“Yesterday’s” Comic> Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey #1

“Oh sure, just blame the guy with heat vision.”

Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey #1

DC Comics (April, 1994)

WRITER/LAYOUTS: Dan Jurgens

FINISHED ART: Brett Breeding

COLORIST: Greg Wright

SEPARATIONS: Android Images

LETTERER: Bill Oakley

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Chris Duffy

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Frank Pittarese

EDITOR: Mike Carlin

Credits according to the trade collection I’m reviewing from.

Superman has been having nightmares about Doomsday, believing them to be a warning since the Cyborg (the villain formerly known as Hank Henshaw, not the superhero) tossed Doomsday’s body back out into space. He may be right since both the Cyborg and Doomsday have arrived on Apokolips. Even Darkseid is no match for the “Armageddon Creature”. Superman attempts to contact the Linear Men turns into a dead end, although an off-hand comment by Waverider may be a tip to Doomsday’s whereabouts, confirmed when the Justice League (who Superman turns to for help) gets a call for help from Desaad. Using a Mother Box borrowed from Mister Miracle and New Genesis, Superman journeys to Apokolips and faces the Cyborg, who shows him his new “partner”. Desaad uses the opportunity to send Doomsday away via Boom Tube, with Superman not catching him in time. But was that subconsciously on purpose?

What they got right: Doomsday was the most powerful threat Superman ever faced, the monster that killed him. (This being comics and Superman still being DC’s flagship character at the time he got better.) This miniseries was created to form an origin for Doomsday and explain why he targeted the Kryptonian above the other heroes he beat down. The action is quite good. (I could have done without the decapitated head flying out of the transport that found Doomsday, but that’s personal preference.)

What they got wrong: We have yet another story in which Superman leave Earth while Lois has to stay home and wonder if he’s okay. This is pretty soon after the Trial Of Superman storyline we briefly looked at in last week’s Steel comic and not that long after the Time & Time Again story arc that also had Lois worried about Clark after he started bouncing around the timestream, and where he learned how unhelpful the Linear Men are. So why would he go to them for help?

Recommendation: This three issue miniseries has the origin of Doomsday. That alone makes it a must-read for the DC of this time. It’s also a good start to the story, so it’s worth checking out.