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The Death of Optimus Prime

    And here we are, after weeks of teasing I’m finally going through with my Transformers review. Initially I was going to do a write-up not of the live action Transformers movie that I totally loathe (but I will give credit to Michael Bay for the two things he’s good at, explosions and interesting camera angles. The latter however gets ruined by the fact that the shot is either too cluttered or too sparse but I digress) but of the 1986 animated movie that I think was so much better than the live-action blockbuster that came out this century. However, I decided that instead of doing a straight up review I would do a compare and contrast of an event that occurs in both the animated movie and the live action trilogy. That event is The Death of Optimus Prime.

    A quick synopsis for the four or five people who may not know: Optimus Prime is the leader of the  He is the pinnacle of what the Autobots are supposed to be: brave, thoughtful, and honorable. If you ask someone about Transformers I guarantee you the first name that will pop up nine times out of ten will be Optimus Prime.

 Autobot faction of Transformers and the main character of the franchise; he has the ability to transform himself into a big red semi-truck which is one of the most iconic aspects of the character.

    The Death of Optimus Prime has been a watershed story in the cartoons, comics, and movies that have made up the franchise and the story has been told in several ways.

The Man...Bot!

   In the Transformers animated movie Prime’s end came to pass in his final battle with his arch rival, the Decepticon leader known as Megatron. Megatron and his crew launched an assault of Autobot City, the Autobots outpost on earth. Over the course of a day the city was ravaged and many Autobots were destroyed in spite of the efforts of the city’s inhabitants. It was when the Decepticons began to close in did Optimus Prime appear and began to mow down (literally in some cases) the Deception forces until he finally got to Megatron himself and the fight began.

     This fight was easily the most brutal fight in the then short history of the animated series; you could see the cracks forming in their bodies from the beating, Prime gets impaled by Megatron at one point in the fight but soon Optimus gets the upper hand. Megatron starts to beg for mercy but this is a ruse to get Prime closer to use a gun he finds under a piece of debris, but then Hot Rod, one of the new Autobots introduced in this movie, tries to intervene and gets used as a hostage as Megatron fires a few well place blasts into the same area where he had impaled Prime before.

    Megatron then stands over Optimus ready to deliever the coup de grace when Prime delievers the final blow and sends Megatron falling a few stories and the crashes to the ground. With Megatron defeated, the Decepticons retreat and the Autobots are left with an utter disaster on their hands; chief amongst the casualties is Prime himself who soon dies from his injuries. To do this review I had to re-watch the movie and the death scene is a lot tamer that I remember, there is a rate of decay when Prime passes but in my mind I remember quite a bit more desiccation than what was there. I guess it’s another example of a memory from long ago being built up more in one’s imagination, still a very heartbreaking moment for any fan of the show.

Now that's a main event!

    Now we come to Prime’s death in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where Optimus is targeted for death by the Fallen, the founder of the Decepticons . Apparently Prime is the only one capable of destroying the Fallen and wants Optimus out of the way to prevent that and to prevent his interference in the capture of Sam Witwicky. The Decepticons, led by Megatron, attempt to kidnap Sam and get Optimus Prime out in the open. When Prime gives chase he’s attacked by Megatron, Starscream, and Grindor in a battle that’s just as brutal as the animated movie. You have Prime ripping Grindor apart and Megatron running a spike into Prime’s back (as much as Megatron likes his guns he also seems to like sharp and pointy things as well). Prime dies as a result of the battle, but he doesn’t get the kind of on his deathbed scene that he got in the animated movie.

    The aftermath of Prime’s death drives both stories, in the animated movie Prime’s death leaves a void and it takes the rest of the movie to not only fill that void but to deal with threats that threatens to wipe out all the Transformers. It has far reaching effects that change the dynamics of the show for years to come. In Revenge of the Fallen, the quest to resurrect Prime is one of the main plot lines that drive the rest of the movie to its conclusion. It’s only when Prime is resurrected that the threat gets resolved, the Fallen is destroyed, and the Decepticons retreat.

   I have to admit both movies make Optimus Prime look like a badass and it take a lot to send him packing to the afterlife. But which take was better? I obviously have my opinion but I think I’ll leave that decision to all of you, what do you think? Which was better?

Superman: Secret Origin #6

     Well folks we’ve made it to the finish line, we’ve made it to the final chapter of Superman: Secret Origins. The fact that I’m doing this a mere two days before the release of Man of Steel had nothing to do with design and everything to do with my laziness. So this is where I would attempt a little bit of insight but if you’re like me you probably want to get this over and done with so let’s get to it…..oh and the Transformers movie review I promised will be up soon, promise.

