ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #596
"Shipbuilding"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Joe Casey
Pencils: Mike Wieringo
Inks: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colors: Wildstorm FX
Letters: Bill Oakley
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
I said it last week, and it applies again here... While I will not fondly remember the "Our Worlds at War" crossover event, the stories that are being told in its aftermath are proving to be entertaining and quietly reflective. Casey always offers up stronger Superman scripts when writing stand-alone stories, and this issue served as another example.
The world has set its collective mind to the task of rebuilding. Major cities and rural areas alike worldwide were devastated during the cosmic war with Imperiex and Brainiac-13, and the Justice League is understandably busy. Well, all but one member is. Everyone -- the JLA, President Luthor and even the average joe -- is wondering... why isn't Superman helping out?
Wieringo's style makes it seems as though it was tailor-made to render the exploits of the Man of Steel. He captures the square-jawed, all-American look of the character, but he also conveys the character's softer side as well. His cityscapes are impressive too. The only real problem with any visual aspect of this issue is the new color scheme the creators of the various Super-books have come up with for the title character's costume. The black just doesn't work with the deep reds and blues.
Despite its link to the recent crossover, this issue strikes me as an excellent jumping-on point, not only for readers who have lost touch with the various Superman titles, but for younger folks who have yet to delve into the DC Universe and comics in general. Casey hints at the fun of a vast connected continuity, teases the reader with a number of colorful characters and sums up the altered state of the Luthor/Superman conflict nicely.
The point Casey makes with this story -- that sometimes Superman needs to stand aside and let mankind deal with its own problems -- is one that's been made before, but not nearly often enough. In a world full of super-heroes, we need to be reminded why the human, everyday characters don't just expect everything -- from their safety to their capital construction projects -- to be handed to them by these seemingly omnipotent servants.
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