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Superman: New Krypton Saga #2
Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 2
Best-selling writers Geoff Johns (INFINITE CRISIS, GREEN LANTERN) and James Robinson (STARMAN, JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE) continue the massive storyline that changes Superman's life forever!
After a long-lost section of Krypton is miraculously resurrected on Earth, The Man of Steel greets thousands of Kryptonians who are suddenly able to walk among humans. But a jarring culture clash destroys relations between the two species and violence erupts! Soon, the government's own anti-Kryptonian team sets out to dispatch the erupting conflict and the entire Superman family is affected! Don't miss this second volume of a 9-part mega-event that alters The Man of Tomorrow down to his core.
Collecting SUPERMAN #682, 683; ACTION COMICS #872, 873 and SUPERGIRL #35, 36.
After a long-lost section of Krypton is miraculously resurrected on Earth, The Man of Steel greets thousands of Kryptonians who are suddenly able to walk among humans. But a jarring culture clash destroys relations between the two species and violence erupts! Soon, the government's own anti-Kryptonian team sets out to dispatch the erupting conflict and the entire Superman family is affected! Don't miss this second volume of a 9-part mega-event that alters The Man of Tomorrow down to his core.
Collecting SUPERMAN #682, 683; ACTION COMICS #872, 873 and SUPERGIRL #35, 36.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
9 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,706 books2,414 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 21, 2016
“Hi Kryptonians, I’m Lex Luthor, super genius, and on behalf of the planet Earth, I’d like to extend you the warmest of welcomes!”
Okay, that’ll never happen, but it’s nice to ponder. Right?
The Kryptonians have some trust issues as well and to be pro-active they go after Superman’s rogue’s gallery. “Better safe than sorry” and “let’s not let a few dead Earthlings stand between us and intergalactic cooperation.”
“Friends? Buddies?”
Nope. No way!
“Confrontation” is the operative word for this volume and poor Supergirl gets in spades, first from mom and dad…
…then, tragically, courtesy of those punks, Reactron and Metallo, via Lex Luthor and General Sam Lane.
This leads to a showdown between Earth’s heroes sans Batman (Pffft!) and 100,000 super powered Kryptonians.
Question: Who is this mysterious Superwoman?
She’s quite fetching but she’ll never take the place of Power Girl in my heart. *sigh*
Memo to Murica: We need to get us another Agent Liberty.
Bottom Line: This volume intercuts between the past and present and between plot threads so often that you’ll need to dose up on Dramamine.
It’s one step forward, two steps back as I read these volumes in the not recommended order.
Why, Jeff?
As far as I can tell, it comes down to bed-wetting or not getting a puppy, Goodreader, but thanks for asking.
Okay, that’ll never happen, but it’s nice to ponder. Right?
The Kryptonians have some trust issues as well and to be pro-active they go after Superman’s rogue’s gallery. “Better safe than sorry” and “let’s not let a few dead Earthlings stand between us and intergalactic cooperation.”
“Friends? Buddies?”
Nope. No way!
“Confrontation” is the operative word for this volume and poor Supergirl gets in spades, first from mom and dad…
…then, tragically, courtesy of those punks, Reactron and Metallo, via Lex Luthor and General Sam Lane.
This leads to a showdown between Earth’s heroes sans Batman (Pffft!) and 100,000 super powered Kryptonians.
Question: Who is this mysterious Superwoman?
She’s quite fetching but she’ll never take the place of Power Girl in my heart. *sigh*
Memo to Murica: We need to get us another Agent Liberty.
Bottom Line: This volume intercuts between the past and present and between plot threads so often that you’ll need to dose up on Dramamine.
It’s one step forward, two steps back as I read these volumes in the not recommended order.
Why, Jeff?
As far as I can tell, it comes down to bed-wetting or not getting a puppy, Goodreader, but thanks for asking.
May 29, 2021
"'Look up in the sky!' doesn't have the same ring to it anymore, does it?" -- Steve Lombard, Daily Planet sports reporter
Not even a deus ex machina-type moment featuring Zatanna (one of my favorite, if underutilized, of DC's super-heroines) late in the story can help save this dreary and talky volume. How cheerless was it? The most memorable part, but in a bad way, of the narrative was Superman repetitiously pleading - to the point of it being annoying - with a scheming Lady Macbeth-styled Kryptonian relative to provide the identities of a group of murderers. Well, there was also a striking villain 'reveal' moment on the final page, which I'm guessing sets up some potentially good drama for the next installment . . . but otherwise this was coasting solely on the title character's good name and reputation.
Not even a deus ex machina-type moment featuring Zatanna (one of my favorite, if underutilized, of DC's super-heroines) late in the story can help save this dreary and talky volume. How cheerless was it? The most memorable part, but in a bad way, of the narrative was Superman repetitiously pleading - to the point of it being annoying - with a scheming Lady Macbeth-styled Kryptonian relative to provide the identities of a group of murderers. Well, there was also a striking villain 'reveal' moment on the final page, which I'm guessing sets up some potentially good drama for the next installment . . . but otherwise this was coasting solely on the title character's good name and reputation.
August 19, 2017
This "New Krypton" storyline isn't half bad. The first volume felt very off because first half had really NOTHING to do with it. It was Jimmy's story. However, the second half was all about Superman bringing his people back into the world. This carries that on where choices have to be made and it's not so easy.
The big war here is Superman trying to keep the peace between the world heroes like the Justice League and the Kryptons. See, a few of them went ahead and kill a couple of police. This obviously isn't right and the world wants answers. Then the kryptions get attacked and they fight back. Now it's a big war and they have to figure out some type of peace agreement. However, after a death that doesn't look like it'll happened.
What I liked: The fights are pretty entertaining in this. Some shots are gorgeous, especially the covers. I loved the different processes they had between the humans and Kyrptons. It was very excited to see the political fights for me. Oh and how awesome was Superman getting pissed at people?
What I didn't like: Lex storyline feels filler and boring. I also really disliked how dumb supergirl was in the end. Felt out of character. Some of the art dips and it's REALLY awful with the faces at times.
Overall this is solid fun but not amazing. Still, it's a interesting idea and I'll be keeping up with this one till the end probably.
The big war here is Superman trying to keep the peace between the world heroes like the Justice League and the Kryptons. See, a few of them went ahead and kill a couple of police. This obviously isn't right and the world wants answers. Then the kryptions get attacked and they fight back. Now it's a big war and they have to figure out some type of peace agreement. However, after a death that doesn't look like it'll happened.
