Superman: Doomed – Superman / Wonder Woman #9 Review
By Steve Lam
Writer: Charles Soule
Artists: Tony Daniel, Matt Banning, Sandu Florea
Action Comics #32 Recap
Senator Sam Lane uses a Brainiac-controlled Lois to up his smear campaign against Superman. Lana and Wonder Woman team up to find out why the coma patients in Smallville are sending electrical signals into space. In the Atacama Desert, Superman is attacked by Metallo and the Atomic Skull, who are piloting a S.T.E.E.L. airship commandeered by Lane. Motivated and manipulated by Lois, Metallo is set up to suicide-bomb Superman with aerosol-form kryptonite. Ignoring Superman’s offer to help him, Metallo sets off the kryptonite bomb. As Superman flies off, Lex Luthor reveals that the bomb only weakened the half that was Superman. There is now nothing holding back the Doom half.
Spoiler-Free Reaction
Fast, quick pacing and a cohesive plot. The overall issue read like a long battle sequence. This is easily one of the strongest stories in the series!
Plot Details and Spoilers and Deaths: Oh My!
In Brazil, there’s an internal fight between Clark and Superdoom. Superdoom says that he will rid the half that’s still Superman, but Clark pushes back and vows that he will find a way to become Superman again.
Wonder Woman has enlisted the help of Hessia to “heal” Superman from his transformation. Hessia dons special armor and flies off to face Superdoom. Upon her arrival, Hessia immediately starts to battle Superdoom. She’s able to insert a few blows, but is quickly overpowered. Wonder Woman, watching from above, is shocked that Hessia is trying to kill Superdoom instead of helping him. Hessia’s reasoning is that since she’s a healer, she also has to heal the planet and the world. Since Superdoom is destroying the world, he must be killed.
Wonder Woman pleads to Hessia that Superman can still be saved. Hessia, trying to prove otherwise, tells Superdoom that Superman’s and Wonder Woman’s relationship is wrong. Enraged, Superdoom strikes Hessia. As the two are about to deliver devastating blows to each other, Wonder Woman stops them and lassos Superdoom. She flies and pulls Superdoom above the kryptonite cloud and into space where he starts to transform back into Superman. Wonder Woman promises that she and the other heroes will look after Earth while Superman finds a way to control the infection.
Flying off, Superman is suddenly blasted by Guy Gardner, who is with two other Red Lanterns — Kara Zor-El and Zilius Zox. Superman starts his transformation again and Superdoom takes over. The Red Lanterns and Superdoom battle it out with the end result of Superdoom violently throwing the Red Lanterns down to Earth. Before they can reassemble again, Wonder Woman lassos Guy Gardner. Speaking the truth, Gardner tells Wonder Woman that the Red Lanterns are here to protect Earth and help Superman. Releasing Gardner, Wonder Woman allows the Red Lanterns to go after Superdoom, but has very little confidence that they can beat him. It’s now up to Superman to fight Superdoom from within.
Wrapping It Up
The next issue for Superman: Doomed will be in July, but the series ends this month’s run with a strong and exciting story. You get a two-for-one fight in this issue — Superdoom against Hessia and Superdoom against the Red Lanterns. With fast-paced plotting and great art, Superman / Wonder Woman #9 becomes a strong addition to this collection.