There’s an inevitability to the circuitousness of comic book storylines for the mainstream publishers. Sure, when a good guy turns bad, or a bad guy turns good, you know it’s going to get reversed eventually. The trick is: what does the writer do with that inevitability? And luckily, Joshua Williamson is a smart enough writer to know he has to ground the return of Lex Luthor to villain in an emotional reality. That’s exactly what we get — or begin to get — in Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1.
In the DC Comics book, with art by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira, and spoilers past this point, Lex is still dealing — or not — with the amnesia he’s been suffering from since tangling with Brainiac a year prior. The thing is, he may not want to remember. Over the course of the issue he gets ice cream with Mercy, continuing the sweet (no pun intended) romance that’s been spinning out between the two. He spends time with his daughter, Lena. And when confronted by the public for his prior misdeeds, he expresses regret. Why would a man on the mend want to return to the megalomaniacal villain or yore?
…Except, the other theme Williamson has been expertly playing with in the main Superman title rears its head: they may need Lex to stop something even worse. What this does (and what’s happening with Doomsday in the other book) is it presents Superman with a non-stop trolley problem… Does he let one bad thing happen that might hurt some people? Or let an even worse thing happen that might hurt more people? And what if those “people” are villains that have tried (sometimes successfully) to kill him, multiple times?



While Superman is never going to be the villain, it’s an always fruitful moral conundrum that hits the characters here, and leads to a fair amount of conflict and drama. There’s also a really sweet/sad flashback sequence throughout the book to Lex’s youth that successfully plays on one of my personal least favorite pieces of Superman lore: that Lex and Clark grew up together. But again, Williamson makes it all work towards a rather beautiful conclusion.
Ferreira and Barrows continue to turn in solid work throughout, too. The flashback sequences, as mentioned, are dream-like and wistful. There’s not a ton of action in the “present” scenes, but the team keeps it fresh and moving. It’s a good looking comic.
While this may not work for everyone — particularly if you haven’t been reading the ongoing Superman book — this is an excellent one-shot that delves deep into a moral quandary for a character we all know and hate to love. Even with the inevitability of the baddie’s return (there is a movie coming up, after all), all credit to the team here for finding drama, heart, and emotion in that ultimate conclusion.
Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1 Rating:
Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1 Official Synopsis:
THE RETURN OF LEX LUTHOR? During the battle of the House of Brainiac, Lex Luthor’s memories were wiped clean… but now, after the events of DC All-In Special #1, the world needs Lex to remember his past. There is a key piece of information in Lex’s lost memories that could unlock an epic mystery that plagues Superman and the Justice League! But what if Lex doesn’t want to remember? Would Superman sacrifice Lex’s newfound peace to solve a secret, even if it means the return of Superman’s fiercest rival?
Comic Book Club Live Info:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.