CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 3/5 – This storyline may be DOOMED from the start.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Superman Doomed number one is a one-shot that kicks off the “Doomed” event that will be crossing over throughout the Superman titles. Doomsday is back and more dangerous than ever in a title spanning “event”, much like DC offered up in the 1990s when this character was first introduced. For a one-shot/opening chapter to this multi-part storyline, it does what it needs to do by giving the reader the information they need, and introducing us to the characters involved. Unfortunately it does so with a lack of excitement and art that at times looks rushed and messy.
Despite having three different writers on the book including Charles Soule, Greg Pak and Scott Lobdell, the story flows smoothly. Superman comes to find out that the Doomsday he’s fought before is evolving and is actually more powerful than before. The Doomsday that was fought before is actually referred to as a larva, and the Doomsday here is actually a more mature form. That doesn’t bode well for Superman and we see him interacting with the Justice League and Wonder Woman before heading into the big confrontation. As it should be with a book of this type, the last third of the book is one big fight scene. Unfortunately that fight, much like the rest of this book, didn’t feel epic in scope to me and the art failed to deliver the punch it could have (no pun intended).
Artist Ken Lashley does an admirable job of pencilling thirty-five pages, unfortunately some of those pages, especially those during the non-fight scenes, look rushed and lacked detail. During a particular scene halfway though the issue dealing with Lois and Lana, the lack of details becomes extremely noticeable in both characters and backgrounds. There’s a few panels that also lose a realistic perspective that lends to the rushed feeling. Lashley has a busy and hectic line, and a style that may not appeal to everyone due to his inclusion of a lot of those busy lines on a page. He’s able to tell the story effectively, but sometimes less is more.
Overall this issue failed to hook me into reading future installments of the Doomed storyline. I’m already reading Action Comics so I’ll be forced into following Doomed into issue thirty-one of that title, but past that, I’ve seen enough. This is a DC crossover kickoff that has failed to bring me onboard as a reader of the entire event.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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