Teräsmies 4: Psi-sota

Superman (2011)

by Scott Lobdell, Kenneth Rochafort (Illustrator), Aaron Kuder (Illustrator)

PSI-sota syttyy!

Teräsmiehen fyysiset voimat ovat vertaansa vailla, mutta joidenkin asioiden edessä hänkin on voimaton. Miten hän voi taistella sellaista uhkaa vastaan, joka toimii aivan eri tasolla ja jota ei voi iskeä nyrkeillä?

Tämä päänsärkyä aiheuttava kysymys nousee ajankohtaiseksi, kun Metropoliksessa pitkään kytenyt PSI-sota alkaa ottaa toden teolla kierroksia. Uusia psyykkisiä vihollisia ovat mm. Hector Hammond ja H.I.V.E.-organisaatio, jota johtaa vapaata tahtoa vastustava Kuningatar. Lisäksi kaikki tuntuu liittyvän viiden vuoden takaisiin tapahtumiin ja Brainiaciin...

Tämä kirja sisältää alkuperäisnumerot Superman 18–24, Superman Annual 2 sekä Action Comics 24. Tekijöinä ovat kirjoittajat Scott Lobdell ja Mike Johnson sekä joukko kuvittajia, kuten Kenneth Rocafort, Aaron Kuder ja Eddy Barrows.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

216 pages, Hardcover

First published August 12, 2014

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(B-) 69% | Satisfactory
Notes: Overstuffed to illness, it spews twists and returns: a dreary, unrested, swollen, congested farrago of psionic delirium.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Annual #2 ◦ Issues #18-19 ◦ Issues #20-22

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Warning: There may be spoilers in this review!
*snort*
As if anyone actually reads this title anymore...

I am so shocked that I didn't hate this! Just, well, shocked!
Now, maybe I'm rating this higher than it deserves because it vastly exceeded my expectations for a Superman title lately, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt.

So what went right for me this time around?
Well, for starters, my biggest complaint with the recent direction of the Superman comics had been the way they were stressing the importance of his Kryptonian family, while Ma and Pa Kent were collecting worms six feet under.
This isn't Detective Comics, you know?
Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent's secret identity is Superman. Do you see the difference?
This time around, I saw more Clark than I have in a while.



Another bonus for me was Kenneth Rocafort's artwork. I absolutely love the way he draws Superman! My only complaint was that he didn't draw every issue, but I'll take what I can get.
I'd like all my comic book fangirl friends (the ones who keep telling me that I'm crazy for putting Supes on my Book Boyfriend list) to take a look at this please...
Yes, that means you, Kat!

*ahem*


It's also worth it to see Diana and Lois meet for the first time at Ms. Lane's housewarming party.



And even though I've been enjoying the whole Power Couple thing, I know that underneath it all, there's only one woman for Clark. Unfortunately, poor Kent is stuck firmly in the friend zone.
Which makes Lois' (and everyone else's) reaction to Wonder Woman even better.



Ok, this volume isn't without its problems, and I guess now is as good a time as any to discuss them.
First, it seems to be kind of long and meandering. I mean, it all ties up in the end, but it takes a while to get there.
As the title suggests, this is all about psionic battles, and everyone knows that Superman is nearly invincible to everything except magic and mental attacks.
Well, hey! The good news is, there are plenty of bad guys in Superman's rogue gallery to choose from. The bad news is, they couldn't seem to pick just one.
Hector Hammond, the H.I.V.E. Queen, Pysycho Pirate *smothers laughter*, and even Brainiac (kind of) shows up in this thing.
Brainiac doesn't technically fight, but he was the one who got the ball rolling, so to speak.
At any rate, it made the story seems to drag on and on.
Superman beats the bad guy, only to find another one waiting in the wings. He fights that one, and by the time they're done, the first villain has recovered enough to start causing problems again.
I did like how Lobdell used the narrator, though. Nice touch!
Turning Lois into this, however, was not a nice touch:



No, she doesn't stay that way. And, yes, I like that she isn't being portrayed as the Damsel in Distress.
But come on! Turning her into a superhero so she could 'save' Superman didn't sit right with me.
*sniff, sniff* Something smells like pandering...
Lois can be smart, tough, and capable without powers. Don't go there, authors!
Think: Batman! Hawkeye! Iron Man! Huntress! Black Widow! Green Arrow! Catwoman! Punisher!
It can be done, so do it.

