Superman#1 Discussion and Spoilers

[Miles To Go]

Quite a packed issue, once again, we get Clark's trademark "hold on a sec" during a conversation where he takes time out to stop a rampaging monster or some other major crisis, we get flashbacks not just to Clark and Lois, but also with Clark and Jon (leading to Clark asking Jon about girls), the conversation with Martian Manhunter is a bit...weird, I kept thinking Clark was hitting on Jo'hn ("i love you", "you look good"), very weird. Jor-El hasn't been forgotten either, as his argument with Clark in MOS is reflected on.

Lastly, I liked that Clark wrote an article on the new fortress of solitude.

Bendis holds off on explaining how the Earth ends up in the Phantom Zone, but given there are flashbacks to Man of Steel in this, I think it'll tie in to how Kara disposed of Zarr, possibly a damaged projector.

[Superlad93]

Very pleased with this issue.

I enjoyed the the central idea Bendis hangs the issue's story around around: can and should Superman do more? The meat of the issue is mainly a singular conversation, and as a way of introducing a central idea going forward, and giving you a sense of what Superman is currently about, it works fantastically. Using the breaks in conversation to give a new reader the long and short of Superman while also sort of proving MM and Jor-El's point: Superman is reactionary. That's the argument here, and it's done quite well without actually picking a side as correct. It just is what's currently happening. Smart stuff.

Now that I've read the issue, and have listened to the Word Balloon interview, I feel pretty confident in saying HOLY SH!T I THINK BENDIS IS GOING TO START THE UNITED PLANETS!! Johns (and forgive me if it came up before Johns) established that Superman was directly instrumental in forming what is by the 30th century known as The United Planets, and Bendis has been very transparent about his love for the Legion, and his want to funnel some of that world building back into Superman. Plus, this would seem to be fall in line with those mysterious Doomsday Clock links he teased on Word Balloon. I even just learned that the capital of the United Planets is Metropolis. Are we seeing that built today? Earth officially entering the galactic conversation. Nice.

Other than that big chuck, I really enjoyed the Lois and Jon flashbacks. Bendis retroactively sowing the seeds of Jon's leaving only to turn it on its head by the end with a punchline. "Kid, I love you, you're going to school" met by "I know" is hilariously accurate lol The Fortress scene was great, and so was Hal listing off all the craziness that used to be in it, but probably the best bit was Clark writing up a whole article.....but then deleting it because he knows it's just ego is the best.

Put probably the most paramount, crazy importing, holy-crap-people-can-we-talk-about-this subject in the issue was........did...did...Superman just punch out a gorilla (possibly caveman) wearing a space suit on the moon? I'm very okay with this life choice, Superman.

[rpmaluki]

Quite a packed issue, once again, we get Clark's trademark "hold on a sec" during a conversation where he takes time out to stop a rampaging monster or some other major crisis, we get flashbacks not just to Clark and Lois, but also with Clark and Jon (leading to Clark asking Jon about girls), the conversation with Martian Manhunter is a bit...weird, I kept thinking Clark was hitting on Jo'hn ("i love you", "you look good"), very weird. Jor-El hasn't been forgotten either, as his argument with Clark in MOS is reflected on.

Lastly, I liked that Clark wrote an article on the new fortress of solitude.

Bendis holds off on explaining how the Earth ends up in the Phantom Zone, but given there are flashbacks to Man of Steel in this, I think it'll tie in to how Kara disposed of Zarr, possibly a damaged projector.

I didn't get that at all.

J'onn did seem like he was overstepping with his suggestion. There's no way Clark would do that, especially with how MM presented it. I admit Clark needs a push in the right direction, I just don't think being basically told his efforts aren't good enough is the way to go about it, not unless he, himself sees it and decides to do more and find a way that won't subjugate earth under his "rule".

How in the world did the PZ swallow up the earth? It seems it happened during this issue

[Kirby Krackle]

I liked it. Although the way J'onn was suggesting things to Superman it verged a tad on "PUT THE WHOLE WORLD IN A BOTTLE" but only a tad. I hope the Clark moping stuff ends soon, because it feels so wrong.

[DragonPiece]

Getting Ivan Reis monthly is one of the best treats about Bendis. That double spread of the fortress is to die for. That chat with Martian Manhunter was really interesting to me, I was wondering what Bendis was teasing, but I like SuperLad's idea of it being the united planets.

[Rakzo]

Well, this worked decently from a bad situation. The forced drama still seemed incredibly unnecessary but Bendis manages to work with it in an understandable manner from Clark's perspective and I liked how he explored the way he constantly needs to save the world while trying to handle a conversation.

J'onn was a bit weird here. I'm glad that Bendis addressed that he's the heart and soul of the Justice League but on the other hand, him being so pushy about Clark guiding the whole world in a way that almost seems like forcing people to follow him didn't really sound like J'onn.

Reis' art was really good as always. Overall not bad but I hope it gets more interesting in the future.

[KC]

I think this was a good start, it was typical for an opening issue of a new series. I still love how Bendis writes Clark. The way J'onn tried to get Clark to lead the world felt weird to me.

[manofsteel1979]

Aside from the weird vibes from J'onn, the issue was damn good Superman. I absolutely love how Bendis writes our hero's voice.

