John Byrne, along with Marv Wolfman continue to deliver solid Superman storytelling in Man of Steel volume 2. This collection sees Superman battle Metallo, team up with the Teen Titans and face down 
various mad scientists all while Lex Luther schemes in the background. 

As with most superhero stories for me this volume was made by its supporting cast. Lana Lang plays a significant role in issue 2 as Luthor hunts her down for information on Superman. Lana's resilience and refusal to bend in the face of Luthor's torture was such a strong moment for her character. Marv Wolfman in his run on Adventures of Superman spotlights the Lane family as they deal with the fallout of Elinor Lane's cancer diagnose and we check in on Lucy after her misadventures with Bizzaro and Superman in volume 1. New characters like gossip columnist Carey Grant, a new member of the Daily Planet crew, adds a fun new dynamic to the office as a potential rival for Clark's affections.

The bulk of this volume is a multipart crossover following the schemes of Darkseid on Apocalypse. As someone who's generally unengaged by Darkseid stories I was pleasantly surprised that this story managed to engage me. Darkseid's plan while occasionally convoluted was interesting. I liked seeing the ways he manipulated the political factions on the planet for his own ends. It made him feel like a genuine threat with an iron grip on the planet. And overall I was hooked by the grandiose, almost Shakespearian drama of the story in general. 

Overall it was a solid volume and with strong writing from Wolfman especially I'm excited to read more from this run.