Superman Annual #13 - DC

Rarely have I seen such a significant story-line, wrapped up in an Annual. Usually the Annuals serve as in intermediate chapter in an existing story-line. Or sometimes the springboard for a new one. But this time, they choose to use it to wrap up this Arion storyline, Camelot Falls, that has been running through the Superman titles for the last few months. Kurt Busiek writes it, and Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino draw it. The last chapter ended where Superman, who had just discovered Arion's stronghold, has covered it in a whirlpool. Bringing the entire weight of the ocean down upon him. This one starts out there, but before that, we see the Phantom Stranger leading Superman through a possible future of what may happen as far as Arion's predictions. But the main thing that Superman brings out of it, and his argument for Arion, is that no matter what happens, humans will not give up hope. Whether he helps them or not, they will never just willingly lie down in defeat. Eventually Superman does defeat Arion's defenses, and he believes, puts him in custody. Actually, Arion had set a safe-return spell in place, so upon his defeat he was whisked back to Paris, circa 17th century. And the person Superman has in custody, is actually Arion's impostor cloaked in a disguise spell. So, Arion is still in the past trying to plot a way to stop this impending threat. But, in the epilogue, it looks like Hassan-I-Sabbah, the Assassin Lord, upon his resurrection, has donned his new visage and moniker. He now calls himself, Khyber. So it appears that maybe this story isn't over. In the back-up they give us a little more heartwarming story by Kurt, Fabian Nicieza and Renato Guedes. It's about Superman taking all of his loved ones to a place he's calling Terabithia. Actually it's an alien planet, with no indigenous life, but it's still capable of supporting life. Really this whole story is about a lot of bonding. Karen and Chris bond, and Karen and Martha bond. Meanwhile Clark and his father re-bond, as he does with Chris. All in all it was just a nice day in the lives of the Superman Family. And it was a nice change from the lead story.