This week: Summer of Superman Special #1 begins the next phase of Man of Steel’s Adventures.
Note: The review below contains spoilers. If you need quick spoiler purchase/pass recommendations for the manga in question, please see the bottom of the article for the final verdict.
Summer of Superman Special #1
Authors: Mark Waid (Chapter 1), Dunslot (Chapter 2), Joshua Williamson (Chapter 3)
Artists: Jorge Zimenez (Chaps 1-3) and Dan Mora (Epilogue)
Art Finish (Chapter 3): Berenortega
Colorist: Tomeumory
Letter: Dave Sharp
Cover Artists: Jorge Zimenez and Tomeu Molly
Spring is less than a month away, but DC is skipping this week with kick-offs to all of the Cryptonian’s “Summer Superman” celebrations. Summer of Superman Special #1 will give readers what will come to the supertitle for the rest of the year, including the debut of author Dan Slott’s Man of Steel ahead of the launch of the new Superman Unlimited series next month. Participating in the slots in this special is current Superman writer Joshua Williamson and incoming action comic scribe Mark Wade, along with artists Jorge Zimenez and Tomeu Morey. The team joins the strength for a single, three-act story spanning 48 pages, making it a great entry point into Superman’s current state of affairs.
The story of this issue is pretty straightforward. A huge member of the deadly five superheroes, Values, first of all, has Super Boy Day, and then Super Boy (Super Boy Man) Day, in the inappropriate era of Clark Kent’s hometown of Smallville.
Now, when it’s all laid out like that, it might not be very straight forward, and especially validus for all of it, but as Waid, Slott, and Williamson said, it hangs together pretty well. Individual segments have their own theme voices, reflecting different aspects of Superman. Wade’s Superboy section starts things in a fun way, with slots focusing on the overall superfamily, and ultimately Williamson sees Superman’s position as part of the larger DCU. Of the three segments, Slott’s is the weakest, with a truly Hamfist “story moral” about climate change, which feels completely out of place even in its own chapters. Hopefully it can choke up to Slot step under him with the character, and that is not a harbinger of what should come.
The whole is brought to visual life in a grand way by Jimenez and Molly. This team has spent so much time in Gotham over the past few years, so it’s great to see them working on characters who are open during the day for changes. Jimenez’s linework in the Superboy section is rich in the youthful energy he brings to the works of the Super Sands series, but the modern sequence captures the scale and gravitas of Superman’s world, even when he’s not in Metropolis. The Small Building itself is beautiful to see, with Molly’s colours beautifully pops with the golden wheatfield and the sunny blue sky. It’s a shame this is a short foray into Superman for this team, but it’s still welcome.
The epilogue of the issue by Williamson and Superman series artist Dan Mora provides some explanation for the rest of the issue, and, given the past events in Superman, links things to everything about the initiative and the current situation in a way that has unexpected meaning. Man of Steel is set to play a key role in the next phase of every In, and this special is undoubtedly a key element to its comprehensive DCU storyline.
Summer of Superman Special #1 is a truly solid Superman comic and a great sample of what comes from three major Superman titles later this year. Williamson and Wade are the authors of great powers, and Jimenez and Molly are once again proving why they are the superstar art team. Hopefully slots can shake off the initial awkwardness he displays here, as he will be more comfortable with the steel guy.
Final Verdict: Purchase.
round up
In other Superman this week, Batman/Superman from Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Tamrabon Villain and Steve Wans: The World’s Best #38 launches a crossover for “We Are Togynow.” This issue is mostly set up, and Flash responds to threats from Superman, Batman and Grod of the City of Gorilla. Classic superheroes continue on the premise that they can’t believe they’ve never done before. Currently, the unknown #5 challengers will be closing the series with author Christopher Cantwell, artists Sean Izaaks and Amankai Nierpan, colorists Romulo Fajard Jr. and Letterer Hassan Ottoman Elhau. Each issue is the quest for an individual challenger, and this issue is one challenge that is not infected with Omega’s energy, focusing on the length he goes to protect his friends, and this issue is no different either. I sincerely hope you will soon see these characters from this creative team. Ram V and Evan Cagle’s The New Gods continue their epic run in this week’s fifth issue. V and Cagle will be joined by guest artists Andrew McClean, colorists Francesco Segala and Letterer Tom Napolitano for this issue. This serves as a meditation on the nature of life and death through the eyes of Lightray. It’s a powerful issue that its only flaw is its cover, and it ruins what’s revealed on the otherwise incredible final page. Detective Comics #1096 wraps the first full arc of Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin as a creative team in a dramatic way. Batman’s title is currently firing on all cylinders, and the detective is definitely leading the way. Also, Gotham has been attracting attention this week’s Gotham’s attention for its title pairs that reach milestone issues: Catwoman #75 and Nightwing #125. The renewals are terrible, they just tell good stories, and when people come, both of these books do just that.
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