What I liked: The fights are pretty entertaining in this. Some shots are gorgeous, especially the covers. I loved the different processes they had between the humans and Kyrptons. It was very excited to see the political fights for me. Oh and how awesome was Superman getting pissed at people?
What I didn't like: Lex storyline feels filler and boring. I also really disliked how dumb supergirl was in the end. Felt out of character. Some of the art dips and it's REALLY awful with the faces at times.
Overall this is solid fun but not amazing. Still, it's a interesting idea and I'll be keeping up with this one till the end probably.
March 1, 2013
It was the last great pre-TheNew52 Superman storyline. It was supposed to entertain and enlighten and energize the Superman books for years to come. It was one of the most massive, interconnected tales of Kal-El ever told.
And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And I think I was one of the few who did.
And that is a complete shame.
Superman New Krypton is a storyline that takes place over almost two years worth of Superman, Action Comics, Supergirl, Superboy, World of New Krypton, Adventure Comics and various one shots and mini-series. One of the slight modifications after Infinite Crisis to the mythos was opening the floodgates to plenty of other Kryptonians being alive and well, and this concept became a tidal wave when Superman faced off against Brainiac for the “first” time and freed the kidnapped bottled city of Kandor.
In all classic and neo-modern versions of this tale, these fellow Kryptonians become jolly good friends of Superman and benevolent helpers to him. Those stores would always bore me to tears. Even when they enlarged and got their own planet, I couldn’t have cared less.
This time, this contemporary version, they range from arrogant to somewhat ungrateful to outright hostile to all sorts inbetween. It is made abundantly clear that one of the points of New Krypton is that a great part of makes Superman “Super” is the parentage of Ma and the now late Pa Kent. Early on the now powered up Kandorians relish “their” new planet, and view the current inhabitants, namely us humans, as like pets. The part with the whale illustrates this dichotomy so precisely, it is downright prescient of what future troubles are brewing.
Tensions immediately escalate when Lois’s presumed dead father, General Lane, enacts Project 7734, with the goal of fulfilling his genocidal hatred of all things Superman. Plots within plots within plots, each met with large body counts, becomes the constant theme here. Anyone and anything that gets in the way of eliminating these filthy aliens must be abolished. The massacres the Kandorians have to endure, and their counter measures to ensure their safety, cause global tensions and bring about a huge cadre of superheroes to sort the situation out.
At this point the preamble is done, the Kandorians see the welcome mat yanked away, which makes them launch their city off into space, create a crystalline planet for themselves, and take up orbit on the far side of the sun. Goodbye you crazy humans!
At this point, Kal is still trying to fix all the myriad problems that have come about here, and so with a heavy heart he talks to wife Lois and mother Martha and goes off to outer space and New Krypton.
The stage is set and the players are now in place.
Kal-El is now world building, society changing and evil plot solving in the World of New Krypton comic by James Robinson, Greg Rucka and Pete Woods. Guest stars like Green Lantern, Adam Strange and Jemm pop up here because of the new galactic power this planet represents. We also see the creators reinvent Krypton by incorporating as many different previous versions as possible, and somehow keeping internal logic. Kal learning about how things work here does not make him a happy Superman, and brings out the social revolutionary in him.
Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, new protectors have emerged in the Superman comic, by James Robinson and Renato Geudes. Through a series of flukes, Mon-El has been plucked from the Phantom Zone and managed to be cured, while another clone of the golden age hero The Guardian has come to town. These two bring truth and justice and subplots galore here every month.
But what of all the subterfuge between the two planets? Action Comics by Greg Rucka and various artists plays with this concept by showcasing the hunt for Kryptonian infiltrators by Nightwing and Flamebird. This crime fighting duo, and potential couple, are also Kryptonians and fighting against the evil General Zod’s plans for Earth.
The tale of someone genuinely torn between the two worlds is in the Supergirl comic, by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle. Whether she is on New Krypton endlessly arguing with her mother – and leader of Kandor, or learning about humanity while living with Lana Lang back on Earth, Supergirl is constantly challenged. She is also subjected to relentless yellow journalism by Daily Planet gossip hound Cat Grant, trying on the secret identity of Linda Lang, and recovering from Kryptonite poisoning, which by the way, is a brilliant pot device to fix the many many problems plaguing the character over the years. Supergirl 43 is the absolute best of this series, featuring her birthday and choosing a guild.
Joining in on the fun is Adventure Comics, by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul. Starting with Superboy slowly becoming a part of everything, the series than evolves into telling the tale of how the time travelling Legion of Super Heroes are involved with this crisis.
Along the way with this sweeping storyline, we get some one shots giving us the journey of Jimmy Olsen as he investigates General Lane, and another one shot at a critical junction of everything. A personal favourite is the World’s Finest miniseries, by Sterling Gates and various artists, which has several very important plot developments. But the real reason this is a classic part of New Krypton is that these four issues have a literal whackload of Superman and Batman supporting characters teaming up, arguing, bantering, and just giving us readers a grand old adventure. Come on, Guardian and Robin Damian taking on Mr Freeze and the Parasite, what more can you ask for?
The only downside to this undertaking is the midway point. You can tell the gears behind the scenes were being shifted slightly, with some ideas, like Mon-El’s powers or what to do with Guardian’s “kid”, becoming increasing sidelined. By the time of the epic ending with The Last Stand of New Krypton comic, you can feel the lethargy kicking in. This is not to say the conclusion, which reaches its final crescendo with the War Of The Supermen mini-series, was not good and gripping and emotional, but it is obvious the fatigue from creating all those stories had taken it’s toll.
Afterall, besides everything I have mentioned, New Krypton also stars Lois Lane on a quest for the truth about her father, Perry White trying to guide her, Lex Luther being the master manipulator, Atlas being a brute, Steel helping out in Metropolis, the Creature Commandos making a comeback, Reactron being a ruthless murderer, Doomsday terrorizing everyone, Captain Atom playing a role, Daxam history getting re-explained, Codename: Assassin getting a dust-off, Silver Banshee giving a shout out, Insect Queen crawling about, Rao gaining new followers, and a partridge in a pear tree. With all this, and so much more, is it any wonder that everyone involved probably needed a nice long vacation when it was all said and done?
One issue that was present from the start, as related in interviews by writer Greg Rucka, is that New Krypton was very much behind schedule right from inception. Playing catch-up was always a present concern for all creators, who all want to do their best, but are facing a super deadline looming before them.
