Review: Superman: Up in the Sky #2

DC Comics
Review: Superman: Up in the Sky #2
By Philip Schweier
August 7, 2019 - 05:38

DC Comics
Writer(s): Tom King
Penciller(s): Andy Kubert
Inker(s): Sandra Hope
Colourist(s): Brad Anderson
Letterer(s): Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist(s): Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson

Last year, DC Comics released a line of comics exclusively for Walmart. These books featured reprints as well as a wee bit of new material. I’m uncertain how successful a strategy that was (for both the publisher and the retailer), as I could never find them at any of the four stores in my area. But last month, DC released Up in the Sky, the Superman story from these books, beginning with chapters 1 and 2, previously reviewed here and here.

That’s when I lost track, so picking up with chapter 3, we see in this corner – Superman, in the red and blue trunks, and in the opposite corner, Mighto, in the green and gold. (For those that don’t remember the Silver Age, Mighto was the Kents’ first super-son in Superboy #108). The chapter is an all-out slug-fest, intended to convey the Man of Steel’s super-strength of spirit.

That strength is reflected again in chapter 4, in which an alien healer comes to know his Kryptonian patient and compare their relative values as life forms. Neither chapter is really long on narrative, focusing more on character. I maybe be picking at nits, but there seems to be a bit of gap in between.

Given that there isn’t much meat on either of these bones, it is my hope the story concludes fairly quickly. It makes me question the wisdom of re-packaging this particular story for the monthly issue format, rather than a complete trade paperback. However, the art team of Kubert and Hope is stellar, and I’d appreciate seeing them paired together on more projects in the very near future.

Rating: 6/10