MAN OF STEEL (2018) Event mini-series Discussion thread (SPOILERS)

[Clark_Kent]

Well...issue #3. Another fine issue.

Spoilers ahead!



Bullet points...

1) Goodbye Post-Rebirth Kandor. That was kind of a shocking moment that I hadn't considered or thought about with all the other stuff going on. There's probably an "out" that we don't see yet, but wow. Elevates the current threat.In the same vein...

2) R.I.P. Kelex. Again he'll probably be rebuilt at some point but it was sad to see the little guy get ripped apart.

3)Batman! Well used. Has one of my favorite dialogue bits the entire issue.

4)SUPERGIRL! Already a big fan of how Bendis writes her and Clark together. It's nice to see their old Pre-Crisis closeness return for real.

5)That art! Three issues in and it's still gorgeous work. Not a let down at all in that department.

6) Next issue seems to be where the fight between our heroes and our baddie happens.

7) As for Lois and Jon...no concrete answers yet...except some semi confirmation via dialogue between Kal and Kara that Lois and Jon are safe. Bendis is still teasing us on that regard. As it stands I doubt we will get any answers about their whereabouts until issue #6.

Issue #2, while really good, didn't click for me the way issue #1 did. Felt like it meandered just a little bit. But then here comes issue 3 to punch me in the gut and say "fool! How dare you doubt Bendis on Superman!" (lol)

Ok, dramatics aside, I'm so happy the naysayers leading up to MoS #1 didn't sway me from this, because this issue was #&%ing awesome. I agree with your points...we will probably find out this Kandor was a fake all along, or that Rogol somehow transported the residents before destroying the city. But until some twist reveal comes later, Kandor is GONE and look at the balls on Bendis to go there! The bottled city is such a big part of Superman iconography, and he went there. I hate speaking like a teenager, but that was BAD ASS.

Superman's reaction was heartbreaking...as he tries to mutter "it was my job to protect them", he also hears Jon's voice in the back of his mind...the situation with Lois & Jon weighs heavily on him still, and in one earth-shattering moment Superman discovers that for all his powers, he can't truly protect anyone. Not his family, who have to (presumably) go in hiding. Not his people, who depended on the Last Son to somehow restore them. He's failed, and the way Bendis portrays it is terrifying.

I don't read Supergirl, but I loved her reaction here. "Has the dead guy introduced himself yet?" Loved it.

The man in the pod at Lois & Clark's is bald, but didn't Oz/Jor-El have half a head of hair?

I called out Moore as being the arsonist to get Superman's attention back when issue #1 came out. I stand by that, especially now. She's going to eventually want credit for her work, and she's going to want everyone to know that number is actually 2 more than what the public thinks it is.

Anyone else think issue #4 will pick up after the stabbing in the pages from Action 1000?

[Clark_Kent]

Oh, one other thing. Rogol's species was unknown to Kelex...

[Kuwagaton]

I'd imagine with him holding his side in the aftermath and stuff in MoS #4.

Rogol Zaar appears to be half fishman, half "Rick James on Superman's couch"

Oh and shout out to Gammill! Wonder if it has to do with Toyman like Action #657.

[Truman Burbank]

Super Spider-Man. It may be well-done, and it may look very pretty, but that's what I'm seeing happen. The tired trope of "he's not interesting if he's not suffering." That's not what Superman is about.

Hoping for better understanding in Superman and Action once this setup story is done, but I'm not holding my breath.

[HeroVladimir93]

Once again, somebody breaks into the Fortress of Solitude. How many people have done that in these past few years? Vandal Savage, Zod and his Revenge Squad, Tim Drake/Savior, old Lex Luthor and now Rogol Zaar. You'd think Superman would try to develop better security systems. If Arkham Asylum is the easiest place in the DCU to break out of, then the Fortress is the easiest place to break into.

I like how upset and depressed Superman feels about Kandor's destruction. His reaction is that of a person seeing a very valuable family souvenir being destroyed. To make matters worse, Superman knew every Kandorian by name. It's gonna be very difficult to make Rogol a sympathetic character after that stunt.

Again, there is still no answer to where Lois and Jon currently are, but we get to see the silhouette of a mysterious man. Maybe it's Lex, maybe it's Mr. Oz or someone else entirely.

So far, Bendis is doing a good job at building up dramatic tension and every issue I've read leaves me more anxious for the next.

