Review – Superman #34 (DC Comics)

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Patrick Gleason & Peter J Tomasi
Art: Ed Benes & Jack Herbert
Colours: Dinei Ribeiro
Letters: Rob Leigh
Release Date: 1st November 2017

Lex renounces his godhood over the citizens of Apokolips whilst Jon attempts to fly out of trouble. This issue however focuses mostly on Lois Lane as she is captured to become a slave.

Gleason and Tomasi give us the strong, well-developed version of Lois they have been building up since Rebirth began. Resourceful and determined, we get to see Lois using her survival instincts and ability to build trust as she not only befriends but battles alongside her captors. We never feel that the story is forced or that Lois would be otherwise incapable of dealing with the dangers she faces. As a mother, her instincts are to find her son and protect him from the dangers of this inhospitable place and to get there it seems that she is willing to fight through anything.

Benes and Herbert take over the artistic duties here and do a remarkable job of bringing Darkseid’s world to life. The place looks like a deathscape filled with unfriendly locals and hideous creatures, and at times almost feels like a character in itself. Lois being the central character of this issue looks impressive when taking down some enormous Sandworms. We all know she is capable but it is perfectly exemplified thanks to the creative team’s efforts.

Dinei Riberio brings the entire book to life with fiery action, the orange hues giving each panel a warm appearance. The landscape of Apokolips is harsh but also beautiful in its own way and a cleaver use of orange and red in key places help make the planet feel peaceful at times and on the verge of erupting at others.

It will be interesting to see how Lex plans to get out of his current predicament and just what will become of Jon in the next issue. Lois will likely continue to feature predominantly as she searches for her son knowing that Clark can handle himself, and it’s great to finally see the Kents working as part of a team rather than just followers of Superman. This is a fantastic tale that serves to further cement the connections between Clark and his family, although it may also serve to make Lex seem a little less heroic at the same time.

Rating: 4/5.

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