Review: Superman Vol. 6- Imperius Lex

Quick Summary

Pros: The opening arc is thrilling and continues plot threads from earlier stories. The volume contains a fantastic one-shot that beautifully depicts Superman’s best qualities. The volume closes with a deep and meaningful adventure. All of these stories contain great artwork.

Cons: The conclusion to the Apokolips arc feels a bit rushed.

Overall: The stories within this book are all great in their own way and make for a great collection. Within this book, intergalactic adventures are embarked upon, meaningful subjects are approached, and Superman has a chance to inspire everyone he meets. All of this is accomplished through captivating storytelling and beautiful artwork. Every Superman fan should consider reading the stories in this volume. 

Story

Superman Vol. 6: Imperius Lex has a lot going for it and not a lot working against it. The opening arc is a thrilling battle on Apokolips that combines the development done across this series with lingering plot threads from the end of the Darkseid War (Review) (Reading Order) event. The next story is a fantastic standalone chapter that highlights Superman’s capacity for inspiration. Finally, the closing arc is a deep and meaningful look at the role of faith within humanity. The only downside is that the conclusion to the Apokolips arc feels a bit rushed. All in all though, this is a great collection of stories that works on a number of levels.

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The opening arc in Imperius Lex, written by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, transports the Kent family to Apokolips, where they are thrust into a complicated political situation. Each member of the family finds a way to survive and also contribute to the ultimate liberation of the planet. Meanwhile, fans of the Darkseid War event get to see it is an exciting arc where small contributions build up as the arc progresses.

Unfortunately, the conclusion to this arc isn’t that great. It is satisfying to see Superman resolve the situation on Apokolips and return home safely. However, the entire situation feels like it is solved too easily, especially considering the high-stakes nature of the premise. While other Superman stories emphasize the complexity of political situations and have Superman struggling with them, this one seems to just tie everything up perfectly and act as if this situation is now resolved.

The next story in Imperius Lex, also by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, is a simply fantastic one-shot. The chapter sees Superman take a group of sick children up to the Justice League’s Watchtower, where he allows them to simply have a fun day with a group of superheroes. The entire encounter is a wholesome look at humanity and shows that Superman does not always need to be fighting unstoppable villains to be an inspiration.

Finally, Imperius Lex closes with a final story, written by James Robinson, that harkens back to Superman’s origins. Superman and Superboy attempt to save a world on the verge of destruction but are opposed by the world’s religious zealots. The short arc is exciting and capitalizes on the emotions present in this planet’s destruction while also capitalizing on emotions present in Krypton’s destruction. It also takes a balanced approach to concepts like faith, religion, and religious extremism that is interesting to see play out.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Much like the story, the artwork in Imperius Lex contains some great contributions from a variety of different talents. The opening arc contains realistic visuals from several artists, all of which add to the serious and action-packed nature of this particular story. The best work here comes from the opening and closing chapters of the arc, from Doug Mahnke, which creatively present the forces of Apokolips in a way that works for this story. Then, the visuals shift their mood as Barry Kitson takes over penciling for a chapter. The crisp, clean, and bright visuals in this chapter match the optimism present in the storytelling, something developed even further through Gabe Eltaeb’s colors. Finally, the volume closes with a short arc featuring work from Doug Mahnke and Ed Benes. This arc looks just as good as the first arc, with detailed visuals and creative characters. All in all, this book looks good from start to finish.

Continuity

Superman Vol. 6: Imperius Lex continues the story from Superman Vol. 5: Hopes and Fears (Review).

The story here continues in Superman Vol. 7: Bizarroverse. 

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Lex Luthor established a connection with Apokolips during the Darkseid War (Review) (Reading Order) event.
• Superman #40 mentions Superman’s recent trip through time. This took place across Action Comics Vol. 5: Booster Shot (Review).