Superman #20 is the kind of issue that feels like it's going through the motions without offering anything truly memorable. The story has all the trappings of a high-stakes showdown—a philosophical tête-à-tête with Doomsday, globe-spanning battles, and ominous foreshadowing—but it’s all executed with a distinct lack of emotional weight or creative flair.
Let’s start with the highlight: Time-Trapper Doomsday. The concept is intriguing—Doomsday as a self-aware force of evolution, grappling with his own limitations and confronting Superman with existential questions about purpose and morality. Unfortunately, this promising setup never quite lands. The dialogue feels perfunctory, skimming the surface of deeper themes without exploring them. Doomsday’s plea to be killed and reborn as a god should be a moment of chilling gravitas, but instead, it comes across as little more than a plot device to kickstart the fight.
The battle itself, while visually dynamic, lacks stakes. Superman laps the globe for an "earth-shattering punch," which sounds cooler than it feels in execution. Meanwhile, Lois (as Superwoman) fights hellhounds, Luthor and Steel play support roles, and Parasite shows up just to be gruesomely dispatched. It’s action-heavy, but none of it feels earned or impactful. Parasite’s death, in particular, is gratuitous—shocking for shock’s sake, with no lasting emotional or narrative consequence.
The issue’s quieter moments fare no better. The scene at Lois’s apartment, where Clark tends to her bruises, could have been an opportunity to deepen their relationship in the wake of shared trauma. Instead, it feels rushed and awkwardly sandwiched between plot threads. Jimmy Olsen’s revelation that Supercorp is hiding Superwoman’s identity adds some intrigue, but it’s quickly brushed aside for Clark’s vague warning about future horrors.
And then there’s the final tease—a masked figure atop a golden tower in Calaton. It’s clear the creative team is trying to build suspense for the next arc, but this cliffhanger feels disconnected from the rest of the issue. Rather than leaving the reader eager for more, it feels like yet another dangling plot thread in an already overstuffed narrative.
The issue’s core problem is that it tries to do too much without excelling at anything. The themes of evolution, morality, and sacrifice are muddled in the shuffle, while the action sequences—though visually engaging—fail to deliver any real tension or stakes. Superman and Superwoman’s dynamic continues to feel imbalanced, with Lois’s role as Superwoman coming across as more of a narrative gimmick than a meaningful addition to the story.
Superman #20 isn’t bad, per se. It’s competently written and illustrated, with flashes of potential in its ideas. But it’s also unremarkable—a forgettable entry in a series that seems to be spinning its wheels. For a title that promises to “shape the future of Superman,” this issue feels oddly directionless.
Verdict: Meh. Read it if you’re a completionist, but don’t expect to be wowed more
By: Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora
Released: Nov 27, 2024
DOOMSDAY FROM HELL! Superman and Superwoman investigate Lois Lane's new powers as they deal with the unstoppable Doomsday...but when the mysterious Time Trapper reveals his ultimate secret, it shakes Clark, Lois, and the rest of the Super-Family to their core.