The first issue of the Azzarello/Lee run on this title impressed me with its unconventional approach to the Man of Steel, but this second chapter in the 12-part story left me scratching my head a little. The mysterious tone that grabbed my attention last month is replaced by a confusing, vague quality in the dialogue, and Lee's art just didn't sit as well with me this time around. To be fair, though, Azzarello makes a powerful (though far from subtle) political statement here about the Bush administration's clumsy efforts to bring democracy to Iraq.
Superman once against approaches Father Leone to discuss the Vanishing, as the mysterious event that erased every trace of one million people off the face of the planet haunts them both. They recall how the planet's satellites tracked the Vanishing effect, but not its cause. It did, however, record the origin of the phenomenon, in a 300-mile radius of a war-torn area of the Middle East. While the Man of Steel could find no cause when he searched, he did try to do some good by destroying all weapons in the area, and thereby ending the conflict. Or so he hoped.
There are two covers for this issue, and the Jim Lee cover is surprisingly (and unfortunately) reminiscent of the style of Rob (Youngblood) Liefeld. Look at it... gritted teeth, empty eyes, no visible feet and an impossible hairline. The title character's human side is completely eclipsed by the superhuman qualities, and it makes him a less interesting character. The action in the opening scene is completely unclear as well. It also occurs to me that Father Leone's look is far too generic. He could be Bruce Wayne or any number of dark-haired super-heroes out of costume.
Superman's futile efforts to force peace and ideals upon a foreign culture obviously resonate strongly today. The Man of Steel is naive to think violence will come to an end just because he's eliminated the favored methods for doling out that violence, just as the Bush administration was naive to think the conflict and government-building in Iraq would unfold according to plan. The symbolism is all too clear here, and I rather appreciated the negative connotation Azzarello grants Superman as a symbol.
Azzarello fails, however, to explain why Superman has connected with Father Leone, why he turns to this character -- a complete stranger to the title character and to the reader -- for some degree of comfort, advice or direction. The dialogue in the first few pages, prior to Superman's appearance, is awkward and vague, and I really didn't follow what the writer was trying to say.
