Spotlight: Superman Unchained #1

(w) Scott Snyder
(p) Jim Lee
(i) Scott Williams

Was it that hard to produce a non-Grant Morrison Superman book, DC?

Superman Unchained is exactly what I've been wanting from Superman in the 'New 52'. Now, I loved Morrison's run on Action Comics, but it was a high-concept story that was difficult to follow month to month. Then there's the eponymous series that was mishandled from day one, only to be given to Scott Lobdell who has managed to drive the title even more into the ground than it already was. Letting Scott Snyder take a crack at the Man of Steel was a great decision that has resulted in the single greatest Superman issue of the 'New 52'.


** SPOILERS AHEAD! **


My favorite part of Superman Unchained #1 is when Clark is reentering Earth's atmosphere while attempting to divert a falling satellite from crashing into a populated area. While speeding toward Earth, Superman experiences the same sensation of free falling as he did when he was a boy jumping from a silo into a giant stack of hay. It's not the most bombastic or exciting part of Superman Unchained #1, but it's extremely important to the Superman mythos, in general.

Many writers attempt to humanize Superman through the use of the character's inner psychological conflicts. Since Clark is a god among men, a lot of good storytelling comes from analyzing just how he handles himself beyond fighting villains or stopping alien invasions. Superman: For Tomorrow was one of the most successful examples of this kind of narrative. But then it became commonplace. It felt like Superman's emotional turmoil was becoming the focus instead of the lining that gave meaning to Clark's actions.

Snyder's decision to make Clark reminisce about his life in Smallville is meaningful because it rarely ever happens. Sure, there are flashbacks to random moments here and there, and the Kents are always at the forefront of Clark's thoughts, but specifics have been few and far between. The story of the Colder Jump shows Superman's humanity. And not through the lens of holding back his strength or doling out sage advice to mere humans, but through being human himself. Everyone has triggers that set memories into motion -- Superman's are just a little larger than life. For all the times Clark talks about Smallville, it's great to finally experience a real connection to the Man of Steel's life as just a Man.

This scene is one example of Snyder employing a theme that basically juxtaposes the ordinary against the extraordinary. Clark is remembering life in Smallville at the same time he's literally moving a building-sized satellite through our planet's atmosphere. The theme continues into Superman's conversation with Lex Luthor, which takes place in a helicopter that Clark is holding upside down. Both Clark and Lex speak to each other like they're sipping tea at a Parisian cafe even though one is an alien Jesus figure and the other is a hyper-intelligent sociopath bent on destroying Superman. By the end, it's clear that the theme has been present throughout the issue. More or less, Superman Unchained #1 gives readers a good, basic view of what Superman does day to day. Clark never breaks a sweat, his voice never falters, and his step never misses. An extraordinary life is simply life to Superman.

Superman Unchained #1 is what readers have been waiting for: a true flagship title for the Man of Steel. Scott Snyder so fantastically taps into what makes Superman great that I actually found myself disappointed that the issue was over and that there wasn't any more to read. If Snyder can do with Superman what he's done with Batman in terms of overall character development, Superman Unchained is set to be one of the best series of the 'New 52.'

GRADE

9.5/10

Action Comics #19

(w) Andy Diggle     (a) Tony S. Daniel

Of course...of course Andy Diggle left Action Comics after only one issue...

Because there is no sarcasm expression in written form (yet), I'll make it clear: DC editorial is letting some of their BEST talent walk out.

Action Comics #19 is a great issue. Seriously; after Grant Morrison's 18 issues of crazy, Andy Diggle gives readers a story that's incredibly interesting without having to unwrinkle your brain afterwards. It's Superman battling giant alien monsters. And the best characterization of Lex Luthor I've seen so far in the 'New 52'.

This is supposed to be the flagship Superman title (until Superman Unchained, of course), and keeping Diggle would have been in DC's best interests because this man knows how to write the Man of Steel. Morrison stretched Superman to limits we've never seen before, and now Diggle is bringing him back to reality a little bit. Besides Action Comics, the only other solo book is Superman, which Scott Lobdell has driven into the ground. If you're looking for straightforward Superman action, Andy Diggle's Action Comics is for you. Action Comics #19 balances Clark's life as a reporter (and human) against his life as Superman more organically and smoothly than any issue of Superman or Action Comics before it. Diggle understands the need for this balance and he approaches it with a "less is more" attitude that simply works.

