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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Panic in the Sky! - Superman's bid at proactivism, and is Deathstroke really a better tactician than Batman?, April 28, 2009
Three and a half stars.
Loaded with SPOILERS - but then again this storyline is almost 20 years old, so are they really even SPOILERS?
Don't confuse 1992's SUPERMAN: PANIC IN THE SKY! with the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN television episode starring George Reeves, in which Superman stops an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The epic Panic in the Sky story arc, chronicled in eight parts, was a crossover event which was published in the four Superman titles then ongoing (the scheduling worked out so that there was always a new Superman comic out each week). I remember how geeked out I was when this story arc first came out, snapping up each issue, rushing home, reading the damn thing. I just re-read Panic in the Sky recently and I guess, seventeen years later, it's not too surprising that much of the impact has been lost. But it's still a pretty cool story, especially if you dig massive superhero team-ups and imminent invasions from outer space.
To backtrack a bit (or a lot), many of the seeds in Panic in the Sky originate from when John Byrne was at the helm of the Superman comics. It was in John Byrne's run that Superman met Supergirl-Matrix and was forced to kill three Phantom Zone criminals, this act affecting him so profoundly that, unbeknownst to himself, he developed a more violent alter ego who then prowled Metropolis as Gangbuster and mercilessly whupped serious villain booty. Superman finally came to his senses and, fearing for everyone's safety, exiled himself into space. In space, he ended up on Mongul's techno-construct Warworld and, in gladiatoral combat, bested the alien champion Draaga but then refused to kill him.
In Panic in the Sky, Brainiac has taken over Warworld and - having recruited Maxima and Draaga (who longs for a rematch with Superman), and having brainwashed Supergirl-Matrix - he now intends to invade Earth. To distract Superman, Brainiac deploys his skullship to Metropolis on a destructive spree. And then because supervillains almost always live up to the cliche of having sizable egos, Brainiac taunts the Man of Steel: "Look beyond your tiny world and you will see -- Warworld is coming!" This, to me, doesn't exactly smack of being clever strategically, but whatever.
Even the New God Metron doesn't prove immune to Brainiac's psychic onslaught, and when fellow New Gods Orion and Lightray also fall, Superman finally goes on the offensive. With Warworld drawing nearer and nearer to Earth's solar system, the Man of Steel means to go on an all-out assault on Brainiac and so he gathers an impressive force of the world's greatest heroes, including members of the recently disbanded Justice League. Surprisingly, he starts with Deathstroke the Terminator, ostensibly because of that anti-hero's tactical genius but probably because DC was trying to pimp Slade Wilson's own comic book. My first reaction to this, even back then, was: Hey, it's not like Batman's a slouch with the tactics and strategies.
Superman next recruits Aquaman and Wonder Woman because of their natural leadership qualities. I'm fine with Wonder Woman seen as a leader. But I can't help but note that on the homefront defense, it's Batman - and not Aquaman - who's calling the shots. Aquaman ends up being the first Earth-based superhero to get his you-know-what handed to him. Man, it's just so hard for poor Arthur Curry to get respect.
As I said, Panic in the Sky - which I think from now on I'll refer to as P.I.T.S. (no, wait, on second thought, I take that back) - er, Panic in the Sky, as mentioned, has lost something during the passage of time, seventeen years having brought about quite a few changes. There's another Supergirl out and about nowadays. What's ever happened to Gangbuster, the Cadmus Project, and Agent Liberty? Actually, if I have my facts straight, Maxima, Dubbilex, and Agent Liberty are all dead, Agent Liberty meeting his demise in a recent New Krypton storyline. And, really, who remembers Draaga and his noble sacrifice?
But the Superman brain trust of Roger Stern, Dan Jurgens (who here also pencils what he writes), Louise Simonson, and Jerry Ordway did put together a pretty decent and coherent storyline, which isn't easy when one factors in the number of characters in this arc. The dialogue at times is hokey, and, when all the recruited heroes show up, there's a sense of that good ol' character development getting the heave-ho. This arc is suppose to showcase Supes as DC Comics' pre-eminent hero and the undisputed leader of the cape & cowl set, but I didn't really see him do anything differently. I guess one could take that to mean that Superman has always been a leader anyway. But Deathstroke shoulders some of the leadership burden. And, as always, Batman's always hovering, being bossy. I do own up to a bittersweet feeling when, upon witnessing Captain Marvel, Guy Gardner, and Mister Miracle engage in silly dialogue, Bats declares: "Can't say that I miss the banter of my former colleagues." Because I do miss that old Justice League banter.
I mentioned that Panic in the Sky has a "pretty decent and coherent storyline," didn't I? That's if you're entertained by constant fighty-fights (and, really, who isn't?). This is basically one big extended slugfest, with Superman's forces going up against Warworld's cannon fodder. It strikes me now that, even with stakes as high as they were, I was never concerned about the outcome, was never really worried about the fates of my favorite characters. Even Brainiac, Maxima, Draaga and Supergirl-Matrix don't pose near enough of a threat to faze Superman when he's backed by the ex-Justice League, the New Gods, the Forever People, the Metal Man, Dr. Fate, Deathstroke, and Lar Gand a.k.a. Mon-El a.k.a. Valor. Oh, and by Metropolis's secondary heroes, Gangbuster and Guardian (and a bunch of others I've forgotten). It really is a group effort, and it's a bit funny to me that it's not even Superman who faces off against Brainiac in the big climax. Oh, and I don't know whether it's the unhealthy-looking combination of green skin and blonde facial hair, but Brainiac has never looked less intimidating.
I've always thought that this particular run of Superman boasted one of his most well-rounded supporting casts. So we get the little touches interspersed with the epic main story. In these eight issues, we touch base with street-level crimefighter Gangbuster, who happens to be a favorite of mine. We hear from Professor Hamilton and the Cadmus Project, with the telepathic Dubbilex playing a decisive role and somehow getting a hold of Metron's chair. And Lex Luthor II, who was actually Lex Luthor in a cloned body. Of course, old reliables Lois Lane, Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen are around. This was when Jimmy Olsen had been laid off from his Daily Planet photog gig and was staying with Bibbo.
This trade SUPERMAN: PANIC IN THE SKY! collects ACTION COMICS #674-675, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #9-10, SUPERMAN #65-66, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #488-489. It features very nice artwork by Bob McLeod, Dan Jurgens, Tom Grummett and Jon Bogdanove (whose exaggerated pencils may or may not turn you off). There's a Roger Stern foreword and editor Mike Carlin's afterword. And it's fairly neat that all eight issues offer a brief intro by the respective writers.
Panic in the Sky covers Maxima's conversion to good guy status and also paves the way for Superman and Maxima joining the new Justice League, in the post-Giffen/DeMatteis era. In the final tally, Panic in the Sky is worth checking out and I think that it does qualify as a big event, but as years slip by it's one of those story arcs which will just go on dwindling in relevance. For it's time, it was a humdinger of an internal crossover, but, looking back, the Superman braintrust was only getting warmed up. Because, just around the corner in 1992, the unstoppable Doomsday was about to get his dander up, and what he does will garner Superman the most media attention he's had in many a year.
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2 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It shows the origin of Supergirl and Introduces Maxima, May 24, 1999
By A Customer
Supergirl's decision to stay in her human form is introduced and Maxima turns "good". The story drags thus my 4 star rating. Nevertheless, makes a good weekend read.
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by John Ostrander
by DC Comics
by Roger Stern
by Geoff Johns
