Adventure Comics Special featuring the Guardian #1 - DC

This issue is actually like a 1-shot, within a 1-shot. Let me explain. The Jimmy Olsen special takes place between the pages of the Atlas story-line that ran through the Superman books. Actually, near, or at, the end of that story-line would be more accurate. Well in that book, Jimmy travels to New Mexico to find Jim Harper, actually the second one . . the clone that actually worked and was the Guardian for a while. This issue takes place between pages 53 and 54 of that book. That's when Jimmy finds Jim's trailer, and then leaves after they've talked. This particular issue, details that conversation, and gives us some insight into the choices that Jim's made because of it. Basically Jim became disillusioned with his role at Cadmus, after finding a testing facility with clones of his father, the original Jim Harper, in various stages of evolution. In his words, " . . I saw a Bosch painting of my alternative existences. None of them being anything but vile and sick and an insult to the memory of the first Jim Harper and Paul Kirk, too, for that matter." So he destroyed them all and took himself out of the picture. Jimmy actually does help him though, because he tells him that it was Jonathan Drew, Codename: Assassin, that had killed the original Jim Harper. He didn't know that. And in turn, he gives Jimmy some information in confirming that the government does indeed have a plan to kill Superman. In the end we find out 2 things. First it appears that Jim has a daughter, Gwendoline. We later find out that it was actually one of the clones at the facility, and he rescued her. We also see that because of his conversation with Jimmy, he's decided to return to the real world, and we see him on the outskirts of Metropolis just as the Kryptonians from Kandor are entering. I thought James Robinson did an excellent job with this story. I really like the way these 1-shots are all flowing together with the regular Superman titles. The artist was Pere Perez. I wasn't thrilled at first. But, as we started moving along through the book, I got more and more accustomed to it. By the end, I thought his style fit the story perfectly. I think it'll be good to see the Guardian back in the picture again.