    So our final chapter picks up where last chapter left off with the Army led by General Sam Lane has invaded The Daily Planet to collect any and all information regarding Superman. Lane tries to play the “I’m your father so you should trust me” card with Lois Lane who fires back ed to be a bombshell by asking Lois why Superman never told her that he is an alien and by that standard: a monster. Back to the xenophobia again.

    Elsewhere, Lex Luthor has just finished his operation on Sgt. Corben after his battle with the Last Son of Krypton, Luthor proclaims success by shouting “He’s Alive”. We then find the Army in the sewers when they come across Superman who puts them out of commission in about 5 seconds and then takes the fight to the streets of Metropolis where he smacks the soldiers around like its nothing. Back at the Planet we find that General Lane’s bombshell has had no effect on the paper’s staff so he then tries to tell them that it’s all hopeless for them since he has the one thing that can kill Superman, Kryptonite.

    This spurs Lois and Jimmy into action, Jimmy then blinds the soldiers with multiple camera flashes while Lois escapes but not without General Lane noticing her ducking out. We return then to Superman’s fight with the Army when a cab gets thrown into him courtesy of Sgt. Corben who fresh off his life saving surgery has the Metallo armor completely grafted onto his body. The Army stands aside to watch Corben get his licks in but Superman quickly turns the tide back in his favor by sending him flying into a tank.

Hey Tony Stark, I think you better call your lawyers about this one

     Corben is enraged by this and even starts turning on his own people, it’s then that Lois enters the picture asking Superman to leave for his own safety. She tells him that his adversaries are willing to kill him because they’re afraid of him. Corben fires back by saying that their not afraid but that Superman is a threat to them and that he could change everything, I don’t have a reference book with me but I’d say that statement is a pretty good statement of fear. Superman charges at Corben and manages to knock off the Metallo face plate that reveals a face that if this were a video review I’d queue up a scene of the Bride of Frankenstein screaming in terror.  By the way if you’re keeping score that’s one Frankenstein reference for the comic and one for me.

   Lois runs out yelling “leave him alone you monster” right at Corben who in response unleashes a green energy blast from his chest. Superman gets in the way of the shot and has a very hard effect on him since the blast had Kryptonite in it. Superman then launches a manhole cover into Corben’s chest and uses his heat vision to melt it into the Metallo armor. Do they make manhole covers out of lead because that’s the only thing that makes sense to me for why the Kryptonite doesn’t have any effect on Supes when he’s up that close? Superman then flies Corben into orbit where he passes out due to lack of oxygen.

   General Lane then arrives just as Corben falls at his feet, Lane orders his soldiers to arrest Lois and Superman, but the men are hesitant to do so and when they make their move the crowd stands up for Superman. Supes then gets between the two sides and implores them not to take things any further, when asked what he wants he says that he doesn’t want them to look for a savior and to use their own gifts to make things better for everyone. I cleaned it up a bit so I could spare you folks the cavities this kind of sweetness could create, it is an uplifting speech but I think you should read it for yourself.

    With that situation calmed down Superman turns his attention to Lex Luthor who screams at him that Metropolis is his and Superman can’t take it away from him. Supes replies that it doesn’t belong to him, it never has, and that he won’t let Lex ruin it for everyone else. We return to the Daily Planet which I suppose would be a few days after all the action where thanks to their coverage of Superman the paper is back on top. Lois comments on Clark’s latest story and just as she’s about to acknowledge that Clark’s her competition she finds a note on her desk.

   Lois runs up to the rooftop to find Superman fixing the Globe on the top of the building. Supes thanks Lois for making him feel at home and Lois talks about how his presence has lightened his outlook…..again I’d read it for yourself because I think I’d need to floss if I gave a blow by blow review of this moment. Just as things start to get close Jimmy comes up and interrupts things which give Superman the opening he needs to exit stage left.

   We then see Lex Luthor heading out for his daily ritual to find that there’s no one there singing his praises and asking for his help. We end this issue as we began the Metropolis arc with a new transplant looking up in the sky, but Superman had changed things since the old lady Clark had bumped into before is not giving the kid hell for looking up into the sky as we see the whole city looking up to Superman flying above the Metropolis skyline. FIN

    ……..And that’s it, we’re done! All in all a pretty good series, yeah it has it’s moment of cheese and a few things about the plot that are debatable to whether they’re necessary but it’s a really good retelling of the Superman origin and one that I give a high recommendation to anyone interested in Superman.  As great as it was to talk about this series I think I’m going to stick with single issues for a while until I find a series that’s worth going through as much as I’ve done here. Thanks for sticking with me.

