Comic Review: Superman #650
Well, that's a fresh start.
Superman picks up "One Year Later" with an intriguing opening chapter. Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns open "Up, Up, and Away!" with a number of quiet moments, as well as one or two bangs, and introduce us to a new status quo that is both fresh and familiar.
Superman has been gone for a year, and the people of Metropolis seem to be doing ok. Clark and Lois continue their regular lives, while Luthor's trial concludes and an old villain is new again.
I was honestly a little surprised about how well this went, given that the "one year later" set up is a little contrived. Busiek and Johns handle the absence of Superman with a light touch, eschewing overwrought melodrama for a rather quiet, positive tone for the book's opening scenes.
The shift to action, along with a guest star filling in for Supes, is handled with aplomb, without hinting at the revelation from the final pages. The reinvented villain was a nice nod to the past, as well, as I don't recall that character, not mentioned here to avoid too many spoilers, appearing much, if at all, post-crisis.
Also worth mentioning is Pete Woods strong art on the issue. He manages to blend a crisp line with a deft sense of expressiveness, a combination many artists struggle with. It leaves things with an organic feeling for the characters, but charged with a blend of realism and fantasy that works well in a "sense of wonder" title like Superman.
The final pages packs a bit of a punch, literally, as we're given a new question about why Clark hasn't been Superman for the last year. Whatever the reason, we'll hopefully learn soon. Busiek and Johns have given us a fine opening chapter into a story that looks like it will provide a breath of fresh air into the Superman franchise.
Superman picks up "One Year Later" with an intriguing opening chapter. Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns open "Up, Up, and Away!" with a number of quiet moments, as well as one or two bangs, and introduce us to a new status quo that is both fresh and familiar.
Superman has been gone for a year, and the people of Metropolis seem to be doing ok. Clark and Lois continue their regular lives, while Luthor's trial concludes and an old villain is new again.
I was honestly a little surprised about how well this went, given that the "one year later" set up is a little contrived. Busiek and Johns handle the absence of Superman with a light touch, eschewing overwrought melodrama for a rather quiet, positive tone for the book's opening scenes.
The shift to action, along with a guest star filling in for Supes, is handled with aplomb, without hinting at the revelation from the final pages. The reinvented villain was a nice nod to the past, as well, as I don't recall that character, not mentioned here to avoid too many spoilers, appearing much, if at all, post-crisis.
Also worth mentioning is Pete Woods strong art on the issue. He manages to blend a crisp line with a deft sense of expressiveness, a combination many artists struggle with. It leaves things with an organic feeling for the characters, but charged with a blend of realism and fantasy that works well in a "sense of wonder" title like Superman.
The final pages packs a bit of a punch, literally, as we're given a new question about why Clark hasn't been Superman for the last year. Whatever the reason, we'll hopefully learn soon. Busiek and Johns have given us a fine opening chapter into a story that looks like it will provide a breath of fresh air into the Superman franchise.
posted by Brad @ 6:23 PM
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