Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Mikel Janín, Fico Ossio, Evan Cagle, Travel Foreman, Jordie Bellaire, Sebastian Cheng, Dave Stewart, Alex Sinclair, and Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: August 17th, 2021
Price: $3.99
SUPERMAN and Manchester Black persist forward to get the band together, even if Manchester keeps going a little off cuff. As Clark and Manchester continue to recruit new members along the way, the duo manages to hit a few roadblocks from their newfound heroes. Let’s dive into SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY #2 by Grant Morrison while Natasha Irons, Midnighter, and Apollo, tie up some loose ends before joining team SUPERMAN. However, getting the Enchantress on board may be a bit more challenging than they once thought.
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THE DISPATCH
Readers get a quick, rapid-fire rundown of THE AUTHORITY team coming together. Manchester Black and SUPERMAN basically spend issue two collecting Natasha Irons, Midnighter, Apollo, and June Moon with three mini-stories all packed into this one issue of SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY. As each mini-story goes, they seemingly fit the usual Grant Morrison tropes. They’re all certainly imaginative while incorporating some exceptionally weird, almost psychedelic narrative threads that add a few unusual wrinkles to the story.
Natasha’s story was fine, yet somehow showcased the internet coming to life with some odd dialogue that seemed dated for when this series would take place. Additionally, the Midnighter and Apollo tale were the most direct and straightforward of the bunch. The two heroes were simply tasked to thwart some disgusting Frankstein-like Monster. However, in normal Morrison fashion, it was a bit over the top with the background which involved “spare child parts” and telekinesis.
And finally, the concluding story involving June Moon was totally in Morrison’s wheelhouse. It was eerie, creepy, and filled with brilliant subtext that was just so unsettling. Nevertheless, to the diehard Morrison fans, that’s where SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY #2 ends and the next issue begins. So, to anyone craving a more cerebral, more in-depth take on some of the characters listed above, this series is totally for you.
ART
By far, the best aspects of this issue were with June Moon as SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY #2 concluded. However, the qualities I referenced above couldn’t have been possible without this dynamic art team. Nevertheless, each mini-story had a distinct artistic committee working in conjunction to provide a different feel within the overall story. For example, Nat’s take was more crisp, futuristic, and refined while Midnighter and Apollo felt more gritty and raw due to the coloring and stylistic choice. Still, the eerie, more disturbing nature of June Moon’s story was directly related to the colorist and shocking, almost disturbing facial expressions by the illustrator. Sure, the writing was certainly the normal Morrison style. However, it’s the specific artistic choices in each story that truly made this issue of SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY something special.
FINAL THOUGHTS
SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY #2 is drastically different from the first installment however not necessarily in a bad way. While issue one was more precise and expected, issue two was more polarizing or unconventional which is what Morrison fans would expect. Issue two focuses on getting THE AUTHORITY together while leading fans to their first taste of the team in action as issue three take off.
Morrison’s intensity and conceptual approach are still prevalent and stronger than ever in this issue. Plus, readers get a wide range that showcases what he’s truly capable of. Yet, as strong as Morrison was this issue, it’s the diverse, dynamic illustrations, artistic styles, and coloring that made this issue so successful and set the tone masterfully. I’m still all-in on this series and look forward to seeing what unravels as SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY resumes. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!