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

JUSTICE LEAGUE #12

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Jim Lee and Scott Williams (et al)

I'm going to start this review off by saying that the kiss between Superman and Wonder Woman is a lot less 'awe-inspiring' than DC let on. In fact, one could argue that the reasons behind the titular tongue-tying should have been raised years ago, even decades. But more on that later. Justice League #12 wraps up not only the first year of the title, but also "The Villain's Journey", the second arc for the series that dealt with new villain Graves who was out to destroy the League and remake the world in his own way. The thing is, that phrase holds a significantly different meaning for Graves in the pages of Justice League than it normally ever does. While even I'll admit that using spectres of long-lost loved ones is a bit cliche, Johns employs this narrative strategy to get to the heart of the main issue with the team as a whole: the Justice League is not and cannot be held accountable for their actions.

The fight with climactic battle that opens the issue is only significant for Graves' vocalized thoughts. While having the team come face-to-face with dead loved ones sounds emotionally relevant, the whole ordeal comes off as trite after Graves weighs in. "I've destroyed the Justice League, but I'm not here to destroy each one of you," laments Graves as he watches them, a twinkle of glee in his eyes. The whole point of the League was for the sum to be greater than it's individual parts. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. When you gather seven god-like beings together, it's a good idea to have someone around to ground them once in a while. While Steve Trevor was supposed to fill this void, his prior relationship with Wonder Woman hindered his ability to see the unbiased truths when it came to the League. However twisted and painful, Graves assumes the role of 'moral conscience', making the team question themselves for the first time since they banded together.

And that, dear readers, is where the real meat of this issue lies. The truth of the matter is, superheroes are not held accountable for their actions - they can't be if they hope to do their jobs well. The Justice League is an organization unlike any other on the planet, especially now that the 'New 52' rebooted most of the fringe teams out of existence. And while it might be cool to see costumed heroes battling aliens for a while, eventually, the novelty wears off and people want the truth over everything else.

They're not wrong for wanting it.

Johns does a fantastic job, this month, delving into philosophically-charged territory. And with the 'New 52' freedom under his belt, the characters get an interesting take on the subject - Flash insists that the League has to be better, while Batman sees the subjectivity of their situation. Green Lantern is the one who gets to the answer first: even though the League might not be perfect, it still has to try because the world needs the League. Because bad news always accompanies deed of sacrifice such as these, Hal Jordan resigns from the League. Citing his instigation of the fight between the Leaguers that aired across the world, Hal offers himself up as a scapegoat. The people of Earth get someone to blame, while the League gets to continue doing what they do, even though they know that the world could turn on them at any moment if they slip up again, even a little bit.

Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor (technically) break up again, sending Steve into fits of angry muttering and a final demand for Diana to leave, and a preview for the next year of stories looks like the League will have their hands full with Steve Trevor's A.R.G.U.S.-operated Justice League of America, a team that looks to be in direct conflict with the League proper, for more reasons than one.

Justice League #12 does an excellent job capping off a first year that saw the team come together and face more than just villains. Geoff Johns is slowly figuring out the team's voice and how they honestly fit into the greater DC universe. It's a difficult task, no doubt, but Johns has a long history with Teen Titans, and his pre-'New 52' work on Green Lantern included some of the characters best stories in years. Now, after taking the time to give us readers the basic stuff, it's time to go into new territory. Obviously, Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship is leading this trend, and coupled with Hal Jordan's resignation, we're sure to be in for an exciting 2013.

GRADE

A-

JUSTICE LEAGUE #11

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Jonathan Glapion

The problem with writing for an ensemble is making each character interesting and a part of the story. This is hard enough to accomplish in film, TV, or even books, and it's even harder to do in a comic book such as Justice League. Not only does Geoff Johns feature each member of the League - at least a little bit - in nearly every issue, he's also been doing a fantastic job conveying each character's personality through their behavior while part of a team dynamic. Ever since DC relaunched it's entire line, a big complaint from many critics and fans alike has been Hal Jordan's brash and jerky behavior as opposed to his traditional 'All-American' personality that defined him for so many years. I'd like to argue that Hal Jordan was getting boring, and Johns has finally given Earth's preeminent Green Lantern a reason to be interested in him, even if that means loving to hate his asshole tendencies.

A big part of what makes Justice League so interesting to read, whether you think it's a good book or not, is that it presents each hero in circumstances out of their comfort zone. For Diana, it means working with others and compromising when it makes logical sense. Steve Trevor is hostage to Graves, and Diana wants to go after them alone, while Hal tried to talk her into sticking with the League and tracking down Graves together. Hal and Diana's face-off is great and gives a great deal more meaning to their working relationship. Us readers haven't seen much of the time between Darkseid's attack and this current Graves situation, which leaves a lot of room open for Johns to play around with each members' relationship with the others. "You've been dying for this, haven't you?" asks Hal to Diana, obviously rhetorically. Green Lantern and Wonder Woman apparently have some built-up tension that finally manages to break their respective patiences and they proceed to get into a fist fight that Graves somehow manages to broadcast across the globe. Of course, Hal's only the first one to stop Diana from making a mistake by going off alone, and soon, Superman is on the ground, too. Cyborg finally teleports the entire team north to David Graves' writing cabin, where they hope to find Graves himself as well as poor Steve Trevor. 



At the beginning of the issue, Graves goes to torment Tracy Trevor, Steve's sister, for some unexplained reason. Honestly, there doesn't seem to be any actual motive for Graves' visit other than to tell Tracy that he's going to kill her brother and that she should be grateful that she wont have to witness it. The League follows Graves' only to be berated by Tracy about their irresponsibility with her brother, not only professionally, but also intimately. While I understand that this scene facilitates Wonder Woman's eventual lashing-out at the other Leaguers, it really feels clumsy, like this scene came together at the last moment and inconsistencies - like the villain's reason for his actions? - were simply overlooked.



