Confronting our own mortality on 4/28

The comic's called All-Star Superman, but this penultimate issue is nearly stolen by the hero's starkest and most malignant reflection. "He stinks of the irrational" - that opening sneer illustrates the fundamental tragedy of Lex Luthor as well as anything. He's a genius who wastes his intellect on vindictive grudges and self-aggrandizing boasts rather than humanity's common good, a Super-adolescent and not a man. It reminds me of a line by Shaw about handing power to the irresponsible rich: "like giving a torpedo to a badly-brought-up child to play at earthquakes with."

The story does lag a bit once Luthor's rampaging pique actually takes effect. I agree with Jog that the all-caps foreshadowing and awkward revisit of New Powers during the battle with Solaris are at fault, although said villain works okay on the page for me; the Tyrant Sun is, of course, our big bad's solar counterpart, so what would be more fitting than a ranting Squaresoft boss? And in an issue marked with even more background details than normal (check out the Nietzsche bust in Luthor's lair) the "black eye" Superman gives Solaris just before punching him out is a special delight.

There's just the one dance through this hall of mirrors left, and I'm betting Morrison and Quitely will render it in high style. Superman's showdown with his ultimate opposite is only two months away, dear reader...60 days closer to our own inevitable deaths!