and trained there under him and later he hung out with Ra's al Ghul and was actually killed by him and then brought back in a Lazarus pit? By the way...here's some great writing in the form of Darkseid's quote, "Ready your mind, there's a danger it'll be blown!"
The stories in this book are all over the place and long winded, they're so far fetched even for Lex Luthor and it's all a big waste of time!
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