Week ending December 16, 2016 Dixon, Chuck & others (text) & Kevin Nowlan & others (illus.). Dark Horse Comics/DC Comics: Superman. Dark Horse/DC. Aug. 2016. 416p. ISBN 9781506702148. pap. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781630088057. SUPERHERO Featuring four tales of the legendary Superman clashing with characters typically published or licensed by publisher Dark Horse, this volume highlights rare work by some of the best creators in the business. The first story opens with Clark Kent investigating Lex Luthor’s latest chicanery, which quickly leads to a job only Superman can handle when xenomorphs, the hideous creatures made famous by the Alien film series, threaten a group of stranded astronauts. After a second tale pitting Superman in a rematch against the xenomorphs, this time with the classic New Gods of DC Comics at his side, the volume peaks with a reprint of The Superman/Madman Hullabaloo, written and illustrated by Madman creator Mike Allred. This story finds Superman and Madman switching both bodies and supporting casts, eventually climaxing with a fairly surreal game of Twister against an interdimensional being. The volume ends in a Superman crossover with Tarzan that is fun and fast paced if a little inessential. Verdict While some of the tales collected here might seem dated to today’s reader, fans of either Superman or the properties he’s interacting with should find plenty to enjoy.—Tom Batten, Grafton, VA Hagio, Moto. Otherworld Barbara. Vol. 1. Fantagraphics. Aug. 2016. 400p. tr. from Japanese by Matt Thorn. ISBN 9781606999431. $39.99. SF THRILLER Time travel, parallel universes, alternative identities, and bleed-through between dream and reality propel this convoluted mystery. While investigating the dreams of a lovely young woman who has remained asleep for seven years, doctor and dream detective Tokio Watarai discovers a phantom island called Barbara, where his estranged son, Kiriya, also finds refuge. As the coincidences pile up, murder, cannibalism, aliens, and artificial birth technologies enter into the conundrum of what Barbara might be and what the future could hold. Who is the dreamer and who is the dreamed? Can Tokio and Kiriya, who both long for connection, re-create a father-son bond? Hagio (The Heart of Thomas) is considered a founding mother of shōjo (girls) manga, and her wispy, swirling pen lines lend beauty and a dreamy ambiance to the story. She especially excels with silvery pale greyscale, which is punctuated by spare highlights of solid blacks. Verdict Veteran fans of Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon time/identity switches will enjoy leveling up to this more complex and more adult plot puzzle, which has won awards in Japan. Fine for teens but probably most satisfying for older readers. The second and concluding volume is due in August 2017.—Martha Cornog, Philadelphia