Superman: Lost #5 Review

    

   

Written by: Christopher Priest
Art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz
Colors by: Jeremy Cox
Letters by: Willie Schubert
Cover art by: Lee Weeks, Elizabeth Breitweiser
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: July 11, 2023

Superman: Lost #5 takes Superman's lost years in space to dark places when he encounters a Green Lantern who isn't a Green Lantern, and Clark's memories of time away widen the rift between him and Lois.
Is It Good?

Superman: Lost #5 is not bad. Christopher Priest may be circling some semblance of a coherent plot with this issue, and the story's direction may be taking shape. Yes, that sounds like a backhanded compliment, but with a maxi-series as troubled as this one, any praise is an improvement.

When last we left Superman in his adventure far from home, he intercepted Max's band of mercenaries attacking New-Ark for resource mining. A Green Lantern arrived to lend a hand when the battle reached a fevered pitch. Now, we learn the Green Lantern, Hope, doesn't know anything about Green Lanterns because the previous bearer died before making introductions, and her ring is disconnected from the Corps network. Meanwhile, Szhemi (now living in Clark's home in "Kansas") makes a breakthrough in finding Earth, leading to a terrible development.

In true Christopher Priest fashion, the plot developments are weird, and the time jumps back and forth throughout the story to different points are jarring, but it looks like the story has some conflict at its core that's worth exploring.

In this case, the big conflict comes by way of Hope. She represents a point of concern (jealousy?) for Lois as Clark mentions her name more than once but doesn't want to discuss her. Hope has a Green Lantern's power but no connection to the Corps, which is like giving an untrained novice a nuclear bomb, and Hope's struggles with being lost and isolated have made her unstable.

Whether by design or accident, Priest's introduction of Hope creates an excuse for Clark to be tested in ways he hasn't before, which could make for compelling storytelling.

Still, a few areas make the reading experience less enjoyable. The random time jumps create a clumsy narrative flow. Hope's acquisition of a GL ring should have alerted Oa in some form or fashion, so her setup doesn't make complete sense. Lois's interactions with both Clark and Wonder Woman feel off somehow. Lois has always been a go-getter but generally not rude, impatient, and dismissive as she is here. And Priest pauses to explain the depth and complexity of how a Libertarian society functions on New-Ark, which comes off as several pages of a High School Civics class lecture.

Story elements aside, Pagulayan and Paz deliver fantastic art in this issue. The battle against Max's invasion is filled with the type of superhero action you've come to expect in a Superman comic, the figure work is perfect, and the few emotional beats are acted well.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Whether by accident or design, Superman: Lost #5 has the seed of a dramatic story worth telling when a Green Lantern enters Clark's lost life. The "plot" developments are interesting, and Hope breathes life into a floundering maxi-series.

7/10