The Culture

Back to the library books and this one is a collection of the 5 issue mini-series of the same name. It is written by Brian Azzarello who I know better from the Vertigo series Loveless, 100 Bullets and his stint on Hellblazer.

I’m not a great fan of Superman but for this series the focus is almost entirely on his nemesis Lex Luthor. The story details Lex’s obsession with Superman and his desire to see him rejected by the planet he calls home. It explores the deviousness of Luther and the lengths that he will go to discredit Superman in the eyes of a fawning public.

It was a well written story that gradually revealed Luthor’s meticulous scheme and the way that he compromises his own humanity in the name of humanity. The portrayal of Superman is fairly grim, as the story is mainly told from Luthor’s perspective, and the art (from Lee Bermejo) matches that mood perfectly. It was good to see the usual sparring of these two icons from the “villian’s” point of view as it made it a more interesting story.