Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen Who killed Jimmy Olsen?

Fraction (the Hawkeye series) and Lieber (the Whiteout series) knock out a densely plotted but accessible mystery, winner of the Ringo prize, that offers a charming antidote to comics' grim and gritty trend. Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen is presumed dead--now Jimmy must locate his own suspected murderer before Lex Luthor can seize control of Metropolis. When Jimmy's journalistic connections begin dying in darkly humorous ways, he goes undercover to solve the crimes and host a podcast that pranks the DC Universe's heroes, with especially ill-advised jabs at Batman (like starting a phone-in campaign as to whether Robin should live or die) that draw the Dark Knight's ire. Fraction's set pieces span from Jimmy's impromptu marriage in Gorilla City to a Goldfinger parody and a blood-vomiting Red Lantern cat, all against the backstory of Metropolis's founding by warring clans of Luthors and Olsens. The final act pulls all the characters back on stage for a big street fight to determine the future of the Daily Planet. Lieber's art achieves a sharp simplicity of design that echoes great Superman tales from the 1960s, and Nathan Fairbairn's restrained coloring contrasts the idiosyncratic story beats. This spin on the DC Universe's wackier concepts is joyfully irreverent. (Oct.)

Jimmy Olsen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning goofball who holds the distinction of being Superman's very best friend, takes center stage in this screwball epic from Fraction (November. Vol. 3) and Leiber (Quantum and Woody. Vol. 4: Quantum and Woody Must Die!). After an insane stunt undertaken to impress a young fan results in the accidental demolition of a landmark called the Monarch of Metropolis, Jimmy finds himself targeted for assassination and quickly thereafter assumed dead. Reinventing himself as "Timmy Olsen, Irresponsible Blogger," Jimmy moves to Gotham City and launches an investigation into who wants him dead, and why. Following a clash with his cold, business-minded brother Julian, Jimmy reunites with his sister Janie, a playwright and poet, and draws her into an increasingly complex caper involving a prank war with Batman, the mystery at the heart of an intergenerational family feud between the Olsens and Lex Luthor's ancestors, a remorseful villain called the Porcadillo, and an interdimensional jewel thief, Jixelle, fleeing a vicious alien invader hoping to marry and murder her. VERDICT This dazzlingly unpredictable, pleasantly surreal celebration of Silver Age comics is one of the most purely enjoyable, unashamedly fun, and funny mainstream releases in years. [An LJ 2020 Best Book.]