Superman #689

This was another comic that arrived in the mail for me today. I tell you, nothing can put a smile on my face quite like finding a comic book in the mailbox. That's actually kind of pathetic if you really think about it... Anyway, this issue is written by one of my favorite writers, James Robinson.

-This comic begins with Morgan Edge, the owner of WGBS(a TV station based in Metropolis), ranting against Kryptonians and Mon-El on a talk show he gave himself. While Edge tries to bury Mon-El in the media, Mon travels around Metropolis and the world preforming acts of super-heroics. Mon is trying to see as much of the planet as he can before his inevitable death.

-Tellus(who I guess is an old-school member of the Legion of Super-Heroes)thanks Guardian for freeing him from captivity, gives Guardian something that should provide him assistance for when he encounters Codename: Assassin again(I'm guessing some kind of mental defenses)and leaves to start some kind of unnamed mission.

-Later, Guardian appears on Morgan Edge's show and tells him that #1, Mon-El isn't Kryptonian and #2 that Mon-El is a hero, so there is no reason to tarnish his name. After the sternness of Guardian's words, Edge publicly apologizes to Mon.

-Next up we find out that the Prankster has been working for Gen. Lane(REALLY??? The Prankster?!?!), and that the Prankster has managed to fool Black Lightning into leaving town. Gen. Lane tasks Prankster with eliminating Steel, and this issue ends with Atlas managing to trick Steel into letting him into the Ironworks so he can apparently kill him.

This was a decent story, it really didn't advance the Mon-El/death storyline, but it did advance the stuff concerning Guardian and Steel. So this Tom guy was secretly Atlas, who has seemingly been hired to kill Steel? Huh??? Why Atlas? I thought he was supposed to be a misunderstood hero type, not a murderer for hire... And what the hell is up with Gen. Lane hiring the Prankster to be his pointman in Metropolis??? Was the Toyman unavailable? I mean come on! Gen. Lane is in charge of some sort of secret US military program and the best he can do is the Prankster??? That's just pathetic...

We also still don't know why Tellus was captured, why he choose to contact Guardian for help or what the hell he's up to. On top of that, I really don't know what the stuff with Morgan Edge accomplished. First he hates Mon-El, then after some stern words from Guardian, he loves him? What purpose did that serve? Wow, that's sure a lot of complaining about a comic I liked! To end this review on a positive note, I will say I really enjoyed the parts of this comic that focused on Mon-El and his world tour. I like Mon-El, I like the way James has been writing him, and I hope the next issue devotes more time to Mon and less time to the secondary characters. For a score, I'll give this book a 7 1/2 out of 10 and hope we get more Mon-El and less of everyone else beginning next issue.