Review: Trinity #1

In writing there’s a principle known as the Power of Three or Rule of Three: it affirms that in literature things are funnier, scarier, more exciting, effective, etc. when they are grouped in a triad. It might sound silly at first, but once you start thinking of examples it’s hard to argue otherwise: Three Little Pigs, Three Musketeers, there’s even three ghosts of Christmas! Imagine someone said to you “hey, do you want one scoop of ice cream or would you like three?” you’re probably not going to have to think very hard about your response. So, with that logic in mind, a comic that prominently features three characters from the DCU that I love most, by definition alone should be amazing – right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. Though the title of the book is Trinity, you could easily have called this issue Superman #1.5. The scene opens on the Kent farm where young Jon Kent is still learning to control his burgeoning powers, a pre-New 52 Superman is finishing his patrol, and a now domesticated Lois Lane is preparing a dinner party for a couple of heroic guests (familiar, no?). Suffice it to say things get off to a bit of a rocky start: before Bruce and Diana can even cross the threshold, Jon nearly obliterates both them trying to use his x-ray vision. The dinner topic of conversation is no less precarious as Bruce is quick to remind Clark of how little he trusts him and that unchecked, he and Jon are two of the most dangerous beings on the entire planet. Tensions subside after the meal: Lois and Diana are left to talk alone while Clark and Bruce put Jon to bed. The strength of old ties helps to quell new rivalries/suspicions and a loose "friendship" is formed, albeit hesitantly. The resolve it fosters, however, is short-lived; a voice begins calling out to Clark, beckoning him forward towards the barn. Once inside, the triad of heroes discovers a relic straight from the pages of J.K. Rowling or C.S. Lewis: a literal mirror into Superman's past!

I feel very conflicted over this issue. It isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, I actually enjoyed the writing for the most part. The narrative helped with the overall flow of the story, and Manapul does an unparalleled job of getting in touch with the human side of the characters, however at times this also becomes the book’s greatest flaw. Notice how in my above description I said Bruce, not Batman; Diana not Wonder Woman? That wasn’t by accident: Manapul focuses so much on the human relationship that we lose the super-human element almost entirely; we don’t even see Batman or Wonder Woman in uniform, save for one page. It’s a mending-the-fences type issue that reads at times like a bottle-neck episode of daytime t.v. I understand that Manapul has to build the story up and is walking a fine line between canon/non-canon continuity, occupying the space in between; I was just expecting more of a bang and less of a whimper. Oh, and Superman’s whole Mirror of Erised moment – no, not a fan.

The art is certainly good enough; it is Francis Manapul after all - duh. The layouts are impressive, but I would be lying if I said it was the best Manapul I’d ever seen. There’s just simply not the same amount of detail in his lines that fans of his past work are used to seeing. As a colourist, however, he leaves an entirely different impression; and it’s beautiful. A farm might not make for the most exciting of settings, but it does lend itself nicely to some breathtaking sunsets and scenery. Manapul’s ability to showcase beauty through something as inconsequential as light escaping through a farm house door is what makes him the talented artist he is, and it also helps to pick the reader up in those moments when the script falters.

Even as I write this review, I’m still asking myself how I felt about Trinity as a whole. It was slow paced, but there was definite substance and character depth well beyond the scope of what you normally see in superhero comics. On the other hand, it IS a superhero comic! Would it have hurt to see the Justice League’s most famous members do something, anything that was even kind of cool in their first issue?! I think we all would have been O.K. with that; I definitely would have been. I’ll keep reading on not because of what Trinity is but rather because of what I think/hope it will become; I just hope I’m right.