Because of this rushed nature of the series, and despite the promotional push from DC Comics, fans seemed slightly jaded before New Krypton even began. I myself got every issue, but only read them all last month. Because of this malaise, I firmly believe sales of the entire storyline were far below expectations, which is most likely why virtually all aspects of it were promptly ignored as soon as it ended. And this failure was also the most probable reason why the major surgery was committed on Superman’s history with The New 52 Relaunch. Think about it, this massive sweeping tale of epic proportions with far reaching ramifications vanishes from continuity a year later? Such a shame.
Everyone has a favourite Superman. Mine is the From Crisis To Crisis era. This storyline, with a nip and tuck and a bit of mental rewiring, can still fit somewhat gently into that beloved version of the Man of Steel. Yes, some leaps are harder to take than others, and I am looking at you Lucy Lane, but so many of the basic concepts are still present and accounted for.
So many thoughts and ideas are expressed here. The Clark Kent of Ma and Pa Kent faces off against the Kal-El of Krypton, nature versus nurture on a planetary scale. Earth and New Krypton on a collision course caused by madmen, people who know nothing of what Superman stands for. All this encompassing something like 150 comics in total.
A Super tale for a Superman.
And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And I think I was one of the few who did.
And that is a complete shame.
Superman New Krypton is a storyline that takes place over almost two years worth of Superman, Action Comics, Supergirl, Superboy, World of New Krypton, Adventure Comics and various one shots and mini-series. One of the slight modifications after Infinite Crisis to the mythos was opening the floodgates to plenty of other Kryptonians being alive and well, and this concept became a tidal wave when Superman faced off against Brainiac for the “first” time and freed the kidnapped bottled city of Kandor.
In all classic and neo-modern versions of this tale, these fellow Kryptonians become jolly good friends of Superman and benevolent helpers to him. Those stores would always bore me to tears. Even when they enlarged and got their own planet, I couldn’t have cared less.
This time, this contemporary version, they range from arrogant to somewhat ungrateful to outright hostile to all sorts inbetween. It is made abundantly clear that one of the points of New Krypton is that a great part of makes Superman “Super” is the parentage of Ma and the now late Pa Kent. Early on the now powered up Kandorians relish “their” new planet, and view the current inhabitants, namely us humans, as like pets. The part with the whale illustrates this dichotomy so precisely, it is downright prescient of what future troubles are brewing.
Tensions immediately escalate when Lois’s presumed dead father, General Lane, enacts Project 7734, with the goal of fulfilling his genocidal hatred of all things Superman. Plots within plots within plots, each met with large body counts, becomes the constant theme here. Anyone and anything that gets in the way of eliminating these filthy aliens must be abolished. The massacres the Kandorians have to endure, and their counter measures to ensure their safety, cause global tensions and bring about a huge cadre of superheroes to sort the situation out.
At this point the preamble is done, the Kandorians see the welcome mat yanked away, which makes them launch their city off into space, create a crystalline planet for themselves, and take up orbit on the far side of the sun. Goodbye you crazy humans!
At this point, Kal is still trying to fix all the myriad problems that have come about here, and so with a heavy heart he talks to wife Lois and mother Martha and goes off to outer space and New Krypton.
The stage is set and the players are now in place.
Kal-El is now world building, society changing and evil plot solving in the World of New Krypton comic by James Robinson, Greg Rucka and Pete Woods. Guest stars like Green Lantern, Adam Strange and Jemm pop up here because of the new galactic power this planet represents. We also see the creators reinvent Krypton by incorporating as many different previous versions as possible, and somehow keeping internal logic. Kal learning about how things work here does not make him a happy Superman, and brings out the social revolutionary in him.
Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, new protectors have emerged in the Superman comic, by James Robinson and Renato Geudes. Through a series of flukes, Mon-El has been plucked from the Phantom Zone and managed to be cured, while another clone of the golden age hero The Guardian has come to town. These two bring truth and justice and subplots galore here every month.
But what of all the subterfuge between the two planets? Action Comics by Greg Rucka and various artists plays with this concept by showcasing the hunt for Kryptonian infiltrators by Nightwing and Flamebird. This crime fighting duo, and potential couple, are also Kryptonians and fighting against the evil General Zod’s plans for Earth.
The tale of someone genuinely torn between the two worlds is in the Supergirl comic, by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle. Whether she is on New Krypton endlessly arguing with her mother – and leader of Kandor, or learning about humanity while living with Lana Lang back on Earth, Supergirl is constantly challenged. She is also subjected to relentless yellow journalism by Daily Planet gossip hound Cat Grant, trying on the secret identity of Linda Lang, and recovering from Kryptonite poisoning, which by the way, is a brilliant pot device to fix the many many problems plaguing the character over the years. Supergirl 43 is the absolute best of this series, featuring her birthday and choosing a guild.
Joining in on the fun is Adventure Comics, by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul. Starting with Superboy slowly becoming a part of everything, the series than evolves into telling the tale of how the time travelling Legion of Super Heroes are involved with this crisis.
Along the way with this sweeping storyline, we get some one shots giving us the journey of Jimmy Olsen as he investigates General Lane, and another one shot at a critical junction of everything. A personal favourite is the World’s Finest miniseries, by Sterling Gates and various artists, which has several very important plot developments. But the real reason this is a classic part of New Krypton is that these four issues have a literal whackload of Superman and Batman supporting characters teaming up, arguing, bantering, and just giving us readers a grand old adventure. Come on, Guardian and Robin Damian taking on Mr Freeze and the Parasite, what more can you ask for?
The only downside to this undertaking is the midway point. You can tell the gears behind the scenes were being shifted slightly, with some ideas, like Mon-El’s powers or what to do with Guardian’s “kid”, becoming increasing sidelined. By the time of the epic ending with The Last Stand of New Krypton comic, you can feel the lethargy kicking in. This is not to say the conclusion, which reaches its final crescendo with the War Of The Supermen mini-series, was not good and gripping and emotional, but it is obvious the fatigue from creating all those stories had taken it’s toll.
Afterall, besides everything I have mentioned, New Krypton also stars Lois Lane on a quest for the truth about her father, Perry White trying to guide her, Lex Luther being the master manipulator, Atlas being a brute, Steel helping out in Metropolis, the Creature Commandos making a comeback, Reactron being a ruthless murderer, Doomsday terrorizing everyone, Captain Atom playing a role, Daxam history getting re-explained, Codename: Assassin getting a dust-off, Silver Banshee giving a shout out, Insect Queen crawling about, Rao gaining new followers, and a partridge in a pear tree. With all this, and so much more, is it any wonder that everyone involved probably needed a nice long vacation when it was all said and done?
