Another week, another installment of Adventures of Superman. Check out our review after the jump as Kindt and Segovia conclude their 3-issue story!
This week’s issue of Adventures of Superman is the conclusion of the anthology title’s first multi-part story. In classic comic book fashion, both Lois and Clark find a way out of their respective cliffhangers with relative ease. While the convergence of the dual narratives did not have the grand collision I hoped for, I can’t say the ending was unsatisfying. And for those of you that wait for the print edition, this should make for a satisfying read from cover to cover.
Positives
My adoration of Kindt’s overall writing ability continues here. The man simply “gets” Superman. I myself am holding out hope that he gets a crack at a Superman ongoing series. The way characters were written felt true to their core, be it Superman, Lois, or Lex.
The story was brought full circle to Chapter One, reinforcing the idea that Superman is operating on a time budget. Also, the convergence of the dual narratives called back to the opening panels of Chapter One. Because of this, the story itself feels complete despite some lingering questions that remain unanswered.
If you’ve enjoyed (or disliked) Segovia’s pencils during the previous two installments, expect more of the same here. His art style is best suited for action, and we’re given plenty of it. While he’s no slouch when it comes to the quieter moments, those are enhanced by the beautiful colors of Jay David Ramos.
Negatives
My worries coming into this issue was that, based on the slow burn of the prior chapters, this installment would come across as rushed. Unfortunately, that was indeed the case. Superman’s escape from a prison designed to hold metahumans and New Gods happens way too quickly. The Lois and Lex narrative, which was the best written part of this story, is sadly anticlimactic. Even with the added tension that Superman has to save the one life whose death could alter the course of history, the resolution falls flat. By the end of this issue, it is clear that Kindt could have used at least one more chapter to tell his story. Also, there’s a meaningless cameo by one of DC’s big guns that served no purpose to the narrative.
I only have minor complaints regarding the art. There is a close-up of the aforementioned cameo that appears just a little off, particularly around the mouth area. I loved the contrasting color schemes that Ramos has played with throughout the entire story, from the bold primary colors of the Superman narrative to the pastel accents of the Lois narrative. However, when the narratives converge at the end, the result is a muted color palate that simply did not work for me.
Verdict 
(3/5)
Kindt, Segovia, and Ramos end their three-issue arc in solid, if unspectacular fashion. On the whole, I would recommend the entire story to Superman fans both new and old as it makes for a satisfying read. Unfortunately, the ambitious script bit of the first two installments prevented the conclusion from fully sticking the landing.
