Review: Superwoman # 17

Synopsis:

This issue opens with Midnight trying to force a weakened Superwoman to submit to her will. Midnight offers Lana all sorts of temptations to give in, and she is strongly trying to resist the obvious urge to take her up on that offer. This story showcases Lana’s vulnerable state and shows us an all too human hero which makes it a compelling read. We see her struggle and hope that she does the right thing but can also understand her desires. Great writing makes us care about our hero.

The Creative Team:

Kate Perkins bares Lana’s soul to the reader and makes us feel for our protagonist. We genuinely have compassion and understanding for Superwoman’s dilemma in this issue. Good writers don’t just throw a bunch of action scenes into a comic thinking that they’ve created a compelling story. What makes the writing great is getting us to care about what happens to our favorite characters. Creating protagonists and antagonists that have a connection to each other. One of the weaknesses in the new Justice League (which I really liked and am disappointed in it’s B.O. performance.) movie is that we can’t relate to its main villain, Steppenwolf. His threats seem idle , compared to say, Loki from the Avengers (I know, you’re probably tired of critics comparing the two, but I’m doing the comparison to make a point.) Both Steppenwolf and Loki are gods. However, unless you’re an avid reader of DC, you won’t really know who Steppenwolf is. The casual movie goer only gets a brief nutshell explanation to who he is and what he’s doing. He’s evil for the sake of being evil, with Loki we get the connection between he and Thor, and to the other Avengers. He’s not just a voice behind a ton of CGI, we see his face, know his plight and understand better what he’s doing. With Steppenwolf we’re only told about his plans. So, how does this relate to this issue? It’s the connection between Superwoman and Midnight. That connection is what we’re missing in the Justice League movie’s villain. We see that Lana want’s what Midnight is offering her, but doesn’t want to give in to Midnight’s will. It’s great stuff!

Federico Dallocchio embellishes this story with some dynamic illustrations that serve to compliment Kate Perkins words. We see in Lana’s face her feelings of hopelessness as her powers are weakened and her determination to not serve the evil Midnight. The opening splash is incredible and we see genuine fear in Lana’s face. Her powers are weakened and she falls, her friends come in to save her and there’s an intense and well rendered battle scene which keeps us turning each page.

In Conclusion:

Part three of this story keeps us in anticipation for the next chapter. Lana needs to recuperate and we’re not sure if she’s going to be able to recover in time to save the day. There’s even a brief appearance by the Man of Steel. He gives her a little scolding for not calling on his help and she basically tells him to take a hike. She wants to prove that she can accomplish this mission without relying on anybody. She wants to prove to him, and herself, that she has what it takes to overcome. When she finally confronts Midnight she’s still in a weakened state. She knows that she’s no physical match for her opponent, but she tries to take her out in a game of wits, only to encounter….To be continued! *** (8.1 rating)

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Writer – Kate Perkins
Art – FedericoÂ Dallocchio
Colors – Hi-Fi
Letters – Josh Reed
Publisher – DC Comics

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given