Action Comics # 793, Krypton part 4 of 4 Spoilers Abound And A RANT

Yeah, I got an advance copy. Not real far in advance.... but what the heck.

Anyway, I guess I should put in some spoiler space.

(humming the theme from Alfred Hitchcock tv show)

Some more.

Bit more.

This redneck goes into a store. He tells the clerk he wants a pound of country sausage.

The clerk says 'Your a redneck, aren't you?'

The old boy get really riled. 'What the heck kind of question is that? A guy asks for German sausage, you gonna call him a German? Someone asks for Polish sausage, you gonna call him a Pole?'

'Well' the clerk says, 'I probably wouldn't, but this is a flower shop'.

A bit more space....

What, do you think this is enough?

Ok... one more....

Whats the three most difficult years for a computer troll?

Second grade..... hahahaha!

Ok....

This is the fourth part, and brings and end to the entire saga about the 'other Krypton'. Attempting to tie up all the loose story parts and bring an end to what could have been an excellent story.

The conclusion from last issue pretty much tells us what the whole mess was all about. How did he (you know who) create the world is explained, why he did it is explained, and it could still have been a decent story, had they not gone for the usual 'villian does his job too well' trail.

The problem with a 'true son of Krypton' being the only thing that could save the planet is the major clue.

As to the Krypto situation, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERSSPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Turns out he is not I repeat not Dead after all, which is further proof my decision to stop reading the books until they start doing them right again is still a good idea.

One issue so and so dies..... either the next issue or one a few months later, the character is brought back..... it is starting to become to pat a sceniario for me to want to be a part of.

Yes, I complained when they offed Krypto..... I was totally ticked.... but either leave him dead, or leave him alone. According to Previews, in October, Lois 'pays the ultimate price for keeping a secret'.... that usually means in literature, death. Of course, if they do kill Lois Lane, it won't be for very long.

And once more, it will be the proof that a good writer can do a story without using death as a resolution. In short, DC needs to get a good writer, someone who can do a story with energy, worry, and the -threat- of death, without actually using it... to sell and do a story.

Yes, I have to harken back to the Silver Age.... there were many, many times in a Superman book where someone came close to getting killed.... and you wondered if they would bite the bullet. But, they always survived, sometimes based on an exciting turn of events, sometime due to cunning and sometimes because the villian was over confident. Not, it is 'lets kill them. It will shock the reader, and we can always bring them back later'.

It is common. It is obvious.

How about we try something that is not common or obvious for once? How about we try something that might shock the audience without a wasted death? When it become something that happens all the time, we are no longer shocked by it, we get immune to the scene, and it now becomes second nature to us to expect it when we read something.

Come on DC.... we know there are good, decent, creative writers with you... look at Action # 775... a truly great story. Offered us something that was shocking, but so well done that for a second we all thought 'WHAT!!!!!?????'

And it Worked..... most readers loved it. Loved it so much, that now that issue is either hard to find, or expensive as a Superman back issue. In lots of places it is calling a higher price then the Superman 75 Black Bagged Issue....

Why? Because Death is common..... Cunning and guile are powers that we -want- a hero to have.... You can't outfight them? Out think them. You don't have to be a killer, but let them think you would.

Superman deserves better then what he is getting. The character is one of the greatest characters in Comic Book history. In many ways, without him, Comic Books would certainly not be where or what they are today.

Superman is more then a name, He is an Icon. Not just to DC but to Marvel, Chaos!, Cross-Gen... all of them. Every Comic company and hero owes something to Superman.

In many ways, what we have now is an excellent character. But, he needs people who will challenge the reader to think to work on him. He needs artists who have proven themselfs, not people who are just breaking into the industry. He needs writers who have proven that they can create situations where he has to use more then just muscle, but sometimes muscle and brains to succeed.

Not every story has to involve someone dying. Not every story has to make Superman seem closer and closer to a nervous breakdown. From Previews again.... How Far Can Superman Be Pushed ?

