Action Comics #957

Overview: Lex Luthor thwarts a crime in a new armor that has the Superman logo on it. As a former member of the Justice League he's claiming that he wants to carry on the legacy of Superman. This of course draws out the real Superman.

This leads to a battle between the two. Clark Kent shows up to the surprise of the Daily Planet staff. The issue ends with Doomsday escaping from captivity and confronting Superman and Lex Luthor.

Final Thoughts: This was an enjoyable enough issue but this is the kind of issue you dread showing to a non-comic book fan. It has that convoluted kind of comic logic that people outside of the bubble just don't get. You have Superman showing up to defend the honor of dead Superman and suddenly Superman's secret identity is there as well.

Let's also talk about Doomsday for a moment here. Doomsday was a cool one shot villain for the Death of Superman back in the 90s. But past that, he really isn't that interesting as a villain. Repeated uses of him kind of diminishes his mystique as a monster that took out Superman. It feels like the current management at DC are just obsessed with Doomsday. I felt like I saw him in more comic books the last 5 years than I did for the previous decade. Like I said, I just don't think he's a particularly interesting baddie and I would have been fine if he never appeared again after the Death of Superman.

Aside from those complaints I did enjoy the issue. I'm still really happy to have the real Superman back even if it's still got elements of the New 52. It's a good sign when I finish reading an issue and want to check out the next one right away. I think Superman is in good hands going forward.

Overall I'd give this issue a B.

Superman: Rebirth #1

Before we get into this issue I wanted to talk about the state of the Superman franchise. I feel that out of all the characters in the New 52 that Superman suffered the most.

When I was younger I thought Superman was boring but as I became an adult I grew to appreciate his world. As a now 30 something I love how Clark Kent strives to be a normal man with a normal life when he's not Superman. I've also grown to really enjoy his supporting cast of characters.

When the New 52 hit it just wasn't Superman anymore. Instead of the guy that wanted to be a regular guy we got angst ridden guy in anime armor. It just didn't work for me and I stopped reading Action Comics and Superman. So going into this, I've really only read New 52 Superman in the Justice League or outside appearances. So for me, I really have no idea what happened with New 52 Superman. I would check in with recaps here and there and it never sounded good.

So I'm going into this reboot pretty cold. I really liked seeing the Pre-Flashpoint Clark Kent pop up. That actually got me to give the Superman books a try.

Overview: The Pre-Flashpoint Clark Kent encounters Lana Lang. Clark believes the New 52 Clark will rise from the dead. He tells Lana the story of his battle with Doomsday and how he died and came back. Lana helps Clark find the Fortress of Solitude so he can use a Regeneration Matrix to bring his counterpart back to life.

There isn't on in this universe and Clark accepts that his counterpart won't be coming back. Clark helps Lana bury the New 52 Clark and builds a statue to honor him in the Fortress of Solitude.

Final Thoughts: That plot doesn't sound like much written out but it does play out better on paper.

You know what. This was a really strong first issue. It felt right, it felt like Superman. It really makes me happy to have the old Clark Kent back and this book feels like a promising start to a new series. I will eagerly be checking out the next issues of Action Comics and Superman.

The art was really strong in this issue and I thought it was well written. I like how they did a far callback to the Doomsday battle and used that to justify Clark's motivations. I am a little unsure about Clark just sitting on the sidelines in this new universe for so long without stepping in and battling someone like Darkseid.

This issue was really good closure to the New 52 era of Superman. They said goodbye to that character in a respectable manner. But I also think a lot of people are ready to have the real Superman back for good.

I've been pleasantly surprised by what I've read from the DC Rebirth books so far. I've liked 4 of the titles I've read out of 5. That's a good ratio so far. I'm optimistic that Didio and company have finally learned some lessons and changed accordingly.

I give this a solid B+.