Review by Karl Verhoven

Codename Patriot is a sort of stopover in Superman’s world actually featuring very little Superman as assorted people connected with him take the spotlight. However, it occurs in the middle of the New Krypton storyline, and anyone who hasn’t read New Krypton Volume Three and Nightwing and Flamebird Volume One is really going to be thrown in at the deep end.

There’s been a disagreement among the hundred thousand revived Kryptonians, almost all of whom now inhabit New Krypton, orbiting the sun 180 degrees away from Earth, so never seen. One of them has decided to head for Earth, where Nightwing and Flamebird remain, hunting down Kryptonians left as sleeper agents by General Zod.

James Robinson and Greg Rucka share the writing on the opening two chapters, and make them both thrillers, dropping surprises about where allegiances lie and writing an excellent General Lane. He’s responsible for more of what’s happened than is first obvious, and he’s building into an excellent, narrow minded threat. “Codename Patriot allowed me to step back into the light”, he gloats, “To everyone I am that patriot in question”, and what’s revealed about him suggests he could well take on Superman after all. The writers have a lot of balls in the air throughout, and juggle them extremely well, while Sterling Gates smoothly segues in with a Supergirl chapter.

The sample art is from Bernard Chang’s Jimmy Olsen story ending the collection, but only by virtue of his drawing the most pages. The remaining artists all provide solid and thoughtful layouts bringing out the dynamism of multiple people in flight and ensuring the pages turn as quickly as the writers intend.

Not much has been seen of Olsen’s investigations since New Krypton Volume One, but Robinson and Chang guide him through 38 pages as he follows one clue to the next. It’s shown that although he might not be considered such, he’s a heroic figure, and Chang lays on the atmosphere, the second half of the story taking place in thundering rain. Back in the day the day, though, the ending was shocking and controversial. Did Robinson really do that? Why? However, several DC continuity reboots since and all is well.

This is excellent superhero storytelling, keeping readers captivated by the mysteries and weaving a web to give Superman credibly comprehensive problems. It’s excellently drawn all the way through, and a real page turner. The continuity next heads into Mon-El (Man of Valor).