One issue that was present from the start, as related in interviews by writer Greg Rucka, is that New Krypton was very much behind schedule right from inception. Playing catch-up was always a present concern for all creators, who all want to do their best, but are facing a super deadline looming before them.
Because of this rushed nature of the series, and despite the promotional push from DC Comics, fans seemed slightly jaded before New Krypton even began. I myself got every issue, but only read them all last month. Because of this malaise, I firmly believe sales of the entire storyline were far below expectations, which is most likely why virtually all aspects of it were promptly ignored as soon as it ended. And this failure was also the most probable reason why the major surgery was committed on Superman’s history with The New 52 Relaunch. Think about it, this massive sweeping tale of epic proportions with far reaching ramifications vanishes from continuity a year later? Such a shame.
Everyone has a favourite Superman. Mine is the From Crisis To Crisis era. This storyline, with a nip and tuck and a bit of mental rewiring, can still fit somewhat gently into that beloved version of the Man of Steel. Yes, some leaps are harder to take than others, and I am looking at you Lucy Lane, but so many of the basic concepts are still present and accounted for.
So many thoughts and ideas are expressed here. The Clark Kent of Ma and Pa Kent faces off against the Kal-El of Krypton, nature versus nurture on a planetary scale. Earth and New Krypton on a collision course caused by madmen, people who know nothing of what Superman stands for. All this encompassing something like 150 comics in total.
A Super tale for a Superman.
July 27, 2018
The grand sweeping pieces are fun and interest. How the story gets their is not so much.
World: The art is solid, it’s a sign of their times when colors were bright but the motion was kinda static and the character facial expressions still was a bit lacking. Solid. The world building here continues what started in the last book, with Kandor back and all the pieces such as Lane and Luthor and Supes, just a whole lot of moving pieces. They are done quite well but at the same time there is some choppy and lack of depth in some areas, such as flying Nightwing running around (where the hell did that come from?) and Superwoman coming out of nowhere with little or no character introduction and development. So yes, solid and intersting but also poor and lacking in some parts.
Story: This part is really tied into characters but I will still separate the two to talk about it. On paper, if written well this story would have been fantastic. SPOILERS AHEAD. We would have had an influx of Kandorians running around with new powers, the world and the Kryptonians trying to adjust and learn the ways of each other. We’d have some good and some bad as with any new culture clash scenario and if written well it could be interesting. Then there’s the machination of Lane and Luthor and their anti alien agenda and their scheme, which would also have been really good if paced and written and done right. Then there’s the family drama with Kara and her family and Supes and the death of Pa, all drama gold and great fuel for the overall story. That being said, this story is written poorlyi, it’s paced poorly and characters, scenes and motivations and pieces just suddenly come and go and the very very visible hand of the author is present to make characters act way out of character in order to move the plot the way the story needs to go. It’s not done well, if the writing was better, getting to where the book ends would have been organic and amazing but this is not Johns’ best writing, it’s choppy and barely holds together. The end is cool and changes the status quo, having the Kandorians was always gonna be mind breaking and would stretch the story and gives readers a lot of drama but this has not been handled well at all.
Characters: Okay, this is possibly the biggest issue I have with this story so far. As I said above, on paper I love where the world is going towards and it greats a lot of drama which is good for story. But characters act out of character and motivations are basic and stupid making for the invisible hand of the writer not so very invisible. There is no clear character voice and emotions are not earned cause there is no time for the quite moments to develop and relationships to form. Alura is the way she is because the story needs it and she acts insanely and makes for a dumb mwaa haa haa villain which is not what we want. Zor is also sad and apologetic but also unearned, how would this marriage and relationship even work with the insane personality and ideological difference. This is annoying because we don’t have good character work. We don’t get more quiet time for Kara with Mum and Dad and we don’t get the good stuff before it goes to hell and the cracks starts to form. We are immedietly seeing crazy Mum and we go from there. The end of Zor is unearned and emotionally empty cause of this poor writing.
If these two books by Johns had been 4 books with lot more time to breath this story would have been absolutely heartbreakingly amazing. But it’s not.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is solid, it’s a sign of their times when colors were bright but the motion was kinda static and the character facial expressions still was a bit lacking. Solid. The world building here continues what started in the last book, with Kandor back and all the pieces such as Lane and Luthor and Supes, just a whole lot of moving pieces. They are done quite well but at the same time there is some choppy and lack of depth in some areas, such as flying Nightwing running around (where the hell did that come from?) and Superwoman coming out of nowhere with little or no character introduction and development. So yes, solid and intersting but also poor and lacking in some parts.
Story: This part is really tied into characters but I will still separate the two to talk about it. On paper, if written well this story would have been fantastic. SPOILERS AHEAD. We would have had an influx of Kandorians running around with new powers, the world and the Kryptonians trying to adjust and learn the ways of each other. We’d have some good and some bad as with any new culture clash scenario and if written well it could be interesting. Then there’s the machination of Lane and Luthor and their anti alien agenda and their scheme, which would also have been really good if paced and written and done right. Then there’s the family drama with Kara and her family and Supes and the death of Pa, all drama gold and great fuel for the overall story. That being said, this story is written poorlyi, it’s paced poorly and characters, scenes and motivations and pieces just suddenly come and go and the very very visible hand of the author is present to make characters act way out of character in order to move the plot the way the story needs to go. It’s not done well, if the writing was better, getting to where the book ends would have been organic and amazing but this is not Johns’ best writing, it’s choppy and barely holds together. The end is cool and changes the status quo, having the Kandorians was always gonna be mind breaking and would stretch the story and gives readers a lot of drama but this has not been handled well at all.
Characters: Okay, this is possibly the biggest issue I have with this story so far. As I said above, on paper I love where the world is going towards and it greats a lot of drama which is good for story. But characters act out of character and motivations are basic and stupid making for the invisible hand of the writer not so very invisible. There is no clear character voice and emotions are not earned cause there is no time for the quite moments to develop and relationships to form. Alura is the way she is because the story needs it and she acts insanely and makes for a dumb mwaa haa haa villain which is not what we want. Zor is also sad and apologetic but also unearned, how would this marriage and relationship even work with the insane personality and ideological difference. This is annoying because we don’t have good character work. We don’t get more quiet time for Kara with Mum and Dad and we don’t get the good stuff before it goes to hell and the cracks starts to form. We are immedietly seeing crazy Mum and we go from there. The end of Zor is unearned and emotionally empty cause of this poor writing.