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Trinity #1 Writer/Artist/Colourist: Francis Manapul Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: Superwoman #2

At one point in this issue, Lana Lang -- the surviving Superwoman -- drops a head-spinning reference to a line from a recent Wonder Woman movie trailer. So, two things come to mind here. First, the current DC movies exist in the DC universe, which must be hugely confusing considering how wildly the films differ from current DC continuity. Second, it makes sense that Lana would borrow another woman's words to defend herself. To some, the reference might seem to be part of a dark agenda to undermine masculinity. In reality, I think it works well enough to illustrate the ways in which women -- even powerful women -- have to be on their toes to prevent anyone from undermining their own sense of agency. Lana is, as of issue two here, struggling to live up to the legacy of two heroes she had to watch die. And both of them projected seemingly flawless confidence. Phil Jimenez is writing something greater than a simple origin story, yet nothing particularly lofty in its goals. Superwoman is just a story about one person earning her position as a hero after the fact. Lana's scraping together whatever she can to build herself up as she goes along. There's going to be a lot of understandable disappointment coming from Lois Lane fans. She gets shoved into a corner in favor of Lana Lang, a less prominent and far less beloved character. DC had an interesting opportunity here, now somewhat wasted for the sake of a simpler one-person title. Lois is often defined by the super people in her life. And in this instance, she's at least instrumental in setting events in motion. Lana is a less competent, less self-assured protagonist. She's a nervous wreck at times. And, though she has a nice safety net in the form of John Henry and Natasha Irons, Lana is trying too hard to prove herself as an individual. It's almost like she's running (or flying) away from the stereotypes people unfairly associate with Lois. Jimenez may still reintegrate Lois into Lana's story, but this is a one-woman show for the time being. That one woman is intriguing in her lack of obvious toughness and her history as a side character.

On a vaguely related note, Lex Luthor is a real buffoon here. In his lifetime he's gone from cackling madman to conniving a super scientist, then on to an overly-ambitious corporate snake, and now to this oddly anachronistic hybrid of the three. He's pompous and arrogant and unwilling to admit his faults. All of this, combined with an easily avoided late-in-the-issue plot twist, really paints the default Superman villain as a real chump of a Superwoman foil.  Luckily there's a greater threat lurking around the back of this issue.

Superwoman's journey toward confidence isn't new or especially mysterious in its presentation. However, every aspect of these first two issues is crafted competently. MI will admit some annoyance at Lana's behavior. As well, Luthor feels like he's here for a cameo, only appearing along enough to make the true antagonist seem tougher by comparison. Beyond that, and some questionable readability in the art (some faces are mushy, and many backgrounds are simply colored voids), this isn't difficult to recommend.

Superwoman has promise, but only if you can look past any disappointment at the loss of the first issue's potential.

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Superwoman #2 Writer/Artist: Phil Jimenez Colorist: Jeromy Cox Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: New Super-Man #3

The problem with the third issue is that it’s the third issue. It’s already been ordered by comic shops, pre-ordered by readers, the creative team is already working on the ending of the story line if they haven’t already moved on to the second arc. It’s settled into a comfortable formula that it’s made for itself. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (unless you want to overhaul the entire comic book distribution system which no one wants to) unless you’re a reviewer. Oh, woe is me. You’re thinking with equal parts mocking and sarcasm. Yes, woe is me. Because after all, you’re here reading this aren’t you? And yet the first paragraph is all I have to say about the issue. Sure Kenan grows as a character, along with our supporting cast. Yes, there are new plot threads introduced and hinted at for the future of the series and of course there’s a cliffhanger to bring us back. But is any of it really any better than the first two issues? Not really. It’s pretty average, but it’s good average. It's where you want average to be. Even one of the best series in the last decade, Mind MGMT, had its average issues, and that was my five-star standard for its entire run.

Average comic books are a great thing because it lets you know that the writer isn’t just phoning it in. They are trying to razzle dazzle you to the point that the character is uncharacteristic or just going through the motions. You know, the problem everyone seems to have with a Superman story. Average is just fine by me because it’s below-average that chases me away, not average. This isn’t school, we’re not trying to get into a good college, we’re just reading a comic book. Average isn’t a dirty word.

The art still has its awkward moments, but I didn’t hate it. There’s a panel where Kenan is looking to the side, and we see part of his face that we wouldn’t be able to see. I get what they were going for, but Bogdanovic needed to adjust the rest of the face to match the mouth or just change the mouth. There are some great scenes, though, and Bogdanovic manages to capture a lot of emotion in the facial expressions when they’re facing the correct way.

