SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER-PREY #3 - June 1994

Credits:  Dan Jurgens (story & layouts), Brett Breeding (finishes), Bill Oakley (letterer), Greg Wright w/Android Images (colors)

Summary:  Mother Box generates a new costume, equipped with weapons, for Superman to use against Doomsday.  He travels to Calaton with Waverider and soon faces Doomsday.  After Waverider enters Doomsday’s consciousness, Superman realizes that Doomsday was created on Krypton and that he was specifically drawn to Superman while on Earth.  Superman holds his own against the ever-evolving Doomsday until Doomsday hurls him into an energy containment vessel.  The ensuing explosion apparently kills Waverider.  Superman uses Waverider’s time-travel band to send Doomsday out of time.  There, they discover Waverider, who has already pulled together his energy form.  Waverider leads Doomsday to the end of the universe, where the monster is crushed by entropy.  Superman thanks Waverider for his help and returns home to Lois.  Thinking of his mother, he reflects on the love that’s enabled him to overcome his fears.

Continuity Notes:  Superman is shocked to learn Doomsday has very basic speaking skills.  He can garble out “Metropolis,” which is a word we saw him learn on television during the original “Death of Superman” storyline.

Total N00B:  I’m a little confused by the revelation that Doomsday was engineered on Krypton.  The last chapter did have Bertron point out that the baby was not from the same planet as the scientists he was working with, which initially came across as a random bit of info.  I assume this was done to explain why Doomsday doesn’t resemble a Kryptonian, and perhaps more importantly, to allow Superman to remain the “Last Son of Krypton” (back when DC still cared about that).  So, why did Bertron feel the need to use a baby from another planet?  Also, what about Bertron?  Why is he clearly an alien, while all of the scientists who work with him look human?  They’re Kryptonian, yes, but where did Bertron come from?  Has anyone established that there are various bipedal races on Krypton and not all of them resemble attractive humans?

I Love the ‘90s:  That new costume Mother Box designs for Superman…who knew Mother Box did freelance work for Wildstorm?

Review:  Hunter-Prey had a strong opening, and while I had some plotting issues with the second chapter, I hoped the third chapter would give us the proper conclusion that “Return of Superman” didn’t quite deliver.  And while the issue does live up to the promise of a massive Superman vs. Doomsday rematch, I don’t really buy the emotional catharsis, nor did I appreciate the new details regarding Doomsday’s past.  

The fight is the major selling point of the issue, so I’ll begin there.  Jurgens deserves some credit for acknowledging fan complaints and having Superman himself comment that he relied far too heavily on his fists during his previous encounter with Doomsday.  Superman does of course spend numerous pages punching Doomsday (and like everything else in the issue, they’re beautifully rendered by Jurgens/Breeding), but he knows from the beginning that brute force won’t win the fight.  However, while Jurgens does have Superman use his heat vision creatively in a few scenes, for much of the fight he’s relying on the gimmicky weapons generated by Mother Box’s new costume.  That means that not only does he look like a WildC.A.T., he’s using their absurd faux-futuristic weapons as well.  And time certainly has not been kind to that Jim Lee makeover.  (Just as time will not be kind to the actual Jim Lee makeover he received a few years ago.)  In fairness, the headgear we now associate with Gambit actually has its roots in Kirby’s early Fourth World material, so that accessory is defensible within the context of the story.  But when you add the headgear with the pouches, the glowing sword, the shoulder pads, the arbitrary arm-armor, and the million other pointless details (why do his boots need belts?)…it’s a mess.  Having Superman rely on technology that’s been magically gifted to him also cheapens his fight with Doomsday.  I understand the idea that Superman must now use techniques he ordinarily doesn’t employ during this fight, but it would be nice if acquiring these weapons required some effort on his part.  Even better, what if Superman began to use all of his existing powers in unique, cunning ways against Doomsday?  That would be a nice apology for his unimaginative strategy during their original fight.