If these two books by Johns had been 4 books with lot more time to breath this story would have been absolutely heartbreakingly amazing. But it’s not.
Onward to the next book!
October 24, 2021
This was another good one.
It continues the story of New krypton and like we see Alura and Zor taking some strict actions like rounding up Superman's enemies but their people also kill some humans and well that doesn't sit write with Superman and its a debate with his aunt and uncle but when Metallo and Reactron unleash their attack, it changes everything in superman almost.
Then the big actions that Alura takes and the last page was amazing and how Sam lane has activated and how it involves Luthor, Doomsday and Brainiac its epic the way it happens, its an amazing volume with predictable twists for sure but its just an amazing story in the end. Johns manages to combine multiple storylines from the past and change Superman's status quo in a big way and the art was good for the most part. And onto vol 3 with a great cliffhanger.
It continues the story of New krypton and like we see Alura and Zor taking some strict actions like rounding up Superman's enemies but their people also kill some humans and well that doesn't sit write with Superman and its a debate with his aunt and uncle but when Metallo and Reactron unleash their attack, it changes everything in superman almost.
Then the big actions that Alura takes and the last page was amazing and how Sam lane has activated and how it involves Luthor, Doomsday and Brainiac its epic the way it happens, its an amazing volume with predictable twists for sure but its just an amazing story in the end. Johns manages to combine multiple storylines from the past and change Superman's status quo in a big way and the art was good for the most part. And onto vol 3 with a great cliffhanger.
November 3, 2023
Another solid instalment in this series!
December 14, 2014
New Krypton Volume 2 continues the story of the inhabitants of the recently freed bottle-city of Kandor and their arrival on earth.
The arrival of thousands of Kryptonians with all of Superman's abilites and none of his restraint has understandably spooked the general populace. General Lane, heading a secret Government organisation has recruited none other than Lex Luthor to help him halt the "Kryptonian invasion"
Distracted by the recent death of his adoptive father Jonathon Kent, Superman must put aside his grief and try to help his people acclimate to life on Earth. It doesn't help that as a preemptive strike Zor-El forms a task force to end any future threat to Kandor by capturing Superman’s worst villains and trapping them in the Phantom Zone.
Several humans are killed during this which outs Kal-El at odds with his people and with his family.
Overall this was a fantastic book and really painted the picture of a Superman trapped between the planet he calls home and the people and family he lost. there's some great moments with Kara (Supergirl) and her parents reaction to her dual identity and her trying to make a life among humans.
Volume 2 ends on a fantastic cliff hanger which had me heading straight over to Volume 3.
The arrival of thousands of Kryptonians with all of Superman's abilites and none of his restraint has understandably spooked the general populace. General Lane, heading a secret Government organisation has recruited none other than Lex Luthor to help him halt the "Kryptonian invasion"
Distracted by the recent death of his adoptive father Jonathon Kent, Superman must put aside his grief and try to help his people acclimate to life on Earth. It doesn't help that as a preemptive strike Zor-El forms a task force to end any future threat to Kandor by capturing Superman’s worst villains and trapping them in the Phantom Zone.
Several humans are killed during this which outs Kal-El at odds with his people and with his family.
Overall this was a fantastic book and really painted the picture of a Superman trapped between the planet he calls home and the people and family he lost. there's some great moments with Kara (Supergirl) and her parents reaction to her dual identity and her trying to make a life among humans.
Volume 2 ends on a fantastic cliff hanger which had me heading straight over to Volume 3.
April 25, 2023
Superman: New Krypton Vol. 2
As the former prisoners of Kandor acclimate to Earth and their new found powers, a select few take the law into their own hands in a bid to eliminate Kal-El's enemies once and for all. Both Superman and Supergirl are horrified when they discover who sent the orders and, when two of Superman's interest enemies join forces to attack the Man of Tomorrow, tragedy ensues and sends the people of New Krypton on a path of vengeance.
The artwork is stunning, with some wonderfully executed panels which provide a clear focus on the events of the story.
As the former prisoners of Kandor acclimate to Earth and their new found powers, a select few take the law into their own hands in a bid to eliminate Kal-El's enemies once and for all. Both Superman and Supergirl are horrified when they discover who sent the orders and, when two of Superman's interest enemies join forces to attack the Man of Tomorrow, tragedy ensues and sends the people of New Krypton on a path of vengeance.
The artwork is stunning, with some wonderfully executed panels which provide a clear focus on the events of the story.
August 31, 2013
Cranking up the action from Volume 1, here the Kryptonians react to events from previously, and in doing so, human lives are lost. This is the main problem, as the JSA/JLA can't sit by and allow those aliens who killed humans to go unpunished...
The government sends 2 Kryptonite reinforced bad guys to Krypton, where they murder one of the Kryptonians who's death sets off a chaotic fight between the 2 races.
There's more to it than that, as we really look into the divided loyalties of Superman and Supergirl, with one leaning towards Earth and the other towards Krypton...will they end up fighting each other to save what they feel is most important? Things only intensify after the government murders a leading Kryptonian, which leads others to call upon an evil name from the past...
This is a little more enjoyable than Volume 1, more action, including a major fight between Earth Superheroes and Kryptonians...there's also intrigue with the government and their plans and who they have to unleash, and who is really running their show...
Don't want to give away too much...
The government sends 2 Kryptonite reinforced bad guys to Krypton, where they murder one of the Kryptonians who's death sets off a chaotic fight between the 2 races.
There's more to it than that, as we really look into the divided loyalties of Superman and Supergirl, with one leaning towards Earth and the other towards Krypton...will they end up fighting each other to save what they feel is most important? Things only intensify after the government murders a leading Kryptonian, which leads others to call upon an evil name from the past...
This is a little more enjoyable than Volume 1, more action, including a major fight between Earth Superheroes and Kryptonians...there's also intrigue with the government and their plans and who they have to unleash, and who is really running their show...
Don't want to give away too much...
November 4, 2012
So, this is a marked improvement from volume one. The story is getting much more interesting as villains are revealed on both the human side and Kryptonian side of the story. Again, my only qualm is with the James Robinson sections of the volume; the guy writes such choppy text and struggles with plotting his forwarding devices. Still, the artwork is good in this volume with some really exceptional storyboarding. The events clip along at a steadily building pace and there is a more cinematic feel to how the story develops. I also really like the moments when three or four of the narratives quick-cut from one to the other; it helps to build tension. My favourite portion of this collection was the ret-con for Supergirl; it gave me just enough info to be satisfied with old plot-holes, and it sparked even more questions for future debate. All-in-all, a very fulfilling read that made me dive straight into the next volume. 3.5/5
February 13, 2011
While I have been enjoying this multi-part story involving all of the Superman titles I don't think I'll quite get past the whole 100K Kryptonians showing up on Earth, nor Alura's decoding enough Brainiac science to enable her to build a new world. While the series slides away from some of its SciFi roots Johns, Ronbinson and Gates maintain the reader's engagement with the characters.
