SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #25 - September 1993

The Return!

Credits:  Louise Simonson (writer), Jon Bogdanove (penciler), Dennis Janke (inker), Bill Oakley (letterer), Glenn Whitmore (colorist)

Summary:  Superboy escapes the Cyborg’s custody and flies to Metropolis.  Meanwhile, Steel grows suspicious of Cyborg Superman’s claims and decides to travel to Coast City.  Lois also decides to travel there, partially to escape the romantic interest of Jeb.  They arrive at the airport simultaneously, just as the Kryptonian war-suit reaches Metropolis.  Supergirl arrives with Lex to confront it, joining Superboy and Steel in battle.  Everyone is shocked when the suit opens and Superman emerges.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• Superboy escapes from Cyborg Superman’s device through “panicky power blasts,” another hint that his powers are telekinetic in nature.
• The stories can’t seem to decide if the giant suit of armor Superman is wearing is called a “war-suit” or a “battle-suit.”
• When Superman emerges, we see his long hair for the first time.  His hair was short when he left Antarctica in the armored suit, however.

I Love the ‘90s:  Lois is wearing…I don’t even know what to call these pants.  Those pants from the 1930s that poof out around the hips…Parachute pants?  Aviation pants?  Also, Jimmy Olsen is still wearing Spin Doctors t-shirts.

Review:  This is the issue that brings together the cast for the finale.  That requires a few coincidences, but there’s nothing here that comes across as especially forced.  The real problem with the plot involves a group of scientists working for Lex Luthor, who drop charges on the war-suit on his orders.  They’re crushed in the ensuing avalanche, which is what inspires Supergirl to fly off in the first place.  She quickly forgets about them as soon as the war-suit surfaces, and we never see Superman helping them either.  This is the kind of detail that can be easily addressed with one line of dialogue in the next chapter; but as it stands, both Superman and Supergirl look fairly awful for not doing anything to help.  Ignoring that, this is an inoffensive middle chapter that does what it needs to do to get everyone in their proper place.  “Inoffensive” if you don’t mind a distracted Lois allowing Jeb to kiss her, I suppose.  He’s yet to come across as a credible rival for Clark, and there’s no real hope for this subplot anyway now that Superman has returned.  Steel also isn't given an awful lot to do, even though this is nominally his series.  I understand that the storyline has a dozen characters to be juggling right now, but Steel is almost a background figure this issue.