Supreme

• Title: Supreme #68
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Erik Larsen
• Artists: Erik Larsen, Cory Hamscher

Writer/artist Erik Larsen’s run on Supreme ends here with Mean Supreme‘s final battle with Khromium and the former Supremes making plans to regain their powers with the help of Darius Duck.

Although the issue is fun, the art, particularly the scenes involving Original Supereme‘s attempts at a normal life, attempting to get a job, and his relationship with Sister Supreme, look rushed. This is mainly due the fact that Larsen is taking on double duty on this final issue without the assistance of artist Cory Hamscher. The result is several panels of rough sketches which appear to have been inked whether or not they were ready to be. That said, Squeak the Supremouse still looks cool.

The art is a little distracting and may not send Larsen out with the bang I was hoping for, but there’s certainly enough here for fans of the character inducing foreshadowing of the possible return of the Supremacy and the arrival of a new baby Supreme in the not too distant future. For fans.

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• Title: Supreme #67
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Erik Larsen
• Artists: Erik Larsen, Cory Hamscher

It may have taken an extra three months, but the latest issue of Supreme finally hits shelves delivering on the promised ultimate throwdown between Supreme and Omni-Man who arrives to stop Supreme from killing Suprema.

The battle of arguably Image Comics two most powerful warriors certainly delivers with pages and pages of the two heroes going at it. We also get a back-up story as New Supreme attempts to readjust to his new surroundings, and the other former Supremes convincing New Supreme to find a way to fight back and stop Mean Supreme before his bloody rampage kills anyone else. But to do so they will need the help of an unlikely ally.

Honestly, when the comic three months without a new issue I figured the recently relaunched Supreme had been dealt a silent death behind the scenes. I’m pleasantly surprised it’s still here. Even embracing the Extreme 90’s version of Image Comics it’s still more fun that almost anything DC is currently putting out with their gritty New 52. Worth a look.

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• Title: Supreme #66
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Erik Larsen
• Artists: Erik Larsen, Cory Hamscher

The latest issue of Supreme plays on the concept of comic reboots and how that reality changes the worlds of the characters. In an homage to the final issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths we see characters from a different Earth stranded on a world not their own, fully realizing they may have no place on this one as Ethan Crane and Diane Dane walk the streets of a far grittier version of Omegapolis than they are used to.

The second-half of the issue deals the with brutal Supreme enforcing his idea of justice on the world. Suprema shows up to try and talk some sense into the darker version of her brother. When that fails the two duke it out until Supreme’s rage is stopped only by the unexpected appearance of Omni-Man.

The Extreme version of Supreme is certainly back in full-force here, but the amount of rage he takes out on Suprema (nearly beating her to death) feels more than a little unseemly and too brutal even for this character. That said, the story does set up a huge fight next month – Supreme vs. Omni-Man. Worth a look.

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• Title: Supreme #65
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Erik Larsen
• Artists: Erik Larsen, Cory Hamscher

The fallout from the death of the army of Darius Daxes and the release of Mean Supreme continues as the remainder of the Supremacy finds itself marooned on Earth without any powers, except for Suprema.

I’m glad to see several of the more colorful Silver Age versions of the character (including the lion-headed Supreme and the Mighty Mouse version of Supreme) are sticking around even as the comic embraces the original 90’s tone. Not surprisingly, one version of Darius Dax survives, but I’ve got to give writer/artist Erik Larsen credit for the choice of which version of the character is alive and after revenge.

The first issue following up Alan Moore‘s long-delayed final Supreme story had to do quite a bit of work to set the comic on a new path but I’m pleasantly surprised that even though the more vicious version of the character takes center stage here (as evidenced by him nearly beating Superpatriot to death) several of the more whimsical elements might still be allowed to flourish as well. Worth a look.

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• Title: Supreme #64
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Erik Larsen
• Artists: Erik Larsen, Cory Hamscher

Erik Larsen does double-duty following up Alan Moore’s final Supreme story by also returning the original Extreme version of Supreme from the comic’s launch. Issue #64 is very much a transitional issue as Larsen wraps up Moore’s cliffhanger, and all it’s Silver Age trappings, to get back to the more menacing Mean Supreme.

The story picks up right where Moore’s left off with Citadel under attack by an army of Darius Daxes. Opening the portal to the Supremecy only brings more bloodshed until Supreme and Original Supreme have no choice but to release Mean Supreme. The most violent Supreme of them all decimates the villains and uses Silver Superium to strip the other versions of himself of their power.

I’ll give Larsen credit for trying to do an amazing amount of work in terms of a tonal shift in only a single issue. In places he struggles, and his art is a little rougher than the more polished version we got in last month’s issue that went so well with Moore’s story. I liked the original character enough to stick around at least a couple of issues to see where Larsen plans to take him from here. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]