One advantage Superman has in this rematch is the presence of Waverider, who by this point has totally forgotten his non-interference pledge and is actively working as Superman’s sidekick.  Waverider’s presence in this story is a bit of a mystery to me.  For plot reasons, he clearly has a role.  His power enables Superman (and the reader) to discover Doomsday’s origin, and he provides the means for Doomsday’s ultimate defeat.  Given the way Doomsday’s been set up in his previous appearances, I don’t have a problem with a resolution that involves time-travel.  And I'm not totally opposed to Superman requiring another hero’s aid in defeating Doomsday.  As a character, though, I have no idea what to make of Waverider.  I never bought into his angst regarding his oath, and don’t see any moment in the story that presents a real consequence for his actions.  If anything, he’s a jerk for not doing something about Doomsday earlier.

Waverider enables Superman to learn even more about the origin of Doomsday, a revelation that feels utterly gratuitous.  I was fine with the information we had on Doomsday’s origin last issue; I quite enjoyed it, actually.  But now, we discover that he’s a product of Krypton’s genetic testing, and that his reason for targeting Superman all along was that he sensed the presence of a surviving Krytonian on Earth.  For this to work, the reader has to accept the vast coincidence that Doomsday’s floating hearse would one day land on the only planet in the entire galaxy with a Kryptonian living on it, which is just insane.  I’m sure dozens of Silver Age stories relied on the coincidence of someone or something from Krypton that just so happened to appear on Earth, but I thought this was a concept John Byrne killed off in the modern age.  Another annoyance is the idea that Doomsday hates Superman because he merely senses Superman’s Kryptonian -- Doomsday hates everybody.  Does he really need a specific reason to hate Superman?  Doomsday didn’t treat Superman any differently than he treated anyone else; Superman was simply the only person strong enough to fight back.

So, as a concluding chapter, we have Superman facing his fears but only finding victory after he’s provided with plot device weapons and a poorly developed supporting cast member tags along.  The sentiment in the final pages (with Superman reflecting on his mother and realizing how much Lois means to him today) is nice, but it doesn’t feel as if any real price has been paid during this story.  Whatever consequence Waverider has for breaking his oath remains unrevealed, and Superman doesn’t seem overly concerned about repaying the debt.  Superman himself didn’t have to make any sacrifices during the story, and the only decision that leaves him doubting himself (briefly) is allowing Doomsday to die after stranding him at the end of the universe.  For a story that began with such a conflicted hero, he’s allowed to get off pretty easily by the final chapter.  

SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER-PREY #2 - May 1994

Credits:  Dan Jurgens (story & layouts), Brett Breeding (finishes), Bill Oakley (letterer), Greg Wright w/Android Images (colors)

Summary:  Superman reluctantly allows his Mother Box to save Darkseid’s life, while the Cyborg continues his assault on Apokolips.  Suddenly, Waverider of the Linear Men appears.  He’s rethought his conversation with Superman and agrees to give him information that can be used to defeat Doomsday.  Superman learns that Doomsday is an ever-evolving creation of a scientist named Bertron.  Before landing on Earth, Doomsday was defeated not through physical force, but by an energy being on the planet Calaton.  Darkseid awakens, and during Superman’s fight with the Cyborg, uses his omega beams to eradicate the Cyborg.  Desaad reveals to Superman that he sent Doomsday to Calaton, hoping that the planet’s inhabitants could defeat him again.  Despite Darkseid’s taunts that he can’t survive another encounter with Doomsday, Superman remains determined to stop him.

Continuity Notes:  Doomsday’s origin, as revealed by Waverider, establishes that he was an infant cast out into the wilderness to be killed by savage beasts.  The scientist Bertron and his team cloned a new baby from the remains each day, allowed him to be killed again, and over the course of decades, the baby evolved into Doomsday.  Doomsday escaped the planet on a supply ship and eventually landed on Calaton.  The royal family of Calaton sacrificed their bodies to form an energy being called the Radiant.  After the Radiant defeated Doomsday, he was “suited and chained” and sent into space.  When his “astral hearse” was hit by an asteroid, Doomsday landed on Earth.