Vinyl Resurrection

   I might as well face it; often times pop culture can be as fickle as hell. One day out of the blue you hear about some new trend whether it's clothing, music, a new word, etc. and sometimes you think to yourself either “that's cool” or “that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.” Maybe you're one of those people who really don't care; I like to cover all my bases as you can plainly tell. But for one reason or another, this trend will catch on and become so popular that it unceremoniously pushes itself into your life somehow, someway no matter how ridiculous it may seem. I've never watched one episode of American Idol but thanks to constant updates by AOL news l knew about Reuben Studdard coming in second to Clay Aiken. I think I just felt a cold shiver go up my spine.

    Trends come and go in pop culture, but somehow, someway some of them actually manage to make resurgence later down the line after it was supposed to be dead and buried. A group like Aerosmith gets big in 70s, practically grounds to halt through most of the 80s, and suddenly they get big again. Who but the most die-hard fan would have seen that one coming?

    Technology is very much like that, in just over 100 years we went from records made from acetate and vinyl to cds to downloadable music files. Each new piece of technology has made the previous one obsolete, but something very rare has happened in the last few years. Out of the examples I made just now when it comes to listening to music, one of these formats is making something of a comeback.

     This is where pop culture and technology meet as in the last few years since the advent of downloads; records seem to be having a sort of revival that's usually reserved for actors getting that big movie when a few years ago they would've called it a day. I'm looking at you John Travolta. When you walk through stores like Best Buy, Target, and Borders (when it was still around) there are a lot of things you'd expect to see, vinyl records probably weren't one of them.

    To say that records went extinct at that moment, but one does have to ask “how did this happen?” Aside from downloads, there are a few reasons why this happened:

                   1.   The collectors market: if there are people who go out and collect comic books,

old movie posters, etc. there has to be a group out there that collects records. These folks are the die-hard fans of the medium who regardless of whether the embraced the new technology or not, they refused to let go of those wax stacks. The reasons vary, whether it was nostalgia, whether it was preference to the lo-fi, warm sounds, the cover art, etc. this group was one of a hand full that kept records from being sent to the grave.

       2.  Indie and Underground bands: I remember when Hot Topic was still cool (shut up) you could get clothing, jewelry and, shock of shocks…..music from bands that may not get sold at your normal music stores. I remember going to a Hot Topic around 2002 and while I did have some records that I had inherited from hadn’t actually bought one myself. Until I bought NOFX’s “The Decline”, an 18 minute single on 7 inch vinyl. NOFX was never one of my favorite bands but I did enjoy putting that record on and jumping around in my room to it. 

                  It was bands like NOFX and many others in the underground and indie scenes that kept the record alive mainly due to the fact that it was cheaper to record vinyl.

             3.  DJs Keep them dancing: DJs in the hip hop scene were another group that kept the record alive mainly because of how much easier it was to use those than the new technology. There were specialized cd players and rigs that allowed DJs to mix, cut, scratch, etc. like they would on vinyl. However, a major complaint was a lack of feel  that was the majority of DJs preferred over the new tech. So many DJs decided to keep their records for another day.

         

        I’m sure there were plenty of other groups who could claim to be a part of this, but in my research these are the groups majorly responsible for keeping it alive. And once downloads came and cds became obsolete it made it possible for records to come back, and become an acceptable and somewhat profitable trend once again. Maybe “Vinyl Resurrection” is a bit of a misnomer since they never really left, but I’m glad they’re still around and giving us something nice to listen to.

Superman: Secret Origin 5

There’s an aspect of the retelling of stories like the Origin of Superman that I’m not particularly into, that being the retconning of a character into having some history with the main character prior to meeting in their first superhero/supervillan battle. There are instances however where this can enrich a character, Lex Luthor was basically a run of the mill mad scientist before he was made the childhood friend/acquaintance of Clark Kent in the pages of Superboy. Then there are moments like last issue of Secret Origin where a character like the Parasite has given a background where he worked at the Daily Planet building for ………… no particular reason other than story convenience. He could have been a random guy off the street and one could have established pretty quickly that he was a shifty character, and it would’ve had the same results.  