[KC]

Issue #3 was another winner in my opinion. I really like how Bendis characterizes Clark, Kara and Bruce. I love the build-up we are getting for the Fire, Rogol Zaar and missing Lois and Jon storylines, I hope we will get good resolutions for these plotlines in the next 3 issues.

[Rakzo]

Very little content but I feel like Bendis used what he had here pretty well. Really digged the relationship he created between Clark and Bruce and injected humour where it needed to. Still not a fan of the main plot but it escalated well towards the end.

Solid art too.

[Flash Gordon]

#3 was a really good read. Superb pacing.

[Sacred Knight]

NOOO, not Kandor! I hope there's an out for the actual lives inside (maybe someone/something can be said was able to use the projector and store them in the Phantom Zone before the bottle was destroyed?), but that was powerful. Awesome scenes, and adds even more personal beef with these three, and this is even before they find out that he destroyed Krypton entirely. It also really worked well how Bendis injected his sadness over Lois and Jon into his sadness over Kandor and it just knocked him down for a few moments.

I think Melody as the arsonist is a bit of a bait and switch. I think we're supposed to be suspecting her right now which makes me think its actually not her. In fact, her mentioning that there was two more fires than Clark knew of, I actually attribute that more to setting up Clark finding out later that Lois was on to it before anyone else before she left. Batman tells her the tough thing about a pattern is that it takes a while to reveal itself, basically understanding why the first two fires might have gone unnoticed in that regard. Would make Lois look even badder the reporter if she in fact was suspicious right away.

[Miles To Go]

I think Melody as the arsonist is a bit of a bait and switch. I think we're supposed to be suspecting her right now which makes me think its actually not her.

My thoughts too. Bendis did say that "a suspect" would come to light during Man of Steel, this is going to be an escalating "whodunnit" in Superman's world and you need a lot of suspects

[Myskin]

NOOO, not Kandor! I hope there's an out for the actual lives inside (maybe someone/something can be said was able to use the projector and store them in the Phantom Zone before the bottle was destroyed?), but that was powerful.

The projector was destroyed, too (it's among the ruins). And if you look closely, there are small spurts of blood on the broken glass of the bottle. Kandor is gone.

I think Melody as the arsonist is a bit of a bait and switch. I think we're supposed to be suspecting her right now which makes me think its actually not her.

I really can't see Bendis making Melody a suspect right now and I can't understand how anyone could suspect her of anything at this point of the story.
The way I see it, they are establishing her in a James Gordon role.
Or maybe she is really the culprit and she's Volcana, one of the few DCAU characters who was never introduced in the comics. But I really can't see it happening right now.

Extremely good issue, by the way. Bendis is really a master storyteller.

[manofsteel1979]

I don't think all the Kandorians are gone. However it's likely their numbers are greatly diminished. My guess is that we will eventually find out a few made it out via some contingency plan the Kandorians had in place that not even Clark knew of.

[Clark_Kent]

The projector was destroyed, too (it's among the ruins). And if you look closely, there are small spurts of blood on the broken glass of the bottle. Kandor is gone.


I really can't see Bendis making Melody a suspect right now and I can't understand how anyone could suspect her of anything at this point of the story.
The way I see it, they are establishing her in a James Gordon role.
Or maybe she is really the culprit and she's Volcana, one of the few DCAU characters who was never introduced in the comics. But I really can't see it happening right now.

Extremely good issue, by the way. Bendis is really a master storyteller.

It's probably too many years of television influencing me, but her first appearance reminded me of procedurals with "special guest stars"...the special guest star is always the bad guy lol If they had introduced her and the fires seperately, I wouldn't be as suspicious.

[Kuwagaton]

Oh yeah, that was exactly my belief too. Danged SVU.

The one thing that's weird to me now is the dialog from Action#1000. Maybe Superman didn't want to let Rogol inside his head but I'm still a little unsure of how he was so casual about confronting the killer of Kandor.

[Myskin]

It's probably too many years of television influencing me, but her first appearance reminded me of procedurals with "special guest stars"...the special guest star is always the bad guy lol If they had introduced her and the fires seperately, I wouldn't be as suspicious.

It would be a pretty lousy whodunit if the only new character involved in this particular plot were the culprit, too. Hopefully it isn't Jeph Loeb's HUSH. I think that Bendis is better than that.