Dear DC Comics, three months in and I can’t bring myself to give a damn about your new Superman comic. I just don’t.

I have my reasons.

Superman sucks.

I say this as a tried and true and unabashed Superman fan. I kid you not; my greatest moral influences, growing up have been my mother and grandmother, my faith and Superman.

Yes.

Superman.

Superman, a fictitious character who in his every action espouses the goals of truth and justice, ideals I’ve continuously strived to better understand my entire life.

Superman has been sure, steadfast and when things need saying he says things like, “Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear… until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share… I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.”*

See that? That’s a guy you want to know more about. That is something to strive for. That’s the guy whose t-shirt you want to wear. Not as some lazy-ass afterthought Halloween costume but more as a mission statement of who you want to be.

The other day, I’d realized I didn’t know what the hell Superman was saying in a Superman comic anymore because I hadn’t read one in, I guess, two years and this just makes me sad. I want to read a proper Superman comic but what we’ve gotten has been severely lacking in what interests me as a Superman fan and more importantly, as a comics reader.

Last I checked, Superman was coming back from exiling himself in space and came back to Earth and decided to throw himself a pity parade after someone said they didn’t like him.

(pause)

That guy sucks. F*** him. I don’t want to read about that guy in a Superman comic. If I want to know about how bad some guy’s feelings are, I’ll go read a Peter Parker comic.

No offense to you, DC but the handling of your Superman comic just seems like a horrible afterthought. Over the past two years, all you’ve given us is “bold new directions” that have done nothing but showcase just how precious you’ve become with a character that most likely has been and could’ve been everyone’s gateway into comics.

Superman has become boring.

Superman has and almost always should be about escapism. Superman, from the outset has been about asking the reader to detach and watch this character do things no man should be able to do. Superman should be about “the impossible” and how to tear it down.

The one thing Superman should not do is massive amounts of introspection. Again, see my above Peter Parker comment. Superman should be all about what is great and good about your comics, DC.

What should be happening is every month we should be getting not an icon but a character who rocks our world with a smile on his face every single time. DC, you should make it your mandate to new writers to be extraordinary in their handling of all things Superman. Ask everyone involved to surprise themselves. Ask them to find what is grand about comics and bring it to comics’ oldest and greatest of characters. Ask everyone to stretch their imaginations and tap into the fantastic. Ask this of the reader, as well.

Give the reader the opportunity to explore new worlds and situations that require only a Superman.

Give the reader the wonder of looking up in the sky and not seeing a bird or a plane but a white dog in a little red cape soaring above the skyscrapers of Metropolis.

Dear DC Comics…

Make Superman a book everyone would want to read again.

*Taken from Joe Kelly’s excellent Action Comics #775.

Within a week, everything you know about DC Comics will change. The Batgirl you did or didn’t grow up with could potentially become someone else’s favorite character.

The familiar red and blue image of Superman becomes a little red as DC Comics has, in a move that could very well be seen as the ultimate form of symbolism or cynicism, taken down Superman’s red underwear, exposing him to the greater world.

Your favorite team or character may not have made the final cut of  the new 52 titles to be launched in September. Secret Six or Power Girl? Well… you’ll always have the memories. The actual issues, as well. Well, as long as you haven’t shredded them up or mailed them back to DC in some form of protest. Memories, like the physical comics, are yours to do with as you please.

Personally, I’m kind of excited for this. I want to be surprised and yes, DC has surprised me very much over the last three months. More importantly, they’ve managed to keep my interest in all 52 titles over three month’s time. Am I interested in all 52 titles? No, but I can say this. Over the past few weeks, as more news and images have been shown, I’ve truly gotten the sense that DC is trying and that’s something I can’t necessarily say I’ve seen them do in a good long while. There’s a sort of manic energy going on here that I sort of appreciate. Is every title worthy of even being looked at? Certainly not but there are gems out there to be had.