I Love the ‘90s:  In some panels Superman’s mullet is very visible, while in others his hair appears to be standard length.  You might argue that this is just an inherent aspect of the mullet, but I think his hair is being drawn inconsistently.  Maybe Jurgens/Breeding weren’t used to the mullet yet and the “party in the back” just slipped their notice occasionally.

Review:  More inner conflicts that would make Jim Shooter proud -- now Waverider enters the fray, debating whether or not to violate his Linear Men oath and aid Superman.  I realize that a time-traveler’s dilemma regarding changing fate is a classic genre trope, but it’s hard for me to invest in the conflict if I don’t know the specific rules governing time travel in this universe.  If time is fluid in the DC Universe and Superman’s actions are only going to create a new reality, then Waverider doesn’t have much of a conflict to begin with (unless there’s a specific reason why new realities shouldn’t be created).  If there’s only one timeline that must not be altered, then Waverider is just flagrantly breaking his oath and potentially destroying all existence.  In that case, Waverider’s an idiot who didn’t even understand the most basic responsibility of the job he’s taken.

Superman has a new conflict, whether or not to allow Darkseid to die after his battle with Doomsday.  Superman compares this to saving Atilla the Hun, but he does it anyway.  I wasn’t bothered by this scene while reading the issue, it’s exactly what I would expect Superman to do of course, but it’s hard to justify Superman’s decision in hindsight.  He’s not responsible for Darkseid’s injuries, so it’s not as if Superman would be directly accountable for his death, a death that would free the millions of inhabitants of Apokolips from a life of endless oppression.  Superman allows Darkseid to live because that’s what Superman does, but the story isn’t willing to dramatize the consequences of Superman’s actions.  Heck, even a copout resolution would’ve been better than what Superman does here.  He could’ve used the Mother Box to transport Darkseid back to Earth, where he could receive medical care and then be incarcerated by the Justice League or whatever the DC equivalent of SHIELD is meant to be.

Obviously, the real draw of the issue is the revelation of Doomsday’s origin.  I think Jurgens might be in the same corner the ‘90s X-writers were often in -- is the official resolution going to live up to the various theories already created by the readers?  Doomsday could’ve been anything in his early appearances; all we knew was that he was a horrific monster wearing a green jumpsuit and a stylish pair of shades.  Jurgens goes the “accident of science” route, which might initially seem a little cliché, but the execution is eerie enough to stand on its own.  The parallel of Superman and Doomsday both being “sent out” as infants by scientist “fathers” is honestly clever, and I have to admit that I was surprised by the sheer gruesomeness of the premise.  Doomsday is the millionth clone of a baby sent out to die every single day until he evolved into the perfect killing machine.  His hatred for his creator is bred into his DNA, and his instinct to lash out at any potential threats leads him to kill everything, because all he’s ever known is abuse.  I don’t know if this lives up to a thousand opposing fan theories, but it suits the character and, to Jurgens’ credit, the story doesn’t come across as a last minute retcon.  I can believe that this is the origin of the mystery character we met during “Death of Superman.”  And I’m sure there’s a joke to be made at Onslaught’s expense in here, but I’m going to let it go…

SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER-PREY #1 - April 1994

Credits:  Dan Jurgens (story & layouts), Brett Breeding (finishes), Bill Oakley (letterer), Greg Wright w/Android Images (colors)

