Superman: Doomed

I haven't been overly enthralled with everything New 52. Batman: Zero Year was decent and the #0 books that tie-in about 2 dozen members of the DC Universe to that incident was fantastic. But when it came to the portrayal of the Man of Steel in the pages of Superman and Action Comics left me frigid. That all changes here in Superman: Doomed!

A clandestine group that thinks Superman is a threat to our planet, makes the brilliant decision to free Doomsday from the Phantom Zone projector located in Kal-El's Fortress of Solitude. At the exact same time, the entire town of Smallville has been rendered unconscious under mysterious circumstances. When Doomsday arrives on the outskirts of the town, Superman takes things personally and unleashes hell on the colossus!

In a show of unlimited power, Superman lands a punch that vaporizes Doomsday. And then the Man of Tomorrow inhales him! Always thinking of others, Superman absorbs his foe in order to prevent the creature from reforming and possibly mutating any of the by-standers of the battle. As a result, Superman has infected himself with the most deadly killing machine in history and he's turning into a version of a Kryptonian powered Super-Doom!

Three things really impressed the heck out of me in this 500 page plus book:

1. The relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman. This is a great power couple and they work very well. Not liking the other Superman books, I never went for the Superman/Wonder Woman team-up title. That will change.

2. Taking a page from The Incredible Hulk, readers get a chance to see inside the mind of Kal-El. There's this amazing banter between the Clark Kent and Doomsday sides that are battling for control. Yes, I know it's a swipe from Marvel's most well-known dissociative. But the massive creative team headed by writers Greg Pak and Charles Soule, among others, managed to make these scenes extremely fresh and entertaining. 

3. The Maid of Might. I love Supergirl and I am doing my best to get the entire run of her New-52 title. I don't quite understand why she's with the Red Lanterns. But I like it. I also don't understand why half-way through this story Kara stops being a Red Lantern. Did she renounce membership? Is she on hiatus? It's not made clear. But I'll find out one day. I guarantee it!

As for some of my other questions, like if the Big Boss at the end of this book is really the one behind the release of Doomsday and if the infection of Superman was pre-planned or just a happy accident are questions that I doubt I'll ever get a definite answer on.

Lots of different artists, inkers and colorists are involved in this story. Really too many to mention. I didn't feel like a single page was wasted. This was a massive read and I got one fantastic discount having found this $30 book for less than $10 at Ollie's. If you love Doomsday and are a giant fan of the epic 'Death of Superman' storyline, this is a book you cannot afford to miss. Even if it is a part of the New 52!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.