Third issues suck to review. You’ll see a lot of sites drop them because of all the reasons I listed. I bother with them because that’s how a series is forgotten. We have so many comics competing for our attention now and whether the industry wants to admit it, a limited number of people buying them, meaning a limited budget to be spent. Every bit of exposure helps, even if it’s just an average scoring review for an average issue for one of the boldest comics DC’s publishing.

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New Super-Man #3 Writer: Gene Luen Yang Artist: Viktor Bogdanovic Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: Superman #5

The problem with this iteration of Superman so far isn't that it's that it's too punchy or not deep enough: it's that it's not good at being action-packed or thoughtful when it tries to go in either direction. My Comic Bastard bio is a product of its time: I started reviewing comics not too long after I first started reading them and, as a result, my disdain for DC's relaunch via the New 52 was still a fresh wound.  I remember my first time really browsing the shelves at a comic store in Manhattan, gawking at all the new DC comics, excited about what might be inside.  "Superman, in jeans?!" thought a young wide-eyed Austin (with much more hair), as he gazed upon Morrison's Man of Steel and Denim.  Of course, the content of many of those comics disappointed, but it wasn't all bad.

Rebirth has decidedly retconned my opinion of the previous relaunch.  Because this Superman, whatever this comic is supposed to be, is dull.  Dull, dull, dull.  In addition to bordering on mindless, the constant rotation of pencilers seems more apparent than is typical even on double-shipped books.

The father-son (and now father-son-mother) fight with this iteration of the Eradicator is in its third issue and still has at least one issue to go.  Maybe I've just been reading too much manga, but the pacing of this fight feels absolutely languid considering it's the first fight of this new series and the fight animation itself isn't up to snuff.  Careful readers will notice in this issue that not one page ever really feels like a kinetic showdown; rather, characters are constantly posing.  What should feel like constant motion and powerful movement instead reads like anatomy porn.

What's more disappointing is that it hasn't always been the case throughout the fight.  Of the previous issues, the one featuring Jimenez's pencils had some convincing set pieces where the imposing physical strength involved among these figures was more than obvious.  Unfortunately, we don't get consistent pencils because of how quickly these pages are being cranked out.  It's one thing if the rotating pencilers can elicit the same feel from the pages and have equally successful sequences; however, it's another thing entirely when the issues feel distinctly visually different and the sequences become as static as they are here in issue 5.

It's not entirely the artist's fault.  The languid pace could use a little more motion and character in its images, but that doesn't excuse how little room there is for character in the plot itself.  The Eradicator is an intensely one-dimensional character: he's a sexy buff dalek that says "eradicate" instead of "exterminate."  Making him the foil for a substantial relaunch of a flagship title doesn't make any sense.  And it makes even less sense when you make it a punchy-punch showdown that only serves to put Superman's son in danger.

What at first seemed like a promising exploration of Jon's human/Kyrptonian heritage is really just a dick-measuring contest that used his heritage as a touchstone.  The moment at which Superman takes all the Kryptonian souls inside of himself from the Eradicator is just too on-the nose: we get it, he's the best possible torch-bearer of his race, not some unthinking xenophobic genocidal alien.  It's weird to see that metaphor so explicitly evinced when almost every goddamn Superman story gets this point across.

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Superman #5

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

Artist: Doug Mahnke

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: New Super-Man #2

After a stunning first issue the second issue follow-up is less than spectacular. It’s still an enjoyable issue and I’m looking forward to the series overall, but there is definitely its share of pacing problems plaguing the sophomore follow-up. The most interesting thing to me about this issue was the character development, in some cases it was adequate and other cases it was underwhelming. Kong had one good scene towards the end. The final pages are another story and while I won’t spoil it, I will say that it did more for his character than the rest of the issue, because it showcased his personality. Really it was a great moment in which Gene Luen Yang captures one of those human moments in which our bad habits outshine our logic. Otherwise the issue spends a great deal of time building the characters of China’s Justice League. Which I actually really enjoyed, but it felt to soon to be building that aspect when we're still learning about our title character. Yang somewhat goes out of his way to establish the differences and similarities between China’s Justice League and the other Justice League. It’s quite smart, but it’s just a bit too obvious that it’s happening. That and a lot of it is telling via dialogue, rather than showing it through their actions.