     This issue makes this same style of retcon with another classic Superman villain, John Corben aka Metallo. I feel that rewriting this character the way they did was once again unnecessary. They could’ve used one page from last issue to show him in action and have him make some comments in the process establishing what a scumbag he really is. Instead they went with…….well, let’s launch into Superman: Secret Origin issue 5 and you’ll see.

Issue Five: Strange Visitor

   

     We open with a fire raging at one of the Daily Planet’s distribution centers; Superman arrives to save the people inside. The crowd outside watching the blaze is still questioning the Man of Steel’s motives thanks to a few words from Lex Luthor. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen soon get to the scene to take pictures and it takes the trio a ut not all is wine and roses in Costa de Lex as the other media outlets have been gradually been jumping on the “Superman is Awesome” bandwagon, and predictably Lex has a hissy fit about someone taking the spotlight away from him. 

    However he’s still convinced the right person in the right places that Big Blue is a threat as we find that he’s been discussing all this with General Sam Lane, who’s more than willing to help Luthor ground Supes in exchange for some new weaponry. And in spite of the fact that the General admitted that he hasn’t been in his daughter’s life for a long time due to disinterest, he still gets a bit chaffed when Lexie insinuates that the relationship between Lois and Superman may be more than just a reporter and her story. He also uses the word “unnatural” to describe the relationship due to Supes’ alien origin.

   This discussion between Lex and General Lane is interesting to me because Superman has for a long time been looked upon as an immigrant’s story. A person coming from another land to the new world looking to prosper from their hard work and dreams and one of the biggest obstacles to prospering in the new world are the attitudes of those in a higher position who look down on those they see as “unworthy”.  Obviously the language used by that side to describe immigrants from anywhere was much stronger but I don’t feel like dignifying such ideas.

    I will say this: if this attitude was taken by those in “polite society” it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that the attitude General Lane takes to the possibility of a romance between Lois and Superman would be the same as anyone with those views would have if they were told their child was getting cozy with one of those they saw as inferior to them. 

Just think of the dumbest thing you could possibly say

   Taking a quick break from the xenophobia, we arrive at the Daily Planet where we find the paper is coming back from the stone age thanks to their coverage of Superman, apparently he’s getting popular enough to warrant a piece in the gossip columns as “Metropolis’ Most Eligible Bachelor.” Stop the presses. Enter Sgt. John Corben, who has come expecting to be greeted by Lois with open arms and finds the flowers he sent in the trash. Corben shows just what a peach he is by telling Lois that she can’t change the world as a reporter and should just become a housewife and start a family with him just like her father would want. Lois tries to brush off that winning proposal but Corben gets physical and demanding that she doesn’t ignore him.

    Clark comes in and interrupts things; Corben then tries the old “firm handshake” which anyone who was ever on the wrong end of it means squeezing the other guys hand in an attempt to show dominance. Clark doesn’t even notice this attempt at alpha male dumbassery and Corben walks away perplexed while Clark and Lois walk away to have lunch. Back at Lexcorp, Luthor and General Lane discuss using the Metallo suit as a deterrent against the Man of Steel, but using the extra ingredient of Kryptonite to not only power the suit but to hurt him as well.

Do you feel something?

     At lunch, Lois describes her childhood with the General and the reasons why he never received his father of the year mug. Clark actually has some soothing words for her, which sets of her “not what he seems” alarm. As Clark is quickly searches for a rebuttal he sees another fire burning and reverts to milquetoast mode and spills his lunch all over the place to get out, leaving Lois to pick up the check and the thought of “what was I thinking”. We find as Superman arrives that the fire was deliberately set by General Lane to attract him and bring him in for a “briefing” that makes it sound like Lane is treating him like an illegal alien.

     When Big Blue decides he’s had enough he goes to leave as General Lane threatens that if he walks out the door that Superman will become an enemy of the United States. Supes replies that he’s no one’s enemy and makes his way out as he gets confronted by troops that the Man of Steel easily sends packing. Corben then makes his appearance in the Metallo suit which works for all of about three seconds.

     Things take a turn when Corben unleashes the Kryptonite and it has an immediate effect on Supes, making him vulnerable to the assault.  The troops then open fire and the bullet actually impact and wound the Man of Steel, but in what has to be at least in the top three of most contrived ways to save yourself a bullet ricochets off of Superman’s forehead and shatters the Kryptonite causing the Metallo suit to explode with Corben in it. Superman gets away and the military begins to hunt him down which includes an invasion of the Daily Planet by General Lane himself to take any information relevant to Superman while the Man of Steel is forced underground.

