About Heroes

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artists: Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino

At this point, I think it's safe to say that I like Kurt Busiek's Superman run than anything Geoff Johns has done with the character over in Action Comics.  It could be due to the fact that Superman has had more issues of his book out written by Busiek than Action, but I also think that Busiek writes a better Superman.  With the penultimate chapter of "Camelot Falls" Busiek continues to look at the inner depths of Superman, his soul, and his purpose.  Busiek's story may be drawn out, but at least I can't read it in 5 minutes like the last issue of Action Comics that came out. 

After a quick adventure with Zatanna, Superman stops disasters around the world, caused by Arion. He takes time out to rest above Machu Picchu, to think and hang his hat, thinking about what Arion meant that Superman saving the world will only end up destroying it.  Enter Subjekt-17 who says he can tell Superman where Arion is hiding.  Subjekt-17 offers Superman a choice, stand with him against the humans, or face him and beat the information out of him.  Superman can't abandon his people, even if Subjekt-17 could be like a brother to him, since they are so alike in origin, so he fights him, and eventually wins.  Subjekt-17 tells Superman where Arion is, and dissapears, promising a re-match.  The rest of the issue sets up next issue's 32-page finale of Camelot falls. 

Busiek writes Superman, the world's greatest hero, as a kind of Atlas character.  He's holding the world on his shoulders, and it shows.  A busy guy like Superman would not be able to save the day all the time and go back to being happy-go lucky.  Imagine if all the people around the world counted on you to save them, all the time.  You'd be stressed out too.  Also, Busiek managed to squeeze in a lot into the issue.  The first few pages are spent with Zatanna fighting magical parasites, which could have been an issue in itself.  Then we get the Subjekt-17 fight, which could have been another issue as well, and then the pages where Superman goes to confront Arion.   Busiek doesn't seem to get caught up in decompression, however long this storyline may be.  He gives us a lot of story in 22 pages, which makes me like the book that much more.  Plus Carlos Pacheco is knocking everything out of the park.  His art is just beautiful to look at, it's too bad that next issue will be his last on the book.  B+