UNFORTUNATELY, Diggle is yet another casualty in DC's iron-fisted editorial rampage. It seems that unless you are Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder, or Jeff Lemire, DC is going to edit the every-loving hell out of your work to the point that you'll want to no longer be associated with said work. So all we get is this singular issue from Diggle. Arc artist Tony S. Daniel will be taking over scripting duties from Diggle's plotting, but it's not going to be the same because Daniel is not as strong a writer as Diggle.

Action Comics #19 shows such great promise from such a fantastic writer that it's hard not to think about Andy Diggle's problems with DC editorial while reading. First, his timeframe was pushed back a whole month to accomodate Grant Morrison's desire for an extra issue, then he was given the "WTF" directive (something many DC writers had to contend with by shoehorning a 'major revelation' into their stories) that became his first issue for the title, then he and editorial butted heads even further which caused his departure from the title.

In the end, all we can do is appreciate Action Comics #19 for what it has become: a sign of amazing potential that won't be fulfilled. 

GRADE
9/10

REVIEW: SUPERMAN #15

(w) Scott Lobdell
(a) Kenneth Rocafort

One of the biggest identifiable problems with the 'New 52', thus far, has been consistency in characterization between titles. Often, a character will act a certain way in a team setting, and a completely different way in his or her solo title. Unfortunately, both Superman and Superboy are at the top of the list when it comes to broken character development. Superman as portrayed in Action Comics has been vastly different from the Superman seen in the eponymous series and Justice League. Similarly, Superboy is written as an emo kid just trying to figure it all out in the pages of Superboy, but here, in Superman #15, Scott Lobdell has turned Kon-El from an antisocial basket case into a cheesy kid sidekick who wouldn't be out of line saying something like, "Aww, shucks, Superman! What're we gonna do now!?"

Superman #15 really stretches the whole "He'l on Earth" tie-in label because H'el does not show up at all. We get to see him in two panels, in flashbacks, in the background both times. It's not out of line to want to have some sort of interlude that deals with side issues, but Lobdell basically uses the entire issue to focus on Lex Luthor. And really, it's for no reason at all. Superman claims that he's come to Luthor looking for help, but in reality, as Lex puts it, "You would have figured out H'el's plan the instant he made his way into the fortress and got his hands on the artifacts you keep there." So why does Superman take the time to visit good old Lex? He's there to make himself angry. H'el is the most powerful adversary Superman has ever faced, and now he needs to give himself motivation to take on this new threat with everything he has. Beyond his meeting with Luthor, Clark seems to be taking a rather militant and stoic approach to his relationship with Superboy, speaking in short, curt sentences and generally not being very helpful before scolding Superboy like a father figure.

Now let's talk Superboy. Why has he turned into a Boy Scout all of the sudden? For over a year, Kon-El has done nothing but disregard orders, chastise those of authority, and generally do whatever he wants. Now, because Superman has lent him the Kryptonian armor for medical purposes, Kon has turned into some weird 1950s version of himself. "Man you are hardcore!", uses only four words to disassemble an air of sophistication Superboy has been trying to build since he first woke up in Superboy #1. Then "...if we're trying to get H'el the hell out of our your house, what the heck are we doing here?" reminds me how little regard Lobdell has for the green line when writing in MS Word. From a literary standpoint, there's no reason to craft such awkward sentences. 

Don't even get me started on, "You're still recovering from H'el nearly splitting you genetically in two". The first of the two examples could just have easily read as, "Why are we here if we're trying to get H'el out of your house?", while the second example could quite effortlessly be revised as, "H'el nearly ripped you apart at the genome, and you're still recovering." These obviously aren't the only ways to rewrite these sentences, but it just shows how easily good grammar and effective syntax can be.

Superman #15 is an interesting read if you're curious about Lex Luthor in the present day. Other than that, Superman and Superboy are not written as themselves, and it's very off-putting. As much as I disagree with how Kon-El has been handled up to this point, it's even more frustrating to see all the character development go out the window in the name of a shaky crossover. I usually like Kenneth Rocafort's artwork, but here, even his beautiful pencilling gets dragged down by the weight of the dialogue. For an event that's felt rushed and half-asked since it started, Superman #15 hits the brakes hard and provides more of an interlude than anything else. It's not terrible, but there's simply not a lot going on.

