“Superman: Lost” #1

What would happen if Superman was separated from everything he ever knew for decades, but then came back to mere moments after he left? That’s the question raised by “Superman: Lost,” as Priest, Pagulayan, Paz, and Cox send Superman on a lengthy solo journey, separate from everything and everyone he knows in the DC Universe.

Let’s see how this journey begins (with some spoilers).

Written by Christopher Priest
Illustrated by Carlo Pagulayan
Inked by Jason Paz
Colored by Jeromy Cox
Lettered by Willie Schubert

After Superman is called away on a routine Justice League mission, Lois Lane awakens to find a complete stranger standing in her living room. The Man of Steel, home much sooner than expected, reveals he has, in fact, been lost in space for 20 years. Nothing and no one seem familiar to him anymore, and the timeless bond between them has been severed…or has it? Can love conquer all? Superman’s 85th anniversary celebration continues with this allnew blockbuster 10-issue series from the creators of the Eisner-nominated Deathstroke series!

The first issue of “Superman: Lost” provides the setup for the 10-issue mini-series, showing us how Superman got lost in space and the impact it has on him. But what makes the execution interesting is how we (along with Lois and Bruce Wayne) see him after he’s already returned, physically appearing no different, but clearly impacted by the experience nonetheless.

This gives the story a foregone conclusion, for better and worse. We know Superman finds his way back to a point just hours after he left, but we also know it takes 20 years. This gives writer Christopher Priest an opportunity to tell a story that takes Superman away from Earth, from the Justice League, and from Lois to spend years in unexplored corners of the DC universe… all without changing the status quo.

So this will certainly be a case where it’s the journey, rather than the destination, although going by the solicitation, a big part of the story is going to be what happens after his return. (I like to think of it as Frodo returning to the Shire to see that it hadn’t changed, but he had.)

If the core of this comic is the relationship between Clark and Lois, and how Clark’s 20 years away puts a strain on that, then the start of the issue really needs to show us the strength of said relationship at the start. And this issue… does it okay, but I’m not really feeling it.

Now, the scene we get with Lois and Clark discussing the story Lois is working on, their views on cynicism vs optimism, and how they both tend to focus and fixate on their work, is quite good from a character standpoint. There’s even some good banter, like Clark’s “our car’s not full of money” joke. Though because they spend so much time debating and bantering, there’s barely any time to really feel their connection outside of a quick kiss before getting back to work.

With that said… it’s Superman and Lois Lane. We know who they are. We know their relationship. It’s okay to give us banter rather than re-establish the love that we already know is there.

Although Lois is only part of Superman’s circle. We also have the Justice League, albeit shown in a flashback narration. One thing this scene does well is give each distinct member a chance to show off their powers (well, almost each member; Green Arrow mostly just gets to snark) and showcase their teamwork. It’s a nicely done scene that establishes the danger, why Superman had to be the one to face it, and the overall heroism and ingenuity of the team. (Although I don’t see why Wonder Woman had to eject from the invisible jet and send it crashing, surely there are less wasteful ways to get her out of it.) Even in the narration, we get some nice lines from Superman about why he chooses to take these risks; it’s a good character-driven moment.

So with all that said, this issue serves as good setup for the story to kick off, and gives us enough mystery about what’s ahead for Superman that it leaves us eagerly awaiting the next.

Visually, Carlo Pagulayan’s artwork, with inking by Jason Paz and colors by Jeromy Cox, is all very solid. The bold linework makes everyone stand out nicely, with distinctive silhouettes and designs that capture their personalities. This is no surprise, considering the team has worked together in the past, so writer and artists are all familiar with each others’ strengths.

We also get some moments of nice visual storytelling, like when Lois sees Clark staring off as though in a trance after his return. Similarly, the way the panel sizes and placement control the pacing during the scene with the Justice League in action is very well done, especially as it’s used to dynamically highlight each character in motion.

Plus, there are some scenes that feature excellent composition all around. Superman catching a falling car, the Justice League flying in to save the day, and Superman floating through space all utilize some great visual angles, dynamic positioning, and character placement that pulls readers in to the action.

The colors by Jeromy Cox also work well, utilizing bright colors but also dark shadows to give the characters presence and depth. (Admittedly, the dark shadows can be a little much at times for some of the characters, but that’s a minor point.) Perhaps the strongest color work actually shows up in the backgrounds. For instance, while it would be easy enough to set the Justice League scene at any point during the day and leave the background with a regular blue sky, this scene is set just at the start of sunset, so we get multiple shades of color across the sky. Or when the team goes underwater, the surrounding seascape is illuminated with shades of blues and greens.

However, the most engaging page visually has got to be the last one, where we see Superman floating in space. The way he hangs upside-down (from our perspective, since there is no up or down in space) draws the reader’s eyes down, until we see a strange, warped world behind him. The way space bends with strange angles and colors adds to the impact of the moment, taking us beyond the familiar and into a strange new space. Jeromy’s colors work nicely here as well, following the grey and black of space through Superman’s blue and red, before hitting us with odd colorations spreading across the world behind him.

As I said, great visual storytelling.

“Superman: Lost” #1 has some ups and downs, but the ups certainly outweigh the downs. It sets up the story well, drawing us in with the question of Clark’s journey and what comes after, while utilizing great artwork that adds to the story. Will it be able to keep this momentum? We’ll have nine more issues to see.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – A strong start to the mini-series that establishes the story and draws us in with its mysteries.