So, I disliked the villains somewhat, and felt like the plot could have been streamlined a bit.
However, I enjoyed Rocafort's incredible art, and thought that Lobdell was actually bringing the characters back to where they need to be for fans to fall in love with them again.
Not perfection, but way better than my low expectations were anticipating!

Get this review and more at:

[James DeSantis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why? Why the fuck did I think this would get better? The last volume wasn't terrible but this sure was. overbloated, boring, silly, bad dialog, and so/so art. Not worth anyone's time.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now with more villainous exposition than Lex Luthor!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but this is all I see:

[Tawfek · Rating 3 out of 5]

by reading superman 24 i finish this volume it was good i liked how they exposed superman's gravest weakness even though they worked around it to get the victory

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may have been the most entertaining volume in the series thus far. (Can't go wrong with dialogue like "Of course I'm Hector Hammond! What gave me away - my five-foot forehead?!," or some of the banter when Diana Prince arrives at Lois Lane's housewarming party.) While it may have run on a little long, it was still a reasonably good story-line.

[Ricky Ganci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hopeful for this volume, a chance for Superman and his creative teams to get away from this Earth-shaking chaos-filled collapse mania with Helspont and H'el, and for a while, it was headed that way. The story get very character heavy, with some great development of the threads that had been, at best, seeded but not really grown at all. For a long collection (8 issues in this one), things start fast, with a catchy, cold-open hook, and then develop steadily towards a showdown...that doens't end up being much of a showdown after all.

The problem, then, with Superman Vol. 4: Psi War is the Psi War itself.

The redeeming quality of this collection really is in the development of the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane. We know, and Lobdell reminds us, that Lois is in a relationship with a foreign-war correspondent, and of course, Superman is currently involved with Wonder Woman. Both of those relationships factor into some of the collection's best moments, as the characters interact along their lines of altered perception as Hector Hammond, the H.I.V.E. Queen, and a mysterious group called the Twenty. We're not sure what's real and what isn't, and if things are out of joint, we can chalk it up to the mystery of the psionic conflict at hand and wait for the resolution.

Unfortunately, the resolution never comes, and as one state of altered percetption gives rise to another, the arc changes writers, from Scott Lobdell to Mike Johnson. As soon as the Psi War begins in earnest (the last three "climactic" issues of this volume), the story ceases to make a lot of linear, plot-based sense, becomes muddled with too many villains and not enough Superman. He seems a bystander in this massive-threat-to-Metropolis, and the final pages of the colletion, and of the Psi War event, seem like an exploration into an aspect of Superman's character--specifically, his self-concept--that got called off as soon as it got going.

The volume itself isn't the least enjoyable that New 52 has offered up starring the Man of Steel, but it isn't the kind of high-profile, captivating read that DC's flagship character should really be starring in regularly. His own book just hasn't found its legs in the New 52 yet, and with another plot involving the Return of Krypton coming up in August, it stands to reason unless the creative teams can find a way to balance Superman's super powers with his quest to find a place on Earth among humans, his eponymous book will struggle to tell captivating stories. Psi War isn't a must-pass by any means, but it certainly isn't a must read, either.

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rocafort, Kuder and Barrows on art. 5 stars.
Story 2.5. Extra points for Orion battle.
Overall, Still on the bland side, so I can't say much.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never liked Hector Hammond as a foil.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was back and forth between 3 and 4 stars enough times to call this one an official "3.5 stars out of 5".

Pros? Cool flashback and hallucination sequences give nice insights into Clark Kent's interior life, and Rocafort's art continues to wow and astound. Also, Lois Lane meets Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) for the first time and the scene is really well handled- insecurities come to the fore, without any broad and embarrassing cattiness which is a refreshing take, and a respectful one for two female characters with such a legacy.

Cons? Well, as one of the several antagonists comments, it doesn't do to bring fists to a mind fight, so a storyline featuring supes versus psionic powers is always going to be a challenge to write and pull off. I won't say that Lobdell totally missed the mark, but employing Lois as a superpowered Deux Ex Machina just didn't feel right- part of the appeal of the character is her consistent humanity, and having her "power up" and save the day cheapens that in an important way I feel.

Overall? I enjoyed the arc, Lobdell certainly crammed a lot of characters and plot development in a few issues. It ends on a cliffhanger, I wonder what could be in store for Krypton's Last next?

