Two months late for Halloween, Frankenstein joins Superman for a classic round of super hero fisticuffs. Let’s hope they each have a family member that coincidentally shares the same name, or our hero might be in real trouble!
Written by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Doug Mahnke“SINISTER PURPOSE” part one! Frankenstein has come to Hamilton County, home of Superman, and Hell has come with him. It’s Man of Steel vs. the Monster to save the life of someone in the town with a horrifying secret.
Subjectively, “Superman” is easily my favorite Rebirth title. Objectively, Tomasi, Gleason and company are making fantastic use of the double shipping model to deliver, essentially, double sized one-off stories featuring the most joyful and exuberant Man of Steel we’ve seen in some time. Continuing a trend of Silver Age-tinged stories, “Super-Monster” places Superman against Frankenstein in a good old fashioned brawl. As with many super hero fights, a simple misunderstanding lies at the heart of the conflict.
The first half of the issue, however, is dedicated to Lois. Superman himself doesn’t show up until halfway through the issue. It seems that taking the recently deceased(?) New 52 Lois Lane’s place at the Daily Planet hasn’t quite scratched that journalistic itch, as our Lois (there’s a Stephen King reference for you) seeks employment at the local Hamilton County newspaper. The idea that Lois is able to lead this sort of double life only adds to the incredulity of the storylines bubbling over from “Action Comics.” However, when viewed in a vacuum, it makes sense that Lois would want to take an active part in her local press. The Hamilton Horn is a far cry from the Planet but its inclusion helps to further flesh out the Super-family’s new Smallville analogue.
Lois herself has a great showing throughout the issue, as she makes use of both the Hellbat armor from previous issues and Frankenstein’s own ride to deal some serious damage to her undead assailant. The way she quickly takes charge of the situation is exciting and satisfying. It would have been interesting to have Lois see this situation out without her husband’s help. In fact, Superman’s appearance only goes to muck up the proceedings, to humorous results.
As an aside, the scene with Cobb and Frankenstein instantly reminded me of the opening pages of “Dragon Ball Z,” with the unlucky farmer facing down Raditz. This is completely irrelevant to my critique of the issue, but it never hurts to stay on brand.
There are certain DC characters I associate with particular creators. One of those pairings is artist Doug Mahnke and the DCU incarnation of Frankenstein’s monster. Frankenstein has been a favorite of mine since his modern appearance in Grant Morrison’s and Mahnke’s “Seven Soldiers” miniseries. As such, it’s a delight to see Mahnke depicting the character once again. Grisly monsters and otherworldly beings are Mahnke’s specialty, and the artist brings these creatures to life with frightening effect. In terms of page layout, Mahnke excels when dealing with large, cinematic shots. The back to back splash pages in the middle of the issue exemplify this. Furthermore, the accompanying accent panels function to continue the momentum of the plot while allowing the artwork room to breathe. Wil Quintana, the brilliant colorist for much of Aaron Kuder’s work on “Action Comics,” lends his craft here to realize the quaint farm lands of Hamilton County. The rural beauty hearkens to Smallville and speaks to the tone of this run thus far.
As technically strong as this issue is, it’s not quite up to par with the series’ previous highs. The conflict brought on by Frankenstein is somewhat cliched, as is the resulting cliffhanger. As the beginning chapter to a story, “Superman” #12 stands as enjoyable, though rather uncompelling. Hopefully the revelation of…whatever that thing is, and the teased appearance of Frankenstein’s Bride lead to satisfying conclusion in the coming weeks.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – A fun issue with strong art, but somewhat below par for this creative team.
