| Issue | #659 |
| Published | February 2007 |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Cover Price | 2.99 USD; 4.00 CAD |
| Pages | 36 |
| Editing | Matt Idelson; Nachie Castro (associate) |
| Notes | This issue went on sale 2007-02-21 (two months late from the original shipping date of 659, one month late from when the actual content was to ship). This issue was originally supposed to contain a Krypto story, but Kurt Busiek announced first on the DC Message Boards on 2007-01-25 and later on the Newsarama Message Boards on 2007-02-11 that that (completed) issue was pulled at the last minute at the executive level to be rescheduled later, so this issue contains what was solicited for #660. This was confirmed by DC via a press release on the day the issue shipped, 2007-02-21. Here's the solicitation text for the to-be-rescheduled issue: "Ever since the death of Superboy during the Infinite Crisis, fans have wondered what became of Krypto, and what those events meant for him. Now, writer Kurt Busiek is joined by sensational guest penciler Rick Leonardi (SUPERMAN RETURNS: LEX LUTHOR, BATGIRL, NIGHTWING) to tell a surprisingly touching tale of the Dog of Steel's most tragic days, laying the groundwork for Krypto's surprising future." (The solicited inks for this story were to be by Jesus Merino.) |
| Characters | Superman |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Pencils | Al Barrionuevo (signed) |
| Inks | Al Barrionuevo (signed) |
| Colors | Marta Martinez (signed) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Reprinted | in Superman: Redemption (DC, 2008 series) #nn ([January] 2008) [minus all text and the UPC] |
| Characters | Superman; Subjekt 17 (cameo); Arion [of Atlantis] (cameo); Barbara Johnson (intro, flashback); Challengers of the Unknown (photo); Aquaman (photo); Clockworks (flashback); Perry White (flashback); Lois Lane (flashback); Bay Lords gang (flashback); Michael Leon Polk (flashback); Bret Bradley (flashback) |
| Synopsis | Superman flashes back to early in his career; a woman named Barbara Johnson is about to be run over by a drunk driver, calls on the Lord to save her, and Superman appears and does so. She thinks he's an angel sent by heaven (even though he denies it). She goes home to watch the news, sees a train derailment occurring live, and prays for help. Superman arrives again to save the day. Several nights later, she runs across an armored car robbery, prays, and then physically intervenes herself. Sure enough, Superman arrives to save the day. She bows in front of him, calling him an angel, but he again says he just heard the explosion, and came to help, and says to keep out of harm's way. As he leaves, he overhears her still calling him an angel, and thinks that could be trouble. Sure enough, she keeps tracking down evil in Suicide Slum, and Superman keeps intervening to save her. Finally, she gets bold enough to take people from her church with her to confront the local gang, the Bay Demons, in their hangout. She confronts the leader, and goads him into shooting at her, expecting Superman to arrive again. Superman, although he hears her, is tied up saving an energy being that was tied up in Earth's magnetosphere, and can't come. Two days later, he finally makes it to the hospital where Barbara is recovering, and hears what happened. She tells him that, even though he didn't appear at her command, her actions still had a purpose; the neighborhood is outraged at the shooting, and cleaning out gang themselves. Back in the present, Superman looks into what Barbara has been doing since then (much good) and reflects on his influence in her life, and doubts Arion's message that he is influencing mankind in a bad way. |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Script | Kurt Busiek; Fabian Nicieza (co-plot]) |
| Pencils | Carlos Pacheco (pages 1 and 22); Peter Vale (pages 2-21) |
| Inks | Jesus Merino |
| Colors | Bruno Hang |
| Letters | Richard Starkings |
| Reprinted | in Superman: Redemption (DC, 2008 series) #nn ([January] 2008) [minus the credits and the next issue blurb] |
| Script | Dan Didio |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Dan discusses 52, and provides a clue (the first character of every third word reveals "The secret of fifty-two is that the multiverse still exists"). Ads for Superman #660, Batman Confidential #2, Justice Society of America #2, and Tales of the Unexpected #4. Appears on page 34 in this issue. |
| Notes | House ads for: Wonder Woman and Aquaman Sword of Atlantis #50. Appear in various places in the issue. |
| Notes | Total of 6 one-page and 2 two-page ads for: Castlevania Portrait of Ruin (video game, Konami), Children of Mana/Magical Starsign (video games, Nintendo, 2 pages), Magic the Gathering (card game, Wizards of the Coast), Death Junior (video game, Konami), Final Fantasy V Advance (video game, Square Enix, 2 pages), Killzone Liberation (video game, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe), Destroy All Humans 2 (video game, THQ), and abovetheinfluence (Partnership for a Drug-Free America). Appear in various places in the issue. |