Stormwatch, a comic written by Doctor Who tv series writer Paul Cornell has a cold and dour Martian Manhunter owing very much to the Manhunter of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon series essentially taking over  Wildstorm’s The Authority, the book that put writers Warren Ellis and Mark Millar on the map. The Martian Manhunter not only has access to arguably The 21^st Century’s first superhero team but he has access to The Bleed, a universe within itself that allows its users to bend space and time to their will. If you’re a longtime DC Comics fan and that doesn’t excite and scare you a bit, you’re somewhat in the wrong place.

This couldn’t have been possible if someone, somewhere hadn’t asked questions and seen possibilities. Imagine if someone hadn’t said, “Maybe Superman should fly.”

This is a chance. This is a chance for rediscovery. This is possibility amidst the very much known. We know Superman and no one can take that away from us and no one’s trying to do so. This is change, plain and simple. I welcome it. And yes, I’ll miss Wally West just as much as anyone will.

The truths of comics are simple ones. We know them inside and out.

The rocket from Krypton will always land in a Kansas cornfield.

A young boy will weep gently to himself while kneeling in a pool of his parents’ blood.

A baby girl will be born and be held up as the greatest of the gods’ gifts.

This is canon.

This is truth.

Everything else is simply story.

Enjoy.

Source: Superherohype

While I can’t say I’m thrilled with the decision to rely on Superman villains we’ve already seen on film, I can’t argue with the casting Michael Shannon, who will be playing General Zod in the new Superman film, now titled Man Of Steel. Shannon’s been praised for his roles in Revolutionary Road, The Runaways, and the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. I can definitely see him bringing the right kind of menacing demeanor to a character like Zod.

Casting for the new Superman film seems to be in full swing, as Superherohype reports that Diane Lane has joined the cast, playing Martha Kent. She’ll be joining Henry Cavill, who was cast as Clark Kent/Superman back in January. There’s also been speculation that Kevin Costner was being considered for the film, in addition to Viggo Mortensen, but there’s yet to be any official word on either actor having any involvement with this new film.

As someone who’s never liked the comics cliché of the overly-aged maternal figure, I definitely stand by this casting. Lane is an immensely talented actress, and I can see your pulling off the role masterfully.

PCS Villain, Colt 45 running across the bay

Recently, Sony Online Entertainment brought PopCultureShock to tour the SOE Studio in Austin, Texas where they’ve put a tremendous effort in creating the much-anticipated DC Universe Online game. After a tour of the office and a debriefing of the game’s inception, creative process, and breakdown of the main elements of the game, I got to spend a few hours exploring the game in Beta, and what follows are my first impressions of the game. Click on images to enlarge

Harley Quinn guards the Joker Suit

DCU Online is not a pure MMO, at least not in what longtime MMO-ers are used to; it’s more of a hybrid of a few game types mixed together. There’s a little real-time strategy, a little bit of RPG, and all of it is encompassed in this MMO world. It’s heavy on the combat and logistically so because DCU Online is getting a simultaneous launch on the PS3 and PCs. Because of the amount of combat that’s involved, I found the PS3 Dualshock controller to be much more natural when dishing out combos and making changes on the fly. I played on a PC, but played with a Dualshock controller after quickly ditching the keyboard route.

Custom Make it Your Own

For those that don’t know, DCU Online has always been about a custom hero that you bring to the table. One of the early misconceptions is that you’d be able to play the classic DCU heroes and villains for an entire campaign, but not so. It’s possible to play a few dozen of them in alert missions, and you can tailor make your character to look like and act like your favorites, but it’s better to make it your own, no? Well you have that choice, regardless. You create a character that exists in the DCU, and you choose to be male or female; design your build and stature including both the look and abilities/powers; and live out the fantasy of a hero or villain. Those choosing the heroic path get to pick one of DC’s classic Trinity: Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman as their mentor, while those who decide the villainous route get to choose from their arch enemies in Lex Luthor, Joker, or Circe.

