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Title: The War Within, Part One
Writer: Scott McCloud
Penciller: Rick Burchett
Inker: Terry Austin
Colorist: Marie Severin
Letterer: Lois Buhalis
Cover Art: Rick Burchett & Terry Austin
Release Date: July 2nd, 1997
Cover Price: $1.75 U.S./ $2.50 Canada
Summary:
Superman
begins to be less and less of a hero and the eyes of the citizens of Metropolis.
Lois does some investigating and discovers why.
Description:
It's
a typical 'Superman' scene: Superman rescues people from a collapsing building,
and when he's done, Lois Lane basically chews him out for letting the building
get to the point of collapse when he should have used his X-Ray vision to know
that it was unstable long before the disaster. Whoa. Ungrateful. She says that
he's not doing enough and should try and stop disasters before they actually
happen. Superman argues that he has faith in humanity and they need to be able
to deal with the world without super-heroes to fix things. Touché.
Lois doesn't let go of her idea and writes a
pretty nasty editorial that continues her argument. Superman's next rescue
mission doesn't go smooth as well. He saves workers, which is good, from a
burning offshore oil platform. Once he has saved all of the people, he's asked
to also save the rig; he refuses, saying that his first priority was to save
people. This, and Lois's article, cause Superman's popularity to slide. Now
Metropolis just thinks he's doing a 'half-a**ed' job.
On meeting Lois at S.T.A.R. labs and hearing how
her next editorial further calls Superman's lack of action into question. This
editorial would no doubt ruin Superman completely. Professor Hamilton reveals
that Superman cannot save everyone because he is dying. When exposed to a rock
of Kryptonite he was infected with a Kryptonian virus that is slowly draining
his power until it will kill him. He informs her that the only possible cure is
a mineral in an Eastern European war zone. Lois, racked with guilt, tells
Professor Hamilton that she is going along on the expedition.
Time passes (well... twenty days) and we see
Superman stopping a typical Metropolis bank robbery as we read Lois's diary. We
read about how the team is having trouble, but if Superman won't give up, they
shouldn't either. Superman is so weakened that the bank robbers are able to lay
him low as Lois writes in her diary that the people of Earth won't let him down.
As the crooks, who drew blood from Superman, leave the scene of the crime, this
issues draws to a close.
To Be Continued
Review:
I
must admit that Scott McCloud can write one helluva story. This story is
basically great. I can't find any fault in it, and it presents us with a great
angle. How is Superman gonna get outta this one, hunh? That and Rick Burchett's
art just makes the story all the more readable. He does a great job and with
that cliffhanger, I'll be coming back next month for sure! A great start to a
great story! I also love the aspect how a human bank robber laid out Superman.
Sure he was sick. but it's just creepy seeing Superman defeated by us mere
mortals.
Rating: 
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