Writer: Joshua Williams
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Jamal Campbell
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Superman is back, and the Parasite has struck! Even after some time away, Superman comes face to face with his old foe, but he discovers the supervillain undergoing a new mutation that creates more Parasites. Now see the Man of Steel face the Night of the Parasite in Superman #2.
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Review:
Okay, things are heating up in this comic. What we got in this comic is more good Superman. The comic immediately picks up with Superman getting his energy drained relentlessly by a small pack of Parasite clones. Of course, the little monsters are greedy little things who keep arguing and fighting with each other on who gets to drain Supes, who takes the opportunity to escape, as briefly as he can, away from the Parasites. Only for him to discover that the rest of Metropolis has gone dark. Why? Because there’s a whole swarm of Parasites absorbing all of the electrical energy in Metropolis.
Now, I won’t spoil much about this comic, but I will talk about what this comic does right to make it worth buying. First off, Jamal Campbell’s art continues to be excellent. From all the small little actions to the more intense close-ups, not to mention the action, and a major double-page spread. Campbell is just all over it when it comes to the art, and it’s shown no better than how he depicts a Metropolis in the middle of a blackout, he nails the dark environment.
The other thing this comic handles well is the conflict. Joshua Williams has provided Superman a new conflict where he needs to think outside the box as he faces an entire army of Parasites swarming all over Metropolis like energy vampires. Forcing him to reluctantly rely on Lex Luthor and Mercy for help along with his Super-family in getting a handle on the situation. But there’s even more stakes, both grand and personal, for Superman here as the Parasites are very much like a zombie horde: chaotic, ravenous, and innumerable. And the tension naturally escalates in a way that feels right to the situation and makes for a good challenge for Superman to face.
Of course, there’s the matter of the new character on the cover, Marilyn Moonlight. She has a cool design, I’m not going to lie. But she is barely in this comic and to be honest she feels out of place and practically comes out of nowhere other than to serve one specific function for the story, a practical role thankfully. I’m betting Marilyn Moonlight will be important after this story arc wraps up, but for now, this was just a quick debut of the character. Speaking of, I’ll touch on a quick SPOILER in the next section to discuss the other good thing that Joshua Williams is setting up in this comic as part of this series’ story direction.
SPOILERS:
So, we do get a closer look as to who’s responsible for unleashing Parasite and giving him the new swarm upgrade. Now, I won’t lie and say I know most of the super-villains involved. Some I know by name, others from mentions here and there, and some not at all. But what interests me were the real masterminds behind this attack, Dr. Pharm and Graft, and what they represent. To me, it feels that Joshua Williams wants to explore more of Superman’s villain rogues gallery who often got overlooked for Lex Luthor, and now that he’s in prison, these lesser-known supervillains will get their time to shine. And hopefully what we’re seeing in this story arc is just the beginning of what’s to come.
Final Thoughts:
Superman #2 continues its story of frights as Superman faces the Night of the Parasites. Joshua Williams really nails down the danger here as it’s something Superman has to use his wit, strength and know-how of Parasite to figure out a way to stop him. Jamal Campbell’s art is fantastic from the designs to the facial expressions to the dynamic action, and the environment of a Metropolis during a blackout. This comic book will leave readers ready for the next issue of Superman to come out.