Superman's origin is retold... again. DC offers up a new vision of the world of Krypton... again. A young Clark Kent travels the world... again. But hey, this is a Superman book, right? How can the reader expect something new after more than 65 years? Well, for starters, you could hand the book over to Mark Waid. Waid is guiding us down a somewhat familiar path, but he's brought an added maturity and a more personal and emotional take to it, and reinforcing his efforts are Yu and Alanguilan with some stunning linework.
Jor-El may be the most brilliant and outspoken scientist on Krypton, but even finding a safe route for a rocketship destined to carry his infant son proves to be a worrisome and challenging task. Years later, though, it's clear that he succeeded, as a 25-year-old Clark Kent explores the world, making his way as a freelance journalist for small publications here and there. His latest assignment takes him to Africa and to the side of a man who is trying to break down tribal divisions in his country, a rather unpopular calling.
Ever since the High Roads limited series wrapped, I've been waiting for a chance to enjoy Yu's artwork again, and this new title delivers in spades. Yu's inventive vision of Krypton combines the wonder of yesteryear with the more detailed and sharp designs that we saw in the 1980s with John Byrne's revamp of the Man of Steel. His work here reminds me of the styles of Kevin (Tomorrow Stories) Nowlan and Howard (American Flagg!) Chaykin. He captures Clark's youth quite well, and I love how he handles the transition from the Kryptonian rocket journey to Earth and the violence in the African village.
That transition -- no doubt included in the script -- serves not only as a segue between radically different scenes, but as a means of bringing the title character to down to earth, literally and metaphorically. That's one of the pivotal moments in the book that sets it apart from typical Superman fare. Another is the opening scene in which we witness a myriad of grisly fates that could have easily come to pass for Kal-El's rocket.
What this story is really about, though, is a young adult trying to discover himself. Our parents and homes are all a part of us, and they are key elements in determining how we live our lives. Some of us embrace our past and heritage, finding direction in tradition. Others reject that past and look in new directions. Waid explores how much more difficult it is for Clark Kent, a man with an ordinary past that belies the extraordinary one he can't remember. The themes of tradition and new paths are mirrored in the African trival subplot, in which a man who wants to ensure the survival of his people rejects the subservient lives they've been forced to live for generations.