One of Gotham's finest getting the beat down, or with the red flashing, is it me who is getting beat down?

The name I chose for my super villain was Colt 45. (The creative juices were flowing a little slow that day and I’ll blame it on traveling eastward.) It’s so easy to make a character with the powers you always wanted as a kid, and so I did. I had to go for super speed (I love the Flash and ran track) and had to have sorcery powers because I wanted to see the visuals of comic book magic. Besides super speed, flight and acrobatics are the additional choices in terms of traveling. Given my limited time with the game, the ability to cover a large amount of area in a short time was a luxury I considered heavily.

Other core powers include: gadgets, fire, ice, nature, and mental while even more staple powers can be unlocked and added to your utility belt. You can pick your personality, which you can see in your character’s saunter or posture when you leave your character idle (I chose flirty), fighting style (martial arts), and then the costume. I knew that I could have spent hours just on costumes so I patterned my look after Deathstroke, and then tweaked the colors. You can pick the color for each piece of the costume or you can pick from several three-color palettes that can be helpful in shortcutting this part of the creation. In the end Colt 45 looked a little more early 90’s comics than I ever intended but I think gamers and comic fans alike, are going to love making multiple characters. After about 25 minutes of creating my character, I just wanted to jump into the action but it’s easy to spend an eternity in character creation.

Running down a building

No matter what combination you choose, each campaign starts off in Braniac’s ship where you have to escape out of. Here you’ll get a tutorial and get your feet wet while coming to grips with the controls. Once you exit, you get brought to one of two worlds. All villains and techies go to Gotham. Everyone else is sent to Metropolis to start. Shown here are both images from Gotham, Metropolis and the Legion of Doom and you’ll get a taste of some of the massive worlds created by the design team.

The Dashboard

In Gotham or Metropolis, your mentor will list out your goals to the bottom right of the screen; your map is in the upper right corner; your customized utility and abilities “belt” lies at the bottom center while the health and magic/powers bar is at the familiar upper left. None of the Heads Up Display is overwhelming or covers up the action, just make sure you’re playing with a widscreen set.

A different view of running on water; up close and behind

Feeling the Need, the Need for Speed

I loved playing with a character with super speed. The blur and lightning visuals in combination with the sounds of the Speed Force were awesome as seen in the screen caps. Being able to run up and down buildings was a trip. Camera movement and angles were fluid and it gives you unlimited access to Gotham City and Metropolis. Because I just had to, I ran across the Metropolis Bay, and when I stopped in the middle, I plopped right in and began treading water.

This is not an endorsement for the super speed route for travel powers. When creating my villain, I was torn on choosing flight or super speed. While it’s possible to unlock flight, you just don’t command it like you do if it is one of your main abilities. In speaking with the other journalists, the acrobatics route is apparently a lot of fun too and very intuitive. After about three straight hours of super speed though I can tell you, I had to take a break for my eyes. I was a bit too enthusiastic travelling and fighting in super speed mode, but luckily it’s very simple to toggle that on or off.

The sorcery powers added another level to the combat not normally seen in comic book console games. I could levitate detectives in the distance and knock them out in the middle of the air before they could set their feet down. I could cast spells and make Gotham City Police Department’s finest think they’re on fire. More time would have unlocked even cooler skills for sure.

One of the more exciting parts of the game is leveling up. Whenever I got a notification of a level up or an item grab, I’d race to see what exactly I could add to my fighting or grow my powers tree. The more combos you unlock and learn, the quicker you can get through battles.

When you level up, you get a chance to upgrade your fighting abilities, or your superpower. Also any items you pick up along the way or buy are added to your costume or arsenal on the fly. Because it’s an MMO, I was repeatedly reminded that there is no pause button, so if you want to make a change you can fly up to the top of a building and make the necessary changes.

