Publisher: DC
Writer: Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder
Artist: Scott Kolins
Colourist: Tomeu Morey
Editor: Andrew Marino
Release Date: OUT NOW!
Price: $3.99

Superman tracks down the source of the Black Mass infecting his body and the bodies of his friends. The ooze enhances rage, and Supes is channelling it to literally beat his enemies.

After rescuing a group of people used as lab rats Superman wants to know what the Black Mass is and how to cure it. Superman goes on the hunt for Wrath, who is behind all his current troubles. “You tried to curse me, Wrath. But instead, you gave me the power to sense you through your own darkness.” Sneaking up on her through a forest Superman reveals his feral side.

And that, says Wrath, is the problem: that Superman already had a dark side and that makes him a monster. Still, for her part, Wrath isn’t a particularly interesting villain. She plans on dropping Black Mass bombs on Houston, but it feels like the character is going through the motions and rationalizing her reasons for the sake of the plot.

Scott Kolins’s art has a suitable1990s sensibility, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just, ultimately, a matter of taste.

The idea of exploring Superman’s dark side is always going to be interesting, and writer Greg Pak seems to be developing that theme along very engaging lines.

 

Reviewer: Joe Lovece
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker