Superman #3: Preparations for War

Bendis continues his story of Rogol Zaar in Superman #3 where the Justice League must deal with the Earth being trapped in the Phantom Zone while the Man of Steel attempts to defend the planet from hordes of invaders. Unfortunately, this issue falls prey to the lull in action and development that often plagues series at this point early on. The first issue or two is generally loaded with developments that capture the reader’s attention, then the third issue begins the build-up to a finale. It’s a formula that happens surprisingly often, but Superman #3 does have some very interesting sequences supported by a top-notch artistic direction.

While Superman is steady at work protecting Earth, Rogol Zaar is busy with his own preparations…for war. He meets with Jax-Ur, an infamous criminal locked in the Phantom Zone from Krypton after destroying their moon. Although there is a brief scuffle between Jax-Ur’s forces and Rogol Zaar, their shared interest in causing the Earth to suffer unites the two. This results in not only an army at Rogol Zaar’s command but also a general to help lead his new forces.

Setting up an upcoming war was essentially the main point of this narrative, with a side plot involving a poisonous impact on the Justice League helping to keep things moving. While it isn’t groundbreaking, it does lay the foundation to create a grand story and helps to once again develop Rogol Zaar, bringing the character deeper into Kryptonian lore.

The artistic direction with pencils from Ivan Reis and inks from Joe Prado and Oclair Albert continues to amaze. Josh Reed also brings in some really great lettering by distinguishing Rogol Zaar’s dialogue in an interesting way. The overall issue is beautiful from start to finish and helps to make for an interesting read because it’s just so nice to look at!