Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor sees Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch tell the story of the Man of Steel as he frantically attempts to save the life of his greatest nemesis, whose body is dying after being exposed to Kryptonite (again?) during a laboratory accident. This odyssey for a cure will take this pair of lifelong enemies from bottle cities to other-dimensional prisons, deep underwater to the far future, all the while allowing Superman to think back to the earliest days of their relationship as he attempts to prevent the loss of his greatest opponent.
I've always loved Mark Waid's work. From my first encounter with his writings on the Fantastic Four to Superman: Birthright and even his own series' Irredeemable and Incorruptible, I've always felt he is one of the industry's greatest writers. However, I've struggled to connect with his work in recent years (Invisible Woman probably being the exception). Therefore, I was greatly relieved when I read the first issue of this series way back when. Waid's famously (seemingly) unlimited knowledge of comics and Superman in particular works to this titles advantage as he writes a Superman who never gives up, never goes against his own personal code and, despite the lifetime of animosity between them, gives up on the idea that Luthor could be better.
In fact, it's Waid's characterisation of the two leads which truly makes this story. Their dynamic is so well known but Waid seems to really push deeper into the reasons for both men having acted the ways they have throughout history, using the plot of trying to save Lex Luthor's life as a magnifying glass to their real feelings and why, for over 80 years, they have been at odds. Unfortunately, the final issue's twist and finale seem like a complete about face to the more character focused story of the first two issues, entering a third player to force these two even closer together. However, I do find myself wondering how much of that is truly the story and how much is the conditioning comics has performed on me that the status quo must never be messed with.
On the art side, Bryan Hitch feels like he was a prefect choice to bring this series to life. Hitch's ultra-realistic style (which, admittedly, I've never always gotten on with), works so well with Waid's script as it brings the two main characters so incredibly to life, while also showing every emotion and interaction with such incredible detail that I felt it really helped enhance my commitment to the story.
Despite an incredibly long hiatus between the first issue and the rest of the series, Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor is a really great series. It is a great insight to one of the greatest rivalries in comics as well as fantastic representation of the Man of Steel.