GRADE

6/10

(MOVIE) SUPERMAN/BATMAN - PUBLIC ENEMIES

Directed by Sam Liu
Written by Stan Berkowitz
Produced by Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm and Others

By the time Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was released, DC had already found success in two movies adapted from comic books (Superman: Doomsday, and Justice League: The New Frontier), two well-received origin story films (Green Lantern: First Flight and Wonder Woman), as well as Batman: Gotham Knight, which became wildly popular in the wake of Christopher Nolan's epic second chapter in his Batman reboot, The Dark Knight. It was time to put two of DC's most iconic characters together.

Public Enemies isn't very plot-centric. Though, this team-up tale is important for a few reasons. First off, it's animated in the exact same style as it's comic book forefather, illustrated by Ed McGuinness, which is an astounding feat considering McGuinness' art style is seminally unique. Second is reunion of Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly as Batman and Superman respectively. While both had voiced the characters since the end of their animated series' in the late 90s, neither had worked together as Bats and Supes. Third, Public Enemies marks the animated debut of some awesome DC characters like Power Girl, Major Force, Night Shade, and others.

This loose narrative centers on Lex Luthor winning the election for Presidency of the United States, and a giant meteor made of Kryptonite heading for Earth. With the country's most powerful position as his weapon, Luthor doctors film clippings to accuse Superman of killing someone. Luthor declares Superman (and Batman because they hang out, duh) a wanted felon with a reward for his capture. This prompts many DC villains and aforementioned heroes to come after the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight hoping to either get the reward or curry favor with Luthor. Eventually, the plot pulls back around the remind us that the Kryptonite meteor is still heading toward Earth. And this is where things start to fall apart.

The boys in blue and black go to see the (new, very young and Asian) Toyman in Tokyo where he reveals to them that he built a robot in their honor some years ago. The robot is half Batman and half Superman. The robot can destroy the Kryptonite meteor where hundreds of nuclear bombs could not. The robot can be manually operated by a person with no training, without a space suit of any kind. It's all hugely silly and really took away from the mood of the film. And after all that, Batman takes the robot into space and smashes it into the meteor, effectively going kamikaze. But he survives! From a nuclear explosion with a radioactive green meteor! What!?

If you skip the last ten minutes, you seriously wont be disappointed because I watched it and I was. The heroes and villains going after Superman and Batman was fun and played well to the artistic style of the comic book. The Kryptonite meteor was superfluos from the beginning (even in the comics!) and just got more and more tired as it kept popping up to remind the audience how annoying it was.

GRADE:

C+

Crisis Update: Villains United

Crisis Update
Volume I, Entry 5


Villains United
Gail Simone - Writer
Dale Eaglesham - Pencils

Gail Simone is a pretty hit-or-miss writer. Sometimes, she flubs it pretty hard (like with the new 52's Batgirl, which hasn't really gone anywhere in five issues), but on some occasions, she knocks it out of the park. Villains United is one such case.

***SPOILERS***
What is essentially a rebellion story, Lex Luthor has created a secret Society and is recruiting villains from across the world. From the lowliest of cat burglars to the likes of Deathstroke, Black Adam and Dr. Psycho, Luthor invites all but six villains to join his cause against the superheroes of the world. These are the six villains that the title focus on.

In a double entendre, Villains United eludes not only to the unification of villains under the Society led by Luthor, but also the rogue group of six that come together to combat Luthor's stranglehold on the villains of Earth. Made to participate by blackmailing them, the mysterious Mockingbird finds Deadshot, the man who never misses; Cheshire, lethal assassin; Parademon, solider from Apokolips stranded on Earth; Rag Doll II, disowned nephew of the original Ragdoll; Scandal, daughter of Vandal Savage; and Catman, one of the most forgettable of Batman's adversaries. While the revamped Catman gets the star treatment throughout the series, most of the 'Secret Six' get a lot of panel time and, eventually, have good chemistry during fights and operations.


Villains United was a way for DC to show readers a more relatable side of some of it's villains. Though each is made to work for Mockingbird against their will, the members of the Secret Six begin to develop their own personal moral objections to Luthor's tactics with his Society. And this is the real value from a story such as this; being able to see villains acting in a less-than-evil way is exhilarating. Of course, Cheshire betrays the group in a moment of deceit that would have been missed if it wasn't included, and Parademon dies at the end, giving way for new member - and Scandal's lover - Knockout.

Gail Simone's character-driven story was, by far, my favorite of the 'Countdown to Infinite Crisis' mini-series. The series told a story without being overbearing while also giving readers valuable information about the coming crisis. It felt the most coherent and the most satisfactory at the end.

Grade: A