It’s part 3 of The Oz Effect arc!
After the shocking information of Oz’s survival of Krypton is revealed to Superman, doubts begin to settle in. Meanwhile, the Daily Planet faces terrorist attack by a citizen who is a follower of Oz. as the whole world is in disarray on a global, moral, and political scale how can Superman hope to hold society together? Is Mr. Oz truly Jor El? How will Lois and Jon, save the Daily Planet along with themselves? and who will save them if Superman can’t?
Jurgens continues to weave a great tale that tests the limits of Superman’s moral. Challenging him in situations that require more than just action. Jurgens is no stranger to Superman, so when it comes to crafting a tale such as this, it’s exciting to see how Superman will be shaken and tested with all of the horrors that are plaguing humanity across the globe. What’s great about this issue is seeing how each of these characters react to these real-world situations where there isn’t a real easy answer. while yes, it’s fiction, and yes the issues presented such as war, famine etc are all present, Jurgens knows how to maintain a good story, presenting such issues without being too preachy, but getting the message across that as times change, one must have to adjust to each situation presented without getting ahead of themselves. Seeing Superman make a choice between stopping a war within a country, stopping nuclear bombs or otherwise, and having to make careful decisions, but trying to be as careful while also being instinctive is great to see. Because that is who Superman is, he’s not an idiot. but to see him begin to doubt his own faith in humanity, and seeing Oz making moves amongst all the chaos really drives the narrative of this issue. Is humanity really worth saving? Can they be saved if they can’t save themselves? It’s great to see Jurgens play with this subject matter. it’s not the first time it’s been done, but it’s not often that it’s done with great execution either. Some of the best parts of this story is Lois Lane trying to stop a mad bomber from blowing up the Daily Planet. Jurgens has a great understanding and a distinctive voice that gives Lois Lane more character than she has had in a long time. (But that’s because pre 52 Lois was always a level-headed individual) and it’s great to always see that present within the story as well as when Jurgens is writing her. There are some other cool moments that I’ll leave for readers to discover, but it holds some interesting directions for Superboy, Jon Kent.
Viktor Bagdanovic’s art continues to give the book a great visual flair. In a way, it would be cool to see Greg Capullo and Bagdanovic drawing a book together since they have art styles that are distinct yet resemble one another. Which isn’t bad, because The Arc really benefits from a lot of Bagdanovic’s art executes the situations that occur within the issue with great focus and energy. Each character and panel is drawn out creatively, especially one of the splash pages that feature the credits and title of the arc, showcasing Superman in shock of a lot of the tragedies occurring in various places around the world. The way it’s drawn out provides great imagery of horrible situations that couldn’t be done by anyone else. The Inks and Colors are also great so there isn’t much more that needs to be said about that.
Jurgens and Co are continuing a fantastic job with this arc and this issue does not disappoint. I only hope that it has a strong conclusion when the arc is completed.
Newsdesk