In the issue itself a fight breaks out between Batman Wonder Woman and Superman. Which is kind of a dream come true if they were the original characters. Here it’s kind of curious as to why they’re actually fighting when no one’s taken the time to talk to Kong about what he’s doing. They assume he’s lost control and attacking, but he’s just freaking out due to the process they used to give him powers. What’s worse is that Kong’s arrogance is a lot like Peter Parker’s in that he only cares that someone is trying to fight him, not that he should stop and think for a moment about what’s going on with himself. When I say Peter Parker I’m referring to the origin in which Parker doesn’t stop the thug that would eventually kill his Uncle. Not that it’s the same thing, but the same thinking of “not my problem.” Kong loses his powers and basically spends the rest of the issue calling Batman “Fatty” and asking what he did to him.

Again, the issue isn’t bad at all. The art continues to be very good, but there were definitely a lot of weaker panels in this issue. I didn’t stop my overall enjoyment, but looking at a few of them again there’s some really glaring problems that I hope doesn’t end up plaguing the series. Facepalm Batman in particular is really hard to look at.

What continues to be interesting to me is Kong. In some ways he reminds me of Booster Gold, but with this really dark element to him that we haven’t seen fully exposed yet. He doesn’t seem like the type of person that you would feel safe with having Superman’s powers which is still an incredible feeling to have. Why? Because I’m sure that’s exactly how Lex Luther feels about Superman… makes you wonder what Yang is going for or just how good of a writer he is. It’s messy, but it’s still one of the best DC books to be buying.

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New Super-Man #2 Writer: Gene Luen Yang Artist: Viktor Bogdanovic Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: Action Comics #961

Superman continues to fight Doomsday, Wonder Woman helps. Lois and Jonathon are just kind of there to help fill pages. Mysterious hooded guy narrates more. And Lex continues to be a stand up hero. Same as it ever was. We open with Lex Luthor being the only real super hero in this story helping the people still at ground zero of the Doomsday fight in Metropolis. We also get a blurred cameo of Superwoman with a mention to pick up her first issue* also out this week. Luthor along with Clark Kent (the non-Superman version) also investigate Doomsday’s ship that has been left behind. Sadly, here is where we leave the actual good guy of this story, it was to brief and I hope you get more pages in two weeks Lex.

Meanwhile there is a fight. It is the same damn fight that has been going on for three issues now. Sadly, it will be at least one more issue (spoilers). What follows is a dramatization of the fight abbreviated for your convenience.

Superman’s narration: DOOMSDAY!!! He is the monster who killed me. Which is him who I am fighting now.

Superman: I will stop you by punching you, Doomsday.

Superman punches Doomsday.

Doomsday shrugs it off and attacks again.

Wonder Woman fights Doomsday for a few pages after saving Superman from getting punched.

Superman: I are smarter now, my new plan is to punch you.

Superman tags himself in and punches Doomsday.

Superman sends away Lois, Jon, and Wonder Woman because we need to pad out a few pages, also Superman don’t need no one else around he has Doomsdays to fight.

Superman: I are really smarter now, smartest now even, my new plan is LASER EYES PEW PEW PEW PEW!

Superman pew pews Doomsday.

Doomsday shrugs it off.

Some outside force suddenly shows up to create a cliffhanger for next week.

Tune in two weeks from now True Believers, or whatever DC fans are.

And that is the issue. The outside force who shows up this time is random guys with hover boards and lasers who have apparently been sent by the mysterious hooded narrator, who maybe will become less mysterious next issue? I hope at least less hooded if nothing else, they are so 90s.

What have we learned from this issue? Well mysterious hooded narrator guy has a posse of guys with hoverboards and could have gotten involved at any point saving countless lives. Also… um yeah nothing that’s it. Just more fighting. Yawn.

*See the review of Superwoman #1 right here.