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story that had loads of potential. There is hardly anything more effective in a story against an all-powerful being than mind games. That being said, the potential was never achieved, and the reader is left disappointed.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a bit to get started but ended as another solid entry in this series.

[Sans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've decided to just let the weirdness happen in New 52. There's no escaping it and I'm pretty sure everyone was on drugs during those years.

[Alice Marsh-Elmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super-fun (sorry, I had to), this installment almost reads more like a series of vignettes about Superman than a collection of sequential comics--until we get near the end, of course, when everything comes together. I'm a fan of the New 52, yes, but I particularly loved this one. Superman is up against a mind-threat here and, unlike most situations in which his strength gives him power, wit and awareness become the crucial weapons. In fact, it's the kick-ass women on both sides of the equation that prove to be most interesting. Both Wonder Woman and Lois Lane have crucial roles fighting evil--an evil that includes a malevolent Queen who bathes in peoples mind-bent misfortunes.

There were quite a few alternate stories referenced within, and some stories picked up and left off quickly (note: the vignette part I mentioned at the beginning). I hope to see this collection run nicely parallel to dedicated volumes that further explore the plotlines--like puzzle pieces, Vol. 4: Psi War could be the crux at the center of the story.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bland is the order of the day here, with all the Lobdell trademarks in full effect: bland dialogue, the monumental overuse of internal monologue, forgettable bad guys, and really lame attempts at humour. Nothing of any interest is said about Superman as a character, despite several fumbling attempts to inject some depth into an otherwise pointless exercise.

Only the art saves this from being a waste of time. The colours in particular deserve attention--they are vibrant and elevate the pencil work, making this collection a feast for the eyes. If only the writing were anything but average, then maybe we'd be getting somewhere.

[mike andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this probably more than I had a right to. One of the main antagonists was a psychic with an enormous head, but for me it worked.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great but the title is moving in the right direction. Can't wait for the Greg Pak stories to be collected.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umówmy się, że trzy wcześniejsze tomy nowego, starego Supermana w ramach New 52 delikatnie rzecz ujmując, nie porywały. Nigdy się nie spodziewałem, że na przygodach przybysza z Kryptona z charakterystycznym S na klacie będę ziewał. Coś drgnęło. Czyżby budziła się do życia nadzieja?

Nie jest najlepiej, ale i nie najgorzej, gdyż momentami naprawdę świetnie się bawiłem, bo wreszcie Clark wydaje się mieć w miarę naturalne kontakty ze znajomymi. A to imprezka u Lois, na którą zaprasza zjawiskową Dianę i wygląda to momentami uroczo. A to cały wątek z Cat. A to motyw przeciwników z którymi Kent sobie może nie poradzić, bo jego siła drzemie w mocarnych pięściach i mocach, a tu szkodzi mu coś czego nawet nie jest w stanie zobaczyć.

Historia wędruje momentami w dość zaskakujące rejony. Takie nieco bardziej odjechane. W końcu królowa H.I.V.E czy Hammond to antagoniści korzystający z mocy psychicznych. Podobał mi się też ten cały motyw Dwudziestu. W ogóle omawiany tom ma dość sporo wspólnego z Action Comics, a konkretniej z pierwszym tomem, gdzie początkujący Supek ścierał się z Brainac'iem. Konsekwencje.

Początek też jest obiecujący, bowiem Kent robi za tło dla wątku śledztwa Lois Lane. Zresztą rozwój dziennikarki na przełomie czwartego tomu też jest interesujący, zwłaszcza że pod koniec pojawia się w nieco innej formie niż dotychczas. I może bardziej pomóc Supermenowi.

Podobały mi się też reperkusje wydarzenia jakim było H'el on Earth. Ludzkość wie, że Supek ma własną bazę wypadkową i żądają do niej dostępu, na co Kal-El nie chce przystać. Nastroje anty zaczynają być coraz bardziej zauważalne, gdy na scenę wkracza Orion. Można się śmiać, że gość śmiga na ubogim "motorowerze", ale jego potyczka z Kentem w tym tomie to chyba najjaśniejszy punkt, jeżeli chodzi o elementy akcji.

Niestety im dalej, tym robi się nieco nudniej. Wątek Hectora Hammonda i jego ogromnego czerepu... Za każdym razem jak go widziałem, to miałem przed oczyma kilka memów. I jeszcze ten cały Psycho Pirate... Jest tam kilka interesujących dialogów, choć cała sekwencja z cofaniem się do poszczególnych etapów życia Supermana wydała mi się nieco wyświechtana.

