Superman #45 - A Review

With his powers drained and his identity outed to the world, Clark Kent has not been having a good month. But Hordr - the criminal group that attempted to blackmail him - is still at large. And he is still Superman. The trail to Hordr's new base leads Clark to California and an odd new arena where the gods of old do battle like professional wrestlers.


Despite enjoying this issue, I'm a bit torn on it. And not for the reasons most of the Superman fandom seem to have mixed feelings right now. I'm fine with Clark not having a secret identity and being depowered because I know this is temporary, no matter what DC Editorial says.  Like the electric blue and red Supermen of the 90s, this too shall pass. And the idea is a fun one to play with for a time.

No, my issue is with the idea of Mythbrawl. It's a great idea, mixing the shtick of  JSA villain Roulette with the idea (best explored by Neil Gaiman in The Sandman) that old gods take on new jobs in modern society to draw what worship they can. Yet as innovative as Gene Luen Yang was with this concept, I can't help but think this sort of thing is more appropriate to Wonder Woman. It's a minor quibble, however, and this issue is well-written.


It's been a while since I've read a book with artwork by Howard Porter and I honestly didn't recognize his work here until I looked at the credit's page. Porter's style has changed since the days when he was on JLA with Grant Morrison, becoming stronger and less stylized. The vibrant colors by Hi-Fi perfectly enhance Porter's pencils and inks, crafting one amazing looking book.