Superman is often hard to relate to, more admired than loved. He is a pillar of moral fortitude. He is exceeds the average human’s abilities in nearly every way. The circumstances of his birth, and his immigration to earth are extraordinary. Everything about him is different from us. He is goodness, justice, strength and power that we will never fully internalize. Well, maybe you will, but most of us, nah.
So, how can we be made to understand this deity of the panel and page? “Superman Unchained” #3 finds a way to inject some humanity into this definitively inhuman character, Snyder and Lee take an approach that is both surprising and inspired. In this issue, Superman is allowed to be a god, but the entire institution of hero worship is called into practice. By putting this giant lens on the subject, they develop his humanity through forced perspective.
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Jim LeeSuperman’s found out the secret the U.S. Army tried desperately to keep from him—or more specifically, that secret’s found him! But with hijacked drone aircraft tearing Tokyo apart, there’s not much time for mystery…and with Lois Lane on the case as well, what’s in the darkness will come to the light!
This issue of “Superman Unchained” is titled, “Answered Prayers.” Immediately evoking images of religious practice the creative team sets the lead character on a pedestal and quickly sets about destroying the perch, creating one hell of an unlikely underdog in the process. Earlier in the run, a character who was bigger, stronger, faster and more ingratiated to the United States government was introduced as a foil for Superman. In issue #3, we learn that he is called Wraith, and that he possesses the capacity to take on problems that seem too morally questionable for the title character. While Superman exercises restraint, never seeking to control the fate of the world, Wraith and his government handlers have been shaping the political landscape of the entire globe for decades.
Superman’s lack of activism is called into question as he is reprimanded for his need to connect personally with humanity. As Sam Lane taunts Superman calling him a coward and a disappointment, he echoes the theological question that has plagued the faithful and the faithless alike since the dawn of time: why does god allow suffering? By casting Superman as a failing god, the team somehow makes him more human, allowing readers to connect with the character.
Snyder’s writing lends a consistently and subtly directs the audience’s attention to the theme of this issue. Throughout the story, religious rhetoric and imagery pull this theme into focus. In an early confrontation with Wraith and his army handlers, Superman is forced to his knees. He refuses to address the opposing forces in this position, symbolically rejecting the idea of prayer. He is determined to stand equal to this force, and asserts himself as a godlike figure. Wraith on the other hand is painted as a merciful intercessor, putting a stop to the assault on the hero, and providing him with answers despite the direction of Lane and the other military men. As he tries to reason with the hero, he tells him submission is easier than rebellion, illustrating how powerless Superman is in this moment. The imagery carries through the subplots of the issue as well. Lois aboard a small plane is saved by a mysterious, miraculous force. Luthor’s escape from his captors is accomplished by separating his consciousness from his physical body. This raises questions about the the residence of the soul and the essence of spirituality.
This issue allows readers to see Superman elevated to the divine level, but insists that divinity has it’s own set of problems. As readers we relate to characters because of their struggles, perhaps Snyder and Lee have finally created a set of struggles large enough to help us connect with this character.
Lee’s artwork retains his signature stamp, delivering the style that we’ve come to expect. His layouts and angles remain inspired, giving the story a unique quality of movement. Retaining the stylistic marriage of sinew and structure, the art here could belong to no one else. The interaction between Lois and her environment has a distinct tonal quality that makes it stand out from the rest of the visuals within the book. She is somehow softer and more ferocious than the rest of the characters in this series. Lee captures her uniquely real world dilemma well, making the supernatural reveal at the culmination of her story stand out.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this issue is the way that it dissects the idea of ‘answered prayers.’ Why would we assume that we can transform the will of the divine with our pleas? Isn’t it more likely that when a prayer is answered, we have been lucky enough to stumble on the will of god? That we happen to want what the Almighty wants? Why do we preserve this perception that we have the ear of the forces that shape heaven and earth? Is an answered prayer anything more than a losing sight of our own will, and falling in line with the divine plan? The pages of this issue call the illusion of control into question. In “Superman Unchained” #3 we as readers are asked to consider the possibility that nothing is as it seems, and we must question who is pulling the strings behind the events that seem so large that they are almost acts of god. Who is shaping the world? What divine conspiracy is at work, making the man of steel seem like just a man?
Final Verdict: 8.2 – The gospel according to the big blue boy scout, can’t miss this one.
