Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Paul Pelletier
Part 3 of “The Final Days of Superman” arrives in comic shops this week by way of Action Comics #51 and sees Superman seek out his cousin, Supergirl. You see, he intends to pass the torch to her upon his imminent passing. No pressure, right?
It’s quite obvious from the start that elements from the Supergirl TV show have been incorporated: no time is wasted when name dropping National City and the DEO, which is where Kara happens to be. Artist Paul Pelletier shows he’s not messing around when you see Superman bust through a DEO wall like the Kool-Aid Man. It’s one of several scenes that make for quite the visual feast.
Once Kara and Kal have a moment to catch up, we learn what she has been up to for the past year. Writer Peter J. Tomasi puts recent events that have taken place in Superman stories to good use when tying it all together. She too has been physically affected as of late, but not to the magnitude that Big Blue has.
There’s a little more involving one of those Chinese creatures first seen last week in the pages of Batman/Superman. It seems some experiment involving Superman’s blood is happening, which further supports my theory of a connection to the upcoming New Super-Man title.
We also spend a bit more time with the mysterious man in Metropolis who has gained superpowers and now thinks he’s Clark Kent. Said weirdo starts tearing up the Daily Planet before Lois takes him down. I’m not entirely sure where this is going, but it’s making me more excited. There are all these puzzle pieces which will no doubt form the new status quo that is Rebirth and I’m having fun slowly piecing them together.
Things wrap up at the Fortress of Solitude when Kal reveals to Kara that he is dying. It’s rather touching and plays out like classic Superman, which makes me lament what is happening to this version of the character. I know they had several threads that needed to be explored in this issue, but I wish there had been just a bit more involving these two.
Action Comics #51 is a fairly good read despite having a bit much on its plate. Tomasi hasn’t steered us wrong yet, so you all should keep reading. Be sure to join us next week to discuss the next chapter, which will occupy the pages of Superman/Wonder Woman #28.
