Time to wrap up these series of Superman shorts. I have been covering Superman Volume 2, which includes issues #7-13. In this part 3, I am recapping issues #12 and #13. If you still need to read parts 1 and 2 there are links at the bottom of this post. Time to see what Superman is up to.
Super-Monster Part One: In Hamilton County, just 300 miles north of Metropolis, Lois is riding her bike to the Hamilton Horn (a local paper). She meets up with Candice (the lady she met at the County Fair a couple issues back) who starts giving Lois a tour. They make it to Candice's office and while Lois is working for the Daily Planet again, she wants to help this local paper out too. Candice is happy to have Lois and tells her there is some shell company buying up acreage, but before she can get into much detail Frankenstein busts through the wall calling Candice, "Outcast." (I love the face the artist gave Candice here)
Frank really wants to kill Candice, aka Outcast?, but Lois is not having it. Lois kicks him, making Frank miss his shot. Frank wheels but determines she is just a human and tosses her aside. Frank is once again about to kill Candice, but Lois pulls a gauntlet of some kind from her bag, which she then blasts Frank with. Lois had "borrowed" Batman's Hellbat glove (back when her and Jon were on the moon fighting the Eradicator) and it did the trick sending Frank flying.
Lois and Candice rush outside to find a hover motorbike that must belong to Frank, the best option of course is to steal it. They fly off but Frank is hot on their heels. Frank grabs on and Lois is trying to shake him off but Superman arrives just in time to punch Frank off and to make sure Lois and Candice get away.
Superman is actually pretty chill when he asks Frank why he is being a bit of a wrecking ball. Frank is not so chill when he shoots Superman with a gun that does seem to hurt Supes a little, then drops a large tractor on Superman too. Frank tries to walk off but gets hit by something, that something is a very brave local farmer (I think it is Kathy's grandfather, Cobb) shooting a shotgun. Cobb shoots Frank again, while he reloads though, Frank just walks up and takes the gun, tossing it away. (I love this stoic interaction.)
Frank pushes a button, but before we learn what it does Superman is back and he punches Frank, much harder this time. He turns and thanks Cobb, but tells him to go take cover, and Cobb agrees, walking off. Superman again tries to be nice as Frank pulls out a sword. Seems the button Frank pushes was calling his bike back as it crashes into Superman, smashing him into a tree.
In all the commotion Frank grabs Candice and before Superman can stop him, he cuts her face off. Well, her fake face. The monster behind the mask is called Kroog and according to Frank, Kroog is a cold-blooded killer.
Super-Monster Part Two: Turns out Kroog is a war criminal wanted on several planets. Superman seems to just accept this at face value but Lois is pissed, she punches Kroog right in the face demanding to know what happened to her friend. According to Kroog, Candice is fine just tied up in her own basement. Kroog needed her alive to keep drinking her blood to assume her form.
Superman is annoyed that S.H.A.D.E (Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive) was just running amok putting innocent people in danger. (Quick note: Frank works for S.H.A.D.E off and on.) Frank and Superman argue, but again Lois is over it. She just wants to go check on her friend. A pod to take the prisoner arrives but gets blasted out of the air. There is a new player in the game and it is Frank's Bride (she literally doesn't have a name guys, just Bride of Frankenstein). So Bride is a bounty hunter and she wants to take Kroog in for the bounty.
A fight ensues and Kroog uses the distraction to blow up. Seems she can blow up and all the little pieces make a break for it. The team is too slow to catch the tiny bits as they make their escape. Frank and Bride are both super pissed and start fighting again. Superman breaks it up and tells them both to get their shit together (me paraphrasing). Frank asks Bride for his hand back and she sees he is still wearing both of their wedding rings. They have a tense moment and Frank walks off. Lois states that they were in love and Bride agrees. Lois asks what happened.
Bride explains that she and Frank had a son. He went on a rampage causing death and destruction. He asked his mother to kill him and while she loved him she knew she had to honor his request. Her and Frank never reconciled that.
Lois takes Frank's bike to go check on Candice while Superman, Frank, and Bride head off to track down Kroog. From his window Cobb sees them fly off (I don't know about this panel...it makes me suspicious of Cobb).
Superman figures all the pieces of Kroog were going to a specific place. Most likely the place where she stored her ship (obviously she got to Earth somehow). We next see all the bits of Kroog coming together in a ship underwater. She did have a getaway plan and figured it was time to say goodbye to Earth. As soon as her ship breaks the water Superman is there to rip the engines off. Frank and Bride take Kroog into custody, assuming there is no way she can pull that body trick again so soon.
Superman seals Kroog in her ship and tells Frank and Bride that he is not getting in the middle and that they can figure out who gets her. Frank tells Bride that she can have Kroog. Bride wants to know why. Frank admits that he still wants to be with her and start over. He asks very poetically and she declines very poetically. Then Bride leaves, taking Kroog. Then Frank says goodbye and walks off too.
At home Clark wordlessly greets Lois and then the two of them go and check on Jon.
Thoughts: So I tried to read the New 52 comic about Frankenstein and S.H.A.D.E. It was pretty awful and I skipped most of it. I think the story Bride tells might be from something older than that and I do not care to look it up, but it is a sad story and I think the last page showing Jon is meant to be a warning to Lois and Clark to be careful and stick together. I also might be reading too much into it? Small note, I do not understand why the bad guys' names changed or why they kept changing her gender. Not a big deal, but it was weird. Also, I did check and his name in the comics is Frankenstein, not the monster.
I think all of the stories in this volume are about the relationships between father and son or maybe even families in general. I liked that each story had funny moments and moments of growth, mostly I have just gotten attached to this Super family.
Going to wrap this post up with my favorite line from this volume. It is not surprising that it goes to Jon. He makes a good point about how Krypto keeps getting eaten.
Superman Volume 2: Trials of the Super Son, Part 2
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