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tawfek's review against another edition
4.0
Hey i loved it.
i was so surprised that this was so good because of all the mess over at action comics with grant morrison and then the writer after him they just make action comics so messy and so puzzling
but over here 1 volume 1 storyline Great buildup for the stories Great art pacing Great everything really.
i just hope this series continues like this and doesn't get messed up as well.
i was so surprised that this was so good because of all the mess over at action comics with grant morrison and then the writer after him they just make action comics so messy and so puzzling
but over here 1 volume 1 storyline Great buildup for the stories Great art pacing Great everything really.
i just hope this series continues like this and doesn't get messed up as well.
tigercrossin's review against another edition
1.0
This was a struggle to get through, I just kept counting how many pages I had until it was over, not a great sign obviously. If you want a superman story that’s not about superman and just pages and pages of daily planet drama this is for you. This story didn’t lend itself well to a comic format, what is there to look at most of the time? Most of the story is just set in an office or a news room and not at all interesting to look at. I love Clark, he’s one of my favourite characters but it feels like he’s barely even in this. Right now I have no desire to keep reading this run, hard pass.
stormblessed4's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
coolnameguy's review against another edition
2.0
So, everyone feels the need to make Superman comics either super boring or super interesting. This definitely falls into the former. A dull villain, a stupid plotline, and poor characterization are only worth skimming for the art
tmwebb3's review against another edition
3.0
Thin story. Looked good. Did like what was done with Clark. Very generic.
clarks_dad's review against another edition
2.0
Another ho-hum Superman yarn that tries to cover up shallow character development issues with plot, plot and more plot. This arc re-envisions the Eradicator for the New 52. I'm really confused by the continuity and timeline of this reboot. I thought the whole point of rebooting franchises was to RESOLVE plot problems, anachronisms and whacky paradoxes that don't make sense. 6 months into the reboot shows DC is about as mixed up as it ever was pre-Flashpoint. The idea of simultaneously running Superman titles that take place five years apart and still having them referencing one another seems cumbersome to begin with. I think DC wanted to have their cake and eat it to by re-doing the origin story while still being able to tell veteran Superman stories that require him to be part of the Justice League and more or less established.
Anyway, What Price Tomorrow? is the "present" storyline and Superman has "returned" from an absence to a city that's still unsure whether he's friend or foe. I can tell the underlying theme of belonging and acceptance (classics of great Superman stories) is there, but in the hands of Pérez and crew it just seems trite instead of emotionally meaningful. That's not to say that Pérez doesn't have his moments. The dynamic between Lois and Clark has never been more awkward and I rather like going back to the pre-identity reveal relationship. It heightens that lonely aura that seems to surround Clark as he pines for someone who doesn't belong to him and wishes he could just lead a normal life. Except we don't get any of that in this volume. There's no Ma and Pa to console him and to act as a foil for his emotions and as a result we get a sometimes surly and reserved Clark that it's kind of hard to feel sorry for and identify with. I mean really, making him an orphan wasn't enough? Taking Jonathan wasn't enough? You had to take Martha too? That means all we're left with is "Dear Krytonian computer diary, today was a bad day...." (And yes, they went there too.)
Full of melodrama and lacking in any genuine moments.
Anyway, What Price Tomorrow? is the "present" storyline and Superman has "returned" from an absence to a city that's still unsure whether he's friend or foe. I can tell the underlying theme of belonging and acceptance (classics of great Superman stories) is there, but in the hands of Pérez and crew it just seems trite instead of emotionally meaningful. That's not to say that Pérez doesn't have his moments. The dynamic between Lois and Clark has never been more awkward and I rather like going back to the pre-identity reveal relationship. It heightens that lonely aura that seems to surround Clark as he pines for someone who doesn't belong to him and wishes he could just lead a normal life. Except we don't get any of that in this volume. There's no Ma and Pa to console him and to act as a foil for his emotions and as a result we get a sometimes surly and reserved Clark that it's kind of hard to feel sorry for and identify with. I mean really, making him an orphan wasn't enough? Taking Jonathan wasn't enough? You had to take Martha too? That means all we're left with is "Dear Krytonian computer diary, today was a bad day...." (And yes, they went there too.)
Full of melodrama and lacking in any genuine moments.
ericbuscemi's review against another edition
3.0
I got a free digital copy of this first issue of the New 52 Superman by signing up for the Amazon Comics Newsletter. The promotion is valid until July 21, so if you are interested just click here. (Now that Amazon owns Goodreads, I feel obligated to point out that I am not shilling for Amazon, I just like free comics and thought you might too. I wish Goodreads was still independent, sigh.)
Back to Superman. I have a small confession to make: I have never read a Superman comic, and have only ever seen the Brandon Routh Superman movie, which was pretty terrible. I did own one Superman comic growing up -- [b:The Death of Superman|154795|The Death of Superman|Dan Jurgens|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1318892030s/154795.jpg|149410] -- but since it came sealed in black plastic, I never even opened it, let alone read it. If you are anywhere near my age and had collected comics as a kid, you understand.
So I am probably a good target market for this reboot, as the main point of the New 52 was to give all the DC characters easily accessible entry points. And in that regard, this issue was a mild success. I was definitely able to follow the plot with no issues despite only a tertiary and skin deep knowledge of the character and his universe. I also appreciated the writers updating said universe for the 21st century -- e.g. The Daily Planet has been bought out by a multinational corporation, and has video and digital segments, in addition to print.
But the main issue remains as to why I am not, and have never been, a Superman fan -- immortal, invulnerable, lawful-good characters are just tedious and boring -- despite the excellent point made in David Carradine's monologue from Kill Bill Vol. 2.
