Man of Steel Part 3 - The newest one...

Good day, and I hope everything is well for you. I am happy, just cracked open my new edition of Overstreet Price Guide (this year is the 48th edition). I like looking at it before it gets all dog eared and used being in my knapsack for the next 360 days or so. I smirk as I look because a quick perusal of the book show that the Wasp turns 55 this year, with an accompanying story (been there, done that.) Today I shall continue with the review of the Man of Steel second series, 2018 edition.


BOOK One

The book begins on Krypton, where a figure by the name of Rogol Zaar is addressing a council made up of members of many alien races. He is delivering a speech which will potentially culminate in the end of Krypton. Cut to Metropolis, where Firefly and Killer Moth (two known Bat-villains) are discussing their move here and whether they are scared of...as Superman himself scoops them up. Superman then patrols Metropolis performing super-deeds, and ends up helping rescue people from a fire when he meets Melody Moore, the new deputy fire chief of Metropolis.

Cut to a flashback again where Zaar awaits the decision of the council. The Oan then comes forward telling Zaar that the decision is no, Krypton is to be left alone. On present day Earth, Clark sits at his desk at the Planet, when the staff approaches him, Clark's mind wanders though, to his home ith Lois and his son Jonathan, when they are interrupted by a blinding light.

BOOK Two

The book begins in flashback, at the centre of the Milky ay, where it is confirmed that Krypton is no more. A being by the name of Lord Gandelo talks to the Oan about it,m wondering why the Green Lantern Corps did not interfere with Zaar. Rogol Zaar is now considered a rogue agent.

Today, on Earth, coworkers of the Kents are discussing the whereabouts of Lois Lane, who seems to have taken their son and left Clark, while the staff bothers Perry White about who will get her office. Superman meanwhile is fighting a giant robot in Coast City, and the guy behind the robot is not happy about it (because it turns out it's the Toyman!) At this point, with the fight over, Hall Jordan shows up (after all, it is his city). He tells Superman the JLA is concerned about him, but he brushes it off and flies away. Cut to the recent past in the Kent apartment, where the light stabilizes...

Superman continues to patrol and continues to collect for his arson story. As he talks to Perry, Perry complains about the state of the newspaper business, while the Planet gossip columnist tries to get Clark to open about where Lois is. Meanwhile, a being approached Earth...


BOOK Three

Rogol Zaar has arrived on Earth, specifically the Fortress of Solitude. Keelix tries to stop him, but is unable to. Zaar discovers the Bottle City of Kandor...

Metropolis, The fires continue to plague the city, and Deputy Moore is still investigating a new one when Superman shows up, with a friend: Batman. While Batman helps the Deputy, Superman flies off, having heard an alarm only he can hear. He arrives at the Fortress to see that it has been trashed, and while looking around and the arrival of Supergirl, they discover that Kandor has been destroyed. This is when Superman finally admits Lois and Jon are not there. The two try to figure out who did it when Superman abruptly leaves and flies to Metropolis, following the trail of the culprit. He looks around, and is suddenly ambushed, being caught by a following Supergirl. They look at the being responsible, it is Rogol Zaal in all of his glory.

BOOK Four

The fight begins. Superman and his cousin deal a large blow sending Zaar into the sky, but Superman is distracted by a woman who fell out of a breaking window. Superman then goes after Zaar trying to figure out his power level and history. Kara and Kal try to get Zaar out of the city to minimize the damage and lives lost, but Zaar knocks Kara for a lopp and concentrates his attacks on Superman, who is knocked out...

Superman visions the ship that is materializing in his apartment in front of himself and his family. A man comes out, it is Jor-El, (who had revealed himself as alive just before Action 1000). He tells Clark that he is here for the boy.

Meanwhile, Hal Jordan, as the Green Lantern of the sector, has arrived to help out. He revives Superman and Hal tells Clark that witnesses heard the alien talk about a "cleansing" Superman then says the alien admitted to "cleansing the galaxy of the Kryptonian plague" and admitted to destroying Krypton. Kara returns then disappears to search for Zaar. Superman returns to the Fortress where Zaar finds him. They engage in dialogue.   The book ends with an explosion.


BOOK Five

Superman has managed to remove Rogol Zaar from Earth and bring him to Luna. He continues to speculate in his mind about Zaar's motives for destroying Krypton. His mind then wanders to the encounter with his father at his apartment. Jor-El wants to bring Jon on a journey of discovery, as Human and Krptonian DNA should not have mixed, and he wants Jon to have an understanding of his Kryptonian side. Superman says no. Lois says no. Jon insists he is going.

Deputy Melody is studying the location of all of the fires on a map with her fire crew, when another call for a fire comes in. Off they go, and this time they are assisted by Supergirl. When the fire is dealt with the Justice League shows up to announce they will help her find Superman and the mysterious Rogol Zaar., when Kara realizes they are on the moon, telling the JLA to follow if they can. She gets there and sees Superman has been beaten again. The JLA bring Superman to their HQ so he can recover, where he then wakes up and begins to talk to his cousin. Kara tells him she cleaned up the Fortress, including the remains of Kandor, while the JLA discusses the situation behind them. Suddenly Superman has a thought, and takes off. He realized where Zaar had gone, to the centre of the Earth.

BOOK Six

Jon is looking pained as his father and grandfather continue to discuss his possible journey. Jon then breaks this discussion by revealing the possible future he has seen where he murders millions of people. Clark tries to cheer him up, but Jon tells him that the Titans rejected him for membership.

Superman confronts Zaar at the core of the planet, and they have a small conversation before Zaar begins to attack Kal again.The fight rages on, and Superman uses it as a way to lure Zaar away from the ground.  Flashback to the discussion on Clinton Avenue, Jor-El changes the invite to include them all, here Clark and Lois interject that they can't leave Earth. Lois then calls her lawyer and decides that she will go with Jon, but only until school starts. (Meanwhile in real time, Superman and Zaar are still engaged in combat.) Kara then distracts Zaar enough that Kal gets an idea. At the apartment, Jor-El gives Kal a deep space communicator so he can keep in touch. The fight in space ends when Kara sends Rogol Zaar to the Phantom Zone. In the flashback the spouses say goodbye to each other and they go with Jor-El leaving Clark behind. Meanwhile Kara and Kal-El have a funeral celebration fot all of the Kandorians that lost their lives.

The book ends with a kid telling Deputy Moore that it as Superman who was lighting the fires (surprise twist, perhaps).

Next time, I will have analysis and comparisons of the two stories and how they both affected the reboots to the character in their times.

Ottawa News and Notes - This Sunday (August 12) is another show at the Jim Durrell Arena. Jee-Riz comics has indicated this is the last show where they will offer their 10 for 5 $ box, so come check it out. And don't forget that the 219th has the Geek Garage Sale on Knoxdale Road in Nepean. Hope to be at both events myself.

Have a good one, and I hope summer is being good to you.

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