Lex Luthor: Man of Steel Review

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artist: Lee Bermejo

Rating: 7 of 8

Lex Luthor

Man of Steel

They say one of the most compelling characters in any story's the villain - but to Lex Luthor, he's always been the hero and Superman the villain. Which is perhaps one of the reasons he's so compelling. Instead of being a one dimensional, mustache twirling villain, angry the red and blue boy scout keeps getting in his way, he thinks he's the best hope for the world and wants to convince people they're better off without their Man of Steel.

Intriguingly, when Lex first confronts Superman here, he posits just why he hates him: to Lex, Superman represents the end of humanity's potential and achievements. Rather than looking on him as a beacon of hope, or someone to aspire to, he instead sees the abyss. Despite his lofty aspirations, he's not unwilling to go to darker avenues to get what he wants, as shown throughout the series. In the 2nd issue, LexCorp's running over budget on the science spire's construction, so Lex comes up with a rather clever solution, but needs a Mr Orr to ensure it - and what he does to make that happen's certainly a lot darker than fighting Superman in a mechanical suit.

Issue 3 focuses on a conversation between Lex and Bruce Wayne, interspersed with a truly epic battle between Batman and Superman. It really shows just how outmatched Batman is against him, though he still pushes on, insisting on fighting a battle he's very unlikely to win. Given Superman's overwhelming power and how the fight leaves Bruce, I can understand just why he makes the decision he does at the end of the issue. His design here's different to how he usually looks, with Bruce wearing sunglasses throughout, sporting long, messy hair. This, combined with his attitude, could all be part of the mask Lex seems to recognize, belying his true nature. 

Lex hopes to expose humanity's darker nature to Superman and, in so doing, expose a part of him they'll never understand, or want to. What he does to achieve this is one of the cruelest, most twisted things I've ever seen him do, though it does fit with the darker tale Azzarello's telling.

Overall, this is a fantastic story and possibly one of the best Luthor stories I've ever read. It offers a great, thorough insight into his mind and what he really thinks; not only about Superman, but a great deal of other things, too. Bermejo delivers some really standout visuals, ensuring it stands out from other superhero comics out there. He brings us a grotesque Toy Man, who looks a lot more unpleasant here than he usually does. I'm not sure this was necessary, though it might've been done to reflect just how ugly he is inside. His Superman's a lot more alien than he's usually drawn and, with his eyes and frequent silence, a lot scarier than he usually is, though this all fits with it being from Lex's perspective. I highly recommend Luthor - I doubt you'll be disappointed.