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ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #599
"Borba Za Zhivuchest"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Derec Aucoin
Colors: Rob Ro & Alex Bleyaert
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
I'm not much
of a fan of the Superman titles these days, even with the considerable talent
lined up, but every so often they turn in a great story. This is one of those,
the kind of self-contained story that the Superman books could use more of, and
a fantastic tale of basic human life that reminds us of the grounded humanity
Superman possesses. The icing on the cake is artwork by Derec Aucoin, who gets
better every time I see him. The massive crossover style of these books, as
evidenced by the lackluster Our Worlds at War, is a detriment, and it's single
issue stories like this one that are the true strength of the Superman titles.
Seeing Superman rescue a
troubled vessel is nothing all that new, but it's always an emotionally moving
scene when done well. Casey and Aucoin open the book with a convincing portrayal
of a nuclear sub having an accident, showing the death and destruction and
basically providing us with the sense that there is no hope for these people.
Then Superman arrives to give them hope, and that's really the heart of the
character and always will be. That Aucoin provides the rescue in a silent
storytelling sequence, showing us the human reaction to Superman's heroism, is a
nice touch.
Aucoin's work on this issue
is incredible. His artwork improves every time I see it, and he seems to have
incorporated a little of the European influence seen in the work of Travis
Charest or Tan Eng Huat in this issue. He also does some fairly incredible large
panels that set the scene, whether it's Superman breaking the water with the
rescued sub or the establishing shot of a Russian farm. At the same time, he's
capable of the smaller moments, such as the weariness reflected in Captain
Gussev's eyes or the quiet exchanges he shares with Superman. And the colors, by
Ro and Bleyaert, are also stunning.
To be fair, this story isn't
about Superman that much at all. It's more about how others react to him, and
about what he can bring to the world. However, despite the fact that what he
does in this issue is mostly of a super-heroic nature, plowing a farm's fields
single-handedly or rescuing a nuclear sub, Casey brings the story home with a
very human moment at the end. Superman's revelation to Captain Gussev about
their shared heritage is a terrific moment that explains the connection Superman
feels, and it's a reminder that the reason Superman does what he does is because
of his connection to humanity.
Though this is the kind of
story that couldn't be done over and over again on a monthly basis, it is a
perfect example of a great Superman story. It's fairly quiet, although it does
feature some impressive action sequences, and it's fairly human and mundane,
although it's about two extraordinary men. This is truly one of the best
Superman stories I've read all year, and Casey and Aucoin deserve great credit
for pulling it off.
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