Superman #19 is written by Joshua Williamson and published by DC. Artwork is by Dan Mora, colours by Alejandro Sánchez and letters by Ariana Maher. Main cover art (left) is by Dan Mora.
Superman #19 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon ComiXology UK right here.
Synopsis
THE MANY DEATHS OF DOOMSDAY! Superman and Superwoman must deal with the return of the rampaging Doomsday and…wait…Superwoman?! After the events of Absolute Power, Lois Lane has new powers…but how long can they last?! And waiting in the shadows is one of Superman’s greatest enemies…the Time Trapper. Jump on to a new exciting story arc that will shape the future of Superman!
Review
We’re back after the chaos that was Absolute Power, and a lot of things have changed. Superman isn’t working alone or alongside any usual member of the Super family but is fighting alongside Lois Lane, who has seemingly gained powers after the events of Absolute Power. We also have a new artist and colourist on board, with Dan Mora and Alejandro Sanchez joining the Superman team.
This issue throws the readers into the midst of it all. Lois is frantically moving around the Daily Planet, giving orders to everyone and taking in what news Jimmy Olsen has for her. Through all this, we get a mention of Superwoman, a character who hasn’t been around since 2016. So, what’s actually going on here? We find out rather quickly when Lois can hear people in peril from afar; her powers have returned.
There’s a cute moment that Joshua Williamson inserts where she bumps into Clark Kent in the closet while they change into their costumes, and it makes me wonder how this wasn’t done before. It makes sense to happen now, as we’ll be keeping Lois as Superwoman for a while. There’s one issue that persists when seeing Lois Lane as Superwoman: she works better as a journalist rather than a hero. Her investigative work is the best part of her character, and I wish for a dynamic where she used her powers for investigative journalism instead of simply being another Superman—something to set her apart from the rest of the Super family.
Dan Mora has always been a fan favourite, but his art just seems to get better and better with each issue he draws. The spread of Superman and Superwoman is bolstering with personality, and it’s only topped by the colours of Alejandro Sanchez that help this spread stand out. It’s a spread that screams Superman, and that’s what Dan Mora does so well with his art; he’s able to embody the personality of a character through it, and he does it without fail every time.
One thing Dan Mora has always captured well is recreating moments from the golden era of comics with his art. He did a lot of it in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, and he does so again here as we see Superman in his Joe Shuster costume, with a golden age Lois Lane in his arms. There’s also a sneaky little cameo that Dan Mora has hidden of himself, and I won’t mention where in the issue, as it’s a fun find.
Without jumping into major spoiler territory, Superman and Superwoman are facing off against remnants of the damage that Dr. Pharm and Mr. Graft caused after all that time. Even after all the many events that have happened since, Williamson reminds us of the damage caused during the first story arc of his run. There also seems to be a running joke of Jimmy Olsen failing to catch a picture of Superwoman, and I can only hope that Joshua Williamson sticks with it, as it’ll be hilarious to see the Daily Planet’s best photographer, who managed to get pictures of Superman, fail to get pictures of Superwoman.
The issue begins to close off with two major villains making their return: Doomsday and Time Trapper. I won’t give away what their purpose is within this issue, but it sets up the future of the series as Williamson drops an insane reveal that readers won’t expect. While I’m not too familiar with the Time Trapper as a character, I’m intrigued to see how it plays out and what Doomsday’s involvement in all of this is.
Verdict
Superman #19 provides a strong start to Dan Mora’s tenure as an artist; he provides the flair and hope that should come with a Superman story, while Joshua Williamson brings back some old villains to cause trouble for Superman. While Lois Lane’s status as a hero is not ideal and not the most creative choice, Williamson suggests a promising direction for the series.
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