Superman #83 (November 1993)
Superman #83 (November 1993)
Funeral for a Friend: uh, that one Green Lantern supporting character who died when Coast City got blown up (Joe? Gary?). In this issue DC's superheroes pay tribute to the tragedy of Coast City while also deciding what the hell to do with the giant engine that's now in its place. Weird early ‘90s Hawkman! Dr. Fate with boobs! Already-slightly-psychotic Hal Jordan! EVERYONE IS HERE.
(Nice one, Guy.)
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor Jr. is also sneaking around Engine City, supposedly to prevent it from falling into the ocean and killing some of Aquaman's friends, but in reality he just wants to look into the Cyborg Superman's computer to see if he can find a recipe for making kryptonite. As the heroes argue about what to do with Engine City (Hal says drop it into the water, screw the fish), some leftover Warworld aliens start attacking them, like the holdout Japanese soldiers who never found out WWII was over.
The attack precipitates the city's fall into the water and the heroes have to think fast to prevent a fish holocaust. Their solution is for all the Green Lantern-related characters (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Alan's daughter Jade) to "detoxify" the debris with their powers before it falls into the ocean. And it works! These guys should totally open a carpet cleaning business.
As for Lex Jr., he does find the recipe for kryptonite inside the crumbling city, but just as he's about to write it down (he wasn't carrying any floppy disks, apparently), Supergirl yanks him out of there to prevent him from burning alive. What an unsupportive girlfriend. Anyway, Superman then takes some of the debris and builds a giant memorial for Coast City's 6,999,999 anonymous lost souls, and Gary. Sweet Gary. You will be missed.
Creator-Watch:
If the art looks different that's because this is the first issue inked by Joe Rubinstein, ending Brett Breeding's classic two and a half year run as Dan Jurgens' main inker (so classic that it feels a lot longer than that). Breeding will be back for Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey and other stuff, though. As for Rubinstein, Don says: "At the time, I had trouble with the transition, being soused to Brett Breeding's finishes over Jurgens' pencils, but looking at it now, the art looks great. It doesn't look as smooth or blocky as Breeding's finishes, but Rubinstein's hatchier style serves Jurgens pretty well, even if it takes some getting used to."
Plotline-Watch:
At the start of the issue, Superman goes to pick up Batman to take him to Coast City, only to find him wearing a different costume, acting differently, and sounding like a different guy. That's because that's not really Bruce Wayne in the suit anymore, but the replacement he got after Bane broke his back. That's right: freakin' Psi-Phon and Dreadnaught.
Superman gives a speech about how superheroes must work together to prevent another tragedy like Coast City from happening, but when Guy asks him if that means he's going back to the Justice League, he's like "uh, not yet." Wisely, he's gonna wait for Grant Morrison to get there first.
Hal Jordan's characterization in this issue is interesting. In Green Lantern #47 (which came out the same month), he's bummed about Coast City but still hopeful and serene, while here he's already going Parallax on us. Wonder if Dan Jurgens knew more about what DC was planning for Hal than the other comic's writer.
There's a cute scene where Superman is flying by Kansas on his way to Coast City and quickly drops some flowers for Ma Kent. (That, or Flash picked this moment to hit on a random older woman.)
Former TV exec/crime boss Morgan Edge has released an autobiography where he trashes the Daily Planet's Cat Grant for using her sexiness (and, you know, sex) to get dirt on him and send him to jail. He also accuses Cat of being a crappy mother to her son Adam. He kind of has a point there, because what kind of mom would let her kid play with an Atari in the early ‘90s?! The SNES and the Genesis were already out!
Believe it or not, Morgan Edge's pervy dad in that screenshot above isn't the creepiest thing in that scene. Don: "Very spooky how the guy dangling outside of Cat's apartment goes without mention. An ominous foreshadow of one of the very few missteps of Jurgens' run."
But the most ominous part of the issue is at the end, when Clark Kent accepts Jimmy Olsen's offer to become roomies, since Clark lost his apartment on account of being dead and all. Don wants you to know that "Jimmy is still in that towel by the way" in the scene below. I hope.
