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"GGT," sputters Lex while deflecting one bullet with his teeth (!) and smashing another with the palm of his hand. That's probably one of my absolute favour panels in this entire series. Then Lex stepping across a molten door, lit up from behind by the flaming skeletons of his "executioners" -- the raised fist adulation of other Death Row inmates. Just a little reminder of the new blueprint for society that Lex boasted about back in Five.
Nasthalthia just hangin', house-sittin' for her old uncle Lexie, a trashy bachelor's apartment under the streets. The detailing for the lair's wardrobe choices strewn along the walls! The plastic-ring-belted yellow number, pantsless with a built in bubble-helmet next to an old Kryptonite robot, its radiations presumably already dead.
Exo-gene-enhanced individuals do not seem to be susceptible to Kryptonite (Lexie has a ton of it just lying 'round his lair) or red sunlight. What would happen if Clark consumed exo-gene potion? Would it, I don't know, do away with his weaknesses? Would it cure his illness?
Love the casual examination Lexie gives the broken door-hinge of his lair with X-Ray vision. Quitely's firing all kinds of mad off-hand images at us this time 'round.
Sparky, faux-Flash multi-image Lexie running 'round, building Death-bots for Nasthalthia march over Metropolis with. I love that panel -- "Don't just stand there like a statue! Observe!" Poor Lex, he's having unrecognized difficulty dealing with fresh super-powers. She isn't standing still, darling. You're moving too fast.
"So how cool am I?" God, does he need validation! Basically, stop looking at Superman and tell me how great I am. Nasty, she knows what he wants: "You wouldn't believe how many people really hate him. All that goody, goody-goody sentimental crap." Lex and Nasty prefer to read All-Star Batman, after all.
"Time to get changed." Both Men of Steel have to put on new outfits to reflect their current status. Lex dresses to impress, to be a gleaming green-and-purple bridegroom while Clark pulls on his Battle of the Planets white bridal gear. "I've been planning my wedding day," says Nasty. "I'll be standing on an asteroid hurtling towards Earth with my undead groom...we'll exchange vows, commit suicide, and bring about mass species extinction at the same time." Nasty likes to multi-task.
Nasty sounds like a nihilistic doppleganger of a Charles Stross post-singularity character, but that's neither here nor there.
One robot left to guard the fortress and await mankind's elevation to Kryptonian-status, at which point they can open the vault -- who else is guessing that Lex follows Bar-El and Lilo's lead, zooming to the Antarctic to take a look around his hopefully future palace? I love the detail of all those footprints in the snow as the robots gather about their beloved maker.
Solaris totally narrows hir eye at the Man of Steel, as if to say, "Bite me."
Robot 7! He loved you anyway!
Why exactly do Jimmy and Lois need to get to Stryker's Island? "...you two are so post-mortem..." My god, I really want Nasthalthia to be brought over to the mainstream, at least for a story or two. She's brilliant! Like a better developed version of Toon-Legion's Alexis Luthor. Jimmy Olsen's Catwoman! "Get my good side, that's all...or I'll find your house and disintegrate you and your pets." She deserves her own spin-off.
Love the detail of the nuclear surgery Clark conducts on Solaris. The blast is beautiful. Also: everybody in Metropolis has a satellite dish.
Superman's Eye view of Metropolis.
As if to discredit Tarantino's ridiculous Superman monologue from Kill Bill 2, Superman's last act is all about filing the story as Clark Kent.
Next issue? Does Lois Lane follow Jimmy's lead by downing some Doomsday potion to smack around Lex? Do the Daily Planet staff save the world, inspired by their fallen hero? Will Clark wake up enough for he and Lois to finally talk about how they feel? Aah! |
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