Written by George Perez
Illustrated by Jesus MerinoThe new adventures of Superman begin here! What is The Man of Steel’s startling new status quo? How does it affect Lois Lane and The Daily Planet? There’s no time for answers now, because Superman must stop a monstrous threat to Metropolis — one that he somehow is the cause of!
This week, the DCnU closes out its debut month with the first appearance of the current Superman. Sure, there was Action Comics a few weeks ago, but that was set in the past; this is Superman as he currently is! He is an established hero a few short years later, working for a newly conglomerate Daily Planet and still pining for Lois Lane. But does this translate into a worth jumping on point for the Man of Steel?
Check beyond the cut!
George Perez is a legend in the comics industry. He is probably one of the most popular artists in history as well, if only because of his recognizable style and iconic imagery. From his work with the Teen Titans to Wonder Woman to Superman, he has done it all. Now he’s trying to relaunch the most recognizable character in comics with Superman #1 — and he does a good job.
Scratch that; it’s a great job. It’s all there, from Lois to Perry White. A glaring absence would be the lack of Lex Luthor, but this is probably because he’s part of Morrison’s origin at Action Comics. It would be silly to have him in both books, and this gives Perez a chance to play with new characters.
Perez even uses the opportunity to comment about going out with the old to the inevitability of change. The first page opens to the implosion of a very (and likely purposefully) familiar Daily Planet building being destroyed to make way for a new Daily Planet. The symbolism of the scene is important to what’s going on internally and externally of the title, with even Superman looking on with a certain wistful nostalgia.
However, even though we see the destruction of the old, the new and gleaming Daily Planet skyscraper reflects not only the newness of the DCnU but it also reflects how the real world has changed the way it gets its news. Print news is dying, and being replaced with the internet and 24-Hour News Cycles. The Daily Planet’s status quo has changed to take advantage of this, and we even get our own re-imagined Morgan Edge as an African-American Rupert Murdoch, instead of the White one he originally was. (One might even ask if this will tie-into Justice League, which features the OG Morgan Edge’s old Boss, Darkseid).
But speaking of tie-ins, here’s where we go into things that didn’t work as well as they should have. There is a callback to a book from the beginning of the month (which has likely sold out by now) that was neither necessary nor did it even fit in place with the rest of the book. Not many people seemed to like Stormwatch, and unless the “tie-in” with this title pays off in the next issue, it will just sit there as a segue to nothing. That’s not how you get new readers, by trying to foist books for no real reason.
Moreover, while Perez told a fine story, it felt like he or the editors didn’t have much confidence in the artist Jesus Merino, who not only worked from breakdowns that Perez himself provided, but was “assisted” by heavy amounts of exposition. If there’s one thing Perez should know as an artist, it’s that with this being a visual medium you should show, not simply tell. It’s kind of a shame though, because Merino did an excellent job with what he was given. His work is bright and action packed; with some great character designs (more on that later). The emotions on the entire cast’s faces are palpable, and there’s a real sense of grace and power in his pencils. I would have liked to see what he could have done if he had more meat to work with, though. The exposition really hides some of his best work.
Continued belowThat’s not to say it’s perfect, though. Some of the character designs are, as I alluded to earlier, curious. Jimmy Olsen, for instance, looks nearly identical to one Justin Bieber (first Snoop, now Bieber?). Now, I don’t have any feeling on the little kid one way or another, but while Jimmy is supposed to be young, I don’t think he should look older five years ago than he does today. Technically speaking, it’s an excellent idea, but the choice of subject to reference from was distracting.
The book works on many levels, but doesn’t quite reach the level of it’s companion title, and it would have been better if it felt like Perez trusted his talented artist a bit more. In the end, it’s no Action Comics, but it’s still a worthy addition to the Superman franchise, and a good jumping on point for fans. Check it out.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
