Wednesday is Comic Day!

This is the final issue in this arc and it sure feels like it was a long time coming. It seems like a year ago (and maybe it was) that the Kingdom Come Superman appeared to the JSA. I think there were some delays in release of some of the issues, but the largest factor was that the middle of the arc was so slow, as we followed the characters in their stroll across Africa. But here it is, the finale. Was it worth it? Well, I don't know. It was an enjoyable story and a big one in scale. It was also extremely predictable. I don't thing there was a reader that couldn't have described the key events of this issue in advance of every opening the book. Only the epilogue was at all surprising.

The writing and art are good. Dale Eaglesham now owns the likenesses of the JSA. It will be jarring when he leaves the book. And of course the pages by Alex Ross are gorgeous. I think that collected, this story will read a lot smoother and will have some life and longevity to it. I'm glad that Johns and Ross managed to give us such a big story in JSA. It's one of my favorite books and it often feels like it doesn't get the prominence it deserves. I want to discuss the epilogue, and it is impossible to do that without revealing it - so if you don't want the issue spoiled, don't read the next paragraph or two.

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The epilogue is a series of pages from Alex Ross detailing what happens to the Kingdom Come Superman, after he returns to his own world. Although I appreciate the intent - to show that Superman is able to put the world back on course, with it synching up a 1000 years later by have the Legion of Superheroes come into existence - I wonder what this does to the original work, Kingdom Come? I also rolled my eyes at the last panel, showing a 1,000 year old Superman. I just don't subscribe to the idea that a Kryptonian, even with the powers provided by Earth's sun, would live that long. The fact that Superman had whitening hair in his 50s indicates that the aging process isn't stopped by his powers. If the melanocytes in his hair follicles received the instruction to stop producing color, then it is reasonable to believe that Kal El would also be subject to the one thing that limits the lifespan of all of us, the breakdown of telomeres after a certain number of reproductions. Yes, I'm acting like a fanboy and getting nit picky - but whether or not Superman is 'mortal' or 'immortal' is an important concept to address, because it impacts his whole life. Will he grow old with Lois, or will he outlive her by centuries? If he is 'immortal' it weakens his connection to his 'humanity'.