Comics Fondle

Superman goes to Hell, but at least he’s got some nice Walt Simonson art to get him there. Sorry, that sentence came to me and I had to go with it. Truly, the art is nice and gives the issue a somewhat established feel, which the issue really needs. Without the Simonson art, Superman #666 would be worthless. The Simonson art makes it feel like an old school, very special issue, instead of a new school, very lame special issue. And it is a lame issue, no doubt. Had it gone Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend, I’d be declaring its brilliance, but it doesn’t. Busiek takes it quite another way….

It kind of feels–both content, Superman goes to Hell after suffering from the Richard Pryor kryptonite to take over, and art, Simonson–like an old annual, back before DC did the crossovers. Had Busiek been funny enough to do the Pryor kryptonite, it would have been fine. Instead he plays it straight with a big reveal at the end of the issue to explain everything and then a nagging doubt at the end (because we all remember before Infinite Crisis, even if Superman doesn’t).

I knew Busiek had written the issue–it’s one of the worst things I’ve ever read of his–but it never feels like it. The Simonson art doesn’t go well with the Lois and Clark at home scenes, which Busiek does well, even here. The Simonson art gives the story some mythic proportion, old school superhero annual, and the writing doesn’t match it at all. I think there’s even some (straining) Superman IV moments in here. I mean, I get the #666 issue needs something special… but it being good should have been more important than it being peculiar.

C-

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