In a nod to Silence of the Lambs, Superman only has one person to turn to after H’el took over his Fortress of Solitude and locked Superboy and him out… the evilest of evil, Lex Luthor, locked down in the highest security prison ever seen in comics, or possibly anywhere. The pair must force their way past the military and a gauntlet of out-of-this world traps and obstacles, most of which prove a greater threat to the inexperienced Superboy than to the Man of Steel. Once face-to-face with Luthor, Superman remains emotionless and stoic, while Luthor oozes evil yet charming, much like Hannibal Lecter. There’s a brief reference to Superman’s new relationship with Wonder Woman as the Justice League arrives to help Superman on his attack on H’el. (The reference is dumb. It’s narration, but it indicates that Diana wishes to call him “her beloved.” Um, they’ve been on one date.)
Kenneth Rocafort’s artwork is fantastic! I love the unique panels and page layouts. Technically, it’s perfect. I like the lush colors. I like everything about it!
The writing is sort of up and down for me though. The Silence of the Lambs homage is nice. The various perils in the prison are unique. But overall, the dialogue was just okay. It’s not bad but not the best. It’s just very middle of the road.
The overall “H’El on Earth” story is pretty decent. Things look really dire as H’El is more powerful than Superman and he’s got Supergirl on his side, not to mention all those wonderful weapons inside the Fortress. I’m not sure this force of heroes will be enough, but we’ll see.
So overall, this is a decent comic, but I would never call it a must-read. Great art plus okay writing…
SUPERMAN #15
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art and Cover by Kenneth Rocafort