Nowy Supermen to w zasadzie krok w dobrym kierunku, pokazujący że w sumie warto zaryzykować i włożyć tu bardziej zwariowane motywy, choć uważam, że miejscami mogło być jeszcze lepiej. Że autor mógł jeszcze bardziej odlecieć. Bo w kontraście z tytułem miałem wrażenie, że to była taka mała potyczka niżli wojna. Niemniej z przyjemnością zerknę na dalszy wątek. Wreszcie.

[Batgirl_ALT_21 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a weird and wild ride 🤨.

We begin with Lois Lane's perspective as she tries to track down the case of a lifetime after nearly being killed by falling out a tall building window. Lois is looking into the disappearance of 20 civilians of Metropolis who left without a trace during the capture and shrinking of the Metropolis by Brainaic. She quickly learns that the lost souls are alive and travel between dimensional planes Psionically.

Superman saves Lois, but she slips into a coma. This is when things really take a weird turn. Hector Hamon (a Green Lantern villain) is captured and brought to S.T.A.R. Labs for rehabilitation when he gains the ability to use his mental powers on Superman and the public at large. 1st, he manipulates/alters innocent citizens by making them jump off the roof, then Lois, Johnathan Carol (Lois' boyfriend), Mr. White, and Jimmy. Next, he infiltrates Superman's mind, and he pairs up with Wonder Woman when Orion shows up in an attempt to take down Superman. They realize the real culprit is Hector Hamon and set things right.

We then follow H.I.V.E. Queen who wants to enslave the human race for Brainaic's return by using Hector Hamon, who ends up overpowering her. A 3rd member shows up who is more powerful than both Psionic members named Psycho Pirate, who wears the Madesua mask, which amplifies his powers. He tries to manipulate Superman's mind after taking down H.I.V.E. Queen & Hector Hamon only for Superman & Lois Lane to burn him down. Lois wakes up from a coma with Psionic powers and helps Superman to take down Psycho Pirate, who has unleashed chaos into the streets. Along with Hector Hamon & H.I.V.E. Queen, the 4 takedown Psycho Pirate but at the cost of Lois's energy source. She now knows Superman's ID is Clark Kent then returns to her coma.

We end with a cliffhanger for 'Krypton Returns'.
Overall this was a very interesting story but there were too many side plots and different directions to enjoy the main story arc. Perhaps the tie-in better explains what happened but I found this story to be long and tiresome. 6.5/10 🌟. Nothing to write home about and a big headache as far as I'm concerned 🤦🏼‍♀️.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psi War kicks off straight after the previous book with Superman and Lois confronting The Queen of H.I.V.E. Via Dr Hector Hammond's abilities! :D This puts Sups through the ringer and makes some fundamental changes to Lois who acquires her own set of Superpowers! :D At the same time this enables the story to resolve the issues that have been manifesting between Lois and Clark and sets and confirms them as best friends which at the same time allows the plots to diverge from what you would expect and sets things up for the next books! :D

The action comes thick and fast and when you would least expect it as you see throughout the book! :D This is rendered brilliantly in both the script and the art! :D The art is crisp and precise with characters angst and emotions coming throughout clearly with the landscapes they are in displayed in glorious vivid lines and colour! :D The dynamics of the Clark and Lois are really explored throughout and the script services this brilliantly and leaves their friendship in a different way than that we traditionally have suspected! :D The Queen of H.I.V.E. Herself is certainly sinister I the the extreme and this sets up a confrontation with Brainiac that is bound to come to a head in future books! :D Neatly set up for sure! :D

Psi-War works on every level with character development, plot development and glorious art all in abundance! :D Psi-War is full of adventure, a real dynamic crazy ride, full of invention and action packed throughout! :D Brilliant, highly recommended! :D Go and Get! :D Make sure you have the next one! :D

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psi War picks up on the aftermath of the events of H'el On Earth. No longer facing aliens from destroying Earth, Superman faces opposition from politicians about what he hides in his Fortress of Solitude. Not only that, both Clark and Lois are looking into the mystery behind twenty missing people after the events of Brainiac's collection. To even more confusion, Superman is noticing that his close circle of friends are acting unusual, even himself is feeling these weird popping moments. What he eventually finds is that he's facing off against psychic enemies, who don't need to use brute strength against the Man of Steel when they can mess with his mind.