Another suit in the Legion of Doom to unlock guarded by Mr. Freeze

The Verdict So Far

Essentially, you’re playing to get through 30 levels, the current cap, which amounts to roughly 40 hours of play. My propensity to explore everything would probably extend that period of time. But then the fun really begins because you can then enter the PvP mode where you get to interact with other players. Each month new missions and new worlds are being added to the game, potentially making the game as endless as your favorite monthly comics. There are battle suits (from actual stories) to unlock and use, several skill challenges and missions where you’ll need to team up with others online. For instance, we were shown an Alert Mission that transports you to Smallville where you take on Doomsday and fight beside the Justice League.

Gameplay is extremely smooth. There’s no jerking or staggering in battles, even when there’s as many as 15-20 characters on the screen. I also found no glaring glitches or noticeable areas where the game feels underdeveloped or needing more. The game is so close to completion and understandably, the delays have hurt the buzz, but it’s only because they are taking the time to put the detail that will overwhelm the most ardent DC Comics fan and gamer.

Voice acting for instance is one of the finishing touches needed to complete the game. Kevin Conroy is recording for Batman and Mark Hamill reprises his familiar role as The Joker. Other voices include Summer Glau (Supergirl), Adam Baldwin (Superman), James Marsters (Lex Luthor), Michelle Forbes (Circe), Diedrich Bader (Solomon Grundy), Gina Torres (Wonder Woman), Powers Boothe (Gorilla Grodd), Dwight Schultz (Flash-Barry Allen), Wil Wheaton (Robin-Tim Drake), Tony Todd (Darkseid, Kevin Michael Richardson (Clayface) and Robert Patrick (Hawkman).

The streets of Gotham City

In trying to describe the experience, I’ll compare it to other games I’ve played. The combat is reminiscent of God of War or Batman: Arkham Asylum only with no cut sequences or stoppage of play; just fast, live, and seamless action. It can be intense, relentless, and button-mashing will be mandatory. The mentorship missions remind me of Grand Theft Auto, where you slowly gain skills and experience as you rise through the ranks of becoming a villain, or by doing accumulative acts of heroism. Bribing rookie GCPD cops or strapping bombs to their squad cars may not appeal to everyone, but that’s why you can put a stop to Gorilla Grodd and his apes.

The cities and environments are immersive and overwhelming at first glance. You can go to the Daily Planet, or Metropolis Stadium. The Batcave has the penny, the T-Rex, the Batmobile and a bunch of bats flying around. Comic readers will geek out interacting with artifacts and places that they’ve only read about. One thing I really enjoyed about DCU Online was that the learning curve was small but still presented a challenge. I felt I could come in, drop an hour or two whenever I wanted and not feel like I had to put in several hours at a time on each campaign to feel some sense of accomplishment.

A penthouse view of the Metropolis Bay.

Hardcore gamers may wonder how much they’ll enjoy this game, and I can’t answer that based on what it is each person is expecting out of the game. There’s plenty to see and do, that much I do know. What I can do is let you know what my perspective is on MMO’s, games and comics and how DCU Online fits in with that.

I came in with an open mind and a broad gaming experience, skepticism on paying a monthly fee for a game, and a long love and knowledge of comics. Though I am a console gamer and spend countless hours on my PS3, no MMO has made this comics fan take the plunge so far. I was not just thoroughly entertained with DCU Online; I’m brainstorming ways to shift my monthly disposable income around to accommodate playing this game in the winter. The DC Universe is a world I’m familiar with, unlike World of Warcraft or Everquest. I invest in a portion of the DCU each week in the comics I buy and that’s truly what the draw is for me with DCU Online: the characters, the universe and the license. The fact that the game delivers on multiple fronts is a bonus in my mind.

Hopefully my impressions keep the anticipation high for those waiting for DCU Online, which is now scheduled for early 2011 release. But if this wasn’t enough, throughout November and December we’re going to continue covering the game through to the release date. Check back here for screen shots and videos, an exclusive interview with DCU Online Senior Producer, Wes Yanagi, and a detailed tour of the SOE Austin Studios. We enjoyed what we learned at DC University and think comic fans and gamers alike may want to consider enrolling when Spring Semester arrives.