The problem with writing for an ensemble is making each character interesting and a part of the story. This is hard enough to accomplish in film, TV, or even books, and it's even harder to do in a comic book such as Justice League. Not only does Geoff Johns feature each member of the League - at least a little bit - in nearly every issue, he's also been doing a fantastic job conveying each character's personality through their behavior while part of a team dynamic. Ever since DC relaunched it's entire line, a big complaint from many critics and fans alike has been Hal Jordan's brash and jerky behavior as opposed to his traditional 'All-American' personality that defined him for so many years. I'd like to argue that Hal Jordan was getting boring, and Johns has finally given Earth's preeminent Green Lantern a reason to be interested in him, even if that means loving to hate his asshole tendencies.


A big part of what makes Justice League so interesting to read, whether you think it's a good book or not, is that it presents each hero in circumstances out of their comfort zone. For Diana, it means working with others and compromising when it makes logical sense. Steve Trevor is hostage to Graves, and Diana wants to go after them alone, while Hal tried to talk her into sticking with the League and tracking down Graves together. Hal and Diana's face-off is great and gives a great deal more meaning to their working relationship. Us readers haven't seen much of the time between Darkseid's attack and this current Graves situation, which leaves a lot of room open for Johns to play around with each members' relationship with the others. "You've been dying for this, haven't you?" asks Hal to Diana, obviously rhetorically. Green Lantern and Wonder Woman apparently have some built-up tension that finally manages to break their respective patiences and they proceed to get into a fist fight that Graves somehow manages to broadcast across the globe. Of course, Hal's only the first one to stop Diana from making a mistake by going off alone, and soon, Superman is on the ground, too. Cyborg finally teleports the entire team north to David Graves' writing cabin, where they hope to find Graves himself as well as poor Steve Trevor. 

Not even Graves can describe himself in a simple way...

At the beginning of the issue, Graves goes to torment Tracy Trevor, Steve's sister, for some unexplained reason. Honestly, there doesn't seem to be any actual motive for Graves' visit other than to (again, inexplicably) give Tracy his abridged life story and power set origin, then tell her that he's going to kill her brother and that she should be grateful that she wont have to witness it...What?  The League follows Graves only to be berated by Tracy about their irresponsibility with her brother professionally and also intimately. While I understand that this scene facilitates Wonder Woman's eventual lashing-out at the other Leaguers, it really feels clumsy, like this scene came together at the last moment, so  inconsistencies - like the villain's reason for his actions? - were simply overlooked.


On top of that, Johns takes even more time - later in the issue - to finish giving us Grave's origin story. At the end of it all, Graves just feels like a villain that's too forced for his own good. Darkseid: evil alien warlord whose search for the anti-life equation leads him to become an intergalactic conqueror. See? One sentence to describe one of the most iconic Superman villains of all time. Graves: author whose family died as an indirect result of a Justice League-related battle, so he seeks out haunted gods who will  fuse him with the spirits of his dead family, thus giving him a weird, alien-lizard look...and he can use his powers(?) to make people see their dead family members, and take away their energy, I guess. If that sentence was as painful to read as it was to write, you'll understand how silly of a character Graves really seems.


I like Justice League. You get to see a different side of your favorite heroes and, more often than not, it's exciting and fun to read, which is the real goal of all comic books. "The Villain's Journey" started out strong, with a path that had the potential to produce an awesome new nemesis for the League. Instead, we got Graves, a whiney writer who has deluded himself into believing the Justice League is responsible for his family's eventual death.

SCORE

7.7/10

(COMIC) JUSTICE LEAGUE #9

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Jim Lee and Scott Williams

After a few 'interlude' issues, Justice League kicks off it's second story arc written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Jim Lee. But - as most opening issues tend to be - Justice League #9 feels a bit light on true plot, instead focusing on different small groups of Leaguers that will eventually intersect in a later issue.

I was worried that Johns would feel pressured to feature the entire team together in most issues to satiate the desire for a full ensemble title - and for good reason. DC's pre-New 52 world was plagued with massive crossovers that ended up making no sense or not really affecting anything in the long run. Instead, Johns is writing Justice League like it should be: various squads tackling different situations. Batman, Superman, and Cyborg team up to quell a breakout at Arkham Asylum, while Green Lantern, Flash, and Wonder Woman go after Weapon Master. One of my favorite parts of the entire issue was Hal and Barry's spat about who was going to be the "bad cop" during Weapon Master's interrogation. It's moments like those that ground characters in a little reality and make them more relatable. Too often, writers forget to humanize their characters, and Johns consistently writes in-depth characterization.

By the end of the issue, both teams have subdued their targets and are trying to figure out just what exactly is going on. It all connects with Steve Trevor's disappearance. Both the Key and Weapon Master blame a man named Graves for their criminal outburst. The final pages are used to show Johns and Lee's newest villain hiding in the shadows as he tortures poor Steve and threatens to kill the rest of his family. Graves is not messing around and breaks Steve's hand to prove he's not a lighthearted villain in any sense of the word.

What's actually interesting about this new arc of Justice League is that Graves is a villain who has (supposedly, or at least seemingly) been wronged by the Justice League directly and wants to take his revenge. This is interesting because it's been quite a long while since there was a JLA story that actually connected to the League. More often than not, the League is called upon to handle situations like alien invasions, criminal masterminds, and worldwide catastrophes, all of which have no meaningful connection to the League. Mostly, the League is reserved for massive threats. Giving the team a more personal villain might be a fantastic way to give a little more characterization and depth to a crew that readers haven't yet received.

GRADE:

B