Writer Tom King has made a name for himself thanks to early titles towards the beginning of his career such as “The Vision” and “Omega Men.” In 2016 King took on DC Comics premiere hero Batman in his own ongoing series. Now it’s time for King to take on DC’s other gem, Superman. Acclaimed and prolific comic book penciller Andy Kubert is joining him for the title which first went on sale in a series of Walmart-debuting comics. With the unfocused quality of recent “Batman” issues will “Superman: Up in the Sky” #1 be a worthy addition to The Man of Steel’s epic comic book history? Does Andy Kubert’s art stay focused and fluid for the remainder of the comic book store debut? The short answer is no.
Written by Tom King
Penciled by Andy Kubert
Inked by Sandra Hope
Colored by Brad Anderson
Lettered by Clayton CowlesAvailable to comics shops for the first time! Following a home invasion that ends in murder, Superman is put on the trail of a Metropolis mystery by Batman—but can even the Man of Steel discover the truth behind these tragic deaths, or their ties to the far-off world of Rann? These stories by Tom King with art by Andy Kubert guest-starring Green Lantern and other heroes were originally published in SUPERMAN GIANT #3 and #4.
While there’s nothing wrong with Superman showing a degree of compassion to Batman, in page two of “Superman: Up in the Sky” #1, Superman shows weakness. King’s depiction of Kent apologizing to Batman over something neither he or Batman is directly responsible for feels off. The moment will immediately start readers off on the wrong foot with the issue as a whole and shows right from the jump that King has not established a strong voice for Clark Kent. Readers have already complained about the incredibly dark subject matter for a title debuting in Walmart, but the idea simply cannot be overstated. Younger readers are buying a Superman story to be moved and inspired, the premise behind King’s story immediately introduces elements of violence towards children. While it is not inherently a bad idea to have a story where Superman gets the opportunity to save children, having Batman spout off a line about a dead foster girl so early on in the script does not feel appopriate in this context.
King’s more simplistic prose is another aspect of the issue that doesn’t move towards a cohesive whole. Kent says “I’m sorry” a couple more times in the script, hammering down a plot point that feels out of touch in the first place. King starts a regular conversation between Lois and Clark with the words “how long.” While using a technique like this once in a while can be cute, the obtuse structure of the script makes these moments annoying. This issue is filled with brief one-page scenes and using a narrative shorthand to start a vague conversation is maddening. If readers didn’t already know about the relationship between Lois and Clark established in past “Superman” issues they would be downright confused with this scene.
Andy Kubert’s pencils can look great in scenes where there is a lot of detail or when Superman is in the middle of an action sequence. The issue falters when The Man of Steel is off-page and Kubert attempts to draw kids or pedestrians. Some of the primary actions can be unassuming for the kids on-panel. The issue can seem stiff in moments where children are sitting around in the hospital room describing their feelings. Kubert lends interesting panel composition and layout in scenes with Superman. There are a couple of scenes like the one towards the end that features distorted anatomy on Superman. The strongest sequence in the issue is the wild opening page that shows off a more detailed level of Kubert’s art that I wish the whole issue presented to readers.
Nearly every scene in “Superman: Up in the Sky” #1 can be deconstructed and torn apart for lazy writing. King is making amateur mistakes in his storytelling like telling instead of showing, using sloppy dialogue or just being too vague or general to get any feeling out of a scene. The dark, dreary nature of the issue also doesn’t complement the idea of DC Comics or Superman as a character. The issue teases at an even darker moment still to come in the Fortress of Solitude. Recent Superman stories at DC Comics have shown that Kent can represent good faith in the darkest of times. King does have a strong voice for Perry White and scenes in the Daily Planet are among some of the best in the issue. Even the newspaper stories feature that same maddening dialogue and maddening violent tone.
“Superman: Up in the Sky” #1 doesn’t give readers the moments of sheer goodness within Kent that the greatest Superman comic books carry. The scattered nature and meandering tone lend a further sense of confusion to the title. Kubert’s figures carry lifeless expressions making King’s script feel clinical instead of emotional. It is disheartening to analyze an issue like this and discover that King’s patterns of obtuse writing from “Batman” are bleeding into the rest of his comics work. This is a general, unassuming script submitted from a creator who is heralded as one of DC’s finest writers.
Final Verdict: 2.5 – “Superman: Up in the Sky” #1 is a staggeringly shortsighted creative misfire on all counts.
