By the 1970s, Superman had been going for over thirty years and nothing much had really changed. Superman had obviously become the definition of a comic book superhero not long after his debut in 1938 with Action Comics 1, had since then, the character had remained unchanged. If anything, he became more and more powerful as the years went on. Originally, he could only run fast and leap over tall buildings. Years later, he can fly not just on Earth, but in space! Even after the golden age and through the silver age, Superman had been fighting menaces from space or evil geniuses like Lex Luthor, or even magical creatures such as Mr Mxyzptlk. The 1970s, I wouldn’t say the whole thing had become entirely stale or dull, but it certainly needed refreshing. That’s when Dennis O’Neil came along. His first work for DC was Beware the Creeper (vol 1) 1-6, with Steve Ditko and he soon became a notable writer. Then he did a run on Wonder Woman with Mike Sekowsky, altering the character and updating her. Honestly, the whole thing was very questionable and certainly not one of O’Neil’s best moments. However, it was when he begun working on titles like Detective Comics, Batman and Justice League of America where his true talents were realised and it was in 1971 when he was given the job that many had dreamed about: the writer on Superman. In retrospect, O’Neil had been known to critique his work on Superman and he didn’t think that it was his best work. While it is true that his work with Neal Adams on Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman is far more popular, this story should never be overlooked. DC had rarely done ongoing plots in their titles. There had been some exceptions, but no overarching plot lasted for nearly a year. Most editors at the time wouldn’t even think about it. But, when Julius Schwartz became editor of the Superman titles, times were changing in comic books and Superman, too, had to change…
In this review covering Dennis O’Neil’s Kryptonite Nevermore storyline, or the Sandman Saga as it is also known as, I will be reviewing:
Superman Breaks Loose/How to Tame a Wild Volcano/Sinister Scream of the Devil’s Harp --- Superman (vol 1) 233-235
Planet of Angels --- Superman (vol 1) 236
Enemy of Earth/Menace at 1000 Degrees/To Save A Superman/The Shape of Fear, The Ultimate Battle --- Superman (vol 1) 237-238, 240-242
While Superman (vol 1) 233-238 was published monthly from January to June 1971, Superman (vol 1) 240-242 was published from July to September 1971. All stories were written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson and Dick Giordano. Also, the covers were drawn by Neal Adams and Carmine Infantino. Lastly,
I have read these stories in the Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore hardcover.
Superman Breaks Loose/How to Tame a Wild Volcano/Sinister Scream of the Devil’s Harp --- Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson
THE STORY
In an isolated testing ground, Professor Bolden experiments with his Kryptonite Generator to create electricity. However, when Bolden activates his generator, the alarm sounds as it goes out of control. Luckily, Superman appears with a large lead coated shield to protect himself from the Kryptonite and to contain the blast. However, it suddenly explodes, and Superman falls to the sandy ground. When he awakens, Superman finds that he is no longer weak to green Kryptonite. Although he doesn’t know why, he decides to investigate it later and as he flies away, his outline in the sand remains. Later at the Daily Planet Building, Jimmy Olsen celebrates that Kryptonite has been destroyed while Morgan Edge rants about his hatred of Superman. Morgan Edge then tells Clark Kent to cover the launch of the new Mail-Rocket on TV. Although he is usually a newspaper journalist, Clark agrees and at the scene, he speaks to the camera about the rocket and its aim to decrease the time taken for mail deliveries. Then, Clark notices somebody suspicious and as the ads begin on TV, he becomes Superman and confronts the criminal. He tells Superman that his gang is planning to steal the rocket so that the government will pay them money to get it back. Then, the crook gets some green Kryptonite out of his pocket, not knowing Superman is now unaffected by it. Superman just eats it before knocking the criminal out. Then, Superman becomes Clark again and reports on the rocket taking off. In the smoke from the rocket launch, he becomes Superman and follows the rocket, noticing two planes following it. One of the planes fires at him, but he takes the bullets to his chest. Then, Superman enters one of the planes and knocks out the two criminals piloting it, before he sets the plane into automatic pilot. Superman then goes after the other plane and he successfully brings the crooks to justice. The next morning at the Daily Planet Building, Edge tells Clark that he is to become a regular TV reporter (to the annoyance of Perry White). Meanwhile in the desert, the outline of Superman forms into a Superman creature made of sand. It walks into the distance…
