Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2: We’re Back

After almost 400 days, the second issue of Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor is here, and it does not disappoint! When Lex Luthor comes to the Man of Steel to ask him to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid death, Superman makes the selfless choice to help save his greatest foe. While the world is against this decision, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2 written by Mark Waid with art by Bryan Hatch and Kevin Nowlan and colors by David Baron follows the two great foes as they travel across time and space to try to cure Lex Luthor. All the while, the world asks why Superman would do this, but only the Man of Steel can understand the hope he has. Why does Superman want to save the person who’s spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution? Find out in this long-awaited second issue.

You can tell that Superman is Mark Waid’s favorite hero because he writes him so well. The relationship between Lex and Superman in current comics is rather nonexistent as Lex has his memory wiped, so this has been a refreshing issue that explores the new dynamic between the two. I’m happy this issue gets to establish Lex more as a character since the current Lex stuff has come off a little one-note. This issue focuses on the relationship between Lex and Superman and we get some pivotal and poetic moments between the two. The exploration of Superman’s no-kill rule and the arguments against it from popular characters is also fascinating and makes this issue shine. The dialogue and narration of this story stand out in this issue, and they make the 48 pages feel substantial. I think my only complaint of this issue is the time it took for it to be released. This is no fault of the creators, but it has been a year and a half between this issue and the first issue. I forgot this story existed, and found myself less invested in the plot, especially considering the current nature of Lex’s character. Despite this, Waid writes a fantastic Lex and Superman dynamic and it makes for a wonderful comic.

The art in this issue is great, and Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan manage to balance their styles well. The art style is classic comic book art and it’s perfect for a classic Superman/Lex Luthor comic. This issue was a full deep dive into their relationship and the emotion behind that is conveyed perfectly in the art. They also do some amazing background work as they develop immersive worlds as the pair travel through time and space. From the dialogue to the art, this issue is exciting.