“Death of a Cyborg”
Writer: Alan Burnett
Artist(s): Patrick Blaine, Jay Leisten (i), David Curiel (c)
Published by: DC Comics
If there was ever a “big crossover event” that deserved tie-ins and mega-hype, it is the superb “Sinestro Corps War”. It has not only rocked the very core of comic books and the DC Universe, but it has completely revitalized the Green Lantern mythos. However, there are many players in the war that Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps cannot cover because of the sheer amount of action, suspense and complete madness taking place. Two weeks ago, Ron Marz delved into the psychological side of the “Sinestro Corps War” by going inside Kyle Rayner’s Parallax possessed mind. The story was brilliant, the art was beautiful and it finally gave readers more of the “major supporting players” besides Hal Jordan and Sinestro. This week, Alan Burnett of DC Animated fame sits Hank Henshaw, a.k.a. Cyborg Superman, down in the therapist chair and delves deeper into the motivations behind Henshaw’s allegiance with Sinestro.
Most people will always remember Hank Henshaw as the evil Cyborg Superman following the “Death of Superman” saga. Many Green Lantern fans will remember him as the man that destroyed Coast City and finally allowed Parallax to fully infect Hal Jordan. However, Henshaw has popped up from time to time over the years, most recently as the leader of the Manhunter’s homeworld and member of the Sinestro Corps. It made sense, the man who drove Hal Jordan over the edge, fully allied with Jordan’s greatest enemy, right? While it may seem simple enough, there was a moment in Green Lantern #22 that changed everything about the Cyborg Superman. He went from the evil Superman to a three-dimensional, tragic villain, begging the Anti-Monitor to grant him his one wish, death.
This one-shot continues the trend started by Ron Marz with the Parallax one-shot. This issue doesn’t focus on the action and chaos of the “Sinestro Corps War,” but rather the more psychological and emotional side. While it’s somewhat difficult to sympathize with such a villain, Burnett does an excellent job making Henshaw a character you will genuinely almost feel bad for. Henshaw offers his services and offers the WarWorld not for personal gain, but as a bargaining chip, hoping Sinestro and the Anti-Monitor will grant him death. But there is also more to the situation. There is one thing Henshaw wants before death and Burnett does an excellent job of unraveling this throughout the issue.
It’s been a long time since Henshaw’s origin was fully realized in Adventures of Superman #466. 17 years to be exact. Burnett does a fantastic job retelling Henshaw’s origin. The Fantastic Four-esque space accident that led his wife and crewmen to their demise and left his body to deteriorate, all the way up to the point of joining Sinestro is all covered. Burnett’s usage of compressed storytelling is well done as all the major plots and stories involving Henshaw are retold. What’s even more interesting is that these stories are told from Henshaw’s point of view, providing motivations for such events as the destruction of Coast City. Even more intriguing is the way Henshaw keeps these stories connected, every event having one thing in common; Superman. Henshaw ultimately blames Superman for what has happened to him. I won’t elaborate further because it’s all history and re-told rather well in this issue. But the bottom line is that before the tragic villain Cyborg Superman gets his wish of death, he desires to see the “true” death of Superman for all the pain he’s caused.
The psychological and emotional stress Superman has caused Henshaw is really the center of this issue. The scene where Henshaw exhumes his wife’s corpse and proceeds to rip it in half in a fit of grief is both tragic and vomit-worthy. Like the Parallax one-shot, this issue focuses primarily on the way the character feels and what his motivations are during the war. The way Burnett tells the story, and the amount of story he coherently applies to this issue, is stellar. While I never considered why Henshaw would want the ultimate demise of Superman, it all makes perfect sense. It also makes sense that Sinestro would recruit Henshaw. Sinestro needs someone of take out the non Green Lantern heroes, while Superboy-Prime has yet to make his move. Hank Henshaw is currently Sinestro’s right hand man, especially since Henshaw has control over the Manhunters.
As the Manhunters battle the Justice League and Sinestro moves WarWorld into the position to invade Earth, Henshaw takes his fight straight to Superman. However, Burnett introduces yet another dynamic to Henshaw’s current motivations and frame of mind. While the Anti-Monitor has said Henshaw will get his wish of death, Henshaw tells Superman the only way to stop him is to kill him. While it’s been seen before, it’s always interesting to see a villain try and push Superman to killing them so that they can die. Henshaw even acknowledges that perhaps Superman is the only way he can die, which opens up the possibilities for Henshaw to push Superman to the limits. However, the more I think about it, I don’t think it will be Superman that kills Henshaw, but it will be Hal Jordan. With lethal force enabled on the rings, there is very little stopping Hal Jordan from killing Hank Henshaw and avenging Coast City.
I enjoyed the artwork in this issue as well. Patrick Blaine took great care of the details with his pencils and the characters come together quite nicely. I appreciated the way he differentiated the past from the present as he altered his style to give the flashbacks a different look. While some of the Justice League, i.e., Vixen and Black Canary, looked a bit awkward, his Superman looked fantastic. For some reason I felt there was a “90s” type vibe to the artwork, or maybe it was just me harkening back to the Cyborg Superman’s creation with Dan Jurgens. Either way, great artwork featured throughout.
There’s not much else to say besides this issue is a must have for fans of “The Sinestro Corps War.” It’s also great for anyone who wants a look inside the mind of a “tragic villain.” Alan Burnett crafts a great story and a great segue into Green Lantern #24, as well as a plethora of questions surrounding how Hank Henshaw will ultimately die.
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