In Morgan Edge’s office, Clark is ordered by Edge to cover a story on TV about an island in the Pacific has an active volcano nearby. Although Clark wants to help the people on the island, Edge tells him to do his job. Leaving Edge, Clark becomes Superman and flies to the island, seeing that the volcano will soon erupt. He then sees that natives trying to escape on boats are being attacked by gunboats. Superman gets closer to one of the gunboats and he is fired at, but it does nothing to him. Superman then meets Boysie Harker, who owns the island. He tells Superman to leave and that there is no danger from the volcano. Afterwards, Superman sets up his camera and becomes Clark, reporting on the events occurring. As Superman, he controls the camera movements through his belt while speaking through a small transmitter to report on what’s happening. Meanwhile in the desert, the Sand Superman wanders around before flying away. At the same time, Superman swims underwater to search for the source of the volcano, but he suddenly becomes weak as the Sand Superman flies above the waters. Reaching the surface, Superman is told to leave once more by Harker when suddenly, he notices a plane on fire. Superman manages to save the plane and its passengers, who are a special delegation from the United Nations. Superman is then told about the storm which damaged the plane and he decides to locate it. When he does, Superman creates a whirlwind around a huge rain cloud and transports it to the volcano, cooling it down temporality so the UN can react. Then, Superman notices the Sand Superman flying above him and he grows weak. He then falls to the ground, landing on Harker’s boat just as he is about to fire at some ships coming by. As Harker and his men punch Superman, he stands there taking it and wondering about the Sand Superman. In the end, Clark reports that the island has been evacuated and Harker has been arrested by the UN. Then, as the volcano begins to erupt, Sand Superman lies in the magma, changing...
In Metropolis, Clark Kent and Lois Lane go to a concert bowl where Ferlin Nyxly is performing. While Clark and Lois wait for the performance to start, Clark notices a helicopter flying above with some gangsters in it about to drop a bomb on the crowd. Clark makes an excuse to Lois and leaves briefly, but before becoming Superman and throwing himself in the path of the bomb. Naturally, it doesn’t affect him, and he takes out the gangsters. Moments later, he becomes Clark again and Ferlin Nyxly prepares to begin his performance, before thinking that nobody cares about him as their attention if still with Superman. Nyxly then remembers that six months ago, he discovered the Devil’s Harp at the Metropolis Music Museum and when he began playing it, he became scared. Back in the present, Nyxly plays his music well but people speak in the crowd. Suddenly, Timos Achens stands up and shouts, telling them that the music is great, just like he once was as his talent vanished just six months ago. Later at the Daily Planet Building, Edge tells Clark that Superman is grabbing the spotlight with his huge ego and he tells Clark to read an editorial from the Daily Planet on the news about Superman and how he is dangerous. On the news, Clark begins to read the statement before a newsreader comes on and announces a bulletin about an unidentified flying object. Clark hears this and becomes Superman. As he flies towards the UFO, Superman notices Sand Superman again and he follows it. At the same time, Nyxly begins to play the Devil’s Harp, wishing he could fly. Nyxly then begins to fly. At the same time, Superman falls into the ocean as he couldn’t stay airborne. Superman then runs on the ocean and Sand Superman does the same thing. Meanwhile, Nyxly puts on a pan costume from the Museum and heads out onto the streets with his Devil’s Harp, which enables him to fly like Superman. Then, he notices some security guards transporting money and he steals it. Suddenly, Nyxly is shot by one of the guards and he falls to the ground, but he is uninjured. Nyxly then simply flies away, shocking the guards. Meanwhile, Clark arrives back at the Daily Planet and he burns his hand when hot coffee is split on it, surprisingly him as he should be invulnerable to it. Clark then looks outside, and he notices the Sand Superman again. Then, Edge appears and tells Clark to go to Studio B, where Nyxly is on air, telling Superman to meet him at the Metropolis Stadium. Superman hears the message and meets Nyxly, who tells him to arrest him as he has committed a robbery. Then, Nyxly gives himself super-speed and he fights Superman, almost managing to take him out. However, the fight ends when Sand Superman appears, and he destroys the Devil’s Harp. As Nyxly becomes unconscious, Superman asks Sand Superman what or who is but, but the creature just walks away…
MY THOUGHTS
From the very beginning, O’Neil changes Superman, who only really had two weaknesses up to the 1970s. They were Kryptonite (in its many colours and forms) and magic. Naturally, you’d think that getting rid of the most common danger to Superman, that being green Kryptonite, would actually be a terrible plot device, since it makes the character even more powerful, which results the lack of good villains. However, O’Neil perfectly writes Superman as not some godly alien, but a regular person who just seems to have super-powers. The very beginning of the first story is compelling as when Superman loses his weakness to green Kryptonite, a huge sense (continued)
