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grim future kal-el Mile High Comics delivered my monthly shipment to me this morning and out of a stack of some twenty odd books, I chose to read the latest issue of Superman first. Giving in to temptation I had already read an online review of the book before the book was in my hands, but that did not stop me from enjoying a very solid story. In fact, now that I have read the issue, I think that the review that I had read was less forgiving than me. To me, the review came across as a backhanded compliment of sorts and I saw that as unfair. Yes, the story had some flaws, but sometimes things need to happen in order to move the story forward. That is why the literary term of deus ex machina exists. On the final page of last month's issue, Arion had given Superman a warning. In the near future, Superman had done something that caused the Earth irreparable harm. This month in a story titled Camelot Falls, we the reader get the full story as Arion relays the tale of what may or may not happen to a shocked Superman, Lois, Jimmy and Perry standing atop the Daily Planet building. Through a wonderful blend of words and pictures, Busiek and Pacheco give us a world that clearly has been ravaged by both mankind and nature. Cracked, leaning and crumbling buildings buried under a blanket of deep snow provide the setting where Lois and Jim are scavenging medical supplies from a devastated Metropolis that has been all but destroyed. The two-page spread is awesome and is something that cannot be recreated on a movie screen without seeming foolish and or fake. The impact would not be the same. Soon we learn who else has survived this catastrophe and how they are trying to stay alive. Not only have Lois and Jim weathered this damage, but so have Lex and the Parasite, both of whom are now on the side of good. None of this is overly new in terms of plot, but I cannot help but grin when I see Wonder Woman sporting an eye patch and a scarred arm to match. Something serious has happened to these people and they are not prepared to die just yet. My only concern is that this dystopia will be quickly corrected and or cast aside in the very next issue. Personally I would love a year's worth of stories with this setting and these characters. There is so much potential in this kind of story with its freedom from continuity. Sadly I suspect that the rest of the readers may not share this enthusiasm with me and the status quo will be back in place by next month. |