Review by Ian Keogh

Tom Taylor’s stories here, and indeed his other superhero work all the way back to Injustice, feature lovely little touches in passing enlightening about people and surprising an audience. He drops one of those moments early, when Jonathan Kent (senior) tells Batman that he and Alfred Pennyworth used to have weekly phone conversations, each aware the other is practically the only person in the world in whom they could confide. It’s followed by some adroitly phrased home truths for Batman. This turns the spotlight away from Jon Kent and his problems, but for anyone who appreciates a little fine tuning it’s a great few pages.

Jon’s problems largely involve Henry Bendix who’s taken over the island state of Gamorra and uses the population as guinea pigs to generate superheroes, each of which has a bomb planted in their head in order to ensure their full co-operation. Another great skill Taylor has is being able to devise a problem, feed in a workable solution, and then have that solution go creatively wrong so something else is needed. A stunning opener chapter’s tension is generated by just such a threat. Taylor, here helped a little by Nicole Mains, can also pack one hell of a lot into each chapter. This is titled Battle for Gamora, and you’ll be wondering when he’s going to get to that, why so many guest stars are being introduced, and how there’ll possibly be enough room to do it justice, but he manages it all very compactly.

Cian Tormey remains primary artist, drawing four of the five chapters. He’s not one for filling backgrounds with anything but the basics, but draws the hell out of people, whom he poses stylishly while still delivering the emotional necessities. His Superman is convincing as a teen who very much knows his mind, but still lacks confidence in some respects, and that comes through visually.

Taylor surprises all the way to the end, not least with who gets to supply the decisive blow. This is a thriller.