DC Comics and Superman #5 Spoilers and Review follows.
Lex Luthor’s Secret Past Frustrates Superman Today, But Now The Silver Banshee Too!
What To Expect.
SUPERMAN #4
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
Variant covers by GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, RAMONA FRADON and SANDRA HOPE, and NATHAN SZERDY
1:25 variant cover by PAMELA HOOGEBOOM
1:50 variant cover by MICO SUAYAN
1:100 foil variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)Introducing the Kryptonite Klaw!
Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite, but what happens when other dangerous superhumans are exposed to it? If Superman wants to stop Metropolis’s newest enemies, he must uncover Lex Luthor’s secret past!
In addition the main cover and solicitation above the title has a few variant covers below.
Superman #4 Spoilers and Review.
The book opens with Siobhan McDougal aka Silver Banshee in a breakfast morning routine with someone seemingly her boyfriend when she is interrupted by Dr. Pharm and Graft.
Dr. Pharm’s Kryptonite Klaw is a difference maker as Silver Banshee is surprisingly easily subdued.
Later, Superman visits Lex Luthor in prison and LL is proud of the work they have accomplished together.
Superman explains to Lex Luthor that Dr. Pharm appears to be using Kryptonite to change the DNA of Metropolis’s superfolk that he has targetted.
That leads to Lex Luthor revealing some of his secret past in Metropolis to Superman.
Looks like LL tried first to be a super-hero and that is where he tangled with Dr. Pharm and Graft first.
LL reveals where their old HQ was and quickly realizes they have set a trap for Superman and warns him, but it was too late.
We get a quick scene change with Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane so that readers remember them and the mysterious Marilyn Moonlight.
The book begins to end with a coerced Silver Banshee forced to fight Superman with their battle erupting in the streets of Metropolis in front of Lois and Jimmy.
In the midst of their battle, Jimmy Olsen runs between Superman and Silver Banshee because he’s her boyfriend!
The Pulse.
I am intrigued by Dr. Pharm’s plans for Superman’s rogues gallery. Using the Kryptonite Klaw to infect them, which Pharm sees as experimentation, and see what happens is intriguing from writer Joshua Williamson. It allows for an ongoing narrative for several issues as well as interesting issue-to-issue battles with Superman and his partner the imprisoned Lex Luthor. Solid art for this issue from Jamal Campbell and team. 9 out of 10.
I’ve been a Silver Banshee fan since her debut in Superman #17 in 1988 under the pen and pencil of John Byrne. I hope we get to see Silver Banshee’s brother Bevan McDougal at some point in the future. Here’s her classic Who’s Who bio if you’re interested in this very unique character. Finally, I do also want to note that artist Gary Frank had a cool take artistically on Silver Banshee in the 1997 Supergirl series.