Overall, I enjoyed Psi War for a few things. 1. is that the portion that was included in Action Comics: Hybrid, has closure. 2. There is more involvement in Superman's alter-ego Clark Kent. Usually, Clark's moments are more prominent in Action Comics compared to the main series. Honestly though, it feels like Psi War was more of a transitional area to leading to the bigger crossover event, Superman Doomed & Krypton Returns, because there are a few references made here that implies of forthcoming events. Additionally, while having multiple villains go against each other seems pretty cool, the twist to the future mastermind makes the conflict feel a little messy too an extent. Still, Psi War is still relatively satisfying to read even if it's more a filler arc.

[MasterSal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A soiled book with some great crazy panels. Too many villains popping up and then hatching crazy schemes. So much so that Superman takes a back seat. But was fun enough while I read it.

THe house warming party was fun. And seeing Lois and Clark together was great. The Clark parts were my favourite I think. Seeing him struggle and be a reporter was cool. More of that please. Loving the new Lois - could have used less of her blue diva phase. That was a silly dues ex machina to a fairly silly villain plot.

Plus - Clark is hot! At least in certain of the comics. The rest - I think Supes got punched too much.

[Clay Bartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decide to pick this book up cause I'd read new 52 action comics volumes 1 to 4 and in the fourth ac volume there was an issue that featured a character that interested me. It's a villain and he was a big part of crisis on infinite earth's and I wanted to see him in a modern story of superman.

Overall I enjoyed all the villains and thought this was a solid self contained superman story. How it will hold up when I read it again but for me it was exciting and the art was really good. For me this was better then superman volume 1 though I liked that book too.

Yup I'm interested in new 52 superman and I'll reading volume 2 and 3 when they arrive in the mail.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman Vol. 4: Psi War

Hector Hammond is at war with the H.I.V.E. Queen for control of the minds of the people of Metropolis and Superman soon finds out that he is not powerful enough to stop them. When the Psycho Pirate offers to help, his assistance comes at a very high price.

Excellent plotline which balances Clark Kent's worries about striking out on his own (and his primal fear that the Kents were secretly afraid of him) with the sheer muscle of Superman, coupled with a realisation that strength alone cannot save the day. The illustrations and colouring help us navigate the increasingly chaotic mental battle as the psionic forces line up to attack Superman.

[Eric Cone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It used to be that Superman's one wezkness was magic, but now it's psionics? Or is it magic and psionics? Superman said it was psionics, so I'll trust him on this. He is not wrong. He has to fight the H.I.V.E. queen and Hector Hammond and then join with them to fight Psycho Pirate. But, they're not enough to stop PP. THank goodness Lois Lane has now conveniently develped some type of ultra-powerful psionic abilities. I mean what are the odds?
So, the story is a little ludicrous at times, but its also well written and true to the characters, thus quite enjoyable.

[Samuel Osito · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 stars. The more mental approach to a Superman story allows for greater exploration of the character, and the attention given to Lois is welcome. Her and Clark feel closer than ever before in this timeline. The arc starts off very strong but the ending feels a tad rushed. The compelling mental discovery of the characters is dropped fairly quickly for a weak twist that devolves into big punches and power blasts.

The art is good. Nothing spectacularly striking, though the villains are memorably designed and grotesque.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my god. This was so boring. The worst volume in the series so far and one of the worst Superman books I have ever read. I could not even finish it. I did not care about anything that was happening, and towards the end I was just so sick of reading stupid characters talk about nonsense science crap and magical powers that are boring and do not make sense.
I feel like some comics have this tendency to just have characters waffle and explain stuff because the actual story has no substance. I am so sick of it, and it just pisses me off.
I am also very sick and tired of the young Superman and his lack of relationship with Lois Lane. I understand they were trying to do something different, but I just don’t appreciate this version of Superman at all. He is NOT Superman!
I’m hoping that the 5th and final volume is good, but I doubt it will be.
Despite most of the issues having pretty good artwork, I would not recommend this book at all….