of mystery is created. The big question is: how can Superman lose a battle now? While its true that none of the villains in these stories defeated him (Nyxly being the closest to achieving his goal), the background character of the Sand Superman essentially becomes Superman’s new weakness. We aren’t exactly sure about the details of the mysterious sand character, but O’Neil develops him slowly and well, meaning that you constantly think about what the final result of the saga will be and what will happen to the Sand Superman. We’ll get onto Sand Superman later as he becomes an important part of the main story with the Sinister Scream of the Devil’s Harp, but before that, he isn’t really present in a crucial way. The plot to the first story involving the criminals stealing the rocket is very basic and isn’t anything new, but it does feel new in the way that the story is told. Beforehand, writers had to explain what was going on in each panel, despite the fact that the artist could just draw it. Here, O’Neil lets the art tell the story, something which the best writers do. Others at the time such as Len Wein were extremely gifted at this. It shows that DC is beginning to catch up with the change in comics, something which Marvel had begun in the 1960s. Not only that, but O’Neil’s dialoguing never feels dull and there is always a sense of energy flowing through it. Again, this is something that many writers at the time just didn’t have. But like I said, the plot to that first issue is fairly simple, but I think it works because of that. It is a great introduction to this new era, and it allows us to see a change in how Superman works due to his lack of weakness to Kryptonite. I mentioned this earlier, but O’Neil writes Superman like he is a human being. Despite all these powers, he has to remember to take responsibility. Clark Kent too has been updated as he has become a TV journalist. This change didn’t exactly last long, but it is welcome since it is something different to what had come before. All the old cast of Superman characters are still present, with Lois Lane constantly getting into trouble and Jimmy Olsen still being annoying. However, one of the relatively new characters to appear is Morgan Edge, the boss of the Daily Planet and its editor, Perry White. Edge was actually created in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen 133 by Jack Kirby and he is a minion of Darkseid, something which is mentioned here. Although it doesn’t have much to do with the Kryptonite Nevermore storyline, is does explain his hatred towards Superman. The first issue works very well in setting up everything. It isn’t a hugely radical change and its one that older fans can easily enjoy, while updating the characters and stories for new readers. The plot to the second story is a prime example, since its mainly focused around humanity and its cruelty. The real villain of the story is Boysie Harker, who is full of greed and cruelty. He is also a very ignorant character since he doesn’t believe that the volcano is going to explode. Something which O’Neil has done very well at not just, but in his Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories is that many of the plots can occur in the real world. This one here certainly could as it’s a natural disaster and it focuses on how people react to it. To me, this is another excellent aspect of how O’Neil updates Superman. Instead of constantly sending him to space and fighting aliens with twenty-six tentacles, or even sending them to Earth, the threats are Earth-based and often reflect on the real world. Again, it might not look so different from Superman stories since the 1970s, but I’d imagine at the time it felt like a huge breath of fresh air. Even now looking back at it feels like something new. There is also much more pressure on the guise of Clark Kent, as now he’s a TV journalist, he can’t keep leaving and be Superman. It’s the little things like that which change the character and ultimately make him feel more human. Out of the three stories here, the second one is probably my favourite since it’s an Earth-based story with a natural threat and the real villain is the cruelty of humanity. Lastly, the third part, is most probably my least favourite of the three. It still is very enjoyable, and it is a decent story, but the main problem I have with it is the villain in Nyxly. The story behind the Devil’s Harp does feel unique and again, something new. For the first time in the saga, it creates a threat who can take out Superman with his muscles. Funnily enough, Superman never really had any villains back in the day who he’d have to fight using his fists. It does sound strange, but that’s just how it went and while I don’t think that Nyxly would be a great ongoing villain, it is a different foe to what we’ve seen before. Lastly, the Sand Superman actually becomes a more involved part of the story here. This happens at the right time since he is constantly on your mind as a character, yet the mystery is still intact and O’Neil writes the scenes he is in in such a way that makes you eager to read on. The only problem I have with Nyxly is that while he works well with the Devil’s Harp, he just looks ridiculous in that naff costume he gets from the Museum. I don’t really know why he is given that costume, but it makes him look like a really silly villain and takes away some of the mystery behind him.
Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Planet of Angels --- Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson
THE STORY
After taking out some gangsters together, Superman and Batman say their farewells as Batman needs sleep. As Superman heads back to the Fortress of Solitude, Superman thinks about how he envies people having to sleep since he doesn’t need it at all. In his fortress, Superman puts on a helmet which compares his Kryptonian brain electricity to the normal pattern of humans. Once he puts on the helmet however, Superman feels as if he’s falling and he appears in a place which resembles hell, with fire and demons everywhere. The demons try to attack Superman, but he
fends them off easily. Then, Superman meets three angels, Gabriel, Raphael and Michael, who tell Superman that he is in Heaven and the demons are from Hell. Although Superman questions if he is dead, he is told that he has simply passed from one state of existence to another. Gabriel then tells Superman that he must prove himself worthy to enjoy the tranquillity of life here. He tells Superman that he must enter Hell and find and destroy a huge gate. Hesitantly, Superman enters Hell and finds the gate. However, when he opens it, he sees Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Batman staring at him, grinning evilly. They then suddenly vanish and Superman tunnels underground to the other side of the gate, where he finds a group of demons. Although Superman attacks them at first, he is calmed down and once he concentrates on what the demons really are, he sees them as Law Officers from the planet Beta U. They explain that the angles are actually criminals that they have been chasing and that the angles sent Superman to destroy the gate so they could take out the officers. Superman then breaks through the gate and confronts the angels, who learn that Superman has seen through their ruse. They then try and stop Superman by threatening him, telling him that if he comes any closer, then they will kill his friends. Superman sees that this is another trick and he flies forward, taking out Raphael and Michael. However, Gabriel escapes and heads towards Earth with a bomb. Superman travels back to Earth and finds Gabriel. Superman absorbs the blast of the bomb and the angels are defeated. In the end, Superman asks why the angles haven’t reverted to their true form and the Law Officers tell him that that is the way that the angels have always looked, and evil comes in all forms…
MY THOUGHTS
This one here doesn’t actually fit into the Kryptonite Nevermore saga. The Sand Superman doesn’t turn up at all. I’m not sure why they didn’t think about leaving this story out of the collected edition, but I’m glad they didn’t. This story works as an interlude of sorts and works as a much-needed break in the main storyline. It gives us time to digest what has happened before while also delivering a unique story is just enjoyable and fun to read. I am very fond of the beginning to see Batman, as its nice to establish their working relationship in the mainstream titles. Superman did turn up in Detective Comics 408 by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman and Neal Adams after all. But as the main story begins, its just a good and smooth read about how evil comes in different forms. The concept of the Gabriel, Raphael and Michael are very deceptive and that is what works about them. You instantly trust them from their appearance, and you dislike the demons because they appear to be demons. However, the twist in the story is very good and you can’t actually see it coming, since the angels embed it into your head subtlety that they are heroic and kind. As much as I like the story for being separate from the others, a reference or mention to the Sand Superman would have been nice. I wouldn’t have wanted him to feature in the story in a prominent way as such, but a reference would have been nice. Really, if that’s the best criticism of a story I can come up with then you know this is a very good story…
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 9/10
Enemy of Earth/Menace at 1000 Degrees/To Save A Superman/The Shape of Fear/ The Ultimate Battle --- Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson and Dick Giordano
THE STORY
Somewhere in the west of the United States, Superman stops an experimental rocket plane from crashing into a mountain. He opens the top of the rocket and finds the pilot, who thinks Superman is a villain. Then, as the pilot falls unconscious, Superman takes his helmet off and discovers that the pilot has green skin. Taking him to a hospital, Superman tells the doctor that the pilot may have caught a disease from outer-space since the rocket-plane went above the atmosphere. Afterwards, Superman searches space and decides to search in the Earth’s radiation belt, but he doesn’t find any trace of anything suspicious. Later at the Daily Planet Building, Morgan Edge asks Clark where he has been, and he tells him to report the news. When he does, Clark begins to feel dizzy and as he reads the news, he looks through a wall and notices the Sand Superman. Afterwards, Superman investigates and meets the Sand Superman, which mentally pushes Superman back through a building. However, once Superman looks at the people in the building, he notices that their skin is also green. At the same time, he hears that Lois Lane is in trouble. Once he alerts the hospital, Superman leaves but the Sand Superman appears