Review: Superman #9

Superman #9 came out last week, the second chapter of The Unity Saga, and another chapter in the hard life of Jon Kent. I have to say, it has been hard to read these last two Superman books in the same month that I am also reading the fun-loving anime style Superboy in Adventures of the Super Sons. In this issue, writer Brian Michael Bendis continues to put our friend through the physical and psychological wringer. It isn't easy to read sometimes.

The Superman book as a whole has overall been the lesser of the two super-books on the shelves and part of that has to do with the whole family dynamic being played up here. We went from Peter Tomasi's super-family, heading to the town fair and going on vacation together, to this unit, split up through time and space, not even living together. I still don't know if I quite understand Lois and Clark's relationship these days and this issue continues that confusion.

And while Jon might be proud of his personal growth during his lost years, it seems that growth through abandonment and torture will never be as good as growth through love and nurturing. How can this poor kid, faced first with his genocidal schizophrenic grandfather, than the evil version of his father, and then the evil version of his mother ever live through it unmarred.

The issue's art is again split between Ivan Reis and Brandon Peterson. Reis does the present day stuff and continues to draw a classic Superman. Peterson brings a softer touch to Jon's flashbacks. His work on expression is fantastic, especially given how terrified and brutalized Jon is here.

But this remains something of a storyline I wish would not have happened. It still makes little sense, especially given that it started with Jon heading off with Jor-El and Lois leaving him there.

On to the book.

The book opens on World Peace Day, a day when Superman and his family will be celebrated. After all, World Peace Day came about because of Superman's efforts.

But this is a flash-forward. Superman has a raven-haired super-daughter who looks to be in her teens. Kara is something of a Superwoman.

And I would advise people to look carefully into the crowd. Jimmy is married (to maybe Talia?) with a young son. There are second and sometimes third generation heroes present.Fascinating.

General Zod and his family arrive to also honor Superman and to perhaps promote a more galactic or universal peace. But before he can even shake hands with Clark, a marauding horde flies in behind. Or is that the arrival of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Some of those outlines seem awfully familiar. (Can we just get a Legion book on the shelves!)

Then, oddly enough, it turns out this has been something of a vision or a daydream by Superman. He admits he hasn't slept in some time and probably should.

It is similar to the drunken vision Zod had in Superman #5.

Of course, in the past, I have reviewed Superman #365 which showed (that at least in the Bronze Age), Kryptonians needed to sleep so they could dream.

I can't help but think that this is also a vision of Zod being propped up as bait at some point in the future, the hordes of Rogol Zaar right behind him.

Snapped out of his vision, Superman seems a bit groggy.

Lois succinctly sums up the situation and tells Clark that he needs to be 'front and center'. This is a big problem. So when Superman says 'we have this', it is almost to simple a response. How can they 'have this' when they don't even know the problem, the history, or the threat.

Lois' surprised face shows just how odd a response that was. Great work by Reis there.

But it just adds another layer of awkwardness to the already odd current Lois/Clark dynamic. I just don't get this relationship.

Last issue ended with Jon ending up on Earth 3 and being confronted by the Crime Syndicate

Before the whole team can lay the beat down, Ultraman scoops Jon up and drops him into the middle of a volcano. And now the psychological torture begins.

First off, Ultraman looks just like his father. And Ultraman basically maroons Jon in this place. He berates him. And he takes pleasure in the fact that Jon has to suffer this isolation and emotional barrage from someone wearing Clark's face.

What's worse is because of this world, Jon retains his invulnerability and super-strength but can't fly.

Okay, I guess I have to roll with this somehow. I mean, it makes the setting of the volcano (a sort of hellish landscape) possible.

Again, nice art by Peterson showing how frightened Jon is at being stuck there.

During the story, Clark gets upset wondering how long Jon was there. I suppose hearing your son was traumatized has to bother him. But then again, if you were so worried, why would you send him home with Mr. Oz.

Even Jon has to admit he was waiting to be saved by Superman *or* Jor-El. But no one came.

Throughout the issue, we see Ultraman's psychological attacks. While he did punch Jon once, it was mostly more screaming and taunting. Wearing Clark's face while he says that this torture might bring out some true potential in Jon is terrible.

Is this a sort of 'Killing Joke' with Ultraman trying to break Jon.

In the end, it looks like Jon breaks him. We read this page and hear how miserable Ultraman is, crying and talking and talking and crying.

I did like this page set up. In the back of my head, it reminded me of Reis' cover of Superman #1.
But more importantly, the word placement, Jon's inner thoughts, cover up the bulk of Ultraman. It shows graphically that he didn't equate Ultraman with his father. He didn't see that doppelganger face or even the phony shield. This is just a faceless sad man.

Nice use of those text boxes to convey that message even if it covers up finished art.

Ultimately, Jon figures out Ultraman's patterns, recognizing that when the villain suffers an emotional breakdown that he won't be back any time soon.  After one such episode, Jon decides to escape. He blocks the volcano from erupting, blowing it up beneath Jon's feet and setting him free.

From there, we have a super-hobo tramping across the country, trying to be a hero in a lawless world.

Yes, I get that Jon is proud of making his way cross country and helping people. But what a life for a kid, on the run and hunted.

But if no one is going to save him, he has to save himself. He breaks into the Hall of Injustice to try and find a way home. It is there he runs into ... his mother.

So after an issue of emotional torture by his 'father', my guess is we will have an issue of physical torture from Jon's 'mother'. And I don't know if I want to read that any more than I wanted to read this.

I guess I have to wait this one out. I hope, somehow, that Jon is still that happy-go-lucky kid who was a foil to Damian. But I can't imagine that is true. Who'd think that I would miss Rogol Zaar?

Overall grade: C

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