Given the success of Marvel's Ultimate line, the notion of DC doing an "Ultimization" of some of their mistreated characters has been bandied about in fan (and no doubt pro) circles. While that sort of thing might never (and maybe should never) happen, those wanting to get a glimpse at a continuity-stripped, heart-of-the-character fresh take on Superman should definitely take in an issue or two of Superman: Secret Identity. Busiek has put on his Astro City hat rather than his traditionalist superhero hat for this one, and the result is a very intelligent and very compelling take on the notion of Clark Kent, Superman that steers clear of the overly deconstructionist elements that such a take generally entails. Busiek and Immonen maintain the sense of wonder that makes Superman heroic and cool, but they flesh him out more as a character and set him in a more realistic world, and the result so far is one of the best Superman stories I've read, not just in recent years but on an "all time" sort of level.
There's either a high degree of coincidence going on in Secret Identity or some sort of commentary on destiny, as Clark Kent becomes a writer and meets his own Lois. However, if it's destiny, it's subtle enough that Busiek still hasn't given up the secrets of Secret Identity, and if it's coincidence, it's not a difficult to believe level of it. Clark's friends setting him up with a "Lois" on a goof? Sure, I can see that. Busiek differs on some key elements as well, such as Lois's much different career and personality, and the result is while the story and characters seem familiar, they seem new as well.
It's the easiest thing in the world when doing this type of story to apply more human frailties to the characters, giving them feet of clay or a tendency toward using their powers for selfish or ignoble purposes. Busiek sidesteps this notion by making Clark an honest, giving and noble person, but he doesn't go too far in the direction by making Clark a saint either. We see him lose his temper, we get inside his head (and his heart) thanks to his narration and falling for Lois, and we see when he's terrified of being captured by the mysterious agency that's looking for him.
Probably the most impressive thing about Secret Identity, at least from a writing standpoint, is the impressive balance that Busiek maintains between superhero sense of wonder and realistic character-building. The story of the romance of Lois and Clark happens somewhat quickly, with a lot of the development happening off-panel, but it's absolutely believable and charming. Clark's worry about lying to Lois is the kind of thing we've seen before in the comics, but it feels more real here, less like melodrama and more like a general struggle with secrets and lovers that most of us have dealt with in our life. But then, Busiek also manages to make us feel the more human, relatable emotions with the stuff we can't possibly relate to, like being hunted by a government agency. Clark's fear, which borders on paranoia if they weren't really out to get him, is palpable in the narration and you can see why he'd be scared, given that he doesn't really know the extent of his powers or the extent of what his foes are capable of.
Despite my absolute adoration of the story, though, the best thing to come out of Secret Identity may be the artistic leap forward that talented artist Stuart Immonen has made. His work has always been good, even sometimes great, but the style he's using here is simply gorgeous, comparable to "event" artists like Alex Ross or J.G. Jones in terms of photorealism, detail and sheer lush beauty. I'm reminded of Adam Hughes and Phil Noto, the latter particularly in the unusual but striking color palette and the former in the textured, distinctive and interesting faces of the characters. Immonen's work here has it all, from detailed backgrounds to expressive human leads to more explosive and unreal action sequences and superpowers.
There is of course a big Superman revamp coming, with an alternative Krypton tale going on right now by Michael Turner and his studio mates and new creative teams coming onboard in April, but for my money, the really exciting Superman stuff is going on in Secret Identity. If DC put these two creators on one of the regular Superman books, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
