Lets get one thing out of the way, unless Adam Kubert has had some major personal problems, there is no excuse whatsoever for this comic to have taken something like ten months to get here. That said, however, this is an absolutely great end to a very good arc.
Needless to say, I recommend re-reading the earlier issues in the arc to get the full impact of this issue seeing as how the better part of a year has past since this last came out and there's a pretty good chance that you won't remember everything that came before. I know I certainly didn't. This, along with the typical annoying Silver Age elements that are now sadly a biug part of the Superman mythos, is the only reason that I'm giving this issue anything less than 5 stars for story because it was in every other way a stellar read. It was suitably epic as Superman and some of his greatest allies and enemies confronted an invasion from bloodthirsty Kryptonian criminals, complete with a heroic sacrifice at the end. It also had tons of great smaller moments as well, from Lex Luthor especially.
Also worth mentioning is, though I have not been a great fan of the Chris Kent character in his other appearances, the ending with him being banished back to the Phantom Zone was genuinely quite moving even if this does mean that all those stories told with him over the past year have been set somewhere in the midst of this pretty packed arc.
On the art side of things, while I do think the lateness is seriously unprofessional, I cannot deny that Kubert's work here is simply staggering. His bold character work is excellent but it is the hyper detailed background and his cinematic story telling, along with some striking, dynamic colouring from Edgar Delgado, that really impresses; pushing the story to an even higher level of excellence.
All in all, while I understand the temptation to boycott work that is this untimely, I very highly recommend this arc, which I assume will be collected soon enough, to anyone who has been enjoying what Geoff Johns has been doing with title recently - and, indeed, to anyone who enjoys great superhero comics.
Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 5 - Excellent
