Superman and Synmar battle it out in the Phantom Zone in Superman #27, by writer Brian Micheal Bendis, artist Ivan Reis, inker Danny Miki, colorist Alex Sinclair, and letterer Dave Sharpe. As the battle rages, Superman tries to get the bottom of what Synmar wants and why he’s come to Earth.

Superman fights Synmar but realizes that maybe hitting isn’t the answer- he doesn’t think Synmar is evil, but he can see Synmar thinks he is. He tries to communicate again, and it’s just as fruitless as before. Xa-Du, an exiled Kryptonian, enters the fray, and Synmar makes short work of him. Superman goes back to communicating with the alien, failing again, and the two resume their fight. Superman, though, has an idea- he has Kelex open a portal out of the Phantom Zone into space and invites Synmar through it. Xa-Du tries to escape, but Superman stops him, showing Synmar that only evil people stay in the Zone. Superman and Synmar leave the Zone, and Superman asks him to take him to his homeworld. He follows Synmar to his home planet, which orbits an orange sun, and begins to lose his powers. However, he can understand Synmar perfectly. After Superman tells Synmar he’s powerless, the alien takes that as a surrender, and Superman is left to whatever fate the aliens have in store for him. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Lana Lang visits Lois for a talk about her interview with Superman.

Bendis really nails Superman in this issue. Superman, especially lately, has been looking for truth. He has a feeling Synmar isn’t evil, and he wants to get to the center of that. While Superman is known for fighting his foes, he doesn’t hit to attack- he hits to defend. He keeps trying to think his way out of this fight, but he still finds himself forced to engage the alien, which he doesn’t want.

He takes with the portal, using it as an object lesson- he only stops bad people like Xa-Du, something that Synmar can understand without words. He then trusts the alien and follows him. While this isn’t the smartest course of action, it’s the most Superman course of action- trusting in the goodness of others. Bendis perfectly balances action and dialogue in this issue, and it’s wonderful to behold. One of the tragedies of Bendis leaving Superman soon is that he’s really hit his stride lately writing him- while he’s always shown a great grasp of the character, his early work on both Superman and Action Comics was very hit or miss. However, issues like this show just how good he’s gotten at writing the character.

Ivan Reis’s art is great throughout. He’s already proven how good he is at drawing the Phantom Zone, and his action penciling has always been one of his strong suits. However, in this issue, his character really seals the deal, showing Superman’s resolve, whether it be in battle or trying to figure out Synmar, and his utter confusion when he gets to Synmar’s homeworld. He also is able to show emotion on Synmar’s alien face, not an easy task at all.

Superman #27 is a great Superman story, highlighting exactly who he is as a hero and person- a man who strives to defend and understand, wanting to end fights with diplomacy as much as with violence. Bendis nails this perfectly throughout the issue and paces the whole thing wonderfully. He strikes a delicate balancing act, and he’s at his most Claremont-ian in this issue- using caption boxes to describe what’s going on in Superman’s head while also giving readers great action set pieces. Reis’s pencils make sure those set pieces look great. Superman #27 is another example of just how good Bendis has gotten with the Man of Steel.

Grade: B+