Review by Ian Keogh

House of El looks at Krypton, Superman’s now destroyed home planet, just before that destruction, with the planet’s council playing down Krypton’s core instability. Just because it’s an advanced society doesn’t mean ignorance is absent, in fact as genetic breeding of characteristics is widespread in arranging for the correct workplace personality, it’s almost inbuilt. Over two previous volumes Claudia Gray has brought together an unlikely pair in upper class rebel Zahn-Re and Sera-Ur, who’s used an experimental serum to remove the genetic alterations that enhanced her performance as a soldier. When The Enemy Delusion ended they’d just discovered the recorded warning about Krypton’s imminent demise Jor-El plans to include in his son’s evacuation rocket.

Gray feeds in a clever opening as Krypton celebrates the solstice with only four people aware the planet’s continued existence is numbered in weeks. The sense of futility is well conveyed through the two main characters as they go about their business, now almost standing to one side of the complicated plotting that’s surrounded them. And the first chapter ends with the birth of Superman. Perhaps it has been shown before, even literally as here, but not with the Bibilical no room at the inn scenes.

As the planetary tremors increase, Eric Zawadzki’s art becomes even more impressive, in effect having to tear down the imposing structures he designed in the first place, his chaos is as diligently provided as his order in spectacular wide viewpoint spreads. The influence of John Romita Jr’s chunky humans is apparent in his people, and they now operate on jaggedly separated panels, indicating the instability.

While all that’s going on Gray introduces a very clever ethical dilemma, and as we’re looking at an alternate universe here, it’s a very viable possibility. Once that leap has been made, could it also mean Krypton might survive? A further matter of ethics is what General Zod has been up to. Gray has recast him as far from his usual power hungry personality, and there are suggestions he could be Krypton’s saviour. And what of Sera-Ur and Zahn-Re? Can love survive destruction?

House of El has been a spectacular creative success from the first volume, and nothing in this page-turning finale alters that.