rabbitpiedreams

Cover Date	Title	Volume	Issue	Credits on Front Cover
July 2018	The Man of Steel	2	1	Bendis, Reis, Prado, Sinclair
August 2018	The Man of Steel	2	2	Bendis, Shaner, Rude, Sinclair
August 2018	The Man of Steel	2	3	Bendis, Sook, Sinclair
August 2018	The Man of Steel	2	4	Bendis, Maguire, Sinclair
August 2018	The Man of Steel	2	5	Bendis, Hughes
September 2018	The Man of Steel	2	6	Bendis, Fabok, Sinclair

#1 (July, 2018)

THEN: Many years ago, Rogol Zaar, an enormously muscular, bloodlessly-pale man, makes his case before the Circle. He says that the Kyrptonians have become a plague, predatorily extracting scientific resources from other planets and peoples, and that they will leave those lands in disarray, prone to war. Later, Appa Ali Aps of the Circle, visits him in his solitude and tells him the Circle have rejected his suggestion: Krypton is thus far non-aggressive and must be allowed to rise and fall on its own, and Zaar's personal history is clouding his judgement.

NOW: As Superman, Clark helps out with various emergencies including stopping Killer Moth from shaking down Firefly in a dressing gown, and helping save a burning building by drawing the smoke and flames toward himself with his breath. Something bothers him about the fire and he enters the wreckage, where he meets the new Fire Chief, Melody Moore. They talk about how Melody is sure that it's arson, but doesn't want to promote a motive at present. Clark suggests Firefly might be behind it, and that Clark Kent can help. Melody fangirls a bit as Clark flies off.

Later, Perry White, Clark's (Boss? Supervisor?) at the Daily Planet pesters him for news.

At home, Clark looks at a picture of Lois and Jon and remembers e and his family as they are hidden in white light. Throughout the day, Clark has had the questioning words "What is that?" running through his mind, possibly Jon's.

More thoughts:

there are 3.2 million people in Metropolis according to this issue. This is something that varies a lot.
The Circle isn't explained -- they just seem like some kind of overlord council who Rogol Zaar is in the employ of.
Killer Moth speaks in a way that draws Superman's attention: "I'm Killer Moth," "I am going to kill you!"

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (script) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado (inks) Jay Fabok (art 21-22) Alex Sinclair (colors) Cory petit (letters), Reis, Prado, Sinclair (cover) Jessica Chen (associate Editor) Michael Cotton (editor) Brian Cunningham (group editor).

#2 (August 2018)

THEN: Krypton has exploded, and Gandelo of the circle accuses Appa Ali Apsa of being involved, and aiding Rogol Zaar. Appa says if that is so, and if Rogol betrayed the circle and destroyed a planet, then he is a threat. They are all guilty of not seeing this coming. Appa thinks Rogol did it, and hopes he died in the explosion.

NOW: gossip at the Daily Planet says Lois Lane is missing and she and Clark are estranged, and Perry White is not happy about this.

Superman fights a pink monkey mech driven by The Toyman (Winslow Schott). The Toyman doesn't want to be lectured on putting his skills to better use by a puppet. Green Lantern (Hal Jordon) appears, saying Superman didn't show for a league meeting. Clark waves Hal off with a smile, but falls into recollection again, going serious. He recalls a conversation with Lois and a giant robot crustacean-like thing appearing before them, and Jon saying: "Dad, what is that?" He goes and flies to the moon.

Clark helps out at another fire. At the Daily Planet, White is scared for the future of the company, believing they've been sold and they can't compete with social media. Trish needles him by saying they have a winning story -- whatever's happened to Lois. White rejects this.

Far end of the vega system: in a bar filled with various aliens, Rogol Zaar, here identified as Oichio, is getting a drink at the bar. Oichio asks the bartender about a S pendent on a bust, and the bartender answers that it means hope. Rogol Zaar and his vehicle have the last panel of the issue.

