ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #440

“THE HURRIEDER I GO”
Scripter/Co-Plotter : John Byrne | Penciller/Co-Plotter: Jerry Ordway
Inker: Dennis Janke | Colorist: Tony Tollin | Letterer: Albert de Guzman
Editor & Nervous Breakdowns: Mike Carlin

The Plot: Superman chats with Professor Hamilton, then departs for his date with Wonder Woman. On the way, he stops in Gotham City to retrieve the mystery scrapbook from Batman, then heads for Smallville, stopping a couple disasters along the way, to leave the book with his parents. Soon, Superman meets Wonder Woman in a field and plants a kiss on her.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: Superman’s date with Wonder Woman was set up in WONDER WOMAN #16.

In the opening pages, we learn that Professor Hamilton has become Superman’s science-buddy, having built the robot that malfunctioned last issue, and perfected his force field as well. So I ranted a bit about the robot apparently appearing out of nowhere last issue, never suspecting Byrne planned to explain its origin in the very next installment. My apologies to Byrne on that matter! It’s a hard thing, trying to be critical of ongoing serialized stories. Especially when you’re as cantankerous as I am.

Jerry White chats with Jose Delgado at the hospital, and agrees to try once more to make amends with his father. The sub-plot regarding Perry taking leave from the Daily Planet to spend more time with his family, as established in one of Marv Wolfman’s final issues, seems to have been quietly swept under the rug.

Jose is informed by his doctor that he will never walk again — a confirmation of the prognosis he had already been given a week earlier.

In my favorite scene from the issue, Batman reveals that all he’s learned from the scrapbook is that Superman is actually Clark Kent. Superman counters by calling Batman by his real name as he flies away.

Lex Luthor watched Morgan Edge rant about Superman on TV and mulls over Edge’s idiocy. A moment later, Luthor is delivered a file on Maggie Sawyer with information that he believes will put her in his pocket.

Some scientists in the arctic study the “Supergirl” they found under the ice in SUPERMAN #16.

When Superman drops the scrapbook off with his mom, he’s startled to learn that she assembled it herself and has been wondering where it was. Superman chastises Ma for keeping such a detailed record of his life, then wonders who mailed the book to him in the first place.

In the same scene, we also learn that Ma sews supplies of capes for her son, since they’re constantly getting tattered.

My Thoughts: This is mostly just a sub-plot issue, though Byrne and Ordway find the opportunity to toss in a couple of simple superfeats for our hero to perform. But overall, we have Byrne checking in on many of the plots he’s had simmering in various places for a while now. Oldest among them is the scrapbook—it was stolen way back in SUPERMAN #2 (February 1987), mailed to Clark in #9 (September ’87), dropped off with Batman in ACTION 594 (November ’87), and now retrieved and returned to Ma here (May ’88) … and the plotline isn’t even over yet!

Mind you, I’m not complaining… exactly. I love long-running sub-plots like this. I just prefer them when there’s a bit more momentum. I don’t mind checking on the book every few months, but not much has happened with it in the year-and-a-half since it was stolen. I mean, Superman dropped it off with Batman for study, and the Caped Crusader learned literally nothing of value from it. That’s an odd way to further (or, as the case may be, not further) a plot. Typically when a character places a mystery in the hands of the world’s greatest detective, the reader is trained to expect said detective to further the plot in some minor way. But all we get out of it is Batman learning Superman’s secret identity (which is a great moment in itself, but not at all any sort of payoff or advancement of the scrapbook plotline).

But, as always, I’ll wait until the storyline is completely finished before declare it a dud. If Byrne can pull something out, some amazing dramatic moment that totally redeems the non-movement of this plot, I’ll be happy. But just now, it feels like he’s been spinning his wheels for a very long time with absolutely nothing to show for it — which is not typically how a mystery is written.

But on the plus side, Ordway's artwork, as inked by Dennis Janke, continues to be some of his best since this series started.

Next Week: In ACTION COMICS #600, it's Superman and Wonder Woman sittin' in a tree... fighting D-A-R-K-S-E-I-D!