Archenemies at the Edge of Oblivion in Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3

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Few creators today can claim to have left as great a mark upon the world of superhero comics as Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch. Waid has written definitive versions of many of DC Comics’ greatest characters and continues to do so in series like Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and Justice League Unlimited. Hitch brought a whole new style to comics throughout the ’90s and ’00s, and crafted an approach to storytelling and design in The Authority and The Ultimates that persists even today. But can these legendary creators provide a new spin on one of the oldest rivalries in all superhero comics? That’s the ambition of Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor, and with the miniseries’ finale arriving this week, readers are ready to find out.

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3 is published by DC Comics and written by Mark Waid with pencils by Bryan Hitch, inks by Kevin Nowlan, colors by David Baron, and letters by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith. Brainiac has revealed his master plan – depowering Superman via the illness killing Lex Luthor before his invasion of Earth. Now, Superman and Lex are the only people left on Earth able to stop Brainiac’s takeover, and time is against them both. In the final issue of this Black Label miniseries, DC Comics’ greatest rivals reach the end of their journey together and reveal a new fold in their fraught dynamic.

Superman and Lex Luthor Face Down Brainiac Together

A Familiar Dynamic Emerges as Superman Saves Earth from Both His Greatest Foes

Following the first two issues of Superman and Luthor searching every corner of the DC universe for a cure, the third issue swerves as the pair must ally themselves to defeat Brainiac. It’s a rapid acceleration of the story with much higher stakes compared to the repetitive nature of The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2.

It also pays off much of the set-up in the earlier issues as Superman and Luthor’s youthful relationship forms the basis of this ending. Although unexpected team-ups between these two are nothing new after over 80 years of comic book battles, this one provides new details and shading to the relationship.

Luthor continues to berate Superman’s commitment to life, and the mass death visited upon Earth by Brainiac lends some credence to his points. However, this story isn’t focused so much on Superman’s vows as his noble nature. It’s Superman’s irrepressible hope and belief in the innate goodness of mankind that are explored in Luthor’s final moments. And the most interesting aspect of the story is whether Luthor will prove his greatest enemy right or wrong at the end of their days.

It’s apparent that The Last Days of Lex Luthor is in conversation with Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”. The iconic tale that concluded the adventures of Earth-2 Superman during Crisis on Infinite Earths also featured Luthor and Brainiac bound together and Superman compelled to break his most fundamental commitments. The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3 specifically recreates the sort of choice Superman faced at the end of that same story, then looks for an alternative. It finds another path to essentially the same resolution, but strives to maintain Superman as an impeccable, unblemished character, for better or worse.

Epic Battle Sequences Dominate the Miniseries’ Finale

Bryan Hitch Delivers Wide-Screen Spectacle and a Few Emotional Moments, Too

Character work and plot twists take a backseat to the global spectacle of Brainiac’s invasion in The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3. Whereas earlier issues provided a splendid new setting every few pages, the finale emphasizes an apocalyptic event that requires the entire oversized issue to address.

It’s a mode that Hitch is comfortable operating in and seeks to rival the likes of The Ultimates 2’s own finale. Brainiac makes an excellent antagonist for such an event; the skull motif, cloned forms, and unending tentacles make for a consistently monstrous enemy across so many spreads and splashes.

Whether it’s a weakened Superman and Luthor battling Brainiac in the Fortress of Solitude or fleeing through the streets of Metropolis, each new sequence is distinct. Dialogue is traced through these sequences to ensure the story never slows, except for in a few key pages. Hitch’s expression work can’t meet the same heights as the action panels. Although Superman and Luthor’s reactions are always clear, they lack nuance and sometimes appear detached from the surrounding panel.

Hitch makes sure that the final moments of The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3 sing, though. The issue’s epic showdown with Brainiac may not always track logically, as relative power levels and abilities shift, but it looks great. This sense of style and how Hitch depicts Superman and Luthor’s last moments together allows emotional attachment to override any objections. It’s a sequence that feels great, even if it’s not likely to achieve the same iconic status as Swan’s work in 1986.

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3 may not achieve canonical status for either its titular characters, but it delivers a new twist on familiar dynamics for each of them. As a response to past work, it frames Superman at his absolute best and offers an enduring, if simple, vision for the Man of Steel.

Luthor proves to be the more intriguing character by far, and his own choices when battling Brainiac for the fate of mankind bring this miniseries back to life. Superman fans are bound to enjoy this new spin on a song and dance they’ve enjoyed for so long already.

“}]] Superman and Lex Luthor are both poisoned by Brainiac who now threatens to conquer all of Earth. DC Comics’ greatest rivals face oblivion together.  Read More