More thoughts:

Toyman insists on the definite article.
Clark's recollection of his family includes the words "Did he admit to his previously undisclosed financial stake in S.T.A.AR. Labs' overseas operations?", which I suppose is a red herring.
The giant robot crustaeon is actually a tender spacecraft (it takes you to the main spacecraft).
Clark and Lois having a reputation for disappearing? "even on a normal day they don't by the same rules as the rest of us."
Clark was in Alaska (alaskan tsunami), Coast City (for the robot)
We get two more named characters from the daily planet: Robinsone Goode, new city desk reporter, Trish Q, arts and leisure. More from the Circle: Gandelo, King Myand'r and Sardath.
I really enjoyed Steve Rude's art this issue.
Gandelo rules over 42 star systems, has never seen a planet explode. pale blue with a body that looks as tho decorated with icicles.
The Circle is now referred to as The Galactic Circle.

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Doc Shaner (pp1-13) Steve Rude (16-24), Jay Fabok (14-15) (artists) Alex Sinclair (colors), Josh Reed (letters), Ivas Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair (cover), Jessica Chen (associate editor) Michael cotton (editor) Brian cunningham (group editor)

#3 (August 2018)

Rogol Zaar crashes into the arctic and busts into the temple of solitude. He fights a sentry robot and hisses Kandor.

Clark worries about the fires in metropolis and brings in Batman to help Moore -- by dropping himself and Batman in at one of the buildings she's investigating. The two surprise Moore by appearing out of the shadows. As they look at building, Clark hears an alarm from the Temple of Solitude and leaves Batman to make his excuses. He arrives to the Temple to find it torn to bits and much of it exposed to the elements. He believes the city of Kandor (kept in a bottle) has been destroyed.

Kara arrives. They talk about who might have done this. Kara asks if Jon and Lois are safe, but Clark doesn't answer. Clark rockets back to Metropolis, and the trail goes cold. A trap. The fight begins, and Kara appears in time for Rogol to reveal himself.

Clark recalls the Backstory for a moment. This time, it shows a male human figure in a green silhouette.

More thoughts

"okay, I scared her by accident. You did that on purpose." is the kind of fanservice I'm weak for.
The issue doesn't explain that Kandor is a city in a bottle. Not great for newcomers.
There aren't any pictures that show the destroyed Kandor, so I'm not convinced it was destroyed, and I don't know why clark thinks it's destroyed.

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ryan Sook & Jason Fabok (16) (artists), Wade Von Grawbadger (inks 12-13, 14) Alex Sinclair (colours) Josh Reed (letters) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair (cover) Jessica Chen (associate Editor) Michael Cotton (editor) Brain Cunningham (group editor)

#4 (August 2018)

Clark fights Rogol, concludes he's an alien, and that his battle axe is a staff. The sun is Rogol's source of power, he concludes, but his newness to it is a source of weakness -- he doesn't know how to regulate himself yet. Rogol goes into hiding. Clark decides he needs to get Rogol off earth and out of metropolis -- but memories of Jon asking what the Robot Crustacean is bother him, and in his distraction, Rogol blasts him onto the ground as the reader (and possibly Clark) 0is dragged into a flashback.

In the flashback, the Robot Crustacean is revealed to be the tender ship of Jor-El, who immediately says he's here for Jon.

Hal has arrived, talks to the owner of a deli, and a and someone who identifies themselves as Captain Maggie Saywer, metropolis special crimes unit, who heard Rogol say this is not a fight, it's a cleansing. Clark wakes up in a bubble Hal has made. Hal doesn't know where Rogol is either, and is unfamiliar with him. Flashback: Before Clark passed out, Rogol said he cleansed the galaxy of the planet Krypton, the Kryptonian sickness finally ends today, just like Rogol once promised Jor-El.

Kara heads off (to organise backup? Look for Rogol?) and Hal says they need to check to do a Kryptonian headcount, across earths in multiple reality -- so where's Jon?

Clark heads to the fortress, and discovers his method for contacting Lois and Jon is broken. Rogol appears and taunts him.

