SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #127
"Pantheon, Part 2: Scenes From a Marrige Between Heaven and Earth"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Mark Schultz
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inks: Walden Wong
Colors: Tanya & Richard Horie
Letters: Ken Lopez
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Schultz and Guichet provide a solid, fun super-hero story with a couple of strong scenes that gives this divinely themed plot an earthly foundation. Now, this is far from the most cutting-edge Superman story we've seen, but it's a satisfying, entertaining one. Some strong designs, vibrant colors and sharp dialogue combine for a good read, and the Wonder Woman appearance thankfully doesn't come off as forced (unlike another hero's role in this story).
Lois, now the Goddess of Integrity, rushes off to put her new divine powers to good use, and Superman finds he's unable to follow her, as the evil gods who put this plot into action hold him up with some good, old-fashioned violence. As the Man of Steel struggles to defeat not one, but five corrupt gods, Lois pays a visit to a family member, only to find Diana, Princess of the Amazons, there. It seems Wonder Woman's ben alerted to a cosmic disturbance, and Lois is that ripple in reality.
Guichet injects a lot of energy into the visuals, and not just because the plot calls for a lot of action. All of the characters exude power and a sense of majesty. His designs for the quintet of evil gods are quite striking as well. The Hories bring a sense of the cosmic to the book with some shockingly bright colors, conveying the energy and power that these characters possess. There are a couple of scenes that look a bit rushed, but overall, the visuals here are strong.
"Pantheon" is essentially a traditional super-hero story, but it's got some strong, down-to-earth emotion at its heart. Still, the traditional side of things is a lot of fun. The title character's battle with the evil gods is a fun romp, and it reinforces the notion that there's more to Superman than just brawn.
The greatest strength of this book, though, is Lois's confusion and sadness. Schultz delivers some strong, plausible dialogue that gets to the heart of the story, and that plausible tone is quite a feat, given the circumstances of the plot and characters. I was thoroughly pleased that she and Wonder Woman just had a conversation. No jealousy, no stereotypical fight scene between heroes. The Superman writers have crafted an odd, complex but ultimately fascinating relationship between Diana and Lois in recent years, and I'd love to see more of it.
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