Closing out the comics from my July Pull List (as well as the first 500 posts on this blog. Wow!), this morning I read Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 by Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch.
This story is pretty much as the title suggests when, after orchestrating a major catastrophe just to get his attention, Lex Luthor informs Superman that he is dying. However, rather than accept the impending shuffle from this mortal coil, Luthor asks for the Man of Steel's help in finding a cure, beginning a journey for the two throughout the world and beyond.
When I first saw this title announced with Mark Waid's name attached, I knew it would be something special and it didn't fail to disappoint post reading. Waid, with his rather well known encyclopedic knowledge of comics lore, has crafted a story which feels intrinsically Superman in every action, word and feeling.
The issue, while for the most part, very quiet and methodical really spoke to me with this unspoken subtext: how does the Man of Steel balance such a choice; help his greatest villain or break his very code of existing. I think Waid really hammers this home with flashbacks of a younger pair's interactions.
I've just read another comic drawn by Bryan Hitch and, once again, I struggle to see another perfect choice to get Waid's words across. Hitch's style really lends towards the detail needed to get the prior mentioned feelings across. The only difference here to Invasion is that Kevin Nowlan's Inks and David Baron's colours really change the look entirely, giving it a vibe more like (aptly enough) Brian Azzerello's Luthor series.
In the end, the only downside for me is the size of the comic, as its one of those larger formats which has no backing board nor can fit into my short box. Beyond that though, this is a truly captivating rendition of a truly classic feeling Superman and I already can't wait for the next issue (in a whole two months time, booooo).
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