More thoughts:

Eh? I mean the Jor-El arrival was a bit of a surprise. His intro was very strange, he had an extremely presumptative air. "I am Jor-El, I am Kal's father. I'm here for the boy." We're left with little indication of what Kal and Jor-El's relationship was prior to this, which indicates to me that that is likely supposed to be inferred from this story, or past stories.
Reading about a character justifying genocide is extremely uncomfortable.

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Kevin Macguire & Jason Fabok (12-13) (artists) Alex Sinclair (colours), Josh Reed (letters), Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair (cover), Jessica Chen (Associate Editor) Michael Cotton (editor) Brian Cunningham (group editor)

#5 (August 2018)

Clark thinks about the destruction of Kandor. He drags Rogol off to the moon. He wonders -- why does Rogol hate Krypton? In all his research about Krypton and his reading of its writings, he has never heard of him.

Flashback to Jor-El's arrival: Jor-El said that Jon was struggling, calls him a half-breed that should not have worked, and then tells Jon he can teach him "truths and histories" that Clark can't teach, Clark's culture can't teach. he calls Jon his Kryptonian heir. Jon agrees -- to the frustration of his parents, on the stipulation that he gets home before school starts.

At the fire station, Moore tries to see a pattern in the fire locations (just as Batman suggested there might be in issue 3!), when another fire comes in. Kara saves a couchful of kids and asks Moore if she knows where Superman went. The JL arrive. Kara realises Clark's gone to the moon and zooms off there, where she finds Clark partly buried in its surface and unmoving.

Clark recovers at the Hall of Justice and asks the JL if they've seen a particular symbol that he cuts into a tray with laser vision But they haven't seen it. Clark observes that Kara is angry, but the others can't see it. She was a child on Krypton and remembers the planet and its people. Batman asks if Krypton had or inspired zealots. Clark realises that Rogol will want to cleanse Earth too -- because it has Kryptonians on it. He flies out of his hospital cot and finds Rogol with his superweapon deep beneath the earth. Kara is asked to stay behind by Diana.

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Adam Hughes & Jason Fabok (8-11) (artists), Adam hughes & Alex Sinclair (8-11) colors Josh Reed (letters) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair (cover), Jessica Chen (associate Editor) Michael Cotton (editor) Brian Cunningham (group Editor).

#6 (September 2018)

THEN: Jor-El, Lois and Clark argue about Jon. Jon remembers a reality where he grew up to be Superman and killed millions of people, and Clark reminds him that those other realities are other realities, other people, not him. But Jon now brings up the Teen Titans, and how he feels rejected from them because there's something wrong with him. Perhaps Jor-El will help him understand what's wrong with him. When she asks, Jor-El says he'll teach Jon by taking him all across the galaxy. When she remains hesitant, he offers that she come along, and she agrees. Jor-El gives Clark a communicator. He tells Clark that he (and Jon) can do far more than they have done so far, be so much more, the house of El survived for a reason.

Lois and Clark discuss the situation. Clark wants to go with them, but feels he has duties on earth. Clark gives Lois a Superman costume. Lois and Jon enter the crustacean transport, and say farewell.

NOW: Clark and Rogol Zaar fight in the center of the earth. Clark grabs the superweapon and takes it to space. There's a fight, Kara joins and uses a Phantom Zone device to imprison Rogol Zaar. When Clark says they can't just throw everything they don't like in the Phantom zone, Kara says Rogol deserves it. At the fortress, Kara says she's going to search for information about Kyrpton and Rogol Zaar. Clark worries about his broken communicator. The JL have a remembrance ceremony for Krypton.

On the last page, someone approaches Moore at the fire house to tell her that he saw Superman lighting the fires that have been plaguing Metropolis.

Continued in: Superman v5 #1, Action Comics v1 #1001

More Thoughts:

Evil future Jon is from Adventures of the Super Sons (2018)
Jon mentions a Jon with a goatee -- don't know if that is based on anything published.

Credits: Brian Michael Bendis (wirter) Jason Fabok (artist) Alex Sinclair (colors) Josh Reed (letters) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair (cover) Jessica Chen (associate Editor) Michael Cotton (editor) Brian Cunningham (group editor)