All questions are answered except the important ones
Written by: Tom King
Was It Good?
With each passing issue, it becomes increasingly difficult to review this series by Tom King without sounding like a broken record. Interpret that how you will.
Again, the art from Builquis Evely is gorgeous.
Again, Matheus Lopes executes exquisite coloring that perfectly complements Evely's art.
Again, Tom King is an exceptionally skilled writer who knows how to put together words with the best of them.
The art and the structural components of this series have never wavered since issue #1. However, the question that keeps coming up over and over again is "Why?".
[Spoilers Ahead]
Why is Tom King blatantly swiping True Grit when it forces Kara Zor-El to be depicted in a way that doesn't fit her character at all? In this issue, she's moved into full superhero mode by taking on a formidable army with enough firepower to put her back on her heels. It makes for a great dramatic moment, albeit an unnecessary one when you consider all she has to do is disable the ship. Kara is smarter than that.
Why does Tom King play up the "will she/won't she" tension of Ruthye threatening to kill Krem when she gets a chance? The narration in the very first issue lays out that Kara is the one who kills Krem. There's no mystery or tension when you already know who did it.
Why does Tom King wait until the penultimate issue to reveal Krypto is alive and dying from a poison that only Krem knows the antidote for? That very important bit of information would have been helpful to inform Kara's motivation throughout the series. Without that knowledge, it paints Kara as a pursuer on a revenge kick, and correcting the readers this late in the story feels like a cheat. King's made that mistake too many times before to keep making it.
Is this a good comic? Well, it looks great, and it reads smoothly and dramatically. What's in question is the theme. What is King trying to say and why is he saying it in such a weird way? Unless he can pull off a minor miracle in the next issue, the world may never know.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
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