April 5, 2018
It's okay. I liked the tension with Alura refusing hand over Kryptonian killers and not trusting the humans. I didn't care much for the big fight, which was corny - can anybody explain to me why, even in comic book logic, Zatanna saying "shazam" backwards would depower Kryptonians? - and the entire storyline felt very drawn out. The best chapters were James Robinson's Jimmy Olsen and Guardian specials, where he really got to dive into a solid mystery/noir vibe, and gave the book a feel of actual danger. The rest just felt like it was going through some motions, and the ensemble cast is overwhelming the book's hero. Solid but uninspired art throughout, and too many mysterious characters who never had any time to establish themselves pro or con.
++++++++++++++
I enjoy v. 1 mostly. And I enjoy v. 2 mostly, as well, but some cracks are showing. Gates basically wastes the first issue explaining all the contradictory Supergirl behaviors readers had seen in the early Kara Zor-El reintroduction stories. Robinson follows with a good issue, as the Kryptonians capture all of Superman's villains and exile them to the Phantom Zone - killing a few Metropolis police while abducting the Parasite from prison. You can understand Alura's concerns about surrendering any Kryptonian to Earthly justice and her fears that human want her people dead, but she's such a hardass about it that you don't really mind that her leadership is going to get 100,000 people killed by the end of this arc. Then it's Johns, with an oddly forgettable brawl issue - apparently the Creature Commandos trademark was near to lapsing, because they and Ultra the Multi-Alien are shoehorned clumsily and needlessly into the issue. They offer no perspective on the conflict nor do they play into its resolution. Zor-El gets killed, which does an effective job of moving along the Kryptonians distrust of Earth.
Gates wraps up the brawl and has Alura treating Kara and Clark like jerks, solid enough, particularly the scenes of Kara and Clark together, unsure how to proceed. There are a few Nightwing/Flamebird scenes, and a Superwoman scene, but they're largely meaningless at this point.
Robinson writes JLA vs. Kryptonians, and it's kind of lame. I mean, if it's really that easy for Black Lightning to change the color of lightning (not solar radiation, just lightning) and take down a Kryptonian - or that easy for Guardian to hit one over the head with a shield - I mean, Superman's not really that hard to beat, is he? Then some lame-looking magic users show up. Johns wraps it up - I did like Superman whaling on the head of Kryptonian security for his arrogance. Some more Lex/Sam Lane stuff, just their tense working relationship, nothing terribly interesting. Oh, and Zod is freed.
++++++++++++++
I enjoy v. 1 mostly. And I enjoy v. 2 mostly, as well, but some cracks are showing. Gates basically wastes the first issue explaining all the contradictory Supergirl behaviors readers had seen in the early Kara Zor-El reintroduction stories. Robinson follows with a good issue, as the Kryptonians capture all of Superman's villains and exile them to the Phantom Zone - killing a few Metropolis police while abducting the Parasite from prison. You can understand Alura's concerns about surrendering any Kryptonian to Earthly justice and her fears that human want her people dead, but she's such a hardass about it that you don't really mind that her leadership is going to get 100,000 people killed by the end of this arc. Then it's Johns, with an oddly forgettable brawl issue - apparently the Creature Commandos trademark was near to lapsing, because they and Ultra the Multi-Alien are shoehorned clumsily and needlessly into the issue. They offer no perspective on the conflict nor do they play into its resolution. Zor-El gets killed, which does an effective job of moving along the Kryptonians distrust of Earth.
Gates wraps up the brawl and has Alura treating Kara and Clark like jerks, solid enough, particularly the scenes of Kara and Clark together, unsure how to proceed. There are a few Nightwing/Flamebird scenes, and a Superwoman scene, but they're largely meaningless at this point.
Robinson writes JLA vs. Kryptonians, and it's kind of lame. I mean, if it's really that easy for Black Lightning to change the color of lightning (not solar radiation, just lightning) and take down a Kryptonian - or that easy for Guardian to hit one over the head with a shield - I mean, Superman's not really that hard to beat, is he? Then some lame-looking magic users show up. Johns wraps it up - I did like Superman whaling on the head of Kryptonian security for his arrogance. Some more Lex/Sam Lane stuff, just their tense working relationship, nothing terribly interesting. Oh, and Zod is freed.
September 26, 2023
Tensions rise between earth and Krypton. Whatever will Superman do?
New heroes are emerging on New Krypton, inspired by Superman, while others work to begin taking over Earth. Superman must keep the peace, protecting both of his peoples in some very tense and direct confrontations.
I loved the emotional and family drama as Supergirl's parents take different sides. One wants to make peace, the other to conquer earth, both hoping this will bring security to their people. The tension is high and explodes in some pretty awesome story and character moments.
Meanwhile General Lane, Superman's father-in-law, is conspiring with Lex to destroy these alien invaders, using both Doomsday and Metallo to wage a cold war on New Krypton. Great conflict here and I enjoyed seeing a lot of Superman's lore come into play as they forge weapons to fight New Krypton.
Near the end of this volume, we get a very important event that completely changes the story going forward. Superman can no longer idly stand by and must decide, which home will he stand with when war comes? Can Earth hope to defend herself from such a great threat? Great story of both sides acting fully in the right (and wrong) with something larger brewing. Very much looking forward to the next volume. I just wish Nightwing and Flamebird were more than gratuitous cameos...
New heroes are emerging on New Krypton, inspired by Superman, while others work to begin taking over Earth. Superman must keep the peace, protecting both of his peoples in some very tense and direct confrontations.
I loved the emotional and family drama as Supergirl's parents take different sides. One wants to make peace, the other to conquer earth, both hoping this will bring security to their people. The tension is high and explodes in some pretty awesome story and character moments.
Meanwhile General Lane, Superman's father-in-law, is conspiring with Lex to destroy these alien invaders, using both Doomsday and Metallo to wage a cold war on New Krypton. Great conflict here and I enjoyed seeing a lot of Superman's lore come into play as they forge weapons to fight New Krypton.
