This Is Where I Lost Interest
Superman's new powers and costume were less of a draw after 6 months and after the misfire of Genesis didn't really give a satisfactory in-story explanation to this publicity stunt. The story lines that were left at this time felt like they were dragging, so this was the month I stopped buying the books until Superman returned to his traditional costume.
Desaad, now the ruler of Apokalips, gives Morgan Edge a squadron of Parademons to command until sundown. Morgan Edge sends his army to attack Intergang and LexCorp. Superman helps Lex Luthor fight off the Parademons until they're sucked away in a Boom Tube at sunset.
Jimmy Olsen is found by Intergang, then rescued by Yango and the Outsiders, and then they're all attacked by Parademons. After the Parademons are taken away, the Hairies show up and take Jimmy to their Mountain of Judgment where he'll be safer.
In the middle of nowhere in Australia, Lois Lane finds the tribe of aborigines who are predicting the end of the world, but she's also being closely watched by Rajiv Naga, the brother of the drug dealer who kidnapped Clark on her honeymoon.
A boy in Metropolis goes outside to look for his lost dog and disappears. Hours later, his family finds his shoe and a puddle of blood in the alley.
This story is an entry from Ashbury Armstrong's diary. Ashbury brings Scorn to her school to help decorate for their homecoming dance. Clark Kent is there working on a column about today's youth, which reading him say that makes him immediately sound uncool. Superman is conveniently at the school when there's a fire started by a cigarette, and when he catches the fleeing culprits he also scolds them for drunk driving in a public service announcement way that's so forced it makes Superman sound uncool too.
Ashbury's new teacher is very critical of Superman, calling him a fascist extremist who solves problems with violence instead of reason. Rather than address this topic, however, we soon find out that her teacher is really the Cyborg, Hank Henshaw, in disguise. Superman defeats the Cyborg with violence, seemingly destroying him. But at the very end it seems his essence has survived in a sculpture of himself that he made in class, which Ashbury then took home. After years of being a top-tier threat who only appeared in major events, this really seemed to cheapen the Cyborg as a villain, and was an underwhelming conclusion to his arc from Genesis. This whole issue was just bizarre, and it would end up being the last issue of Superman I would buy for a while.
Intergang takes Dr. Mensa, LexCorp's top geneticist, hostage for ransom. Lex Luthor meets with Boss Moxie under a bridge to negotiate the release of their hostage, but the two engage in a violent fistfight, ending when Luthor points a gun at Moxie's head. Moxie shoots his henchman who witnessed him being humiliated, and gives Dr. Mensa back to Luthor. Lex offers Dr. Mensa access to Dabney Donovan to buy her silence.
Superman and the Special Crimes Unit investigate the death of the boy in the alley, whose body looks like it was torn apart by a wild animal. While a crowd gathers around Superman and the police, the Parasite attacks Superman. The Parasite is unable to drain Superman's powers, however, and Superman is unable to stop draining the Parasite's energy, nearly killing him.
This was the second issue of this series in a row that I wasn't able to find on the shelves in any stores at the time. Losing interest in the books and falling behind, I'm reading these for the first time now.
Ashbury brings Scorn as her date to the homecoming dance, but the building is evacuated after an explosion. Superman arrives on the scene, but is taken prison by the villain Locksmith, formerly known as Deathtrap, formerly known as the Master Jailer in pre-Crisis continuity. While Superman fights to escape from Locksmith's prison, Scorn saves Ashbury and her schoolmates.
In Australia, Lois meets an old army buddy of her father who offers to personally take her through the Outback. On the way, they're attacked by ninjas, and she wakes up to find herself caged behind bars by Rajiv. Sam Lane gets a call from his friend in the middle of the night, who tells him what happened to his daughter. When Clark Kent gets back to his apartment, he finds his father-in-law waiting for him there and packed for battle. Sam Lane announces that they're going the airport to rescue Lois.
Superman: The Man of Steel #73
Jimmy Olsen is found by Intergang, then rescued by Yango and the Outsiders, and then they're all attacked by Parademons. After the Parademons are taken away, the Hairies show up and take Jimmy to their Mountain of Judgment where he'll be safer.
In the middle of nowhere in Australia, Lois Lane finds the tribe of aborigines who are predicting the end of the world, but she's also being closely watched by Rajiv Naga, the brother of the drug dealer who kidnapped Clark on her honeymoon.
A boy in Metropolis goes outside to look for his lost dog and disappears. Hours later, his family finds his shoe and a puddle of blood in the alley.
Superman #129
Ashbury's new teacher is very critical of Superman, calling him a fascist extremist who solves problems with violence instead of reason. Rather than address this topic, however, we soon find out that her teacher is really the Cyborg, Hank Henshaw, in disguise. Superman defeats the Cyborg with violence, seemingly destroying him. But at the very end it seems his essence has survived in a sculpture of himself that he made in class, which Ashbury then took home. After years of being a top-tier threat who only appeared in major events, this really seemed to cheapen the Cyborg as a villain, and was an underwhelming conclusion to his arc from Genesis. This whole issue was just bizarre, and it would end up being the last issue of Superman I would buy for a while.
Adventures of Superman #552
Superman and the Special Crimes Unit investigate the death of the boy in the alley, whose body looks like it was torn apart by a wild animal. While a crowd gathers around Superman and the police, the Parasite attacks Superman. The Parasite is unable to drain Superman's powers, however, and Superman is unable to stop draining the Parasite's energy, nearly killing him.
This was the second issue of this series in a row that I wasn't able to find on the shelves in any stores at the time. Losing interest in the books and falling behind, I'm reading these for the first time now.
Action Comics #739
In Australia, Lois meets an old army buddy of her father who offers to personally take her through the Outback. On the way, they're attacked by ninjas, and she wakes up to find herself caged behind bars by Rajiv. Sam Lane gets a call from his friend in the middle of the night, who tells him what happened to his daughter. When Clark Kent gets back to his apartment, he finds his father-in-law waiting for him there and packed for battle. Sam Lane announces that they're going the airport to rescue Lois.
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