again. Somewhere in Central America, Lois Lane’s plane has crashed, and she has been kidnapped by a group of bandits. Although Superman watches it happen, he can’t go closer since he believes he is carrying the disease that is making people turn green. Superman then notices that a horde of ants is approaching where Lois and the bandits are. He then heads closer to the ants, which grow bigger upon touching his costume. After knocking them out and throwing them into space, Superman wonders if he is a threat to Earth. Meanwhile, Lois and the bandits notice the horde of ants and they leave her and the plane’s pilot behind. At the same time, the doctor at the hospital tries to contact Superman, telling him that he has isolated the virus from space. In space, Superman is met with the Sand Superman again and he realises that the explosion caused by the creature earlier sterilised his hand, explaining why another of the ants didn’t grow larger when he touched it. Superman then touches Sand Superman, causing another explosion, but curing Superman. Then, Superman appears to Lois and rescues her from the ants, before taking out the bandits. Afterwards, Sand Superman talks to Superman, telling him that he is him, but only one of them can survive…
Still not completely recovered from his encounter with Sand Superman, Superman heads towards a freighter which is being attacked by torpedo boats. Not only does Superman sink the torpedo boats and save the villains, he also throws himself in the way of the torpedo, causing it to explode. On board the freighter, the captain tells Superman that Project Magma has been captured. The captain explains that the Earth is running out of energy sources and the government believe that tapping into magma deposits below the planet’s surface could run machinery. Superman agrees to help the captain in getting the project back and nearby, he is attacked by a magma hose. Superman takes the magma hose directly and then lands in the water, causing the magma to stick to his skin. However, he manages to break out of it, but he realises that he will need help. At the Fortress of Solitude, Superman speaks to Sand Superman, who refuses to help as mankind means nothing to him. Meanwhile in the (continued)
Daily Planet Building, Morgan Edge tells Lois Lane that Lance Spy, the leader of the mob, has been released and he asks for ten million dollars in gold, fifty hostages and a hydrogen bomb. He then told the police that if they refuse, his men will blast the drill hole, causing huge earthquakes and explosions. Lois, as a hostage, meets with Spy and steals his gun. However, she gives it back to him once she admits that she’d never shoot. However, a man appears, telling Spy to exchange Lois with himself. Once Spy refuses, the man is revealed to be Superman, who takes out Spy and his men, before catching the hydrogen bomb before it’s released into the Earth’s core. Lois questions why Superman took so long to appear, and he tells himself that he has to regain his former strength, or die trying…
In Metropolis, Superman enters a burning building and saves a mother and her two children. Afterwards, the owner of the building appears and tells Superman to save the burning building. Although Superman pushes his might against the building, it fails over and Superman fails. The Daily Planet runs with that same headline and at a meeting of the Anti-Superman Gang, one of the members thinks it is time to take action against Superman. On the streets, Superman is made fun off by passersby and he thinks to himself that the people can take care of their own problems. However, he snaps out of that attitude when he notices some criminals robbing a bank with a tank. Although Superman is injured by the tank’s gun, he manages to take them out by throwing the bank’s vault door at them. Later at the Daily Planet Building, Clark meets with I-Ching, a friend of Wonder Woman. He explains that he knows Clark is Superman and he knows how to cure his illness. Clark allows I-Ching to help him and at his home, Superman lies on a table while I-Ching drains his mind and soul. Suddenly, some gangsters appear while Superman is asleep attacking him and I-Ching. But, when Superman wakes up, he takes them out, before realising that he has lost his powers…
Realising that he no longer has any powers, Superman tells I-Ching that he is through with being Superman and he wants to be a normal person. However, I-Ching tells him to reconsider as refusing to become a hero again is an act of cowardice. Reluctantly, Superman agrees and as I-Ching helps him, his spirit leaves and searches for Sand Superman. As Superman’s soul makes contact with Sand Superman, the sand creature falls and twitches. Superman’s soul then returns to his body and he discovers that his powers have returned as he rips I-Ching’s door off its hinges. Superman then tests out his powers by destroying a meteoroid and then catching a criminal by trapping him in a stone prison in the middle of the street. This causes delays in the traffic and Superman is asked to move it. Later, Superman asks the military to shoot him, which they do, and it doesn’t injure him. A few days later, Wonder Woman reads the newspaper and notices that Superman is making too many mistakes, causing I-Ching to believe something is wrong. Meeting with I-Ching, Superman becomes angry as he is told he is suffering from brain damage. Blaming himself for what has happened, I-Ching conjures up a green globe of flame. He and Wonder Woman follow it and find Sand Superman, who I-Ching confirms is from the Realm of Quarrm, a state of alternate possibilities. Sand Superman explains his origin (from Superman (vol 1) 233, involving the green Kryptonite explosion and the sand and how Superman goes weak if he is present). As Sand Superman tells I-Ching and Wonder Woman that he is dying, they decide to take him back to their room, where they are being watched. They then summon Superman, who instantly flees upon seeing Sand Superman. As Sand Superman chases Superman, he is stopped by a giant monster that appears and knocks him out…
