Written by John Byrne.
Art by John Byrne; Karl Kesel; Tom Ziuko; & John Costanza.
Cover Art by John Byrne.
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for November 1987, it’s entitled “The Name Game.” At The Daily Planet, a smitten Lois accepts new suitor Ben DeRoy’s invitation to lunch. Blowing off a suspicious Clark’s reminder about their own lunch date, Lois leaves with DeRoy. Trading a bewildered Lois for a mannequin he magically grants life to, DeRoy’s chaotic mischief continues.
Superman confronts DeRoy, who reveals himself as Mr. Mxyzptlk. It becomes a battle of wits between the Man of Steel and the magical imp. Lois’ discreet effort to make amends with Clark goes awry, courtesy of rival Cat Grant.
Note: Byrne makes a continuity goof on page 21 when Lois refers to having known Clark “after all these years.” Byrne’s recent reboot, otherwise, implies that Lois & Clark have only known each other for weeks, maybe a few months.
REVIEW:
It’s no coincidence that Mxyzptlk’s ‘Ben DeRoy’ disguise suspiciously resembles rival Marvel Comics’ omniscient Beyonder from the Secret Wars II mini-series – even if he is copying Sonny Crockett’s signature wardrobe from Miami Vice.
By that token, the anagram writer-artist John Byrne deploys as a Beyonder wink-wink speaks for itself, not to mention explains this story’s title. Apart from his lack of subtlety, Byrne effectively re-integrates the annoying Mxyzptlk into the post-Crisis DC Universe.
Case in point: Byrne’s distinctive visual style (including his spot-on cover image) updates a very Silver Age-style premise for the mid-80’s. His plot’s adept blend of the pesky imp’s magic and character-driven poignancy (i.e. Lois’ hospital scene with Clark) makes for an appealing, kid-friendly read. Perhaps this self-contained issue’s best element is its epilogue, where a Lois-Clark-Cat Grant love triangle is teased.
Simply put, Superman # 11 is a reasonably good entry amidst Byrne’s mixed-bag reboot of the franchise.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a two-page letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
