Superman #23.1: Bizarro Review

About halfway through this issue, I flipped back to the cover to make sure I had picked up the right comic. Supposedly this is a Bizarro story, but that's a half truth. It's more about Lex Luthor than anything, about his obsession with Superman and his desire to harness that Kryptonian power. It's really weird, because Bizarro seems like an afterthought, just a brief story beat.

Sholly Fisch does a fine job scripting this issue, even if the overall tale misses the point of the comic's title. It's a little overdone at times, strangely breaking down Superman and Luthor's relationship, something you would assume most readers are familiar with. What makes it really strange is the amount of time spent on background info; it's several pages of the issue. There's just too much recap and not enough story. And not enough Bizarro.

The issue looks nice, thanks to Jeff Johnson's pencils and Andy Smith's inks. Superman #23.1: Bizarro has a light feel, an almost cartoon tone which would fit a Bizarro story perfectly. It would have been nice to let these guys cut loose on more time with the lumbering grey dude, but them's the breaks. Adding to the slick art package is some great colors by Javier Mena and the mighty Jordie Bellaire. Yes, this issue is easy on the eyes, it just doesn't go anywhere or tell much of a story.

Benjamin is the co-writer of Captain Ultimate and a vicious lover of Godzilla. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @616Earth, or find him on IGN.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com