Superman #2 – Review

By: George Pérez (writer), Jesús Merino (artist), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: If you can’t see it, whip out your glasses!  They’re not just for show, you know.

The Review: While most characters generally survived the relaunch with their core personalities intact, with few exceptions nearly all of them had some tweaks and changes to their continuity.  I’d even go so far as to say the majority of writers have done a fine job balancing tradition with new ideas when it comes to crafting the DCU of the future.  Conversely, you’ve had a few titles where they stick so close to their roots that they come across a little worn and old by comparison.

That’s pretty much the case we have here.  To be fair, Pérez has updated Superman’s character by giving him a little more of a straight-laced edginess in addition to his younger, sharper look.  But in terms of the kinds of stories Pérez is telling, he could very well use the former version of the Man of Steel and very little of the plot would be disturbed.  This flies in direct contrast to the innovative concepts going on in the other icon books: Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman.

For example, splitting up Lois and Clark was an opportunity for Pérez to explore their relationships with characters beyond each other, but judging from the scenes we’ve seen so far, their union is as set in stone and inevitable as before.  At least this time around, the tiresome Superman-Lois-Clark triangle has been abandoned.  Lois’ admiration for Superman seems strictly professional, but her affection for Clark is sweetly sincere: “Whatever is bothering you, just know that you don’t always have to face it alone.”

The toxic conversation between Gen. Lane and Superman also steps over very familiar material: superheroes may protect the public from supervillains, but are the superheroes responsible for attracting those villains in the first place?  This question has been hanging around comics a long time, but to my knowledge, no one has ever seriously addressed it (Superman flat out dismisses it: “Never mind the commentary…I just need to know where that fire-being came from.”).

One plot point that actually has some novelty to it is Superman’s strangely distant, even cold, demeanor.  In costume, out in the public eye, he trades quips and reassurances like always (“Thanks!  I needed that!”), but this seems mostly for the benefit of the masses.  In private, he exudes a brisk bluntness, even to the woman he obviously cares for.  Strange, how in spite of his clear desire to get closer to her, when she reaches out to him, he turns away.

This issue also seems to repeat a pattern set up by the last: a lot of talk, some action with the “monster of the month,” dramatic ending.  This month’s monster doesn’t come across all that threatening.  Sure, his total invisibility (at least to Superman’s eyes) injects a bit of suspense into the battle, but since everyone else can see him, the solution almost screams itself at you.  We’ll need a lot more than that to keep us interested in these newest foes.

Merino goes for an old-school style of drama: tight close-ups on the characters’ dropped-jawed, wide-eyed reactions.  This may have been an effective trope a couple decades ago, but now they just seem over-the-top and melodramatic.  Merino also makes the mistake of drawing Clark too much like a slightly rumpled Superman, making you wonder if everyone around him is simply stupid to not make the obvious connection between these two giant, brawny, chinny men.

Conclusion: A rather drab read, pulling out all manner of dynamics and plotlines we’ve seen way too often before—frequently with these very characters in this very title.

Grade: C

– Minhquan Nguyen

Some Musings: – Seriously, Jimmy, lose the pageboy haircut.  Makes you look like Guy Gardner—from back in the eighties.

– “I don’t do homeless stories…unless, of course, a celebrity is involved.”  Give Cat Grant some props; it takes a certain kind of reckless daring to show your lack of scruples that blatantly.

– Actually, I would love to explore the idea of the collective public as modern Big Brother: everyone watching everyone.