Superman #4
Superman learns more about Dr. Pharm and Graft as they recruit a new pawn to attack the Man of Steel in Superman #4, by writer Joshua Williamson, artists Jamal Campbell and Nick Dragotta, colorist Frank Martin, and letterer Ariana Maher. This is another fantastic issue of Superman, full of great moments.
Silver Banshee, in her human guise, is making breakfast for her boyfriend when she’s attacked by Graft. She activates her power, but Graft stops her with altered Kryptonite. Graft threatens the people Silver Banshee loves to get her to work for her. At Stryker’s Island, Lex listens in on a conversation between inmates and tries to kill the one who thinks that Batman is better than Superman. Later, the Man of Steel grills Lex for his actions and tells him to finally give up the secret of Dr. Pharm and Graft. When Lex first came to Metropolis, he noticed that homeless people were disappearing and discovered Dr. Pharm and Graft were doing it. He attacked them, freeing the homeless and destroying the lab. After more questioning, Lex tells Superman the location of the old lab. He investigates, finding it still destroyed and abandoned, but also finding a blueprint for the Phantom Zone projector. Lex tells him it’s a trap, and just then Silver Banshee attacks. Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy meet up and start talking about Marilyn Moonlight just as Superman breaks through the streets battling Silver Banshee. He trumps her powers, and he’s about to take her down when Jimmy stops him, telling Superman that he loves her.
Sometimes, a great new run doesn’t survive the story arc. Readers get all excited for a book, and then the next issue, kicking off the next phase, doesn’t deliver. That’s not Superman. Williamson is proving to be an excellent Superman writer. This issue has all the hallmarks of a perfect Superman story, and Williamson is showing that he can write Superman like no one’s business. His Lex is just as good as well, and it’s nice to actually see Superman’s supporting cast get used well.
This issue sets up more of the mystery of who Dr. Pharm and Graft are and reveals that their experiments involve using Kryptonite in new ways. That’s a great little wrinkle right there; Kryptonite has long been passe and boring, but seeing it used in new ways is pretty interesting. The sequence with Lex talking about his past is awesome. Lex basically puts on his best Mr. Terrific II drag, in green and purple with a whole head of hair, and tries to be a hero. That part of the character was always there, but seeing it in action is fantastic. Finally, most readers will figure out that Silver Banshee and Jimmy are dating on the first page, but that doesn’t kill the novelty of the whole thing or how excellent the ending is.
Every generation has a brilliant Superman artist, and Jamal Campbell is showing that he’s this one. There’s a sequence where Lex talks about things that he and Superman have accomplished with SuperCorp, just a few long panels, and they’re amazing. Everything about his art is perfect. He’s a tough act to follow, but Dragotta and Martin pull it off. They draw the section about Lex’s past, and it looks wonderful. Dragotta’s angular lines and exaggerated faces may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this section looks beautiful, with Martin’s sumptuous colors setting the whole thing off nicely.
Superman #4 is a marvelous comic. The saga of Dr. Pharm and Graft continues, while also doing incredible character work and throwing in some interesting changes to the game. The Superman renaissance continues, and Superman is at its forefront.
