All along I have said that this read as a nostalgic love letter to the fans of the man of steel. It has been pitch perfect in it's portrayal of Superman. He has been a man of integrity, compassion, and strength. He always comes back to the fact that he is here to help and with that simple tenet he immediately becomes a role model for the weary people of Metropolis.
But more importantly, I think this issue resonated a bit more for me this simply because of what is happening with Superman elsewhere. This month I can read Superman talking to his supporting characters and fighting Metallo in the streets of Metropolis ... or I can read him walking through Detroit and playing pick-up basketball. For me it is sort of a no-brainer.
With Superman on the run from Luthor and the army, General Lane attempts to overrun the Daily Planet.
One theme that I liked here was the fear of Superman being an alien. Look at the fear ... the shock ... on Lois' and Perry's faces; as if Superman being a mutant-human is so much easier to accept. But here it is a jarring revelation, like a kick to the gut ... so wonderfully rendered by Gary Frank. Wide-eyed, the Planet's staff needs to wrap their collective heads around this revelation. Superman is still a relative unknown. Do his actions speak louder than his ancestry? Does this shake their trust in him?
This is a different sort of fear than the one seen in the New Krypton storyline; this one is more subtle.
Now one thing I don't necessarily like how Superman is fighting the US military in these last chapters. Even if these are Lane's men, trained to follow orders, and fearful of Superman, it is still hard for me to think of them as the 'villains' in this book.
That said, this splash page is lovely.
Luthor successfully resuscitates John Corben, creating Metallo. Fueled by Kryptonite, Metallo joins the fray. Trust me, he isn't happy and he begins thrashing Superman. Enraged and out of control, he lashes out against friend and foe alike.
So much of this story is Johns defining Superman's character and the reaction of the people of Metropolis. Despite facing one of the few people who can hurt him, despite Lois' pleas to leave and save himself, Superman stays ... fighting on ... never giving up. Metallo is threatening the people in the area and Superman can't leave them. In a nice visual cue, the real monster of this scene is literally unmasked. Who is more alien here? Who is the bigger threat? Superman or Metallo?
At least Superman has an understanding of what a soldier should be ... a protector. I think Superman realizes now that maybe he is, in a sense, a soldier. He is a protector of the people. And if he needs to put his life on the line to protect them, he will. Flown into the thin air of the upper atmosphere, Metallo falls unconscious.
Another recurring theme in this book has been Superman's ability to inspire, to raise the hopes of an entire city. As much as I don't necessarily like Superman fighting the army, I don't know if I like some ordinary folks rising up either. In particular, I don't think the soldier defending Superman in panel one deserves getting hit with a bottle in panel two.
But just when it looks like mob violence is going to erupt, here comes Superman again reinforcing his belief that we all need to help each other; we need to improve each others' lives.
It is a simple premise but it defuses the moment. Superman just seems to transcend all the politics, all the fear, all the anger in the people there.
In a spectacular homage to the Superman animated series as well as Superman:Man of Steel, Superman confronts Luthor outside his penthouse office. Luthor even tosses a statue through the window like in the Animated series premiere movie.
It is clear. Superman will be watching Luthor from now on.
And we see the beginnings of a romance, the fire of love just beginning to smolder.
I love Frank's Lois.
And we see that the fickle finger of Luthor isn't the supreme power it once was. People are starting to look to each other rather than looking to Lex. Gone is the bleating crowd begging for his love. That view from the balcony looks more like a view from a prison. Maybe some foreshadowing?
Instead, we see a new Metropolis, people are looking up. Even the angry elderly woman from earlier in the series is forgiving now. Everything has changed. Superman has inspired a city to reach higher.
I haven't hidden how much I love this mini-series. It is clear that Geoff Johns has a love of this character, an understanding of what Superman should be ... a bright light to guide people, to lead by example.
But for me the thing that impresses me the most about this mini-series is that despite re-telling a 70 year old story, it felt fresh. This isn't a radical new take on the Superman origin. This isn't John Byrne's new look and feel of Krypton, his more confident Clark. This isn't Mark Waid's Birthright Superman where Clark goes off to Africa to get in touch with life and Superman has a 'life detecting aura power'. There wasn't anything new here ... but it was all new too. Does that make sense? It felt almost like when an oil painting is restored, when a layer of wear is removed and the colors are bright once more; suddenly it looks like a new masterpiece.
