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Review: Superman #8

By | April 27th, 2012
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Oh no, I’ve seen enough anime to know how this ends.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t get too dirty past the cut, this is a family blog after all!

Written by Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by by Dan Jurgens and Jesus Merino

Superman, agent of the Daemonites?! How has Helspont bent The Man of Steel to his will

Ever since the formation of the New 52, one thing on everyone’s mind was how the Wildstorm characters would fit in their new home inside the DC Universe? Outside of the books like Stormwatch, Grifter, and Voodoo, the rest of the Wildstorm Universe was largely absent.

However, a few months into reading the New 52, it became quite clear that the Superman family was going to become an anchor for properties like Gen 13 and even Wildcats; with Fairchild, Fuji, and Grunge showing up in the pages of Superboy and now with Helspont in the pages of the self-titled “Superman.”

It makes a bit of sense too. The Teen Titans current status quo feels quite similar to the premise of Gen 13; and in Wildcats, there was a sort of Superman stand-in in the character of Mr. Majestic. They have a lot of dissimilarities to be sure, but in the most basic sense, that’s what they are. One can ask how this will affect Mr. Majestic’s entry into the world, but that’s neither here nor there, the point is that Helspont is obsessed with Superman, going so far as to dissect his every action to see how much of an asset/threat he could possibly be.

The plot of this book is a bit of a head scratcher; however, just because you’d think after Helspont’s detailed analysis of the Man of Steel, he’d realize that his plan to manipulate Clark would fail, at least on the superficial level. It remains to be seen if the nasty little hentai tentacle beast on the cover is analogous to a nightmarish Black Mercy; not only putting Clark through a nightmare of humanity rejecting him, but a larger, more intricate mind game similar to how Maxwell Lord affected his mind shortly before Infinite Crisis.

However, while Helspont himself is a bit confusing, the book benefits from the creative team of Giffen and Jurgens. Both of the creators, who have been writing stories for 30+ years, know how to tell a story without it dragging. If this story were told by anyone else, it would have probably been told over twice as many issues with tons more fluff in it. One of the most pleasant things in the book is also the consistent usage of the Daily Planet team, which is something I had been pining for forever. And even though there is a LOT of exposition in the book, it is offset really well by the kind of humor Giffen became known for in the 80’s, albeit a toned down, less goofy, humor. If the book does drag a little, it’s because Helspont, the villain, is a bit of a blowhard, like all the great operatic villains tend to be.

Even Clark can get a little speechy, and he does, in true Superman form. Does it drag? A little, that’s for sure. But it does lay some fears to rest about the characterization of Clark in the New 52. There was some talk that he would be less human than he used to be, with a closer relationship to his Kryptonian roots. I was worried because the most admirable thing about the Last Son of Krypton is his humanity. It’s certainly a welcome sight to see that Giffen and Jurgens understand that.

It’s also great that the daily Planet staff gets to be true supporting players. Lois and even her sister discussing Clark, while it doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, it’s a welcome sight to see Lois portrayed as her normal sassy self. Even Jimmy, the other part of the Planet staff in the book this month, gets some of his trademark goofiness, even while in an admittedly dark alternate timeline presented where everyone hates Superman.

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As for the art, Jurgens and Merino are a killer team. Jurgens by himself is already one of the best artists still working in comics today, and the finishes, provided by Merino, accentuate and polish Jurgens even more than you think he could, much like how Merino finished the great George Perez’s layouts before Giffen and Jurgens took over, his work finds a way to add new depth to an already impressive art style.

If you’re a Superman or a Wildstorm fan, you likely won’t be disappointed. Even if you’re a fan of Giffen’s trademark writing, you’ll likely enjoy it. If you like compressed storytelling that ends with you feeling like something HAPPENED, you’ll dig it too. But if you’re not already a fan, this won’t convert you to a worshipper of the S on his chest. You might enjoy the tight storytelling, however. Leaf through it.

Final Verdict: 6.9 — Browse/Buy


Gilbert Short

Gilbert Short. The Man. The Myth. The Legend. When he's not reading comic books so you don't have to, he's likely listening to mediocre music or watching excellent television. Passionate about Giants baseball and 49ers football. When he was a kid he wanted to be The Ultimate Warrior. He still kind of does. His favorite character is Superman and he will argue with you about it if you try to convince him otherwise. He also happens to be the head of Social Media Relations, which means you should totally give him a follow onTwitter.

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