Smallville: Chaos #12 Review

Written by: Bryan Q. Miller
Art by: Agustin Padilla
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: August 22, 2014

Not the End

If you have read my past reviews, you know that I'm a huge Smallville Fanboy.  It's been such a consistently great book from Season 11 to the many awesome minis that followed.  This issue ends the Chaos arc and while it's been entertaining, something about it has been bothering me since it started.  I think I finally have put my finger on that something.



Eclipso was defeated "soundly" last issue, but there is still the problem of what to do with the Diamond.  Hank Henshaw has a solution that is a bit out of left field, but is heroic.  Meanwhile, Lois fights for her and Superman's survival and manages to get them home, but they are far from where they are needed. Lex then shows he's not only the smartest man on the planet, but he also is the most prepared.  Without Lex, there is no Lex Corps...he made sure of that. The issue (and arc) ends at D.E.O. Headquarters where Steve Trevor, Diana Prince and the President are getting a front row seat for the upcoming Crisis.

Chaos is over, but what bothered me is that the entire arc just feels like a setup.  Instead of resolving anything, we are left with a bunch of dangling threads and one huge cliffhanger.  The cliffhanger sets up an awesome future for the book, but the danglers are just infuriating, the Lex story line in particular.  I waited twelve issues for something awesome to happen, but what we got was a confusing non-end.  Bryan Q. Miller has let me down for the first time.

Agustin Padilla's art is a bit of a disappointment as well.  Characters look different at different points throughout the issue with Otis looking like a little girl at one point.  Other characters, such as Steve Trevor, just look unfinished.  I've loved his work on the book so it's a shame that the finale is his worst issue.

Bits and Pieces:

Smallville: Chaos #12 ends the arc in such a disappointing way.  It feels like setup instead of it's own complete story and as such, I can't recommend it.  I'm sure Bryan Q. Miller will rebound with the next arc, but that doesn't help me get past my disappointment right now.

4.0/10