THIS WEEK: The new Black Label book, The Last Days of Lex Luthor, has arrived. Plus, we check in on the DC Universe’s continuing bout of Knight Terrors.
Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
The Last Days of Lex Luthor
Writer: Mark Waid
Pencils: Bryan Hitch
Inks: Kevin Nowlan
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith
I have just returned from San Diego Comic-Con, so you’ll have to forgive me for brain fog, but I have now read The Last Days of Lex Luthor, and friends? I thought it was good. I will start by doing the brief plot rundown thing for those who are not familiar with the concept. This series is an out-of-continuity Black Label book, focused tightly on the relationship between Superman and Lex Luthor, which is exactly as you’ve come to expect it with a major notable plot point introduced — Lex is dying and has implored Superman to save him.
That’s our premise here, and it’s strong enough. What’s really the strength of this book though is the execution, and within that, there were a few elements that stood out to me, chief among them the scope. This book is the type of Black Label series that offers readers an over-sized experience, both in terms of the printed size of the book and the page length, which spans 50 pages. Mark Waid’s script makes the most of the extra room, patiently easing into the action.
I really enjoyed the opening of this series. It’s grandiose, to be sure, involving a major disaster and a giant robot and Superman rushing to the rescue and the artwork of Bryan Hitch, which looks amazing inked by Kevin Nowlan and colored by David Baron. Yet, there’s almost a sense of restraint to it at the same time, or at least patience. There’s a framing sequence around a memory that shows how deep the Superman-Lex relationship is, hinting at more of a life-long exploration of their dynamic, and the earliest pages really limit captioning, giving the art so much room to breath.
It all works well for the book, and lets readers know right away that they are in for a thoughtful, well-considered story. The actual showdown between Lex and Superman is fairly typical. Lex is cunning and manipulative, and Superman is compassionate and easily-manipulated by Lex, wanting as he does to see the best in him, etc. Yet, it doesn’t feel tired or dull. Part of that is the dynamic is just so perfect, always has been (as that one meme says). The other part of it is that the book essentially finds new ground by intensely considering something familiar. It gives the dynamic we know so much attention, that it starts to feel like we haven’t seen it like this before, not exactly.
I was probably always going to enjoy this book, such is my own relationship to the Superman-Lex dynamic, as well as to the work of the involved creators. Still, I think this one should comfortably find a large audience, looking for a new story that takes familiar bits of Superman mythos and considers them carefully in outsized, grandiose fashion.
Verdict: BUY
The Round-Up
The Knight Terrors event rolled on this week, and the main book delved deeper into Wesley Dodds and his role here, which I enjoyed. What I’m liking most about this event though is the horror-tinged nightmare idea is giving us a chance to see some unusual characters (Dodds among them) at the center of a major DCU-wide storyline. The variety is a big strength here. This one is by writer Joshua Williamson; artists Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard; colorist Frank Martin; and letterer Troy Peteri.- I also really enjoyed Knight Terrors Harley Quinn #1, which was illustrated by one of my favorite rising comics artists, Hayden Sherman. Colored here by Triona Farrell, they do unsurprisingly excellent and interesting work with Tini Howard’s script, which was lettered by Steve Wands. Even if you don’t like Harley comics or aren’t reading this book, the art in this one makes it worth snagging.
- Finally, Knight Terrors Detective Comics #1 is tightly Jim Gordon-focused, and it is start-to-finish a total banger, one of the best books within the event so far. It’s dark and scary and character-driven and brimming with chilling imagery — it’s just about everything you want from a superhero comic with horror muddled in. It’s written by Dan Watters with art by Riccardo Federici, colors by Brad Anderson, and letters by Steve Wands, a creative team that really comes together well.
Miss any of our earlier reviews? Check out our full archive!
Knight Terrors continues to be the Sensationally Unnecessary Character Find of 2023.
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