Superman, by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora, has been one of the most intriguing books in DC’s All-In publishing initiative. Lois Lane becoming Superwoman has only been the beginning, with the Time Trapper’s return revealing him to be Superman’s most feared foe: Doomsday. This new Time Trapper has a simple request – for Superman to kill him so he can become god. Williamson somehow came up with the perfect way to up the stakes of the current story – by bringing in the present day version of Doomsday, giving the Man of Steel and his now superpowered wife more than they bargained for.
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All of this leads to Superman #22, where a familiar face returns to Metropolis to take possession of Doomsday. Of course, they don’t ask in the nicest way and their arrogance leads to battle, one that sees them try to take Doomsday from SuperCorp. This leads to something that fans never thought they’d see – a team-up of epic proportions.
The Return of Radiant Leads To Some Strange Bedfellows
Superman’s neverending war against Doomsday has taken him many places, and Superman #22 references one of those worlds – Calaton. Calaton was the target of the monster in The Death of Superman sequel Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey. Superman was unable to stop Doomsday’s rampage on that world, and the people of Calaton suffered greatly. While there, Superman met the hero of Calaton – Radiant.
Radiant’s failure to stop Doomsday’s rampage in the past plays into his return in the present. Radiant has a simple ultimatum for Superman – to give up Doomsday and let his army deal with the beast. Superman warns him that nothing they can do will hurt Doomsday, while demanding answers about what they were going to do with Doomsday. Radiant avoids revealing exactly why he wants Doomsday while threatening the people of Metropolis, telling Superman that the city will never survive a battle between his forces and the Couple of Steel. This is too much for Superman, who is dealing with his anger problems in recent issues, and begins the battle.
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Radiant’s forces make a beeline for SuperCorp, where the amnesiac Lex Luthor, his genius daughter Lena, CEO of SuperCorp Mercy, and Supergirl are trying to figure out how to deal with Doomsday before Radiant can abscond with the monster. When Lena says that her father would have some way of dealing with Doomsday, it sparks something in his memory and he asks for them to move Doomsday’s containment unit. Unfortunately, Radiant gets there at that moment.
Supergirl is unable to stop the alien warrior, but Superman swoops in to save the day. However, Radiant plays his most desperate card, freeing Doomsday. This causes Superman’s Red levels – the way SuperCorp measures the energy his anger produces – to skyrocket and leads to a sight no Superman fan ever thought they’d see: Superman and Doomsday fighting side-by-side against Radiant’s forces. It’s an epic moment in DC history, perfectly captured in an amazing double page spread from Mora and colorist Alejandro Sanchez.
Superman & Doomsday Teaming Up Seems To Be Just the Beginning for This Titanic New Story
Williamson has been firing on all cylinders since launching Superman in 2023 and this newest story is yet another example of why he’s an amazing Superman writer. Bringing back the Time Trapper and making him the Doomsday of the future is a perfect twist, and Superman #22 builds on that. The return of the monstrous present day Doomsday was always going to have major repercussions and bringing back characters like Radiant is the perfect way to remind readers that Doomsday is more than just a Superman enemy, but one who has caused chaos throughout the universe.
Superman and Doomsday teaming up is one of the biggest moments in the history of the two characters. However, judging from the direction this issue takes the story, it’s only the beginning. As the two former enemies fight side by side, Radiant attacks Jimmy Olsen and Superwoman is given a terrible choice by the Time Trapper – save Jimmy by killing Doomsday and make the Time Trapper into a god or allow the fight to go on without the Time Trapper’s help, leading to the probable death of Jimmy. Williamson keeps finding ways to make this tale fresh, and playing on the often pragmatic Lois’s morals is brilliant. Superhero comics are built on nostalgia, but Superman is showing that it’s possible to give fans something new.
Superman #22 is on sale anywhere comics are sold.