We have seen that. To the edge and beyond. Now, let him use those powers, let him be what he his. A hero. Superman.

I don't know why anyone else buys Comic Books. I buy them because I love them. I love the universes they live in. If I wanted to read about hero's going mad, using drugs, beating up their lovers, murdering their wives, I could do all that by picking up a newspaper down on the corner.

I read Comic Books to find Hero's. To find those people who aspire to greatness. Yes, they are around us in real life... Firefighters, the Police, members of the Armed Forces (the Marines!! Yea!!) but I like to think that even they need hero's as well.

And one of these hero's, the one who used to be 'The First and Greatest' is Superman.

How about letting him just be Superman. How about just letting him do what he does best, fight the Never Ending Battle. Why do we have to see how far he can be pushed? Why do we have to see him driven insane? Why do we have to see our hero debased, degraded?

Don't we get enough of that reading about Priests/Preachers who molest young children for decades before being brought to justice? Don't we see enough of that when we see our sports figures being arrested for drug abuse, or killing a lover? Don't we see enough of our heros being put down when a city gets angry at Firefighters for flying flags in honor of the ones who died fighting terrorism in their own country?

Give us back hero's. Give us back a Superman.

How about finding someone who can give the reader what they want, and desire.....

A Hero who is Superman.

LArry The Ultimate Fanboy

I pretty much agree with most of what you wrote except for this. Nowhere, I mean nowhere, in MOS 128 does it say Krypto died. People assumed he died even though it was pretty obvious he didn't. Superman didn't shed a single tear. If Krypto were actually dead he would have cried. The writers didn't 'kill' Krypto and bring him back. It's just a classic cliffhanger.

THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD, CAPTAIN......

I disagree... the 'pretty obvious' part seems a bit of a stretch..... we see him cut down, lying bloody on the ground... Superman stops... goes back and cradels the body in his hand, not saying a word.... if he were still alive, wouldn't you say something to comfort the critter?

Sometime, caught up in the moment with all the crap that is going on, one does not cry or struggle with something devasting until later. To me, the unspoken message was 'there is a job to do, let's do it and have remorse later'.

The issues that have used Krypto since his return offered us the classic cliffhange throughout the story.... read the ones dealing with the WotW in Superboy.... the entire issue had everyone on the edge of the seat wondering if he was going to be put down.

The Mongol issue.... the cliffhanger there was will Superman either destroy the dog, or depower him?

The cliffhange has been in all the issues with him. But not this one. The image in the mind of virtually every reader was that Krypto was dead. The fact that Krypto showed up to save the day again is not evidence of a cliff hanger... it is evident that the writers went for a shock in 'killing' him, then wanted a shock at him returning.

A real shock would have been to present this issue from the view point of Krypto. Awakening from a death like coma, and seeing his beloved master in danger, fighting pain, blood loss, hurting from a dozen different wounds, and still fighting to save Superman. And not letting on until that exact panel where he attacks who's eyes we are seeing all this through.

THAT would have been something to thrill the reader.... that would have been something to talk about.

As it is... we have, 'oh, we thought he was dead... but look, we were wrong. What a shock... a character that looked dead, isn't..... Wow. I never expected this.' If you can do this in Ben Stein's casual voice, you have the excitement level of Krypto's 'amazing' return.

Like I said, no imagination. Just at attempt at a shock and a twist to cover up the lack of a decent story, written in a decent (to Superman) manner.

Just my opinion, not wanting a flame war or fight.

LArry the Ultimate Fanboy

Sometimes, picking up a dog is nothing more than just picking up a dog.

I didn't think that for the entire issue. I had a concern about it for one panel. Then it was over. Hardly a cliffhanger.

Never thought that he'd do either.

It wasn't in my mind. Don't speak for everyone. Sometimes people read too much into things. Sometimes people ought to not analyze and criticize so much, and just read for enjoyment.

It would have been quite annoying. 'Who is this who's witnessing all this?'