Knocked out by the giant monster inhabited by the spirit of Quarrm, Superman is then beaten up by some gangsters. Not long after, Jimmy Olsen finds Superman and alerts the hospital, where they confirm that Superman has got brain damage, explaining his odd behaviour. However, since he has lost his invulnerability, they can perform surgery on him. Meanwhile, the gangsters and their monster are wandering around causing trouble when Sand Superman appears. Although the two fight for a few seconds, Sand Superman wonders why he got involved since before he didn’t want to get involved in humanity. Later, Wonder Woman, I-Ching and Jimmy Olsen are told that the operation has been a success, but Superman will be weak for the time being. Out on the street, the gangsters learn that Superman is in hospital and they decide to find him and kill him when he’s weak. But, once the gangsters tell the monster to get moving, he threatens them and leaves them behind. In hospital, Superman is resting when the monster appears and although Wonder Woman tries to fight it, she fails. Suddenly, Superman wakes up and attacks the monster, realising that he has his strength back. Then, Sand Superman appears and together, they defeat the monster. However, it isn’t over as Sand Superman says that he wants life. He wants to be Superman and because of that, Superman must die. Reluctantly, Superman agrees to fight it out, but I-Ching appears, telling the two of them that there is a better way. Once I-Ching tells the two of them that the opposing atoms have been cancelled, the two begin fighting and with their strength, they destroy the world. Superman then cries when he realises what he has done, but he then wakes up, realising that he and Sand Superman were put in a trance by I-Ching, who made them realise that if they fought, they could destroy the world. In the end, I-Ching offers Superman to give him his powers back from Sand Superman, but Superman refuses, telling him that he doesn’t need more power. Sand Superman then vanishes back into the Quarrm and the gateway closes. Once I-Ching leaves, Superman is on his own.
MY THOUGHTS
While the first two parts of these stories have their own one-off plots (with the obvious involvements from Sand Superman), the last three issues are pretty much one-long story. But, before we get to them, the first story in which Superman becomes a carrier for an illness is very complex. This very idea of an Earth without Superman is certainly compelling, but I do find it incredibly vague how the pilot of the rocket at the very start gets this strange virus. I get how Superman gets it from the pilot, but I just don’t see how the pilot would have got it. Anyway, as much as this is an enjoyable story, I do find it to be over-complicated, particularly with the ants and one growing larger than the others. Lois Lane and her predicament with some bandits is only really present so Superman has another thing to deal with while he feels sorry for himself in space. Reading it, it is a fun and enjoyable story and the inclusion of the
Sand Superman does add something to it, since it adds more to his character while developing the over-arching storyline. There actually isn’t really much else to say about the story. It may have many flaws and it does feel more like an old-fashioned Superman story, but when reading it, it is a very enjoyable and interesting story. However, I think that the story which follows it, Menace at 1000 Degrees, is great and again, it reflects on some of the issues which were important at time. In this case, its about energy from the Earth and how energy sources are running out. Its another example of O’Neil making the story feel contemporary and modern and I think it works well because of it. The threat of Lance Spy is also genuine since he has a hydrogen bomb and there is a great moment when Superman has to travel down the pipe to the centre of the Earth to prevent the bomb from effectively destroying the world. It’s a great moment since Superman has to stop the bomb, while rescuing Lois and taking out Spy. As O’Neil gives Superman human qualities, moments such as these are written well because he has the whole world on his shoulders. The Sand Superman is also excellent here, since he refuses to help Superman. He sees humanity’s problems as something that only they should deal with. If anything, Sand Superman is an anti-Superman, one which is effectively living green Kryptonite since Superman gets weak every time he encounters him. Of course, in the last few issues of the saga, more is revealed about his character and even this late on, O’Neil is keeping the mystery while adding so much interest and revelations to the character. Overall, though, this is one my favourites of the saga, not just because O’Neil is tackling something relevant to the time, but also because it’s an action-packed story which is very interesting