This is why Batman has been and will always be more interesting, and more popular, than Superman. And hence, why I will read any and every Batman comic I can get my hands on, and won't bother with the second issue of this Superman reboot, despite the story and artwork both being pretty good.
Back to Superman. I have a small confession to make: I have never read a Superman comic, and have only ever seen the Brandon Routh Superman movie, which was pretty terrible. I did own one Superman comic growing up -- [b:The Death of Superman|154795|The Death of Superman|Dan Jurgens|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1318892030s/154795.jpg|149410] -- but since it came sealed in black plastic, I never even opened it, let alone read it. If you are anywhere near my age and had collected comics as a kid, you understand.
So I am probably a good target market for this reboot, as the main point of the New 52 was to give all the DC characters easily accessible entry points. And in that regard, this issue was a mild success. I was definitely able to follow the plot with no issues despite only a tertiary and skin deep knowledge of the character and his universe. I also appreciated the writers updating said universe for the 21st century -- e.g. The Daily Planet has been bought out by a multinational corporation, and has video and digital segments, in addition to print.
But the main issue remains as to why I am not, and have never been, a Superman fan -- immortal, invulnerable, lawful-good characters are just tedious and boring -- despite the excellent point made in David Carradine's monologue from Kill Bill Vol. 2.
This is why Batman has been and will always be more interesting, and more popular, than Superman. And hence, why I will read any and every Batman comic I can get my hands on, and won't bother with the second issue of this Superman reboot, despite the story and artwork both being pretty good.
rhganci's review
3.0
(3.5 STARS) There has to be a certain magnitude to Superman's villains, as he is the most magnanimous of the DC superheroes. In this first Superman story of the New 52, Superman deals with other survivors of destroyed civilizations, confronts Metropolis' public opinion towards him and his powers, and tries to remember where he's been over the span of a few weeks. In the end, the story communicates well Superman as an adherent to a warrior-servant's code, but falters in delivering a coherent narrative with a few too many explanations in the final 10 pages.
The story's chief concern is whether or not the city of Metropolis can trust Superman to be a benevolent protector, or if his presence makes more trouble than it's worth. The three-in-one villain gets parsed out evenly through the first three parts of the arc, and while I do enjoy the freak-of-the-week approach to comic storytelling, these freaks have no pretext outside the "call of the wild" issued from the Himalayas in the volume's opening pages. I understood that the city was in peril, and that Superman's objective was to save the city from that threat, but Perez's handling of the story did little to go beyond that. Most of the weight of the story's focus came from supporting cast members, especially Lois Lane and the smarmy Billy McCoy. Their sort of overwatch of Superman's doings really held the disconnectedness of the storytelling together and effected the story's main communication about heroism, ethics, and intentions. Other notable aspects include: the non-love story between Clark and Heather, which received no introduction, and a wildly dismissive conclusion; the cliffhanger with Superman dropping Billy McCoy from the Daily Planet building, which would have been really painful to have to wait a month to follow up on; the arrival of Supergirl and the nicely handled tie-in with Kara's throwdown in New York City (my favorite moment of the volume).
The artwork was terrific, with the new Super-suit and its blue-with-red-accents really being a nice move for the character model. The close ups were really expressive, especially at the story's most intense moments, and while Superman's fights and their scale can get a little hard to follow due to their scopes, at no point did I fall out of touch with the action, especially during the flight sequences in and out of space. All in all, while the storytelling lurched a bit and I really didn't get the sense of Superman's urgency or circumstances that I'd like to in an A-list book like this, the supporting cast really helped the story to communicate the city's regard for their protector--before, during, and after being imperiled--and helped to enmesh Superman in his new circumstances in Metropolis, as a Kryptonian alongside Supergirl, and as a Lois-less Clark Kent. The backup feature promises more post-colonial goodness to follow, and as with all of the other volumes 1 I have read, I look forward to the next story with Superman.
The story's chief concern is whether or not the city of Metropolis can trust Superman to be a benevolent protector, or if his presence makes more trouble than it's worth. The three-in-one villain gets parsed out evenly through the first three parts of the arc, and while I do enjoy the freak-of-the-week approach to comic storytelling, these freaks have no pretext outside the "call of the wild" issued from the Himalayas in the volume's opening pages. I understood that the city was in peril, and that Superman's objective was to save the city from that threat, but Perez's handling of the story did little to go beyond that. Most of the weight of the story's focus came from supporting cast members, especially Lois Lane and the smarmy Billy McCoy. Their sort of overwatch of Superman's doings really held the disconnectedness of the storytelling together and effected the story's main communication about heroism, ethics, and intentions. Other notable aspects include: the non-love story between Clark and Heather, which received no introduction, and a wildly dismissive conclusion; the cliffhanger with Superman dropping Billy McCoy from the Daily Planet building, which would have been really painful to have to wait a month to follow up on; the arrival of Supergirl and the nicely handled tie-in with Kara's throwdown in New York City (my favorite moment of the volume).
The artwork was terrific, with the new Super-suit and its blue-with-red-accents really being a nice move for the character model. The close ups were really expressive, especially at the story's most intense moments, and while Superman's fights and their scale can get a little hard to follow due to their scopes, at no point did I fall out of touch with the action, especially during the flight sequences in and out of space. All in all, while the storytelling lurched a bit and I really didn't get the sense of Superman's urgency or circumstances that I'd like to in an A-list book like this, the supporting cast really helped the story to communicate the city's regard for their protector--before, during, and after being imperiled--and helped to enmesh Superman in his new circumstances in Metropolis, as a Kryptonian alongside Supergirl, and as a Lois-less Clark Kent. The backup feature promises more post-colonial goodness to follow, and as with all of the other volumes 1 I have read, I look forward to the next story with Superman.
abdallahelfar's review against another edition
4.0
It's really well written, the art is great, but the story is meh.