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Action Comics #961 Writer: Dan Jurgens Artist: Stephen Segovia Publisher: DC Comics Price: Holding the line at $2.99 Format: Ongoing/Bi-Weekly; Print/Digital

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CBMFP 245: Colon

It's the week after Comic-Con! You'd think there wouldn't be any news, but then Superman was revealed on Supergirl! That's not the only movie news... since that's primarily what we have to cover. Marvel Studios clarifies the next two Avengers films, while Captain Boomerang is tripping shrooms. On a completely non-comic related story, Luc Besson is found guilt of plagiarizing John Carpenter?! And on the actual comic side of things Marvel's Prostate Cancer Awareness Variants aren't all they're cracked up to be. Books reviewed on this episode:

• ROM: Space Knight #1
• Prison School vol. 4
• Future Quest #3
• Bera: The One-Headed Troll
• The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo

Previously on the CBMFP...

Review: Action Comics #960

This is part four of the story, so why are the first few pages everyone having awkward dialogue to reiterate what has happened before? First, the mysterious figure who is not only randomly narrating things but is ALSO mysterious, decides now is the time to give a summation of what everyone is doing right that second and who they are by name. Then Wonder Woman shows up and meets not Superman Clark Kent and gets more conversation to help fill in the reader who thought the fourth issues was the best jumping on point. And finally Superman randomly yells “Doomsday” for anyone who skipped the first page wondering who he was fighting. With Wonder Woman added to the mix, does this mean the age of jerk Superman is over? No, of course not! He just isn’t a jerk towards Wonder Woman, or Lois either, so I guess at least he is a nice guy to the ladies, or some junk. I’m sure it is meant to be great writing by all those involved in the creation of this comic.

How is Superman a jerk in this comic? Well first he treats Lex Luthor like the annoying little brother who always kicks the dog but gets away with it. Superman is just generally snippy and petulant towards Lex in the small handful of pages they share together. “I owe YOU nothing,” and other stupid lines come out of Superman’s mouth while talking to Lex Luthor.  Luthor who is the one super hero thus far in this story, who has actually tried to save lives and not start blindly punching, the guy who in this story has been a little smarmy sure, but hasn’t done a single villainous thing yet!

But jerk Superman isn’t keeping it just with Luthor. While fighting Doomsday, he starts bragging about how many times he is punching him, counting out loud. The super speed punching is apparently his newest tactic against Doomsday which is just what he has been doing these last two issues, but FASTER! Don’t worry, Superman does come up with one actual plan: since the city is being evacuated as the fight carries on, he should move Doomsday outside the city to protect everyone…who is currently leaving the city. The holes in this plan sadly aren’t shown to anyone involved as Doomsday just ups and leaves. Because he hears, or feels, or just senses that Jonathon Kent (son of Superman) exists and he will now destroy him. Even though Jon is a huge distance away.

Before rushing off to chase after Doomsday and save small child, Superman gives Lex some crap, Wonder Woman even gets a dig in! Then the duo race off. Midway, Wonder Woman finds out Superman has a child, which leads to Superman giving the reader a super guilty side eye look. Which makes zero sense. Yes, this world’s Wonder Woman dated this world’s Superman, but the Superman of this comic came from a different Earth/Timeline so why the look? They have only met like three times at this point. This doesn’t make sense!!!

All of this is ignored so Superman can jump in front of Lois’ car as she is driving speedily away in fear that Doomsday is coming. Great job endangering your family there Superman. In the panel Jon looks super happy, Lois is totally freaking out, and Superman is just smirking; he just loves shortening Lois’ life due to stress and probably some internal injuries or hairline fractures.

Anyways there is lots of talking with some really inconsistent faces. The characters don’t look the same from one panel to the next, and sometimes the facial expressions really don’t seem to match the dialogue. I don’t know if the artist was in a hurry to hit the two week deadline or what. It is a sloppy few pages. The coloring is beautiful for the backgrounds, if not a little non consistent in its own right. At least the story is consistent. Sadly it is consistently meh.

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Action Comics #960 Writer: Dan Jurgens Artist: Tyler Kirkham Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 7/27/16

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Review: Superman #3

Superman is starting to feel like a more earnest attempt at a compelling story as the comic hones in on the more compelling parts of the new status quo.  Still, those parts feel a little too familiar at times. My biggest problem with the first issue of Superman was how much its content hinged on a decade's worth of canon manipulation.  Of course, that was bound to happen: for DC to "recover" from a massive reboot that went poorly, they'd have to dip back into obsessive canon tinkering, at least briefly, to get back to just, you know, making good comics.

