Review by Frank Plowright

Mongul is a galactic tyrant, powerful enough to take on Superman in a fist fight, but the shroud perpetually hanging over him is so little other than personality differentiating him from other such brutes Darkseid and Thanos, both of whom are more interesting. As seen here over several stories, Mongul has a similar imperious attitude, his first appearance co-opting Superman as an errand boy, but despite the menacing way Jim Starlin designs him the comparisons never fade.

Len Wein writes the continued introductory tale in which Mongul requires Superman to collect an artefact he’s failed to acquire himself as it’s under the protection of the Martian Manhunter. Mongul is established as a viable threat over two connected tales well drawn by Starlin. They’re of their time with thought balloons and characters explaining to each other, but the second in particular still stands up via the enormity of a threat requiring both Superman and Supergirl. Unfortunately, though, the complete story ran to three chapters and DC make the same mistake whenever they reprint it by not bothering to include the conclusion, in this case possibly because Mongul doesn’t appear. What happens to Supergirl? You won’t find out here.

Mongul next appears bothering the short-lived late 1970s version of Starman with Paul Levitz scripting and Starlin remaining on art. Starman’s relative obscurity requires considerable explaining, but Levitz uses his background well in setting up and resolving a plot. Mongul goes a bit Dick Dastardly at the end, but escapes in order to return under Levitz providing a threat big enough to require the involvement of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Levitz’s plot works, but this time Curt Swan produces the art, and whereas Starlin was able to take a questionable design and provide an imposing visual threat, Mongul looks ridiculous under Swan, resembling a posed action figure. Swan’s Legion is stiff and lacking dynamism and the plot creaks also, with some weird attempts at humour toward the end.

The final story is a classic, reprinted many times elsewhere, yet always a pleasure to read again. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons craft Mongul’s revenge on Superman far more imaginatively than the battering Levitz planned. It diminishes the idea of an erzatz Thanos via Superman being removed from the action. He’s disabled by a plant connected to his nervous system having him play out a fantasy life in his head, while Batman, Robin and even Wonder Woman are totally outclassed by Mongul himself. The additional complication is the danger of removing the plant. Moore supplies a seductive fantasy to play alongside a desperate mismatched battle, and constructs clever solutions to the problems he sets, while page after page of Gibbons on art is peerless.

Accept the quirks of 1980s storytelling, and all but the Legion of Super-Heroes story remain readable.