Summary:  Superman is haunted by nightmares of Doomsday.  He visits Lois’ apartment to tell her that he has to find Doomsday for his own peace of mind.  Elsewhere, a space freighter comes across Doomsday’s cocoon.  They unwittingly release Doomsday, who immediately returns to life and kills the merchants.  The freighter rides on autopilot to its destination, Apokolips.  Doomsday causes havoc on the planet, as a small device on his back becomes active.  The device adopts the circuitry of one of Darkseid’s soldiers and immediately regenerates Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman.  Darkseid attempts to defeat Doomsday but loses the battle.  While on Earth, Superman contacts the Linear Men for help locating Doomsday, but they refuse.  Later, at the Justice League’s headquarters, he overheads the distress call Desaad sends to Oberon.  With the aid of Oberon’s Mother Box, Superman teleports to Apokolips.  He’s immediately attacked by the Cyborg.  While they’re distracted, Desaad opens a teleportation portal that sends Doomsday to an unknown location.

Continuity Notes:  This story was published a year after Superman’s return from the dead.  This era is famously associated with Superman’s mullet, even though Jurgens keeps his hair at fairly standard Superman length.  In fact, it’s longer during the flashback to Superman #75 than in the present day scenes.

Not Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Doomsday has quite a few on-panel dismemberments this issue.

Production Note:  This is a prestige format miniseries, forty-eight pages with glossy paper and square binding.  The cover price is $4.95.

Review:  One of the common complaints during “Death of Superman” was that Doomsday appeared suddenly, with no origin or motivation.  He existed merely as an instrument of destruction, or more accurately, a plot device specifically conceived as Superman’s murderer.  Any comics fan had to know that an origin would be coming sooner or later, and that Superman would also have his rematch against the monster.  That brings us to the Hunter-Prey miniseries, the big return of Doomsday, presented in the prestige format.  The average Superman comic at the time costs $1.50, while Hunter-Prey is five dollars an issue.  Like I said, the ‘90s aren’t over yet, folks.

Is the comic only a cash grab, though?  I have to say that the first issue is honestly enjoyable.  Jurgens opens with the emotional hook of the series, as Superman flashes back to his childhood memory of a “monster” in the basement, before the literal monster responsible for his death overtakes his dream.  Everyone must face his fears, even Superman.  The premise turns Superman into a very Marvel hero, questioning himself and fighting against his own insecurities throughout the story.  This type of self-doubt is tricky to pull off in a Superman story, but Jurgens handles the material very well.  Yes, the death of Superman was a marketing gimmick, but within the context of the character’s history, it’s a legitimately traumatic moment that can’t be easily forgotten in time for the next story.  Superman’s such a Marvel hero this issue, he even questions if he subconsciously allowed Doomsday to escape at the end in order to avoid facing the villain again.  That’s a beat straight out of Spider-Man, but Jurgens makes it work within the context of this story.

Jurgens is also able to efficiently assemble the pieces of the story in the first issue, while not losing sight of the fact that much of the appeal of the series is watching Doomsday just destroy things.  At the start of the story, Superman’s on Earth, he has no idea how to locate Doomsday, Cyborg Superman is dead, and Doomsday’s floating within a rock in space.  At the end of the issue, Doomsday’s revived himself and landed on Apokolips, the Cyborg has also been revived via a backup plan, and Superman lands where he needs to be for his big fight scene.  Along the way, Jurgens gets to pencil numerous double-page spreads of Doomsday wrecking things and killing people in a way you’re not likely to see in a DCU comic pre-Geoff Johns.  While it’s still hard to argue that Doomsday isn’t a walking plot device, it’s also hard to deny that watching him fistfight Darkseid isn’t inherently entertaining.  The opening, which has two space merchants collectively wetting themselves when they realize what is actually inside the cocoon they’ve discovered, is the best introduction to the character yet.  Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding find a nice blend between polish and grit, and deliver some highly enjoyable horror/action scenes throughout the course of the issue.  For fans of the mindless violence of the original Doomsday appearances, it’s a worthy sequel.  If you grew bored of the violence, and I’m admittedly in that camp, it’s much easier to forgive this time.  Hopefully the rest of the miniseries won’t grow as tedious as the original Doomsday story, because the first chapter shows a lot of promise.