Review by Frank Plowright

Superman has fought the tyrant Mongul several times, and has always beaten him. Mongul, though has induced Superman back to his Warworld via the possibility of rescuing enslaved aliens, and Superman is now weakened. Recognising he may not be able to tackle Warworld on his own, and with the Justice League unable to accompany him, he’s recruited new allies in the Authority, as seen in Superman and the Authority. The Warworld material continues from Action Comics: Warworld Rising.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson begins The Arena by adding mystery to the Phaelosian people Superman intends to rescue before introducing the Authority and reinforcing Mongul’s credentials as a merciless despot. It’s intended to be grim, but Daniel Sampere might have made an attempt to be less graphic in a title that’s allegedly still aimed at teenagers.

Sampere only draws the introductory chapter before handing over to Miguel Mendonça, who has broadly the same clear style, as does Dale Eaglesham. However, primary artist Riccardo Federici (sample art) works in a very different, more painterly style, although as Lee Loughridge colours, that’s partially an illusion. Federici, though, moves the viewpoints in closer, and generally skimps on backgrounds.

There’s a real problem to The Arena. It’s been established that Superman is weakened, so his defeat is understandable. However, the Authority consist of some immensely powerful people, Apollo on Superman’s level when fully powered, and Omac not far behind. Their defeat, therefore establishes how formidable Mongul’s servants are, but we have to accept this on trust alone. They may look fearsome, but don’t seem any different from countless alien thugs Superman could normally beat with an arm tied behind him, and no time is taken to explain why they are until the chapters appearing in Warworld Revolution, which is too late. That, though, is a means to an end, as it’s determined that if the fight is to be truly won, it must begin from within. At that point several of the Authority are discarded, while Midnighter, whose methods are anathema to Superman gets a solo chapter. It’s all rather slapdash, and in the final analysis it’s possible to cut out every moment the Authority appear without impacting on the core story. The Superman sections, though, resonate as he’s determined to inspire.

In addition to the main story, The Arena features back-up strips featuring other heroes, and flawed it might be, but the main events would be better without these additions. Sami Basri’s art is nice on Sean Lewis’ Guardian story, but it doesn’t otherwise have much going for it. Shawn Aldridge’s longer Martian Manhunter piece runs clumsily through his past to make a point about isolation and Adriana Melo doesn’t maximise the visual opportunities.

The back-ups don’t appear when the main story is combined in The Warworld Saga, nor in the first Superman by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Omnibus.