Patreon-Watch:
Shout out to our patrons Aaron, Murray Qualie, Chris "Ace" Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, and a warm welcome to Samuel Doran! Last month our patrons got to read an article about Superman's bizarre first Elseworlds appearance ever, the Kamandi: At Earth's End miniseries, and got a veeeeeery early look at this post you're reading right now (since Don finished his part way before I did mine). Right now I'm preparing this month's Patreon-only article, which involves Superman wearing pointy ears and Luthor wearing make up. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99
Oh, and in case you missed it, we've been posting Don's new commentary for older issues on the Patreon as free posts (click above and scroll down to see them). EVEN MORE from Don after the jump!
Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):
Another classic issue, and such a nice wrap-up to the “Death and Return” storyline (as well as being a much-needed check-In on the DC Universe at large). We start with the cover, and it's a very good one, letting the reader know right away that it's a big team-up issue. (It also is a real showcase for 90s costume design, and how weird the JLA lineup was at this point).
The opening splash is a neat image of a rarely seen pairing, Superman and Commissioner Gordon. Jurgens draws James Gordon a little heavier and more Pa-Kent like than I'm used to seeing him, but it's still neat to see him interacting with Superman. A page later, we get another rare pairing—the returned Superman with the imposter Batman, Jean-Paul Valley. The tension in the interaction between "AzBats" and Superman comes across well in their exchange, as does Superman's doubts about who he was really speaking to.
It's a dreamy looking Superman crossing the country from Metropolis to Coast City, and I daresay that they're trying to channel Dean Cain a little as he approaches Kansas.
The best panel of the issue though is the two page spread of all the heroes gathering at the wreckage of Coast City, and there's so much to love here. The body language, and facial expressions speak volumes about each of the characters: Superman looking swashbuckling and upbeat, Green Lantern brooding like a man barely holding on, Green Arrow all attitude and shadow. Just a great spread.
Another cool image is Aquaman showing up late, and emerging very royally in protection of his ocean (undercut masterfully by a legitimately funny couple of lines from Guy Gardner). Page 14's Hal Jordan is a great drawing, and this whole storyline seems like a table setter for the “Emerald Twilight” story coming up.
The sequence of a firelit Luthor at the computer is a good look at his madness, but it does beg the question of just how little Supergirl seems to take in. He was JUST talking aloud about Kryptonite, and she emerges seeming not to hear. The image of Supergirl flying Lex away as he struggles against her psychic grab is a good one, even if her uniform is depicted as a little clingier than I imagine it to really be.
Superman floating above his obelisk with his arm in front of his face like Dracula is a cool look, even if it is a little dramatic.
Lastly, the image of Clark turning up the stereo is a good one, even if his hair length is wildly shorter here than in Coast City (and I usually dislike it when they mention real world bands, as it comes off trying too hard to be hip).
STRAY OBSERVATIONS:
I have to love how meta it is to have Superman outright saying that Batman is dressing more "threatening" these days, on page 2. I guess he couldn't come right out and say "you have an extreme new look, and it's totally badass! Batman the next generation!"
Last we saw of Supergirl she was storming out of the party on Lex's Zeppelin after Lex II was getting all horned up at the sight of Lois Lane, but it appears here they've mostly patched things up as they fly to Coast City.
More meta-stuff: Jimmy clunkily complimenting Lois on her new hair by saying she "oughta be on TV or something!". This whole exchange is very expository, really, "Clark must be pretty mad… though he's busy worrying about where he's going to bunk…" Anything else to get in there, Jimmy?
The harshness some of the heroes have for Lex Junior seems a little out of place, especially since he's still known to most of the heroes as an ally from “Panic in the Sky”, and the “Doomsday” storyline. Superman's comment was borderline, but where is all this anger Flash is showing coming from?
Being as familiar as we are with these writers, there are certain phrases or ideas that a certain writer will go to way, way too often. Byrne had a number of stories where Superman would "ionize" something with his heat vision, and it occurred to me that maybe he just liked that word. I would submit that Dan Jurgens likes the word "atomize". It was used by the Cyborg Superman when talking about Doomsday, and is used a bunch just in this issue.
I find it hilarious that Hawkman appears so prominently in this issue, but doesn't get any lines. This issue is an interesting time capsule—I had almost forgotten about the de-aged Starheart powered Alan Scott era.
Speaking of lines, they don't give Captain Marvel much to do in this issue, but I always like seeing him, even if his only contribution is the odd "Holy Moley!"
Colouring error on page 12, where Hal's ring has a red centre (maybe the colourist had Alan Scott's red and green look on the brain?)
A raging Hal standing by Green Arrow is a sad foreshadowing of their confrontation to come in Zero Hour.
