MAN OF STEEL (2018) Event mini-series Discussion thread (SPOILERS)

[Ra-El]

That was really good. And beautiful.

Now that I know that Bendis write a very good Superman I just want him to tell good stories too, so far it looks like he will, the direction he seems to be going with Rogol Zar is very interesting.

[Clark_Kent]

Very impressed. I've never read a Bendis story, outside of Action 1000 & the DC Nation book, but the naysayers had me worried just a little. This issue erased that, for me. Great start, great set-up. I even enjoyed Jon's growth spurt! "I CANNOT go out like this." "I wouldn't."

Genuinely made me giggle, and kinda reminded me of my own kids & I (the joking banter).

The art was gorgeous, and just as with Action 1000 I saw something here I don't think I've seen before...Action had him stop from crashing through the window, and getting gut-punched so hard that heat vision shot out his eyes. Here, when he uses his x-ray vision his eyes took on the typical blue glow, but also took on an alien-like design while using it. It makes sense his eyes would look different depending on the power used, but I'm not sure I've ever seen them take on a pattern (or look) quite like that. Can't wait for next week.

[Clark_Kent]

Also: too early to tell, but perhaps the new firefighter Chief is setting fires to get Superman's attention...or maybe I'm just looking for a 'twist' & she really was just kind of smitten with him. I haven't read many Bendis interviews though, so it's possible she's just a new cast member with no ill-intent whatsoever. But that was an initial observation I had.

[The Learner]

If this is how Bendis handles the character, then I am not worried. Liked today's issue.

[Kuwagaton]

Also: too early to tell, but perhaps the new firefighter Chief is setting fires to get Superman's attention...or maybe I'm just looking for a 'twist' & she really was just kind of smitten with him. I haven't read many Bendis interviews though, so it's possible she's just a new cast member with no ill-intent whatsoever. But that was an initial observation I had.

If it wasn't a writer with a spouse and kids at least about Jon's age, I'd be wary. But she's maybe like Maggie except for a one sided crush on him. Who wouldn't have one?

[vitruvian]

Absolutely beautiful.
And maybe the Rogol Zaar part is more complex than it appears at first sight.

All in all, the first Superman story I've really enjoyed in years.

If Rogol Zaar was right about Krypton engaging in interstellar trade all over the place, why weren't at least thousands evacuated before its explosion? Or at the very least the regular crew of their merchant ships?

[manofsteel1979]

Absolutely beautiful.
And maybe the Rogol Zaar part is more complex than it appears at first sight.

All in all, the first Superman story I've really enjoyed in years.

Yeah I was surprised Rogol Zaar didn't seem to come off as " generic bad guy #324". His design is nothing to write home about , but his portrayle sort of intrigues me. It's clear his anger towards Kryptonians is born from something complex. I'm wondering what it could possibly be. That one scene where he's told that his plan is being rejected...the art and the dialogue actually make me almost feel bad for him. You can see the utter dispair and defeat in his body language.

[manofsteel1979]

Wow. So far two pages in and people seem to be unanimously positive. I'm curious if those who were weary of Bendis and this run have read this issue and what they think.

This Bendis reminds me more of the guy who wrote Ultimate Spiderman all those years ago.

[Myskin]

Yeah I was surprised Rogol Zaar didn't seem to come off as " generic bad guy #324". His design is nothing to write home about , but his portrayle sort of intrigues me. It's clear his anger towards Kryptonians is born from something complex. I'm wondering what it could possibly be. That one scene where he's told that his plan is being rejected...the art and the dialogue actually make me almost feel bad for him. You can see the utter dispair and defeat in his body language.

So far Rogol Zaar seems to be a revamp of Amalak (in the same way Nimrod was a revamp of Terra-Man). Nothing wrong with that - I love Amalak - but that's not I was referring to.
The most interesting point is that if Krypton is exactly what Bendis suggests it to be, it was basically an alien version of what the United States have been accused to be for decades - an imperialist nation which preyed upon the resources of weaker countries. This does not make Kryptonians inherently evil - maybe they just ignored the problems they created. And this sounds very allegoric to me. It reminds me of George Romero: in some of his later movies, he created an allegoric version of America which ignored the problems (the zombies) they created, and where rich people weren't interested in what blue-collar workers did.

This puts Superman in an interesting position from an ethical point of view, because: A- Rogol Zaar could be partly right in his claims and B- Superman could see some analogies between Krypton and the country which adopted him. And this could be an interesting moral challenge about Superman's place in the world.

We'll wait and see, but this run could be more political than everyone expected it to be - in a good, not heavy-handed way.

[Jody Garland]

If Rogol Zaar was right about Krypton engaging in interstellar trade all over the place, why weren't at least thousands evacuated before its explosion? Or at the very least the regular crew of their merchant ships?

This seems to be bringing in some of Post-Crisis Krypton's past, where at one point they were an intersteller trading empire. If it's anything like Post-Crisis history (as told in the recently reprinted World of Krypton mini), they were locked on to Krypton by zealous anti-space faring opinion. It's not a new idea, though it is one that is rarely brought up. I think the last time was in Buseik's Superman, where it was the origin of Superwoman.

[vitruvian]

This seems to be bringing in some of Post-Crisis Krypton's past, where at one point they were an intersteller trading empire. If it's anything like Post-Crisis history (as told in the recently reprinted World of Krypton mini), they were locked on to Krypton by zealous anti-space faring opinion. It's not a new idea, though it is one that is rarely brought up. I think the last time was in Buseik's Superman, where it was the origin of Superwoman.

Except if they still became isolationist at some point before Jor-El is stuck for a way to save anyone, wouldn't that in itself have solved the problem that Rogol Zaar had with them and removed any reason for him to want Krypton destroyed? Conversely, if they were still trading (and if Zaar was correct, somehow doing so unfairly and effectively draining resources from other planets without adequate payment or recompense), then how would Kal-El's little escape pod be about the only spacecraft Jor-El can lay his hands on?

[Rakzo]

After being... disappointed by Bendis' set-up in the last special (although it might not be so much of a disappointment since I was expecting to be underwhelmed), I was pleasently surprised by this first issue. There's less of Bendis' typical obnoxious dialogue and more actual funny lines that fit well with Superman's character and introduce the new cast appropriately.

Good art by Reis and Fabok as well. Still couldn't care less about the new villain and in fact this issue doesn't progress much the plot but the good stuff was good enough.

[Kirby Krackle]

Good start. Really loved seeing Appa Ali Apsa again, love me some Mad Guardian.

[Jody Garland]

Except if they still became isolationist at some point before Jor-El is stuck for a way to save anyone, wouldn't that in itself have solved the problem that Rogol Zaar had with them and removed any reason for him to want Krypton destroyed? Conversely, if they were still trading (and if Zaar was correct, somehow doing so unfairly and effectively draining resources from other planets without adequate payment or recompense), then how would Kal-El's little escape pod be about the only spacecraft Jor-El can lay his hands on?

The scenes with Rogal Zaar in this issue seems to be some kind of flashback to the far past, though so we don't know the full reasoning for his motivation.

Did anyone recognize any of the council he talks to aside from the Mad Guardian?

[Myskin]

The scenes with Rogal Zaar in this issue seems to be some kind of flashback to the far past, though so we don't know the full reasoning for his motivation.

Did anyone recognize any of the council he talks to aside from the Mad Guardian?

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Sardath_(New_Earth)