I have talked about Johns' ability to update Silver Age concepts of the Superman mythos. But, as I have said before, I also like how Johns' seems to be able to take concepts from the Superman of film and television and fold those into the mix. Let's face it, there are some people out there whose only understanding of Superman is from the animated series or the Donner film. So why not add some of the best of that stuff here. What you get is the most inclusive origin story, but silky smooth.
In many ways I am sad that this series, despite all its delays, is over. As of now, there is no comic where Superman is in Metropolis, acting as Clark Kent, working for the Daily Planet, and fighting super-villains.
Overall grade (issue): B/B+
Overall grade (series): A
5 comments:
As much as I just adored the DCU main Earth intended official re-telling of Superman's origin story (and I did) I also just cant help but feel extremely disapointed in Geoff for not having managed to some how include cousin Kara into it all to. I mean he could've even had the very first issue itself open with the reader looking through the eyes of a baby Kal-El who's just happening to be starring happily right at a 16 year old Kara (who's babysitting him for her aunt Lara and uncle Jor-El at the time) on Krypton, when suddenly, Kara is startled to hear a sudden explosion occur near by (destruction of Krypton now starting to play out), which inturn would've had both Jor-El and Lara as well as Zor-El and Alura suddenly appear in a state of sheer panic where a now crying Kal is being taken carefully out of his loving niece's arms while Zor and Alura try to whisk their daughter away all at very same time only with this short scene and flashback on Krypton closing on both baby Kal and Kara trying to reach out in desperation for one another. Man how Id've given my whole entire right side of my body to have had seen something like that! Something which acknowledged Kara in this all new retelling. *lets out a disapointed sigh* Alas, Geoff chose to include Krypto and the Legion of Super-Heroes yet for some odd reason declined to include cousin Kara and that just felt so wrong to me.
Your review of this issue and the mini-series as a whole is spot on.
It definately establishes Geoff Johns as perhaps the definative Superman writer of this generation, and that JMS has some pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to writing Superman.
Also, it is this issue, (and the mini-series as a whole) that solidifies my belief that the "New Krypton" storyline became doomed the moment Geoff Johns left the Super-books.
Don't get me wrong, Gates, Robinson and Rucka are all good writers, but they made Superman a supporting character in the stories of Mon-EL, the Legion, Nightwing and Flamebird, Supergirl, and even Zod, when it should have been the other way around.
When you describe how "Superman just seems to transcend all the politics, all the fear, all the anger in the people there," that should have been Superman's role in the War of the Supermen, not helplessly lost in a "War of the Generals" pissing contest between Zod and Lane.
If Geoff Johns had stayed onboard the Super-books for "New Krypton," it probably would have been the biggest Superman story since "Death of Superman," perhaps even surpassing Johns own "Blackest Night" work in Green Lantern.
Instead, we got the rushed, sloppy conclusion that was surpassed in both quaility and storytelling by the hour-long season finale of Smallville Season 9.
Anj wrote:
"Now one thing I don't necessarily like how Superman is fighting the US military in these last chapters. Even if these are Lane's men, trained to follow orders, and fearful of Superman, it is still hard for me to think of them as the 'villains' in this book."
I agree 100%
When you describe how "Superman just seems to transcend all the politics, all the fear, all the anger in the people there," that should have been Superman's role in the War of the Supermen, not helplessly lost in a "War of the Generals" pissing contest between Zod and Lane.
I agree. We saw some of that early on in the book when he showed the Kryptonians a new way of thinking and doing things. Then the book sort of lost it's way. It's a shame ... those first 3-4 issues were great.
I readily admit that the team of Johns and Frank were the draw for me getting this book initially, NOT a retelling of Superman's origin story. My sentiments are somewhat different at the end of it. I found it a more mature retelling that fit fairly well with what is going on in the Super titles now. It succeeds in being a complementary mini to the Super titles on the whole. And it gets an extra bonus for its timing, providing us with what the Superman title has lacked for over a year now - stories involving Superman taking down villains in the traditional sense (if such a thing exists). Oh, yeah...and Gary Frank's work is truly spectacular.
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