DC Comics reviews 10/19/16 – Superman #9, Batman #9, Green Arrow #9

Superman #9

Whoever says you can’t tell a good comic book story in less than six or seven issues needs to grab Superman #8 and #9. The Son of Superman had some rough spots, but since issue 7 this book has been DC’s best title.

Escape From Dinosaur Island concludes the Darwyn Cooke tribute. Stranded on a island with dinosaurs and other threats,  Superman, Jon and Krypto finally encounter a friendly face and learn the fate of The Losers. I have to imagine Cooke would be proud of this storyline in his honor.

A lot of writers get bogged down limiting Superman, but writers Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleeson find bigger threats instead of diminishing the Man of Steel. As usual for the title, there’s some great character moments. The writers deserve a tremendous amount of credit for not losing Jon’s voice and keeping him a 10-year-old kid in his actions and speech pattern.

Tomasi and Gleeson have extended their dead-on portrayals of the characters right down to Krypto. He’s a super powered dog so despite Superman’s warnings, Krypto is going to do some headstrong things because that’s what dogs do.

Doug Mahnke was at his best this issue. Mahnke’s Superman is imposing and strong, but Mahnke keeps him approachable and friendly with subtle expressions. His work on Jon might be even more impressive. And when it’s time for the action, Mahke continues to impress. His style needs a strong inker to really bring out the details and Jamie Mendoza and Trevor Scott more than deliver on their end.

I’m not going to say the thought of this creative team tackling a Superman/Superboy and Batman/Robin team-up didn’t have me giddy. That’s assumed at this point. If you’re not reading Superman yet, you need to ASAP. And if you are, you need to tell a friend.

Rating: 9 out of 10