Superman #2
Superman has to figure out a way to deal with the more dangerous Parasite in Superman #2, by writer Joshua Williamson, artist Jamal Campbell, and letterer Ariana Maher. This issue continues the excellence of the first, upping the stakes wonderfully.
Superman struggles with the horde of Parasites and gets away, but the Parasites have already begun to attack Metropolis. Meanwhile, a group of supervillain scientists, including T.O. Morrow and Professor Ivo, grill Graft and Dr. Pharm on what they’ve been doing in Metropolis and that they’ve taken things too far. Graft and Pharm ignore them and go about their business. The Parasites attack SuperCorp, but Superman shows up to help and demands information about Lex’s enemies that Luthor warned Superman of. She knows nothing, but Lex gets in touch with Superman again, asking him to free him. As Kara and Jon help with the wave of Parasites, Jon tells Superman he doesn’t know where Lois is, and Superman runs to their apartment. However, he’s met by the mysterious Marilyn Moonlight, who uses her power to charge him back in. Unfortunately for everyone, Lois is now a Parasite, leading a horde of them against Superman. As the defense of the city continues, Superman makes a horrifying realization: the Parasites are airborne, and he’s infected.
Williamson is making a massive splash with Superman right now, and it’s paying off. Evolving the Parasite is such a no-brainer of an idea that it’s surprising that it took this long to come up with it. Parasite evolving and becoming a swarm? That is such an excellent idea, and it takes a story that readers have gotten a hundred times and puts it on its ear. What’s so great is that this idea isn’t even the main plot. The main plot is Superman trying to figure out a way to save the city. It’s this little difference - that Superman is figuring out how to save the innocent instead of figuring out how to beat the bad guy - that shows that Williamson understands how to write Superman. Beating the bad guy is important to Supes, but secondary; mission one is always saving lives.
Almost as if Williamson is showing off, he introduces a council of supervillain scientists, the new villains Graft and Doctor Pharm, and Marilyn Moonlight, and gives Livewire some incidental characterization that makes the character that much better. It’s just such a stacked book, and that’s not even bringing up Parasite Lois or the awesome Lex Luthor subplot. This book is lapping all of the competition and making it look effortless. Williamson is showing why readers should trust him with the Man of Steel.
Campbell continues to kill it on art. His Parasites are perfect, capturing the hunger and the menace. Graft and Doctor Pharm are so creepy that it makes their whole deal work even better. Marilyn Moonlight looks fantastic. His Superman is the ideal, a massive chunk of superhero. Campbell is taking everything that Williamson puts in the script and making it into something amazing. And his colors are really something to write home about, flawlessly setting off the pencils.
Superman #2 is everything anyone could want from a Superman comic. It tells a compelling story, sets things up for the future, and makes it all look effortless. Williamson, Campbell, and Maher are casually killing it, giving readers a Superman book like no other.