What sets Superman #3 apart for me is the fact that a major conflict now hinges on the half-human, half-alien status of Superman's son, Jon.  It's a very Raditz moment.  Seeing the Man of Steel stepping in to go toe-to-toe with one of his own kind in defense of his own kin and, by extension both literally and metaphorically, the human race.  Fans of Superman will no doubt find this bit a little played (threat from Krypton unhappy that Supes has gone native, etc.), but Jimenez puts together a few great sequences, particularly the one where Eradicator takes action and assuages some of Superman's worries.

It's revealed that the only reason for the Eradicator's unselfish actions can instead be interpreted as inherently selfish: it's Jon's Kryptonian blood that interests Eradicator, and the rest of the DNA is just a pest to be eradicated.  Though I personally am in the camp of people that no doubt finds this type of conflict a little played out, making Jon the locus of the conflict is a new move, and it's headed in a direction we haven't yet seen from a Superman book by going this route.

The problem with making Jon the locus is it turns Superman into this hyper-defensive, Mel Gibson shouting "GIVEMEBACKMYSON" type of father, and every time there's even a hint of threat to his son, he just goes straight to punching.  While I understand that defending his wife and child in this sort-of-foreign earth has put Supes on edge, you'd think that even when it comes to defending his family he would be a little more... admirable.  Yeah, yeah, it's great that he's defending his family, and when the threats are this serious it's not like I want him to smile and nod; but, at a certain point, continuously putting him in this position is going to make him a pretty one-dimensional character.  Specifically because I expect Superman to do anything to protect his wife and his blood it's a bad idea to just make him punchy-punch family man every single issue.

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Superman #3

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Artist: Jorge Jimenez

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: New Super-Man #1

I’ve checked out nearly all of the new DC titles. Obviously, if you follow the site, I haven’t reviewed them all and if you follow the podcast, I haven’t talked about them all. The simple fact is that I haven’t enjoyed them all either, but really that’s to be expected of any new launch. It’s incredibly rare to get a reader that reads it all and likes it all. Outside of The Flash, New Super-Man is the first book I’m really excited for… and I didn’t think I would be. Sure, I had faith in Gene Luen Yang because I’ve read his other work, but I’ll totally admit that I was scared to check out his work on Superman before “Rebirth.” What this had going for it was the fact that he convinced DC to let him make a Chinese Superman and that alone was groundbreaking and interesting enough to check it out.

After a few pages though… I felt like I was reading my first DC Comic ever. You know what I mean. Actually… you probably don’t. Do you remember the first DC Comic you ever read? Probably not, neither do I. I know one of the first ones I ever read and it was right after Jason Todd died. Sure, kind of a dark issue, but up until then I had only read some Marvel comics. Suddenly I could see the clear distinction between the two companies and it was magical. It was always like this, you could read a DC book and it would feel like a DC book and vice versa with Marvel. With the New 52 DC stopped feeling like DC.

Because DC was fun! DC had Plastic Man, a grown up Robin who sometimes dated a former Batgirl in a wheelchair. I mean when you really think of all the ridiculousness of comics a lot of it comes from DC and that’s okay. Because it’s fun. It’s strange and different and you can’t get that anywhere else. Where else will you find a character called Mister Msyzptlk whose entire gimmick is to make you, make him say his own name?

What does any of this have to do with New Super-Man (pay attention to the hyphen!)? I got that same sense of joy from reading this. This is something that Yang could have very easily have done on his own. He could have made a Chinese Superman and never said that it was Superman because countless indie comics do it all the time. And it doesn’t have the same effect unless A) you’re a talented writer (think Mark Millar) or B) you can actually create the story at the publisher that owns the character… well, Yang is definitely A and got to do B.

The story is an origin story, but our main character, our future Super-Man of China is nothing like Clark Kent. And that’s fine by me. No one wanted to see a carbon copy version of Clark Kent because that be a disservice to everyone. Gene created a character. A new character for DC and made him flawed, gave him a tragic background and even managed to set his story in China without getting political. Everything Yang did with the story was meticulously thought out and paced wonderfully.

