Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Gleb Melnikov, Norm Rapmund, David Baldeon & Jamal Campbell
Colorists: Alejandro Sanchez & Jamal Campbell
Cover Artist: Jamal Campbell
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
Superman uncovered a dark secret of Lex Luthor’s, the enigmatic man called “the Chained”. His release was instigated by the mad scientist brothers Dr. Pharm and Mr. Graft, and amid some unexpected Luthor family drama, the Chained makes his way to Lex, devastating Metropolis as he goes to kill him. But not if Superman has anything to say about it. Read Superman #8 to see how the Man of Steel finally takes down the Chained, with Lex Luthor’s assistance.
Review:
Okay, so the last issue gave readers one truth bomb reveal after the other that they kind of overshadowed the main conflict between Superman and the Unchained. However, this issue course corrects and keeps the main conflict front and center with Lex Luthor stepping up in his own to help end the battle before it goes too far. There will be slight SPOILERS throughout the review.
The issue starts with a bit of a flashback to how Lex Luthor’s history with the Unchained, now revealed to be Sam Stryker, son of the very same Stryker who founded the Stryker prison in Metropolis that Lex and other Superman villains reside. It’s in this flashback where we learn a little more about Sam’s powers, a peek into the relationship with his father, and how Luthor was involved with the Strykers. However, don’t expect too much to be revealed about any of the Strykers or how it all went down.
From there, the plot completely focuses on the present as Superman catches back up with Lex in Stryker’s where he informs them of their enemy Sam Stryker (they call him Sammy Stryker, but it’s a bit weird to see Lex call him that). Turns out the reason Lex locked him up was because Sam killed his father Sebastian Stryker. Why? Who knows, but it seems Lex isn’t the only one with family drama. However, this exposition is brief and the comic moves right along to the meat of the story: Superman vs. The Unchained.
The fight itself is good, but nothing too crazy. We see Sam Stryker use his tactile telekinesis, the same power as Superboy but more powerful, and use it in pretty destructive, gruesome and vicious ways, one moment in particular where he used his powers to crush some Stryker prison guards to death. It’s not how they’re crushed that’s memorable, it’s that Melnikov’s art shows them being crunched into human balls. Other than that though, it’s not exactly memorable other than the method employed by Superman and company to defeat the Chained. For now, the Chained has proved to be a functional super-villain but not a great one, so we’ll see where Joshua Williamson takes this character and his ties to Stryker Prison.
So, this comic is a little weird when it comes to the art, or rather the artists are listed working on it. The comic shows there are several artists listed in this comic book, but as far as I can see, only two really illustrated this comic, Gleb Melnikov and Jamal Campbell who does art in the last few pages. So, if anyone notices any significant art changes, let me know in the comments. Then there’s the fight itself. So, the comic does a little retconning when it comes to Superboy (Conner) and the origin of his powers and their connection to the Chained, but make no mistake Superboy gets to be a part of this fight while Lex serves as the strategist and Superman is the star fighter.
SPOILERS:
So, the comic ends with Superman in a wounded state and the tagline for the next issue is he’ll be needing “Super Armor” to survive. It’s a little too coincidental that both flagship Superman titles have set up a story arc where Clark is somewhat de-powered though not completely, just enough that he’s more vulnerable that normal and requires a high-tech suit of armor to protect and assist him in battle. In Action Comics, Supes has a suit made by Steel, and here he’s going to get a super suit made Lex and Supercorp. I don’t know if both Joshua Williamson and Phillip Kennedy Johnson talked about this, though I feel the more likely answer is no one told them what the other was doing. The only thing I can hope for is that Superman’s new super suit looks cool.
Final Thoughts:
Superman #8 delivers a destructive conclusion to Superman’s battle with the Chained and sets things up for the next story arc. While the Chained and the fight with him doesn’t do anything too exciting, and we’re just now learning more about him in the very issue he’s defeated, the art makes him a destructive and functional villain. While the comic was still fun, the ending does have weird timing with what’s going on with Superman in Action Comics. We’ll see how this series tackles the concept as it moves on to the next story arc for Superman.