A glimpse of the massive Metropolis. In the distant skies is one of Braniac's ships

AND! I shot it several times, and the bullets just bounced right off!

You can take it to work or school, filled with truth, justice, and the American way! Also, sandwiches.

[Lunchboxes.com]

Along with the always reliable Jim Calafiore on art, this issue hits every single note you’d want it to hit, from Secret Six decadence, to Suicide Squad angst; a hard as nails Amanda Waller, and double crosses aplenty. If there’s one thing that brings it down, it’s the dual narration aspect between some character named Yasemin (sorry, never heard of her), and Black Alice. It’s a nice bit of parallelism, and I’m guessing an effort to bring out both author’s voices using a character on each team. But since it’s more of a side aspect to the issue, the idea never really coalesces. Beyond that quibble though, and the fact that you’ll have to follow the story back to Secret Six (which you’re reading anyway, right?) this issue is chock to the brim with action and humor. Plus? Barely any Blackest Night whatsoever! Which is kind of awesome!

THE MIGHTY #12: Though I’m sad to see this series go, I’m glad it got to wrap up in such a spectacular, emotional, and pretty much perfect manner, telling the full story (I think) that Peter J. Tomasi, Keith Champagne, and Chris Samnee on art wanted to tell. The story of a Superman gone bad isn’t a new one; in fact it’s also being told over at BOOM! with Mark Waid’s Irredeemable. Which, for the record, is also pretty darn good, but how glad am I that the two stories are completely different, and completely successful in their own ways. I won’t spoil this issue for you, but suffice to say that this is a personal conflict between Alpha One and Gabriel Cole played out with huge action set pieces, and smart character moves. Plus, there’s a few tantalizing teases of where this series could go next (though, sadly, I don’t think we’re going to get any more of it), and a beautiful, perfectly writ last page. Do yourself a favor, and when the inevitable trade comes out, don’t hesitate to pick one up for yourself, and one up for a friend. This is one of those comics series you’ll kick yourself for not picking up in the store.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #11: If I had one large criticism of this series, and I may have to eat my words next issue, it would be that there’s no overall arc from issue one to issue twelve. Series writers James Robinson and Greg Rucka played this like an ongoing, which worked wonders for slowly building the, er, world of New Krypton and its inhabitants, but in the span of twelve issues, didn’t really create an overarching narrative. But, quibbles! This is the best and most original a Superman book has been a good long while (main continuity, please; I’m not talking All-Star Superman) without splitting Supes into different colors, or giving him a mullet.

Pitting Superman’s essential goodness against governmental bureaucracy, the one thing he can’t actually beat with his super powers, has been great to read, and I’ll sorely miss it when it’s gone. Plus, Pete Woods art kills every time. Though I’d love to see him on almost anything, his slick, almost metallic looking art works perfectly for the future world of New Krypton, and I’d be happy to keep him on Superman until the end of time. Or 2013, when DC loses to the rights to the character, either one.

BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #2: Okay, I swear to god, there better be a mass resurrection at the end of Blackest Night, or I am NOT okay with the death in this issue. Side note: I was also not okay with Kyle Rayner’s “death,” too, but this one seems far more permanent. Otherwise, we get another issue of Greg Rucka focusing on the space between scenes in Blackest Night, and again, it’s a well structured, well arced story, well drawn by Nicola Scott. But it still feels like this is more of a side story. It’s a little hard to put my finger on, but both issues, while good reads, feel like “Oh, we’re putting out a Blackest Night: Superman, and Blackest Night: Batman, we should probably do Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, too, right?” And then they decided to throw something together, and accidentally got really good creators to do the series. I guess a shorter way of saying that is, it feels resigned to itself, if that makes sense. I don’t know. Anyway, reverse that death ASAP or else. Update: I queued this post to go up this morning, and then thinking about this issue overnight, it occurred to me that maybe this issue was some sort of dream sequence, particularly as *spoilers* Wonder Girl gets killed, Bruce Wayne Batman shows up, and Wonder Woman flits around the world without rhyme or reason. Especially as the action of this issue would impossible within the confines of Blackest Night #6. Regardless, I stand by the latter criticisms, just wanted to point out I’m wrong on the death thing.

CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE #3: Chris Roberson fits into the Fables Universe without missing a beat, and while it lacks the wild creativity of the main series, or Jack of Fables, it can be excused for that, as it delivers a perfectly charming (no pun intended) spy story set in a world of magic. Cinderella and Aladdin are hot on the tail of illegally smuggled magical artifacts, and manage to fit in a good degree of flirting along the way. This isn’t the most groundbreaking of mysteries, but it flows well, and Roberson allows in some cultural commentary along the way. Meanwhile, back in Fabletown, things are getting wacky at the shoe store. I like this A Plot/B Plot structure quite a bit, but I’m hoping the two tie together in some way. Otherwise, we’re just getting comic relief for comic relief’s sake, which is a bit of a waste, when we could be finding out more about Cinderella’s world. Worth a pick-up if you’re a fan of Fables, but I wish it was just a little more insane.

You’d think he’s concentrate the hardest on this title, as it is the biggest thing since sliced bread, but the writing is, as I stated earlier, just too broad, the action just a little too big, and we’re losing the characters in the middle of this. The surprising thing about this not quite working is that…

GREEN LANTERN #48: …Green Lantern is great. The clarity of focus Johns brings to this issue balances out the two-fisted action of Blackest Night perfectly, bringing creativity, good fights, and great pay-offs to character moments issue after issue. I’m trying not to get too caught up in labels here, but Green Lantern is the spine of this event, not Blackest Night. Which makes no sense. Anyway, one out of two ain’t bad.

SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGINS #3: Oh, except Johns has three books out this week, so there’s that. I wasn’t crazy about the first issue, especially coming so close on the heals of the fabulous Superboy story in Adventure Comics, which covered a lot of the same ground. The second issue did a bit to win me over, and I’m happy to say, I liked this issue quite a bit. Enough that I was a little bummed we’re just getting a greatest hits collection from Frank and Johns, rather than a total reboot of Superman, or something. Gary Frank continues to be the reason for this series existence, perfectly capturing Superman, Clark, and Lois, as well as iconic images of the rest of the Daily Planet staff. And Johns’ script harks back to the history of the character and the movies so seamlessly, that I’ve completely forgotten which was which. Anyway, best issue so far, pick ‘er up.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39: I think what Blackest Night needs is more heroes standing around wondering what’s happening, and then seeing their dead relatives, and then freaking out about it. That would be nice. Sarcasm aside, it’s a thrill to see Mark Bagley drawing the JLA, and he’s the book for me on this book, at least until Robinson gets his team together, and us out of cross-over land. Oh, one other thing, and this drives me nuts: just because Dr. Light raped one person doesn’t mean all he likes to do is rape. I’m not saying sympathy for the rapist or anything, its just that there has to be other aspects of his character. I like to read comics, but it’s not like that’s all I talk ab– Oh wait.

ARKHAM REBORN #2: We’re certainly not breaking any new ground here (oh no! Arkham’s director is kind of crazy! oh no! a breakout at Arkham!), but David Hine turns in a solid enough script, and intriguing enough ideas that I’ll definitely be picking up the next issue to see where this all ends up.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #33: Really solid, fun, super big fight scene in this issue. But it all doesn’t amount to a whole lot in the end, and the splitting up of the JSA feels totally unearned. Though, it is nice to see a great Shadowpact villain back in the mix.