Of course this is a comic so it’s a collaborative effort and that means that Viktor Bogdanovic (pencils) and Richard Friend (inks) get a lot of the credit as well. Bogdanovic’s designs are diverse and different from what you’ve seen from a DC Comic. For the most part, no one in the book looks like a superhero. They’re just average looking people going through life. Bogdanovic’s facial expressions are really what’s in tune with Yang’s writing style and really an extension of Yang’s own art. I for one enjoy the fact that I’m seeing more and more inkers on comics again. Inking is to film, what digital art is to digital in the film industry. I don’t know how to explain that better so enjoy that SAT style of statement. The answer is “B”, the algorithm no longer favors “C”. Basically inking gives a comic a certain look and while most people can’t really tell from looking if it was digital or not, at the end of the day it does give it a different vibe. A classic vibe.

New Super-Man is one of, if not the best DC Rebirth title I’ve read. As I said on this week’s podcast, I want to support the hell out of this book so that I can continue reading it for years to come. Yang and the rest of the creative team have delivered the first truly different first issue from “Rebirth” and that alone had me excited. This issue gave me hope that with Rebirth, DC can go back to being DC and not worry so much what the rest of the industry is doing. Be DC, just like Kenan is going to be Super-Man.

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New Super-Man #1

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Penciler: Viktor Bogdanovic

Inker: Richard Friend

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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Review: Action Comics #959

Superman and Doomsday are still kung fu fighting. Minus the actual skill and grace of martial arts. Lex Luthor continues to be a stand up hero who is just a little cocky. Jonathon remains a small child who can stand in for the audience who didn’t read Death of Superman and have Lois explain things to (who also geeks out over how awesome Super Lex is). Lois somehow has some of the worst flowery prose internal monologue possible. And Superman is less of a dick then he has been the last two issues, he is just generally a moron. Yeah Superman comics are awesome… It is just more of a big fight comic here. You’ve seen it before an will again. The fight isn’t that great, we still have random mysteries of why Clark Kent is there watching, but not a thing is resolved here. This is just part three of however many. So instead I will just go on about how stupid Superman is in this issue.

The first time Doomsday and Superman fought, what did Superman do? Yes he died, but what was his tactic? This larger than life hero who has out smarted some of the greatest minds in the galaxy, out witted 5^th dimensional beings, created miraculous scientific achievements and wonders in his spare time just for Jimmy and Lois can be entertained for a day…he just punches Doomsday a lot. Never has a plan, just throws fists, sometimes he uses his heat vision, but general it is punch, punch, punch. In this issue, in the middle of the fight with Doomsday, Superman says to himself “I am smarter now.” This means he has a plan right? Yeah it is just to punch and use his heat vision.

Superman’s punch punch plan even gets criticized by the nameless observer who maybe is just a stand in for the editor who wanted to say more but didn’t. The plan also results in a giant crater the size of a city block, which must make everyone who loved the mindless destruction in Man of Steel super happy. Sigh.

I will give them credit for trying to make Doomsday a real threat. Ever since his first appearance every subsequent outing he has become less and less. Everyone is treating him like the biggest threat ever, which is good, there needs to be a few larger than anything else epic villains. I just wish the comic was written better.

The art is still pretty good. The action looks pretty neat. I kind of feel like there was a continuity jump where the issue starts with Luthor’s armor torn up, but I could also be mis-remembering. Really this entire story makes me realize how much I want Lex Luthor to be the Superman of Action Comics. But he would probably have to suddenly turn into a giant jerk, and Superman would be a good guy…actually yes please let’s do that!

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Action Comics #959

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Tyler Kirkham

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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CBMFP 242: He's Trying To Get Worthy

International Comic Con is coming and so we have a new titles and new deals to talk about starting with BOOM! Studios snagging the WWE comics license. After that we run through the two new iron people and the controversy surrounding that. Then it's on to Champions with Mark Waid, US Avengers and Squirrel Girl, The Great Lake Avengers returning again and The Unworthy Thor. That's not all though, there's a new Justice League animation possibly in the works, find out what the guys think about that.

Comics reviewed on this episode:

• Justice League: Rebirth #1
• New Superman #1
• Super Mutant Magic Academy

Previously on the CBMFP...