BOOK REVIEW - JURGENS, DAN & NOWLAN, KEVIN – SUPERMAN V ALIEMS 1996 DC
Graphic novel
cross-genre piece, which immediately sounds rather one, sided. Without
Kryptonite, the aliens defeated by Ripley (Signourey Weaver’s character in the
Alien movies) would seem to have precious little chance against the Man Of
Steel. The contrived, even sledge-hammered together plot has Lexcorp discover
that an alien probe is heading for Earth. Lois Lane and Clark Kent head into
investigate the story for the Daly Planet, and Clark soon realizes that the
probe communicates in the language of his planet, Krypton. He turns into
Superman and finds out that the probe has connections with a city in space,
protected by a force field bubble. He assumes that the World may have escaped
the destruction of the planet Krypton and plans an expedition to meet his own
peoples. Lexcorp provide a space station for much of the journey, and then
Superman heads off alone. In fact, the assumption is incorrect. The city is not
Kryptonian, but belongs to other people who once visited Krypton and adapted
their culture and language. Superman, distant from any Sun, finds his powers
fading, and that the city is infested with aliens in their chest burster and
full-grown monster forms. He discovers this after he has sent his own ship back
to the space station with some survivors on board, who are of course, also
infected with alien chest-bursters. Superman now has to survive on the alien
infested domed city world until he can find a means to escape and protect Lois
and others who by this stage have their own alien problem to handle. He tries
to protect the one survivor on the domed city, a girl called Kara. Due to
weakening powers he is of course vulnerable to the alien attacks, but his
efforts to fight back are actually pathetic, and he even tries to talk to them
to offer reason. Eventually, chest bursters infect him and Kara. They find a
ship with escape pods but they need to blow a hatchway to get themselves out.
Superman fights off the alien hordes, and Kara appears to blow herself up as
Superman feels the alien trying to burst out of his guts. He takes the pod
towards the space station, and the Sun, gaining in strength, and he is able to
vomit out the alien before it can rip out of him. He now saves Lois and the
other survivors on the Lexcorp ship. Stupid, unconvincing and lethargic story
telling throughout. Unknown to Superman, Kara has also survived and seems to be
possibly heading for earth in another escape pod, potentially bringing aliens with
her. Heaven forbid them from writing a sequel.
© Copyright. Arthur Chappell
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