The penultimate chapter of the “Bizarroverse” arc is fun, as well as a bit insane, but still has time to tug your heartstrings.
In the DC Multiverse, there is an Earth whose population is made up of backwards versions of the main universe. The most iconic of these is the backwards bruiser Bizarro, who has been revealed to have a son, Boyzarro. The latter finds a portal to the main universe, where he runs into his equivalent, Jon Kent the Superboy. He takes Boyzarro to his dad, Superman, and after some convincing, they go back with a group to Htrae. Unfortunately, Bizarro sees Superman as a threat to his ideal lifestyle and starts fighting with him. What will be the outcome of this clash of opposites?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
While Bizarro and Superman fight on Htrae’s moon, the kids feel the planet shake. Keeping in line with this Superman‘s story in the series thus far, Bizarro is giving a peculiar reaction to this world. The more he fights against his position as the father figure, the planet breaks more. Hoping it was set Bizarro’s head straight, Superman sends the children to find the Bizarro League, who have been captured by the Legion of Fun, The Legion of Doom’s Bizarro doppelgängers.
This is a fantastic climax to the Bizarroverse arc. It has kick-ass action, humorous moments, but most of all, it makes you feel emotional over these backwards people. The stars of the issue are, without a doubt, Bizarro and his son. They have a shocking amount of humanity and emotions that will pull readers in. Bizarro wants to be the hero of his world, but the moment Superman arrives, the world loves him more. You end up feeling bad for the backwards bruiser; he’s the worlds protector, possibly creator, and no one gives him the recognition he deserves. The only one you’d feel worse for is Boyzarro, who just wants a Dad. It’s actually a very tragic story, but a well told one.
There is one slight problem that may irritate readers. Like the first chapter of this arc, most of the dialogue is in Bizarro’s backwards dialect. There will be some difficult parts to decipher if you aren’t used to it by now, but the issue is still worth the read.
Art:
It’s not a secret that I am not the biggest fan of Doug Mahnke’s art, but it works extremely well here. His creepy style of illustrations fit the world of Bizarro, making the people look monstrous enough to stand apart from their doppelgängers, but still have enough detail for emotion. Wil Quintona takes that skill further with his expert color work. When the team’s work melds together, it creates a wide range of emotions. There are panels that’ll make you laugh and some that will punch you in the gut with emotion. The team knocked it out of the park.
Conclusion:
This was an excellent issue and one I recommend to any fans of Bizarro. Does it have flaws? A few, such as Mahnke’s art for the heroes from the main DC Earth and the Bizarro speech, but it doesn’t detract from the quality of the story. If you need a comic to read, go grab this one. You won’t be disappointed.
