Jimmy Olsen - during, and post Forever Evil

[icon_uk]

In the course of Forever Evil, the event that based on how long the ruddy thing has been going on for, certainly lives up to its name, we saw Ultraman invade the offices of the Daily Planet, where Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are about the only people left.



Yeah, that was going to work Jimmy... Sometimes it's appropriate to lighten the mood, sometimes it isn't.

The next panel sort of refers back to the Crime Syndicate story we saw in JLA while back, where we find out that Earth-3 Jimmy is a bit of a perv who is Lois "Superwoman" Lane's toady and who takes pictures of her... well, let's not go there.



You can see where this is going, right?






Now say what you like about Jimmy, but he's a brave little fellow, given that Ultraman is a completely psychotic take on his best friend who has just maimed him.


Except of course, it appears to have had no effect on him at all.

These are the opening pages of the new Mark Waid Geoff Johns/John Romita Jr run on Superman, starting in June.

First up, always nice to see Titano, the Kryptonite empowered superape... though he's a bit more technorganic than I reall him being. Shades of Beast Machines Optimus Primal perhaps...

Also, Jimmy's hand appears fine and there's no lingering trauma about being around Superman given his identical twin just inflicted serious injury on him.



I also like that Superman fights must be a PAIN to photograph since they happen at such speed.



A little clarification on the "Jimmy is now immensely wealthy" subplot which never seemed to mean very much.



Ans so it may be that Clark is returning to the Daily Planet, which always seemed inevitable, but maybe it'll go in a different direction.

And more fuel for the "Did the Death of Superman arc already happen in the New52 or is it still something we can bilk a story still to be told?" debate.

Rather liking the JRJr art here too.

Comments

[alschroeder3]

Someone realized that the cube-square law doesn't allow an ape to get that big, so they gave Titano bionic implants?

Is this Waid writing? I thought Johns was supposed to write Romita's Superman....

We can assume that Ultraman maybe hurt Jimmy's hand badly, but didn't pulp it, as he so easily might have.

I'm glad the Jimmy-is-a-millionaire storyline is dwindling down. Jimmy should be an average joe working from paycheck to paycheck. (Not to mention weirdness magnet. That's one of the few things I disagreed with Morrison on his post-52 Superman. It makes a lot of sense for Jimmy's best friend to be, not a boring mild-mannered fellow reporter from Kansas, but an alien from another planet. Jimmy tends to draw the weird.)

[icon_uk]

Someone realized that the cube-square law doesn't allow an ape to get that big, so they gave Titano bionic implants?

Heh, that works, though I never find criuqiues of sci-fi stories invoking the cube square law to be worth much attention; Since we're already in ther realms of sf, I have no problem with the notion of the biology adapting a stronger skeletal structure/more efficient air processing facility within the lungs.

Is this Waid writing? I thought Johns was supposed to write Romita's Superman....

Oh don't tell me I've made that mistake AGAIN! Darnit! I'll head off and fix it! Thanks for the heads up. I don't know WHY I get their names mixed up in my head.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Who is Jimmy trying to protect there?

And I kind of like the idea of him as someone who is rich on a technicality, yet afraid to spend a single cent as a result. It has potential.

[icon_uk]

Who is Jimmy trying to protect there?

Everyone, I expect.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

But it says Jimmy and Lois are the only people left there.

[icon_uk]

Well that was me and I said "nearly", there may well be people still around.

[chortles81]

It's a nice way to acknowledge the past canon of the millionaire storyline while going back in a different direction, not only least because it answers the essential question of why Jimmy has no conspicuous spending to show for his "wealth on a technicality", much less why he'd want to work (besides to keep busy or out of just wanting the work) as a newspaper photographer.

[burkeonthesly]

That's a pretty short string of headlines, there. Superman arrives, Superman dies, Superman lives. Kinda feels like he hasn't done much.

Also, is it just me, or does it feel like an unadmitted part of the reason Jimmy isn't spending that money is that if he does, he has to admit that his parents are most likely dead and never returning. As long as he doesn't spend any, it's still their money, and they'll be back for it any day. Yep. Any day now. Could be now. Or tomorrow. Annnnny time.

[icon_uk]

In fairness, most people wouldn't have made it past the first two, so a third (particularly after the second one) is still pretty impressive. ;)

And I hadn't thought of that POV about Jimmy's reaction to his parents. Not sure I subscribe to it (You don't badmouth someone in that way if you want them back, well not in my experience) but it's an interesting take on it.

[burkeonthesly]

True. Without anything between the first and second ones, though, I guess I'm left wondering why the second headline deserves mention, not knowing that the third would be coming up.

Speaking as someone who came from a toxic family, hating who your parents are doesn't mean you stop wishing for who they could be. It takes years and a lot of work to accept that there's never going to be a day when they just magically decide to be decent people and you can all be one big, happy family. Until and unless you can manage that, you can curse them and miss them without missing a beat.

[zapbiffpow]

Hey, it looks like Johns is setting up Superman's pal to play a big part on his run. I'd like to see that.

[shadowpsykie]

i admit, i have not been a fan of JRjr in a while, but it's working for me here

[silverzeo]

You are talking about the Comic book company where characters can get impaled on the liver in a story arc (Batman, Steel) and be up and about just fine after it...

[shadowpsykie]

is it weird i wanted a robot hand Jimmy?

[nate_abril96]

Yes, but only because you forgot to give him an eye patch to compliment his robot hand.