Well, the "Ending Battle" storyline is behind us, but sadly, the Super-titles haven't recovered... not yet. Austen offers up a fairly generic story that tries to explore the Man of Steel as just a man, but the storytelling just doesn't ring true. Superman's behavior is so over the top that it stretches credibility too far. The artwork is fairly generic as well. Overall, some new energy needs to be injected into the Superman line of titles... and soon.
Though the attacks by Manchester Black and the hordes of super-villains are behind them and life has returned to normal in Metropolis, the strain is still showing... especially when it comes to the city's most famous citizen. Superman is not himself, handling criminals -- metahuman and otherwise -- far more roughly than normal. He's even cracking jokes. Lois Lane sets out to find out what's threatening to push him over the edge.
Derenick's fill-in work on this issue reminds me of the style of Tom Grummett a little bit, but it's actually more reminiscent of Bob McLeod's work on the Super-titles from more than a decade ago. McLeod's work has a softer quality to it, as does Derenick's work here. Unfortunately, the story calls for a harsher, edgier look. Furthermore, Derenick's artwork on this issue is nowhere nearly as strong and exciting as it was on Marvel's Nightside, his last major assignment.
While I'm pleased "Ending Battle" is over and done with, the seemingly complete lack of a fallout from such a climactic development in the lives of Superman and the other citizens of Metropolis just doesn't add up. Lois Lane was tortured by a metahuman, but there seems to be no physical or psychological scars. Metropolis was razed and transformed, but the citizenry goes about its business. Where are the stories about the fallout? About plummetting real-estate values? About the crooks trying to take advantage?
The biggest problem with this issue is that Austen's explanation of what forces such a radical personality shift in the Man of Steel just doesn't ring true. On the surface, maybe a small tragedy could do it, but the execution here just doesn't convince me. The connection between the title character and the unfortunate victim comes off as too superficial to merit such a drastic reaction to her death. Instead, we get overwrought melodrama.
