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.

Superman gets Cocky.

In reading the new Action Comics #1, written by Grant Morrison, Superman has a different past history.  Clark Kent works for a rival newspaper and isn't -- yet, anyway -- infatuated with Lois Lane.  Gone, too, is his recognizable costume.  In his spare time, he's flying around in a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans a la Superboy (before DC's New 52).  

To be honest, I'm not sure I like the "new" Superman.  And, actually, it seems that not many people in Metropolis do.  He's more like an outlaw (like Batman at his beginnings) than a revered superhero.   He seems arrogant, cocky, and not at all Superman-like.  For him, it's more like "Truth, Justice, and My Way."

While I don't mind messing with his origins and stories a bit in this revamped DCU, you can't really mess with the Superman legacy or what he stands for.  There's just something wrong about that.  Superman had and has a good heart, was/is caring, and was/is a do-gooder, and this new version is anything but.  

Joking Around With Lex Luthor

Action Comics #897

I recently read Action Comics #897, where Lex Luthor is headlining until the milestone 900th issue when Superman is supposed to return to the title. 

In Luthor's quest for the Black Lantern energy (see: Blackest Night), he has to visit Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker, in prison.  What results brings out the best of Joker.  He's comical, yet cunning.  He's a smart-ass, yet sedate.  He's not the maniacal Joker we're used to seeing in the Bat titles.  Paul Cornell writes the Joker as if he has a real sense of humor, a trait sorely lacking in other Joker appearances.  He is not only The Joker, he's a joker.  After reading this interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime, I would love to see a mini-series featuring the Joker, with Paul on writing chores.  

Superman Turns 700

Superman reached his 700th issue last week, following Batman's disappointing 700th the week before.  Ironically, Batman started in 1940 while Superman started in 1939.

Superman's milestone was much better than Batman's.  Both issues contained a few short stories starring the title character, but Superman's was tied to current storylines or past history, whereas Batman's were just random bullshit.  In fact, Superman #700 contained a story that teamed him up with the original Robin, Batman's former partner, in a story set back in time.  Batman/Bruce Wayne appeared briefly and his appearance here was still better than the stories from his own 700th issue.  It provided a fun reading, seeing Superman play the adult mentor to the teenage Robin.  This was my favorite story of the three; however, it was more of a story for Robin than Superman.  I love the original Robin, though, so I was content.

Another story within the issue focused on Superman's reunion with his wife, Lois Lane, after the events from the "War of the Supermen" and "New Krypton" sagas that have run in all of the Superman books over the past couple of years.   I appreciated being let into Superman's personal life, as it's something that we haven't had a glimpse of in quite some time.  It made him -- for lack of a better term -- "human."  (Although hearing Superman and Lois confess their love to one another over and over again got a bit redundant.)

The third and final story within Superman #700 lays the groundwork for the upcoming "Grounded" storyline that will see Superman walking across the U.S. from Philadelphia to Seattle, stopping at cities and small towns in between, so he can reconnect with his fan base on their level.   I like that this will give Superman a more personal approach, but he can't be there to save people's everyday lives.  Hello!  He's not Sup-- Well, I guess he is.  But still...

So, while $4.99 seems a little steep for what we got, it was money better spent than Batman #700.  It didn't suck.