MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

I will admit, when I was first reading Superman #24, I was confused for a moment, due to the last issue of Action Comics. In that issue we see Clark, Lois, and Jon back in Metropolis, and here they are still in Hamilton County, wrapping things up with aliens, giant beasts, and more weirdness. That being said, chapter five of the Black Dawn story-line offered some fun and interesting twists.

We finally get to see who is behind all of the weird cult-like townspeople, visits from aliens, and other weird mysteries in Hamilton County that has plagued this series from the start, and it’s none other than Manchester Black. Due to his core beliefs, Black has a problem with Superman letting bad guys live. This is similar to other anti-heroes, like The Punisher, and so on, but Black is a little more evil here. Black reveals his true motives, and they involve Clark’s son, Jon aka Superboy. By the end of the book things get pretty crazy with his plans, and it will be interesting to see how the next issue, and this story plays out. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have done a good job with this series, and I have confidence that this will at least be another fun adventure when all is said and done.

Doug Mahnke and Patrick Gleason are both excellent artists. Neither of these talents are strangers to this book, and Gleason even co-writes with Tomasi. My only problem is with the switching on pencils about halfway through. Again, both artists are fantastic, but it was jarring and very noticeable to me as you can clearly see the switch. I am not sure if this was based on time, and scheduling, and it isn’t terrible or hurts the comic in a bad way, it was just very noticeable. The colors by Wil Quintana, John Kalisz, and Hi-Fi are bright and vivid, covering all types of aliens and ships, while the inks by Jaime Mendoza, Mick Gray, Joe Prado, and Doug Mahnke are crisp and well done, even with the different pencil styles.

The issue is a fun and wild ride featuring the cast of characters we know from this series. The Kent family is awesome, and I have had a blast going on these adventures with them. My only hope is that since they’ve been put through so much as a family, especially poor Jon, is that they find some more time to relax soon. Also Krypto makes another appearance, which is always awesome.

Story: Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Art: Doug Mahnke & Patrick Gleason
Inks: Jaime Mendoza, Mick Gray, Joe Prado, and Doug Mahnke
Colors: Wil Quintana, John Kalisz, and Hi-Fi Letters: Rob Leigh
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review