Near the end of this volume, we get a very important event that completely changes the story going forward. Superman can no longer idly stand by and must decide, which home will he stand with when war comes? Can Earth hope to defend herself from such a great threat? Great story of both sides acting fully in the right (and wrong) with something larger brewing. Very much looking forward to the next volume. I just wish Nightwing and Flamebird were more than gratuitous cameos...
May 11, 2023
Tension between the people of Earth and the newly arrived Kryptonians of Kandor continue to rise until the Kandorians decide to pre-emptively kidnap many of Superman's enemies, killing several of the police officers guarding them in the process. With the super-powered multitudes of Kandor on one side and the Justice League on the other, only Superman and Supergirl stand a chance of bridging the divide.
This is much more the sort of story I had hoped Volume One would be, focusing on the tensions between superhuman squatters and the paranoid and reactionary human race. I also liked that we got a lot more of the emotional fallout affecting Superman and Supergirl, who find themselves forced to choose sides in a burgeoning conflict.
The writers also intelligently make sure that suspicion and jingoism is present on both sides, rather than having one or the other be the clear aggressor. It makes for a more morally complex story than we might otherwise have gotten.
Despite all that, however, I still felt like this book was lacking some key element. I can't really pinpoint exactly what it was, but whilst an improvement over the first book, this still felt slightly disappointing somehow.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
This is much more the sort of story I had hoped Volume One would be, focusing on the tensions between superhuman squatters and the paranoid and reactionary human race. I also liked that we got a lot more of the emotional fallout affecting Superman and Supergirl, who find themselves forced to choose sides in a burgeoning conflict.
The writers also intelligently make sure that suspicion and jingoism is present on both sides, rather than having one or the other be the clear aggressor. It makes for a more morally complex story than we might otherwise have gotten.
Despite all that, however, I still felt like this book was lacking some key element. I can't really pinpoint exactly what it was, but whilst an improvement over the first book, this still felt slightly disappointing somehow.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
March 3, 2024
This was a step up from the first volume. Things are finally shaping up to be a great story, and I actually enjoy the slow burn of new Krypton's development. I really miss this era of Superman comics, its been a long time coming for the Superman teams to get their crap together (which is finally happening in the current runs with a pretty good interconnectedness of the books). Really excited to see this develop further, been wanting to read this story arch for a while.
One thing I haven't enjoyed as much is Alura, she's not nearly as nuanced as I wanted her to be, she just read as evil. But I do like the complicatedness of the Kryptonians opinions on the world. Love the Supergirl representation, although I don't like her and Superman getting into a physical confrontation. Not because I don't think Supergirl can hold her own against the Man of Steel, but just because it doesn't really make sense for them to fight. This is still when superheroes constantly have to punch for their readers to buy the books, but I don't think that's nearly as much of a problem in the current era of comics.
One thing I haven't enjoyed as much is Alura, she's not nearly as nuanced as I wanted her to be, she just read as evil. But I do like the complicatedness of the Kryptonians opinions on the world. Love the Supergirl representation, although I don't like her and Superman getting into a physical confrontation. Not because I don't think Supergirl can hold her own against the Man of Steel, but just because it doesn't really make sense for them to fight. This is still when superheroes constantly have to punch for their readers to buy the books, but I don't think that's nearly as much of a problem in the current era of comics.
June 28, 2017
The second volume of this wide sweeping superman epic is filled with development and some very interesting action. While Superman and Supergirl attempt to keep Kryptonians in line and at peace with earth, those looking to eliminate the man of steel begin to see their labor pay off. Also, the house of El begins to divide and thus New Krypton truly takes shape. These issues are filled with a great number of appearances from lesser known or non superman characters, we get a few small moments from various plot lines that show this story in only beginning to unfold. It is sad to think that much of what could have been used here got wiped away. It may have not been the shot in the arm that new 52 was, but I think that Superman and other books really could have found the success they have currently have if events like this had shaped a new vision for the dc universe. Either way this is still a good read.
July 24, 2025
There are so many good ideas here but DC just flies through them. The pacing here is awful. There some huge moments that no one gets time to react to and the story just moves along. Here, the New Kryptonians are not assimilating to Earth very well and things get heated. Kara's emotions were great but I wished we got to see more time with Clark dealing with both his loss and sadness for what's happening with New Krypton. There are multiple mysterious characters bouncing around and these stories bump. Why? There is so much going on and it felt like the writers were unsure where things were going then they were there. The art was fine but unspectacular. Overall, some really big, impactful moments with no time to breathe.
April 17, 2020
Bear in mind, I've not read vol 1, this was a random pick-up my brother gave me.
Story seemed all over the place, felt like there were bits missing, so extreme were some of the narrative jumps. Didn't enjoy it.
Story seemed all over the place, felt like there were bits missing, so extreme were some of the narrative jumps. Didn't enjoy it.
August 26, 2025
Este compilado está mucho mas entretenido. Obvio, como lo he venido diciendo es mas fácil entenderlo si estás siguiendo los números anteriores. Alura ya está presentando sus cartas y al final, cuando Kandor se desprende de la Tierra y se transforma en un planeta propio, wow.
October 18, 2017
oh how did I miss this chapter of Superman.
Really good work.
Really good work.
May 26, 2021
কাহিনী জমে উঠছে আস্তে আস্তে! মনে হচ্ছে Man of Steel এর সিকুয়েল দেখছি।
September 2, 2025
The parallel plot lines of the US government up to shady stuff and the New Kryptonians sliding into fascism are compelling, trying to balance them is proving difficult for this story though.
October 21, 2025
I like superman and lover the Alex Ross cover
January 10, 2019
Story continues as 100,000 Kryptonians released from their miniaturized state for several years have returned to life on the planet Earth. Unfortunately, after the events of the first collection, it became clear that their presence is no longer welcome on Earth. In fact, the once believed slain General Sam Lane is making it his mission to fight back against these alien beings.
The city of Kandor is finding their presence on Earth troubling as many Kryptonians being led by Supergirl’s father Zor-El are facing troubles. Interestingly the initial part of this story involving Supergirl and her family pretty much reboots some of her mistaken or faked memories ever since her character was brought back into DC’s continuity in the mid-2000s, specifically when she debuted in the Superman/Batman Vol. 2 stories. Some might think it a cop-out to have her character associated with her parents who are still alive. From there the story of Supergirl and Kandor essentially restore some of the old Pre-Crisis era Supergirl for the present day. Kandor isn’t destroyed on Krypton but instead survives to be captured by Brainiac.