WONDER WOMAN #38: I love Gail Simone’s writing, and she’s perfect for WW, but I feel like maybe I need an annotated version of this book. Simone clearly has this well plotted, and is pushing Wondie to some new places, but I just can’t keep track of all of the characters, what their motivations are, or their relationship to each other. But hey, release a $3.99 version of Wonder Woman each month with footnotes, and I am so there.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #6: Well, this is just delightful. Can we keep Paul Dini and Guillem March telling Harley Quinn stories forever? Thanks.

WORLD’S FINEST #2: Though I wasn’t in love with the first issue of this team-up series, I like Sterling Gates writing enough to tune in for the second issue, and I can confidently say I’m not in love with this one, either. As usual, Gates turns in a solid, tight script, but there’s something about it that’s just not grabbing me. I do really like than Ramon F. Bachs draws Damien as an actual little kid, though.

BATWOMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS #859: This title shows the potential of the comic storytelling medium as art, and that’s entirely due to J.H. Williams III’s spectacular art, along with Dave Stewart’s stunning colors. Greg Rucka’s script is also excellently paced and involving, as we learn more of Batwoman’s origin, but its the art that makes this one of the best titles of the year, if not the decade.

SUPERMAN #694: It’s nice that Javier Pina draws Mon-El differently than Connor Kent, because I feel it would be easy enough to draw both characters the same way. I wish I knew why everyone in Metropolis loves Mon-El so much, though.

Video reviews for JSA #30, Superman #691, Flash: Rebirth #4, Hulk #14, Secret Warriors #7, Last Days of Animal Man #4, Wonder Woman #35, New Mutants #4, Batman: The Widening Gyre #1, Sinister Spider-Man #4, X-Force #18, Gotham City Sirens #3, Dark Wolverine #77, Avengers: Initiative #27,

Also check out:

The following review is excerpted from Comic Book Revolution (click here to read the full review)

Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Renato Guedes
Inks: Wilson Magalhaes

Art: 8/10
Story: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10

The Good:

Robinson clearly did not want to rush the story at all and allows the arrival of the Kryptonians on Earth as well as the reaction that it has sparked across the globe to really sink into the reader’s mind. The controlled pace of the story makes the climactic ending all that much more intense. I believe that Robinson intended Superman #681 to be the quiet before the storm.

I like the collection of heroes that Robinson assembles to go confront Superman. If anyone is going to give a lecture to Superman and get away with it then it would be Alan Scott and Wonder Woman. I was also impressed that Robinson respected what is going on in Batman RIP and did not needlessly shoehorn Batman into this scene. Such an action would have been a very easy and tempting thing for a writer to do.

Superman’s response to the heroes’ concerns was perfect. Superman truly embodies hope and promise. Superman always looks at the positive side of everything to the point where he sometimes turns a blind eye to possibilities that do not mesh with his positive view of life.

Robinson does a fine job showing both sides of this issue concerning the people of Kandor. Robinson is able to treat both viewpoints fairly which succeeds in making it even tougher on the reader to decide if they should trust the people of Kandor or not. I appreciate it when a writer takes the time and effort to craft a moral dilemma that the reader struggles to resolve. Superman is very persuasive in his support of his fellow Kryptonians, but the other heroes make a compelling case for their distrust of an entire city full of Kryptonians.

I absolutely loved the scene with Krypto arriving at Ma Kent’s house. To me, this was the best scene in the entire issue. I am a dog lover so I am a total sucker for scenes like this. I felt bad for poor Martha all alone at the Kent Farm. Clark sending Krypto to be with his mother was a sweet touch. I continue to love how Robinson has handled Krypto during his run on this title.

And then Robinson drops a huge bomb on the reader with the dramatic appearance of one of the biggest and baddest Superman villains of all time…

The Bad:

Superman #681 is a slow issue that has absolutely no action at all. Not much really happens at all until the very end. We get very little in the way of plot development in this issue. And what we do get is a bit repetitious as we re-hash the dialogue from Superman: New Krypton Special #1 concerning the threat that an entire city of Kryptonians poses to Earth as well as Superman’s goal of teaching the Kryptonians about Earth and its customs and rules and in turn teaching Earth about Kryptonian culture.