and has some great moments in it. Now, we get to the last three issues of the saga, which all run through each other. I think it starts off brilliantly. Superman failing to save the building from collapsing is a realisation to him that he is slowly failing, and he is losing his powers, which has been a present plot-point since the saga begun. To be honest, I think the Daily Planet really overblow Superman’s failure to save the burning building. I mean, he did save a mother and her two kids from being killed. Is that a failure? Anyway, the story begins to repeat itself a few times, with Superman failing to catch some robbers quickly enough. It really begins to get going with the appearance of I-Ching, a character from O’Neil’s Wonder Woman run. Yes, as annoying as it may be, this connects to Wonder Woman, which is most probably O’Neil’s most unpopular work, since the character and her appearance was changed dramatically. I-Ching featured like a wise old man, one which spoke about cleansing the mind and soul and all that kind of zen stuff. I guess I don’t mind his character here, but the story begins to fall apart when Superman leaves his soul and searches for Sand Superman, beginning a period where Superman just acts like a smug god. I’m not really sure why this happens, but the story just becomes quite boring and uneventful. The only aspects of note during these latter parts are when I-Ching and Wonder Woman meet with Sand Superman and the Quarrm, which appears to be a rather vague place. Speaking of Wonder Woman, because she no longer has her powers, she is effectively useless here and doesn’t do much of anything. It is I-Ching who cures Superman. Wonder Woman really doesn’t add anything to the story. Something that’s rather annoying towards the end is that the conflict between Superman and Sand Superman is forgotten about, since the villains are two random gangsters who hate Superman and a giant paper mache monster. They are really just poor excuses for a fight towards the end of the story, something which may have been lacking, but I think one between Superman and Sand Superman would have been better, but I think the way that their conclusion was handled was very good. In the very end, Superman and Sand Superman have a fight, which is conjured by I-Ching. I love this moment since they pretty much destroy the Earth as I-Ching shows the two of them how dangerous they and their powers really are. It’s a great way to end the story and overall, it’s a satisfying moment which concludes the story. However, as I mentioned, the build up to it isn’t exactly great and if anything, the last three parts could have been told in two. However, as one long story, or saga, it is certainly very different to anything that has come before and overall, it is a very good Superman storyline, something which I think is very rare indeed.
Story: 7/10
Art: 9/10
THE ART BY CURT SWAN, MURPHY ANDERSON AND DICK GIORDANO
You would have thought that in the new age of Superman which O’Neil was presenting that there would have been a new artist, one which looks modern. Neal Adams would have been the obvious choice and he did do most of the covers, but none of the insides. Instead, we get Curt Swan, a man who even by this point, had become the definitive Superman artist. In theory, his retro art wouldn’t exactly blend well with O’Neil’s new style of writing, but funnily enough, it does. The page layouts look so unique and different from what had come before. As a title, Superman is given a whole new look… from the same artist who had been drawing him for nearly twenty years at this point. What really stuns me are the layouts, which look brand new and so unlike-Swan. That’s not to say I dislike Swan’s work during the 1950s, which is good, but this is better. So much better. Plus, the inks by Murphy Anderson are just brilliant. They add a certain smoothness and clean look to the art, while making the pencils look so much more dramatic. The same goes for Giordano too. My only real problem is that with the hardcover, the colouring looks very faded and low quality, as if it is trying to replicate how the comics looked at their time. I guess to some its nice, but to me, I would have liked to have seen some faithful recolouring…
VERDICT
Overall, Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore, plainly put, is something new. DC had been afraid to do ongoing stories for multiple issues with older editors such as Mort Weisinger. But for this new era of Superman, O’Neil manages to make the whole concept, characters and stories feel fresh and brand new. Sure, there may be many flaws to the storyline, but it is certainly compelling and mysterious, while also addressing some of the relevant issues at the time. The brilliant art by the likes of Swan and Anderson update the character, adding so much more drama and action to the stories. I know that Dennis O’Neil wasn’t a huge fan of his stories for Superman and while I do prefer his works on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Batman and the Question, he did something that many great writers can’t do: he made me enjoy a Superman story.
Stories: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Next Week: Dark Knight III: The Master Race (Dark Knight III: The Master Race 1-9). Written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello with art by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson. Expected by 20/09/2020.
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