“Yesterday’s” Comic> Superman V2 #3

“No, this is too small. Throw it back!”

Superman #3

DC Comics (March, 1987)

Lois meets with G. Gordon Godfrey and somehow even she fights his persuasive commentary about getting rid of superheroes. (Frankly, it must be powers because his words don’t say much.) The rest of the story is on our hero, however. Darkseid uses his Omega Beams to teleport Superman to Apokolips, but in his Clark Kent disguise so the evil god tosses him out a window, the Phantom Stranger doing nothing to stop him because (a) he knows Clark is Superman and (b) he claims to only be there to observe. Superman has to hide his appearance to sneak around until he finds out what Darkseid wants with him, only to save a dissenter, giving himself away. Superman fights a “Profiler”, but when he rips off the armor he is attacked by the creature within, who takes control of his body and forces them both into a firepit as Darkseid laughs. (continued in Adventures Of Superman #426)

What they got right: If Byrne wanted to establish the post-Crisis Apokolips he did a good job here. You don’t need to be following the Legends storyline (a crossover event that required you to buy every comic, a style usually better served for annuals) to get into this story, which is a good thing.

What they got wrong: If the universe is rebooted, how does Superman know who Darkseid is, and why does Darkseid know him so early in the new universe? Do the New Gods not get rebooted when the rest of the DCU does? I admit I haven’t followed the early days of the post-Crisis DCU but this feels off to me.

Recommendation: As an opener to Superman’s adventures on Apokalips it’s not a bad start. It’s worth looking up, even if you aren’t following the Legends event.