Superman: An Alien Among Us

I just read the new Action Comics #3 and Superman #3.  

Let's start with Action with the preface that I'm not a fan of Grant Morrison.  Surprisingly, though, the writing in this issue was decent and easy enough to follow.  (I guess Morrison took a break from the crackpipe to write this issue.)   I'm disappointed, though, that neither Superman nor Clark Kent isn't liked.  Superman for being new, different, and a bit scary to the public; reporter Clark Kent for trying to right the wrongs of the city by uncovering corruption.  Neither of these characters are the characters that I've known my entire life, so it's really difficult to accept this as the "new normal."  Lastly, why is DC charging $3.99 for Action Comics when we don't get any more story than a $2.99 comic?  "Filler" that is basically marketing for other Superman-related comics in the New 52 doesn't constitute an additional $1 upcharge to me. 

I liked Superman #3 better than the first two issues of the latest Man of Steel reboot.   The story seemed to flow and move along quicker.  While I appreciate that writer George Perez gave us more story for our $2.99 in issues #1 and #2, thanks to his throwback to the 80s with his tiny panels with lots of dialogue, it also made for stories that dragged on longer than they should have.  It was also fantastic to see Nicola Scott's return to a monthly comic!  I love her detailed, realistic, beautiful artwork and I think she's among the Top 5 current comic book artists. (And Superman's ass looks fantastic on the cover.)  But Ma and Pa Kent both dead already?  What reason does Clark have to return to Smallville in the future?  His visits to Smallville were always comforting.  Now it just seems he'll be a brooding superhero a la Batman.

All in all, the enthusiasm of "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" seems lost on Superman in the New 52.  He's no longer exciting to people, he's just plain alien.

Truth, Justice, and the Straczynski Way

I was getting a bit tired of all the Kryptonians that were overloading the Superman comic books, so I was glad when that storyline came to an end.  Since Superman's monumental issue #700, I've enjoyed the "slow" approach that each issue has taken with the "Grounded" storyline.  Each issue has had Superman dealing with a regular, everyday human (i.e., not other worldly) situation, like domestic violence.  As promised, Superman truly is reconnecting with the everyday people he is committed to protecting, including his readers.  Superman has reconnected with me, and it's actually one of the best series/storylines out there right now, in my (and Superman's) humble opinion.  I'm kind of confused, though, as to why DC Comics would make a BIG deal about J. Michael Straczynski joining as Superman's new writer and then suddenly have a "Grounded Interlude" story written by someone else, featuring Editor Perry White and random other Daily Planet employees.  Then to find that J. Michael Straczynski is no longer the writer on the series and someone else taking over the "Grounded" storyline, but I'm sure it's all political and some behind-the-scenes problems that we, as readers, don't need to know about.  Or maybe it's because the Superman: Earth One graphic novel took off (also written by Straczynski) and they figured they'd better cash in on sequels while they still can.

So far, I think Superman's stop in Chicago has been my favorite visit in the long-running "Grounded" storyline.  In the issue, Superman defends an abused wife and child from their husband/father.  It was one of the most "real" stories I've read in comics in awhile, and it was a welcome change of pace --despite the subject matter -- from superhero battles. 

Now, speaking of Superman: Earth One, I was psyched about reading it, having read so much hype from newspaper outlets and other news sources that don't normally cover comic book news.  They referred to this new, alternate tale of Superman's origin as a modern version of the classic story.  Superman, wearing a leather jacket, was supposed to be "edgy" and hipper, like the characters from Twilight.  Unfortunately, like the characters from Twilight, this Superman was just so-so.  All of these characters come off as two-dimensional.  After finishing the Superman: Earth One graphic novel, I didn't see what the big deal was.  There are so many other great stories told in other comic books, why did media outlets choose to focus on promoting this mediocre one?

I'll continue to read Superman's monthly series and hope it continues to offer such genuine storytelling.  However, I probably won't jump on the Earth One bandwagon, just like I've ignored Marvel Comics' Ultimate comics.  It's hard enough following one Earth's superheroes and keeping track of them, let alone multiple ones.