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to DC Comics and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Superman Vol. 4: Psi-War is actually refreshing after reading the first three collections of the New 52 Superman titles. The first two volumes are especially weak entries to the collection, having reestablished Superman into more of a brooding loner than the shining beacon of hope he has been since his conception. By far, though, the premier Superman titles of the New 52 is still Grant Morrison’s first Action Comics collection, and Psi-War actually builds off of that series. This is positive, in a way, but still manages to be counter-productive. The most obvious weakness of Superman Volume 3 is that the event is a cross-series arc that incorporates both Supergirl and Superboy. Having not read the latter two series, Volume 3 falls short because the reader doesn’t get the entire story. Likewise, Psi-War relies on reader’s knowledge of the events that happened in Action Comics over 2 years ago.
In Action Comics Volume 1, Brainiac attempts to steal and shrink metropolis down because he is the collector of knowledge from doomed planets. In Psi-War, it is revealed that before Superman thwarted his plans, he infected 20 humans with a virus that gives them all great psychic powers. One of these individuals becomes the Hive Queen, a demented woman who wants to destroy free will in humans, and of course, take over the world. In order to increase her grip on the world, however, the Hive Queen seeks to control the mind of one of the world’s most powerful psychics, a classic Green Lantern villain with a giant head named Hector Hammond – who’s ambition is also to take over the world. So, Superman is caught in the middle of a battle between two psychic entities, and it’s a battle that he may not be able to win. After all, he has a body of steel, not a mind of steel. To make matters worse, a third psychic villain, the Psycho Pirate, appears with his own motives, and neither the Hive Queen, Hammond, nor Superman will stand in his way. Luckily, Superman gains a new super-powered ally in Lois Lane, who has been endowed with psychic powers of her own.
First of all, the art it very nice and the panel structure is reminiscent of the Williams III/Blackman Batwoman run, although it falls short considering how brilliant their structuring is. The diagonal edges and non-traditional panel structuring is very modern and still feels like a comic book structure. Oftentimes, however, the overlap of panels and the dialogue boxes, especially those of the narrator, makes it difficult to follow text. The eyes don’t always follow the text in the manner the writer intended, often shifting from left to right, up to down, and right to left.
Fortunately, despite all of the turnaround happening with DC, Lobdell continues his run at writing Superman and elaborating on the idea of making Clark Kent a blogger, away from Daily Planet, which is now being run by an entertainment media conglomerate. Superman is still being written with an atypical personality, though. For example, Superman concerns himself with acting like a human, flying in airplanes, for example, not because he wants to empathize with humans in order to understand the human condition, but simply to maintain his secret identity. It is nice for a change that the villains of Psi-War are all humans, even if they do have superpowers. The modern Superman runs have all been about alien conquerors or other-dimensional beings. Psi-War involves Superman fighting against humans with minds equal to his body. Still, the premise is wacky and the depiction of Hammond is difficult to take seriously when Superman’s writers are giving him such a serious demeanor.
Psi-War starts actually starts off with Lois Lane as the narrator. The middle bits are standard Superman comics, and by the end of the collection, the narration even switches to the viewpoint of the villain, Psycho Pirate. It’s always a positive step forward when Lois Lane is depicted as more than a love interest, which is one thing the New 52 has done right. To actually make her a superhero, albeit for a short time, is a bit much. The character loses what has made her so intriguing for so long and it feels like her story is written just to include her in the narrative – especially since she and Clark are no longer coworkers or an item. Still, her opening chapters are some of the more intriguing chapters of the book. As far as the Psycho Pirate goes, the story could have been written without him. He appears with very little build-up, completely changing the direction of the story. More build-up would have made the character more interesting. The appearances of Orion and Wonder woman are even less played out, and almost unnecessary. Orion gets a big introduction, but does little to drive the story forward. Wonder Woman does even less. Both of these characters get a lot of attention in the book’s description, despite their minimal involve. Using either of these characters in the final battle would have been much more interesting than using Lois.
Still, Psi-War is a step in the right direction for superman. In spite of his brooding self, the character is being written with more humanity. The villains are also more impactful, especially more-so than the latest Action Comics villains. Superman, however, still does not feel like the Superman that once embodied “truth, justice, and the American way.”

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another incoherent Superman story, big surprise. I liked seeing more Clark Kent, but the villain's gallery was overloaded and what's up with Lois Lane as a superhero? Seriously, who needs that? I wish they hadn't made the idiotic decision to kill off Clarks' parents because it weakens the ties Supes has to Earth. Clark Kent is just as important as Superman, but these writers don't seem to get it.