The Superman: New Krypton saga began with a thoroughly engaging premise and some interesting characters. Unfortunately, due to slow storytelling and a merely average plot, the fourth volume is unable to live up to the standards set by the earlier installments.
For those who need a recap, Superman has freed the people of Kandor, a Kryptonian city, from the clutches of Brainiac. But these newly liberated Kryptonians quickly realize that they could never regard the Earth as their home, and so they create their own planet, a "New Krypton," on an orbit parallel to the Earth on the opposite side of the sun. Because Zod, Superman's nemesis, is put in charge of New Krypton's emerging military, Superman decides to take up residency on the planet himself so that he can keep a careful eye on matters. He's soon made a commander in Zod's military.
In Volume Four, Superman finds himself temporarily promoted to general while Zod slowly recovers from an attempt on his life. But Kal's transformation into the leader of the Kryptonian military does little for his personality. His usual good humor and compassion now replaced with a wooden and cold exterior, Superman first searches for Zod's would-be assassin, then encounters some Thanagarians, and then spends the latter half of the book investigating the murder of a Kryptonian Council member. If none of these plot points sound particularly exciting, it's because they're not.
And that's the greatest flaw with this fourth installment. While everything here is told in a perfectly competent manner, there simply aren't enough compelling twists, interesting revelations and grandiose battles to engage anyone but the most loyal fans. The earlier volumes were able to convey both the wonders and the fears Superman had for the resurrection of his people. Volume Four, however, is little more than our hero running back and forth to investigate and then solve one problem after another. It's all mundane and sterile, with little insight given into the Man of Steel's own feelings towards the people he encounters and situations he faces. Only at the end does Superman open up and bare his soul. . .a little.
Ultimately, Superman: New Krypton Volume 4 smacks of being more filler than substance--it's more a segueway into the next story than something that is truly significant on its own. That said, fans already invested in the previous books may still find it a worthwhile read.Get more detail about Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 4.
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