The lack of action and the limited plot progression will likely turn off some readers. I have to admit that I was surprised to see Robinson taking such a slow burn approach with Superman #681 considering the sound foundation that was constructed by Superman: New Krypton Special #1. I thought that having a special one-shot issue to install the underpinnings for this New Krypton story would have allowed Robinson to come out of the gate a bit faster than what he did with Superman #681. It is clear that New Krypton is being written for trade format and not for a monthly format.

Overall:

Superman #681 was a solid read even if I was expecting more than what we got with this issue. Robinson does a good job setting the stage for what should be a dramatic showdown between the Kryptonians and Doomsday over in Action Comics. The New Krypton is in intriguing story that has numerous interesting plotlines and tons of potential. It is an exciting time for the Superman franchise and I think that this story will appeal to readers who have never been big Superman fans before.

For more in-depth reviews, story recaps, scans and news visit Comic Book Revolution!

Writer: Geoff Johns, James Robinson & Sterling Gates
Pencils: Pete Woods, Gary Frank & Renato Guedes
Inks: Pete Woods, Jon Sibal & Wilson Magalhaes

Art: 8/10
Story: 9/10
Overall: 8.5/10

Superman: New Krypton Special #1 effectively pulls together all of the various plotlines from Action Comics and Superman into one cohesive major story. This issue does its job of laying out a clear direction for both Superman titles and also manages to hook the reader’s interest into picking up both titles to follow this monster story.

The first three pages had absolutely no dialogue. Franks’ artwork was unbelievably powerful as he conveyed such a range of emotions from Clark’s heart wrenching sorrow, Lana’s feelings of regret and shame to Bruce Wayne’s ever constant distant personality. Most writers would have not had the restraint to allow an artist to tell the story. I appreciated the fact that we were not flooded with narration boxes.

I loved the scene with Ma Kent and Clark where she emphatically tells her son that he has nothing to be sorry about concerning his father’s death and then orders him to go do his job. I liked how Clark eagerly offers up the statement that the restoration of Kandor will not change him.

The theme of family continues as Superman fresh off the loss of one of his parents watches Kara’s emotional family reunion with her parents. Even though Superman is clearly happy about Kara being reunited with her parents, there is probably a tinge of jealousy that he not only does not have his biological parents, but now he is missing his adoptive father.

The writers do a fine job handling the debate between Superman and Jor-El concerning the debate about the newly super powered Kryptonians from Kandor. This is obviously going to become a serious problem. Superman handles his incredible powers well because of his Earthling father and Pa Kent’s humble and solid middle-American values. The teachings of Pa Kent and how they have impacted Superman are well contrasted with the fact that Jor-El seems horrified at the suggestion that the Kryptonians learn from the Earthlings. Jor-El’s comment of why the Kandorians would allow the Earthlings to teach them to be less Kryptonian was perfect.

It is totally unbelievable to think that all of the Kandorians are going to handle their awesome new powers like Superman has. The fact is that your average person, or Kryptonian, when blessed with such incredible powers would probably trend toward being a villain rather than a selfless and idealistic hero.

And on top of that, Superman will face a much more personal decision to make on whether he identifies more with his Earthling upbringing and his Earthling adoptive mother or more with his Kryptonian heritage and his Kryptonian family. The fact is that deep down inside, Clark is more a typical mid-west farm boy than he is a Kryptonian.

The artwork by committee was nicely done. Yes, it creates an inconsistent look to this issue, but that is offset by the fact that Woods, Frank and Guedes are all three great artists. Frank’s artwork was my favorite of the three due to his amazing ability to convey so many emotions and properly move the story along in the absence of any dialogue. Still, all three artists did a fine job with the artwork and they combined to make this a good looking issue.

The writers made this issue very new reader friendly. If you have not given either Action Comics or Superman a try then Superman: New Krypton Special #1 is the perfect jumping on point.

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