   Next time we will get to the final issue of Secret Origin, yes we are almost there…..and I will eventually get to the Transformers review that I promised so keep your eye out. Cheers to all.

Future Classic: I'm New Here

   In my previous post I said that I was going to review the Transformers movie, and I still plan to but something came up that I feel was more important to get out there as soon as possible. I’m calling this review a Future Classic? I plan on using this title to spotlight something that has just come out and in the future may become a classic work that will be added to the tapestry of pop culture. It also helps that the title is short and sweet; otherwise the title of this review would have to be” why I owe a debt of gratitude to Todd in the Shadows”.  

     For those who don’t know, Todd in the Shadows is an internet reviewer who specializes in reviewing pop music. A few months ago he put out a video for his  Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012 , at number 1 he placed the song “Take Care” by Drake and Rihanna. Now, I really have nothing against Drake and I do like a few Rihanna songs but what caught my attention was a small lead up segment Todd made involving a sample that was placed into “Take Care”. The piece was from a song called “I’ll Take Care Of You”, a cover of an R&B song from the 1950s, the cover in this case recorded in 2010 by Gil Scott-Heron and remixed by Jamie XX of the XX. 

Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012

    The song grabbed my attention and I was compelled to seek it out, I found both the original recording done by Scott-Heron as well as the remix and I was hooked. I bought both versions on vinyl, the first being the album with the original song called “I’m New Here” which is the subject of this review. Gil Scott-Heron was a spoken word/jazz artist who had some good exposure in the late 60s and 70s with his spoken verse recording of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. He continued to record and tour until his death in 2011, and “I’m New Here” was released in 2010, one year before his death.

   The record only runs at about 22 minutes but it is a powerful record, the tracks are bookended by a spoken word recording called “On Coming from a Broken Home Parts 1 and 2” where Gil describes his upbringing being raised by his grandmother after the dissolution of his own family. Also on the album is a cover of a Robert Johnson song called “Me and the Devil” which is sung very powerfully almost as though he’s resigned himself to his fate after taking stock of the events of his life. Then of course is “I’ll Take Care of You”, a song sung with a longing to do whatever it takes to bring some happiness into the life of someone he cares about.

   There are other songs and spoken word prose on this album that’s just as good but I don’t want to go and spoil everything. I can tell you that once those 22 minutes are over I was left speechless, I can tell you that is the first time that has ever happened to me. I find it a fitting epitaph, the final work of a great artist along the same level as Johnny Cash’s American IV: When the Man Comes Around”. A bold statement I know, but not one I make lightly. My suggestion is, get this album, set aside a few minutes in the day to listen, turn every distraction off and just sit there and listen. It may blow you away like it did me, maybe it won’t. Either way I can guarantee that you won’t regret it.

Superman: Secret Origin 4

      In my opinion there are two categories of villain that when done right put all others to shame. Number one on my list is the villain that does what he does just because he can, he may have his reasons, he may have no reason, and he may just want to watch the world burn. Obviously by using that line from The Dark Knight you can probably guess that I place the Joker in this category as would many others. The other category is the villain who sees themselves as the victim of some imagined slight and based on that delusion sees himself not as an evil, egotistical, maniac but as a hero sticking up for the downtrodden of which he or she counts themselves not only as one of those oppressed but as the most victimized of that group.

     The main person who I believe fits the mold of this type of villain extremely well is Lex Luthor, and this issue of Superman: Secret Origin shines a light on that view because this one is very Lex-centric.

Part 4: Parasites

  We start the is with a crowd of people gathered at the gates of LexCorp, just as they gather there every day at the same time for the hope that Lex Luthor will choose one of them and change their lives forever. Whether that’s for good or for ill we’ll see later. After watching this gathering for a few moments Lex finally makes his grand appearance and gives a speech about having risen above his humble beginnings and is now looking for someone to take to those exact heights. He of course fails to mention that he was able to do so with the insurance money from his father’s fatal car accident which happened because Lex himself cut the break lines. 

    Lex chooses Rudy Jones, the janitor of the Daily Planet that Clark Kent had met last issue. When he’s chosen Rudy cries with joy like he’s been saved from a fate worse than death. He has no idea and I’d usually say “poor sap” but considering Rudy had conned Clark out of his lunch and $20 I have a hard time feeling sorry for the schmuck. As Lex smiles and waves to the crowd he instructs his underlings to retrieve Lois Lane and Clark Kent in hopes of drawing out Superman.

