THIS is what we've been waiting for.

I'm going to use a phrase several times in this review, so I thought I would use an acronym to save on typing.  I knew it was coming, but it was a cool moment anyway, or IKIWCBIWACMA.

I've been reading all the Superman books this past year.  I really like how they've re-introduced classic characters and concepts like Mon-El, Nightwing and Flamebird.  I've really liked how they've explored New Krypton as a society and made it more complex and layered.  I like how Superman has been in a new situation with new kinds of stories where his powers aren't what make him special.  But I think most of us can agree that the books have felt like they've been in a bit of a holding pattern lately getting ready for something really big to happen, reminiscent of the buildup to Blackest Night.  Well, this is where the really big something begins.

If this is what we have to look forward to in War of the Supermen, sign me up.  You've got Zod, Ursa, Non, Brainiac, Luthor, Supergirl, Superboy, Mon-El, the Legion of Super-heroes, and of course Big Blue himself, Superman.  That's right, Superman, no longer Commander El.  Ripping off the uniform to reveal the classic costume?  IKIWCBIWACMA!  I laughed out loud thinking "He's been wearing that underneath the whole time?  Was he expecting it all to go wrong all along?  Were there times he almost ripped it off, but it turned out to be a false alarm?  How did the cape fit in there?"  But aside from the silliness, it was like a great release.  Yes, finally, the Superman we know and love is back.

Zod turning on Superboy and the Legion? IKIWCBIWACMA!  I love how you've got so many different characters with different motivations going into this, and we haven't even seen Nightwing, Flamebird, or General Lane and his crew yet.  There's a lot more to this than simply good guys vs. bad guys.

The Johns-esque reveal of Luthor on the last page?  IKIWCBIWACMA!  I've been waiting for him to make his entrance into the mess since the Adventure Comics issues, and now it's game on.

This whole massive saga has been a love letter to many different aspects of Superman's history while presenting a fresh and new angle on the man himself.  I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and the conclusion to this years-in-the-making (going back to Johns run right after Infinite Crisis, actually) epic.  As a Superman fan, I'm pumped!