Superman #689 - Mobile Edition

DC Comics
Superman #689
By Andy Frisk
June 28, 2009 - 20:48

DC Comics
Writer(s): James Robinson
Penciller(s): Renato Guedes
Inker(s): Jose Wilson Magalhaes
Colourist(s): David Curiel
Letterer(s): John J. Hill
Cover Artist(s): Andrew Robinson
$2.99 US

Mon El battles “a group of exo-mechanically enhanced Georgian fanatics” in Moscow, Russia alongside Russia’s armored super team, The Rocket Reds, and gets a tour of The Cathedral of St. Basil by Rocket Red Ivana. He also gets his first kiss from her. Then he battles Big Don Drummond alongside British superheroes Beaumont and Sunny Jim in London and Basque terrorists in Barcelona, Spain alongside La Sangre. In Bonn, Germany, he battles some “super powered muscle of a crime-lord” alongside Will Von Hammer. With Freedom Beast and Congorilla, Mon El takes on some poachers in Africa, and in Japan, he battles Robo-Octo-Ape alongside Dr. Light and Rising Sun. Finally, Mon El clashes with a group of aliens, who are “attempting to establish a beachhead on Earth,” in Mexico alongside Diego Irigoyen, once known as Iman, and in Louisiana, he battles Blockbuster alongside King Billy. Oh, and before all that he battled Livewire in Metropolis.

I think I might be leaving one villain out, but you get the picture that Mon El keeps pretty busy and takes the advice of a new friend to get out and see the world in this issue of Superman. With his time on Earth possibly very limited, he takes the advice, and sets off with gusto. Meanwhile, the media in Metropolis begins to debate the lack of background information on Mon El, and whether he can be trusted, etc. Jim Harper/The Guardian feels compelled to address these questions, and does. The subplot involving John Henry Irons, which includes the machinations of General Lane, his hiring of super-villains to eliminate threats, and the causing of distractions, which he uses to further his own agenda, moves forward. Maybe it’s just me, but General Lane is starting, in some ways, to remind me of Norman Osborne over at Marvel.

Lane is definitely being written by all of Superman's various titles' writers, including Robinson. As a borderline fanatic, and with the events of the most recent issues of Supergirl, his fanaticism looks to grow by leaps and bounds. In Robinson’s hands, Mon El is developing more and more each issue, and continuing to make a name for himself as a hero, on a global scale now even. With The Guardian’s defense of Mon El’s character, he now appears to have been solidified as a hero, and appears ready to go on to be a full time, big name player in the world of DC Comics' superheroes. His arrival as a hero is tragic though, as he has potentially very little time left. It will be interesting to see how Robinson continues to develop this particular plot thread.

Guedes continues to deliver some great art, and his grasp on recreating background and architecture, expands even more this issue. We are treated to highly detailed recreations of The Cathedral of St. Basil, a Georges Seurat painting, The Casa Batllo (which just recently appeared in Batman in Barcelona), The Veldts of Africa, and a shot of Mexico City. He continues to deliver the detailed costumes, and solid recreation of human anatomy, along with the ever present superhero-like distortions we so often see, and love.

Overall, while this issue kind of falls back into a bit of a lull, albeit a necessary one, as far as the storytelling goes, with only one major development involving Irons, the series remains a good read for Superman fans, and looks to continue to develop Mon El as its protagonist well.

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Rating: 8.5/10