   We cut to the Daily Planet as we find Lois simultaneously writing up the story and fielding questions from the rest of her coworkers.  When she and Clark get escorted by Lex Corp Security to see Lex, their strong arm methods don’t go over very well but Lois is so gung ho at getting to finally talk to Lex that she goes willingly. We cut back to Lex giving a doughnut stuffing Rudy a tour of the facility where Lex’s crack staff is going to put Rudy through several exams to test his intellect and physical fitness to mold Rudy and change him for the better.

   It’s pretty apparent from this that the idea of what the citizens of Metropolis think is going to happen is very different from what Lex wants to do. The people at the gates believe that Lex is going to make their dreams come true by giving them what they want; last issue Clark had met a police officer that was doing crowd security who said that on his days off he would go over there hoping for the chance to open an Irish Pub. Lex however is not interested in giving people what they want but what he believes the people need, he’s so arrogant to believe that he knows people better than they know themselves. Sound familiar?

     Lois and Clark are brought to Lex’s office; Lois thinks she’s going to get a chance to confront Lex on all his shady dealings which include bribery, extortion, forced relocation, and even murder. But Lex hasn’t brought them here for anything of the sort, he’s brought them to him so he can pump them for information about Superman (I should mention he hasn’t been named yet) and charge him with trespassing. So….Superman saves dozens of people from a helicopter falling from his building and he wants to press charges? Lex obviously has some big brass ones, but I also have to wonder if they’re as shiny as his head.

   In another part of Lexcorp we see Rudy Jones still stuffing his face when one of his doughnuts falls on the floor and onto some purple ooze. Using the three second rule Rudy picks it right back up and eats it, not necessarily a man of discerning taste as it gives him a lot more than indigestion as the ooze starts to mutate Rudy and gives him an insatiable appetite that drives him to start attacking people around him. Clark can hear the screamrbance and they try to get Lex to safety leaving the reporters to fend for themselves.

Am I late for the calender shoot?

   It’s too late however as Rudy bursts on the scene completely mutated into a big, bloated purple leech with a mouth that would make a sarlaak jealous. He’s become The Parasite, a long time villain of Superman who has the ability the suck out the energy of anyone he gets his mouth on. Yick! But Clark was able to slip away and in comes Superman ready to save the day as he picks Rudy up and launches him into the street. After a short fight Superman uses his icy breath to freeze the Parasite in place, Lex comes out and sees the results with his own eyes and is in total disbelief but snaps out of it when he hears someone calling the scene a miracle.

    He then calls out Superman and asks him if Big Blue expects the people to worship him for what he’s done thus far. Oh the irony is thick on this one folks. Clark is so stunned by the question he can’t even respond and is further taken aback when Lex asks if he’s even human. Superman flies off listening to the voices of the people as they not only question his motives but most of them siding with Luthor as well. Ouch.

    Superman lands on the roof of the Daily Planet bemoaning his decision to come into the open, he sees someone else on the roof and finds that it’s Jimmy Olsen also bemoaning his lot in life and considering returning home feeling that he hasn’t accomplished much of anything except finding the quickest route to get coffee and donuts to the city room without spilling a drop. Superman sympathizes with Jimmy and the two bond over their insecurities about the paths they’ve chosen. Before Superman flies off Jimmy convinces him to pose for a picture.

   In Perry White’s office, Lois turns in her story on the flying man. Perry remarks about how the story doesn’t contain any of Lois’ patented cynicism and Lois replies that she’s never felt better and you can see on her face that for the first time in a long time she’s found something, someone she can believe in. Jimmy shows up and slaps the picture of Superman on Perry’s desk and announces with renewed confidence “The name’s Jimmy….Jimmy Olsen.” We close on Lex looking through the newspapers finding that they’re all swayed towards his opinion of the flying man. All except the Daily Planet, to which he says “This means war!”

   As this issue shows that for all his drive and intelligence, Luthor’s egotism can be deadly for anyone that gets involved with him. From Rudy Jones’ transformation into the Parasite to the victims of his rampage to even the people of Metropolis just walking on the streets, Lex’s blind narcissism can lead to him making mistakes on a cataclysmic scale that can negatively affect so many people. And is he repentant for any of this, Hell NO! In fact he doesn’t shoulder the blame; he blames everyone else for his mistakes and in this case placing the blame on Superman for his own mistakes. We’ll continue the story at a later time but next time I’ll be looking at Transformers: the Movie. Until then, Cheers!