In this issue, Superman faces Dracula… yes, Batman fought Dracula some years ago in an Elseworlds book, so it seems appropriate that the Powers That Be should give the Man of Steel a shot at ol’ Drac… this isn’t a joke, not an imaginary story, not an Elseworlds story. This is supposed to be part of the regular continuity… Actually, despite having said that, Superman #180 isn’t a bad book, but there are a couple of things that keep it from being an excellent work.
Superman vs. Dracula is an interesting idea. Although there are a couple of mishaps, the story comes off rather well. It’s one of the moody Superman stories you rarely catch that has nothing to do with a major crossover or some supporting character’s demise. The writer has even given the vampire hypnotic powers, so he’s portrayed as a seductive being and not as a glorified monster from a B-movie. The nice choice of collects accommodate the superb artwork; sort of like Detective Comics was for a short period of time before it was presented once again in living color. It really set the mood of the issue.
Although I like the concept, the pure thought of Superman duking it out with Dracula is cheesy. The Batman/Dracula crossover (I think it was Red Rain – I’m not entirely sure) worked so well because both characters are somewhat tragic figures, but the ending to this one (not going there) is a little disappointing. What I also didn’t like was the fact that after Lois revealed her pain to Clark (and vice-versa later on), the whole thing is forgotten a page later. It is typical of mind-control, but I would liked to have seen the subject explored further. Perhaps the issue will resurface some other time, but it should have been dealt with the minute it was brought up, rather than just hinting at it. Also, the story could have been better off without the distracting antics of Jimmy Olsen.
Superman #180 is good for a quick diversion or for those who enjoy reading Superman stuff. Mind you, it has its flaws, but they don’t detract from the quality of the book. And it’s one of those rare Superman stories that are somewhat moody and different from the usual batch of stuff. Go ahead and get it…
dtm666 