On Earth, things go from bad to worse as beings deemed a threat to Krypton are rounded up by Krypton’s military as well as other characters assisting the US Government, including the Justice League. Bizarro, Metallo, Silver Banshee, Toyman, Parasite, and others are taken while things get bad for the Kryptonians.
But a resolution is found when the city of Kandor becomes something more, something bigger.
It’s an awesome story one that I’m eager to continue. B+
The city of Kandor is finding their presence on Earth troubling as many Kryptonians being led by Supergirl’s father Zor-El are facing troubles. Interestingly the initial part of this story involving Supergirl and her family pretty much reboots some of her mistaken or faked memories ever since her character was brought back into DC’s continuity in the mid-2000s, specifically when she debuted in the Superman/Batman Vol. 2 stories. Some might think it a cop-out to have her character associated with her parents who are still alive. From there the story of Supergirl and Kandor essentially restore some of the old Pre-Crisis era Supergirl for the present day. Kandor isn’t destroyed on Krypton but instead survives to be captured by Brainiac.
On Earth, things go from bad to worse as beings deemed a threat to Krypton are rounded up by Krypton’s military as well as other characters assisting the US Government, including the Justice League. Bizarro, Metallo, Silver Banshee, Toyman, Parasite, and others are taken while things get bad for the Kryptonians.
But a resolution is found when the city of Kandor becomes something more, something bigger.
It’s an awesome story one that I’m eager to continue. B+
August 9, 2014
The arrival of Kandor on Earth continues to drive the second volume of the New Krypton collection. While Supergirl is finding love and attention in the arms of her returned parents, a coalition of Kryptonian soldiers are abducting Superman's rogues to send them to the Phantom Zone. The tensions mount when human Science Police offers are killed during the theft of Parasite, forcing Superman to confront Supergirl's parents about the murders. When Metallo and Reactron are brought in - only to serve as trojan horse assassins - the assault leads to a schism between Earth and Kandor. With an army of Earth's heroes at their doorstep, the Kryptonians opt to establish Kandor as its own planet and begin life anew. Once again, the New Krypton volume seems to pick and choose which tales are included between its cover pages, bouncing readers through the story with little regard for its flow. The abducted villains are dumped in with Mon-El, hinting at a further confrontation that is never explored. The mysterious new Superwoman arrives to make friends with Supergirl, but only has 10 panels dedicated to her appearance. Even the military conspiracy of General Lane and Lex Luthor is barely touched upon, if only to allow Reactron to be reintroduced to readers. As much as one wishes to get into this intriguing story arc, the absent pieces continue leave New Krypton in shambles, much like its original predecessor.
January 12, 2011
The New Krypton storyline was hurt by not getting the focus it needed. I don't have as as many problems with big crossovers as I do Marvel and DC rushing some events that should get a more wide focused approach to them. Now it seems like its not just one big event but one big one with several small ones and then followed by next big one.
Marvel seems to have had a more focused approach to their crossovers than DC when it comes to mulitpale book storylines but they also looks now like they are also falling into the same fast track trap DC itself into a lot. Example Shadowland.
New Krypton had the weight to be on the same scale and have the same focus as Blackest Night but just as with Amazons Attack DC dropped the ball. But dropped the ball with the symbol of the company. Now I know most people like Batman more but Superman is the symbol of DC Comics. Hell, he's the symbol of American comics period.
As to Superman: New Krypton Volume 2 I enjoyed it but I was distracted by how good I thought it could have been. Besides a bunch of cameos and one battle this story only lightly touched the overall DC Universe. This is what would have happen if they had tried to keep Blackest Night in only the Green Lantern books. The artwork is spot on but I so wish this story had went company wide on a large scale.
Marvel seems to have had a more focused approach to their crossovers than DC when it comes to mulitpale book storylines but they also looks now like they are also falling into the same fast track trap DC itself into a lot. Example Shadowland.
New Krypton had the weight to be on the same scale and have the same focus as Blackest Night but just as with Amazons Attack DC dropped the ball. But dropped the ball with the symbol of the company. Now I know most people like Batman more but Superman is the symbol of DC Comics. Hell, he's the symbol of American comics period.
As to Superman: New Krypton Volume 2 I enjoyed it but I was distracted by how good I thought it could have been. Besides a bunch of cameos and one battle this story only lightly touched the overall DC Universe. This is what would have happen if they had tried to keep Blackest Night in only the Green Lantern books. The artwork is spot on but I so wish this story had went company wide on a large scale.
January 12, 2011
I really think Vol 1 should have been combined with this publication. 5 or 6 issue books split down from an 11 or 12 issue arc just seems ridiculous and rather ruthless marketeering. £30 for both volumes is the only reason this happens. Also a combined book would have better absorbed all the Jimmy Olson stuff from Vol 1. I'm never a big fan of crossovers though this one was at least limited to three titles: Action Comics, Superman, and Supergirl and was aided by the green pentagon numbering.
Not bad story and there's plenty of really dramatic moments. Holds together consistently considering the potential train wreck from the combination of 3 separate writers and 4 artists.
Not bad story and there's plenty of really dramatic moments. Holds together consistently considering the potential train wreck from the combination of 3 separate writers and 4 artists.
March 2, 2011
A lot more inconsistent, and even more characters are introduced seemingly at random, but I'm still hooked. Jimmy barely shows up and some plot threads are reduced to single panels in certain issues, creating an uneven pace, but also some nice urgency.
Superman asks for the Kryptonian murderers a few times only to be distracted by a subject change and then seems to forget about it. Other than that, he's characterized very well. The Supergirl titles here are very good (finally, some direction in that title), and so is the art overall (still a little confused by Pete Woods' sloppiness).
Bring on World of New Krypton!
Superman asks for the Kryptonian murderers a few times only to be distracted by a subject change and then seems to forget about it. Other than that, he's characterized very well. The Supergirl titles here are very good (finally, some direction in that title), and so is the art overall (still a little confused by Pete Woods' sloppiness).
Bring on World of New Krypton!
June 27, 2012
Well, it wasn't a bad continuation of the plot line from the first volume, but it did end up falling into the usual superhero tropes pitting two groups of superpowered characters against each other based upon a catalyzing action. If you're not up to date on your Superman mythos as well, there might be some characters you don't know anything about and it's still a mystery how Kandor ended up on Earth (I'm not caught up on Superman mythos) and what the point of capturing Superman's cadre of supervillains was, but I'm sure that'll come into play in later volumes. Lastly, the art... it's a real mixed bag again. Some of it is decent, but some is downright amateur.
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