Just in time for Man of Steel (but a little late for Django), the all star team of Scott Snyder and Jim Lee deliver the start of what looks to be a well rounded Superman story, one that pays homage to the characters’ exceptional 75 year history.
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Jim Lee
Backup Illustrated by Dustin NguyenWhen thirteen satellites fall from the sky in one day, the logical suspect is Lex Luthor—even though he’s still locked up in prison! But a stranger question remains: If Superman didn’t stop the last satellite from falling, who did? There’s a mystery hidden where even Superman can’t see it—Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE!
This debut issue also includes a bonus two-sided, tipped-in poster measuring 11.6875” x 18.875” that is part of the reading experience and can be easily removed for display!
Easily the New 52’s highest profile launch since “Justice League” #1, “Superman Unchained” comes at an odd time in the character’s history. On one hand, interest in Krypton’s last son is higher than it’s been in years, with the other Snyder’s theatrical interpretation soon reaching the masses. Unfortunately, Superman has had a rocky few years in his native medium, from the long drawn out “New Krypton” saga, to the much maligned “Grounded” arc, into the musical chair approach seen in the New 52. Fortunately, Snyder and Lee seem to be offering what DC has lacked for years, a proper and definitive Superman flagship book.
If you’ve ever read a Scott Snyder book, you likely already know what to expect from this issue. The book opens with a lengthly internal dialogue as Superman reflects wistfully on his childhood in Smallville. However, if you’ve ever read a Jim Lee book, you know that you can’t go long without a fair ammount of widescreen action, and that’s certainly the case here. Snyder’s character driven style takes the backseat to Lee’s larger than life pencils, culminating in the book’s big gimmick.
If you’re wondering why DC is asking $4.99 for this issue, it isn’t because it’s oversized, at least, not in the traditional since. Proving that Jim Lee’s pencils can’t be contained by a single page, or even a double page spread, the artist incorporates a two-sided 11.6875” x 18.875” poster into the story. All joking aside, the result is impressive, if not somewhat odd. The presentation doesn’t truly add anything special to the story, and I doubt many core comic fans are going to mar their issue by pulling the thing out and displaying it. It’s a gimmick that seems to stem out of pomp and excess, as opposed to a desire to innovate the medium.
Looking past the poster, Jim Lee’s art is as polarizing as ever. His sense of spectacle or posturing is as strong as ever, the opening flashback and subsequent space sequence are quite brilliant, truly capturing the scope of a character like Superman. However, Lee’s loose and scratchy style doesn’t work as well in non-action set pieces, where body language and facial expression are key factors in conveying the story. On more than one occasion, characters faces look unnaturally flat, comical and disorienting at the same time. Also, Lee’s interpretation of Superman’s physique fluctuates between the leaner New 52 version and a muscle-bound version straight out of the early 90’s.
Anatomical oddities aside, Snyder’s script does a great job of catching readers up on Superman’s New 52 status quo, such as his recent departure from Daily Planet, while crafting a story that is surprisingly free off continuity. Key supporting cast members of the Superman mythos, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and her General father, and Lex Luthor, are all introduced in ways that both the uninitiated and long time readers can latch on to. If Snyder and Lee play their cards right, the duo could have yet another evergreen hit on their hands.
Interestingly, the issue’s cliffhanger hook, teased at the beginning of the issue, bears a striking thematic similarity to one of Snyder’s earlier Superman works, the “Flashpoint: Project Superman” miniseries. How much influence that series will bear here remains to be seen, but it would be interesting to see Snyder to expand on its interesting but ultimately unfulfilled potential.
Continued belowIn spite of its brevity, it’s worth mentioning the two page epilogue story penciled by Dustin Nguyen. Nguyen’s moody pencils are rounder than his usual angular style, and considerably scratchier, meshing surprisingly well with Lee’s work. The epilogue, centered around Perry, Jimmy, and a fishing boat, sets up a disturbing new subplot. While the story features a certain element from the lead story, it’s unclear whether it will factor into Snyder’s central plot or form the basis for a secondary story-line. Hopefully, if it turns out to be the latter, future installments will be considerably lengthier.
Now that Snyder has a hand in both of DC’s biggest cookie jars, it’s going to be hard not to compare his work here to his critically acclaimed “Batman.” While this debut isn’t the grand slam that was “Batman” #1, “Superman Unchained,” pays homage to the character’s long history and successfully captures several key ingredients necessary for a good, and potentially great, Superman story, something that has become a rarity of late.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy. It’s good to see Superman out of those chains.
