Kevin Nowlan's cover grabbed my attention immediately. Clearly, this issue was going to pay tribute to the Man of Steel's origins in the Golden Age, and I was curious how Casey was going to pull it off. He does with a fantastical story that gives idealism and outrage form, and introduces a new supporting character from Clark Kent's past that deserves to turn up again in the Man of Steel's four-color life. Aucoin offers up some artwork that's a bit unusual for him, but it captures the tough quality behind the plot.
A powerful metahuman is on an angry rampage through Texas, but the mystery man -- who resembles Superman -- clearly has honorable goals in mind, saving lives and meting out justice with his fists. Meanwhile, Clark Kent visits his old journalism instructor, the man who inspired him to become a reporter, and learns the old fellow is penning a new novel. And the novel has something in common with the strange caped individual that's giving crooked Texans a headache.
Aucoin employs much thicker linework than usual here, but it suits the rough edge that's to be found in the plot and the ideas Casey explores here. Aucoin's interpretation of the Golden Age Superman -- after which the faux Champion is modelled here -- really captures the simplicity of the late Joe Shuster's style while not surrending a more modern level of detail. And the idea of mimicking old-school coloring techniques to convey both the character's conceptual origins and his artificial nature was a brilliant merging of storytelling and homage.
I assume Ben Conrad is a new character, and he's a well-crafted one. His belief in old-fashioned values and rejection of the bureaucracy that interferes in real justice is one that is easy to relate to and embrace. And Casey's choice to embody those purer but invasive values in the form of a Golden Age "Superman" was inventive and entertaining. The title character's 1938 incarnation is a comics reference in the script, just visually. The figure served as an excellent tool to crystallize the theme.
Though I enjoy December's "Lost Hearts" story arc in the Superman titles, this issue reaffirms the notion that keeping the titles separate and telling self-contained stories is the way to strong storytelling in the world of the Man of Tomorrow. Of course, I'm still interested to see how the Hollow Men subplot -- the seed of which is planted here -- pans out as well; Casey captures a creepy, Sixth Sense-esque quality with them.
