The Return Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 [Part Two] - DC Comics

THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1, December 2023

Opening this anthology book’s second half, Karl Kesel’s "The Metropolis Kid" is probably the comic’s most touching tale, courtesy of a twelve-page script which focuses upon just why Superboy convinced Perry White to believe in him despite the adolescent’s arrogant bravado and cockiness. Indeed, the Ontario County-born writer does a first-rate job in depicting the shades-wearing Kon-El as a well-meaning metahuman, who whilst happy to hog the limelight from a local fire’s real first responders, arguably does so with the best intentions at heart – and even attempts to later make up for what the youth sees as his mistake by flying a replacement skateboard to his “favourite grommet” when the original is blow apart by an errant shot from Bloodsport’s LexCorp-produced firearm.

Nobly assisting the penmanship for this story, especially once the narrative turns in favour of a much more action-packed shoot-out between the genetically-engineered Kryptonian clone and the villainous Robert DuBois, is Tom Grummett, whose energy-packed fight scenes add plenty of “Blam Blam Blam” to the duo’s sadly short-lived confrontation. Furthermore, Superboy’s co-creator appears very good at depicting Bloodsport’s facial horror at discovering that the “microscopic coating of Kryptonite” on his bullet-tips has no effect on the wannabe Man of Steel.

Finishing off “this special that’s sure to be a classic in the future” is "Betrayal" by Dan Jurgens. Initially focusing upon the Daily Planet’s mistake of publicly stating “Superman Is Back” in the guise of Hank Henshaw, this tale eventually moves on to Metropolis’ modern-day problem with the mass-murdering cyborg as he almost effortlessly defeats a combined assault upon him by Superboy, Steel and the Eradicator; “I was afraid this’d be over by the time I got here. Not that I’m hoping for rampant destruction, death, and mayhem, you understand.”

Essentially a somewhat sentimentally sweet apology by the newspaper’s Editor-In-Chief to the genuine Justice Leaguer, this yarn’s already quite palpable sense of drama is debatably doubled once the Phantom Zone-bound antagonist discloses he’s simply seeking a means to reincarnate his dead wife and friends, rather than “create a new Engine City.” Such motivation genuinely causes something of a dilemma, as no reader will understandably forgive Henshaw for “incinerating seven million men, women and children.” Yet, the former Astronaut’s current desire to simply resurrect his ‘loved ones’ is a much more reasonable incentive, and one many a bibliophile might sympathise with.

The regular cover art of "THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" #1 by Dan Jurgens

The Return Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 [Part One] - DC Comics

THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL No. 1, December 2023

Arguably reading more like a memorial to the unconscious, hospital-bound editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet than the actual Man of Steel, this Thirtieth Anniversary Special for “The Return Of Superman” certainly still captures the audience’s attention by having Cyborg Superman shockingly attack S.T.A.R. (Scientific and Technological Advanced Research) Laboratories for no discernible reason. However, Henry "Hank" Henshaw’s treacherous assault upon the advanced scientific research facility is sadly soon side-lined in favour of several authors simply penning a series of short, character-focused yarns that individually target the “Four Supermen [who] Rose To The Challenge” of replacing Kal-El following the Kryptonian’s apparent death over three decades ago.

First up is “Speed!” by Louise Simonson, which depicts John Henry Irons’ armour-encased alter-ego battling a carload of laser cannon-carrying criminals, who unwisely decide that Metropolis’ recent blackout is the perfect opportunity for them to stake their claim on a local block of hapless residents. Prodigiously pencilled by Jon Bogdanove, this fast-paced fight fest is visually somewhat reminiscent of Frank Miller’s more recent art-style and resultantly crackles with raw energy as Steel tackles a pair of toastmasters in front of a cheering crowd; “Bet this’ll stop the bad guys the next time they show up around here!”

Slightly more thoughtful is Jerry Ordway’s “…He Had Me Thinking He Was Superman…”, a twelve-page investigative piece that centres around Perry White’s first encounter with the utterly merciless Eradicator, and shows that the elderly reporter can still ‘follow his nose’ to a good story whenever the opportunity arises. Indeed, in many ways the ancient extra-terrestrial vigilante takes a back seat to the newspaperman, as Lois Lane’s boss not only intercepts the analogue radio wave used by the tale’s arms traffickers. But also interviews enough bystanders to determine where the much sought after weapons shipment is being loaded.

Equally as enticing with his illustrations as his penmanship, the American author/artist does an excellent job of selling some of this one-shot’s contrivances to his audience by repeatedly sketching White as a savvy-headed individual who knows just where and when to be to get a scoop. Furthermore, this yarn’s layouts perfectly portray Eradicator’s machine-like, emotionless pursuit of justice and inhumane willingness to prosecute evil-doers far beyond what is acceptable to Metropolis’ Police Department.

The regular cover art of "THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL" #1 by Dan Jurgens