Oh and i just noticed that at least my digital copy has the usual post 1983 Superman logo and not the "new" one from the adverts of this run.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I cannot believe it is Bendis of all people who's gotten us back to the point of Superman being a guy who can casually fly around the galaxy, keeps a gateway to "Dimension M" in his basement, and fights astro-gorillas on the moon.

Anyone else bugged by the new paper stock though? The texture I suppose I can get used to - at least it feels tougher - but unlike how it benefited the noir look of Catwoman #1, I feel like Alex Sinclair's colors here ended up sort of subdued compared to their sheen in MOS #1 with the glossy pages; I suspect there'll be an adjustment period for DC's colorists in general adapting to this new status quo. It just bugs me that Superman's shiny, slick new #1 is physically less shiny and slick than what was just coming out.

[Jadeb]

I loved Bendis' character work in MoS, but sometimes the plotting left me cold. That continues here. The big reveal at the end, even though foreshadowed, felt very abrupt, and I wasn't clear on why Superman suddenly connected the dots or what was happening right before that (with the different colors when flying). That last page, though, was pretty great. I knew it was coming, but somehow I found it much more exciting in the book than in concept. That's pretty rare.

There was a lot to love in general. The character work was great fun, from Clark and Jon to Superman and the League. The interruptions during the discussion with Martian Manhunter were amusing, and I loved that Reis made the effort to show London landmarks in one. That provided a real sense of place, and those sorts of little details added a lot of scope to the mid-conversation missions.

The new Fortress is cool, but, TBH, I'm kinda over the Donner crystals. At least this deployed them in a different way, even if it did make me think of the kryptonite island in the unfortunate "Superman Returns."

I love the new paper. Between that, the character work and the fun, adventurous tone, this issue felt very, very cozy.

[manofsteel1979]

I cannot believe it is Bendis of all people who's gotten us back to the point of Superman being a guy who can casually fly around the galaxy, keeps a gateway to "Dimension M" in his basement, and fights astro-gorillas on the moon.

Anyone else bugged by the new paper stock though? The texture I suppose I can get used to - at least it feels tougher - but unlike how it benefited the noir look of Catwoman #1, I feel like Alex Sinclair's colors here ended up sort of subdued compared to their sheen in MOS #1 with the glossy pages; I suspect there'll be an adjustment period for DC's colorists in general adapting to this new status quo. It just bugs me that Superman's shiny, slick new #1 is physically less shiny and slick than what was just coming out.

One of the benefits of going digital is I didn't notice any change. Heh.

But yeah, I think Bendis has tapped into the scope of the PreCrisis era which is a plus in my book.

Heck his whole 7 ish issue run so far feels more evocative of the Bronze age than anything, at least in terms of how big everything feels at the moment.

[Jadeb]

One of the benefits of going digital is I didn't notice any change. Heh.

But yeah, I think Bendis has tapped into the scope of the PreCrisis era which is a plus in my book.

Heck his whole 7 ish issue run so far feels more evocative of the Bronze age than anything, at least in terms of how big everything feels at the moment.

The new paper really adds to the Bronze Age effect. Even though it's not the same as what was used then, it feels like paper and not slick magazine stock. You should thumb through a print copy if you get a chance.

The Bronze Age is my favorite Superman period, so I'm very happy with Bendis' blend of the cosmic and the character-focused so far. Even the mid-conversation missions reminded me of the sort of stories we might have gotten in the Bronze Age.

[HeroVladimir93]

In my opinion, this was an enjoyable beginning to Bendis' new series. If Man of Steel was the appetizer, then the new Superman and Action Comics are the main course. With his family gone, it's good to see Superman pick himself up and try to regain some semblance of normality in his life. This new issue also sees Superman confront the idea that he might not be doing enough to help humanity, even if it's within his power to do more. This new perspective is embodied by Martian Manhunter, who at least try to present his arguments in a kind and more civilized manner, unlike the morally ambiguous Jor-El. I'm also curious to see how was the entire Earth consumed by the Phantom Zone. Did the projector break? Did someone within the Phantom Zone dragged the entire planet within the zone on purpose? This issue was a bit slow in pacing but I expect things will kick into high gear in the coming months, especially if we are to believe that Superman and Action Comics will feature interconnected story arcs, much like the Tomasi/Jurgens era. Also, Ivan Reis' art is always a win.

[manofsteel1979]

I loved Bendis' character work in MoS, but sometimes the plotting left me cold. That continues here. The big reveal at the end, even though foreshadowed, felt very abrupt, and I wasn't clear on why Superman suddenly connected the dots or what was happening right before that (with the different colors when flying). That last page, though, was pretty great. I knew it was coming, but somehow I found it much more exciting in the book than in concept. That's pretty rare.

There was a lot to love in general. The character work was great fun, from Clark and Jon to Superman and the League. The interruptions during the discussion with Martian Manhunter were amusing, and I loved that Reis made the effort to show London landmarks in one. That provided a real sense of place, and those sorts of little details added a lot of scope to the mid-conversation missions.

The new Fortress is cool, but, TBH, I'm kinda over the Donner crystals. At least this deployed them in a different way, even if it did make me think of the kryptonite island in the unfortunate "Superman Returns."

I love the new paper. Between that, the character work and the fun, adventurous tone, this issue felt very, very cozy.

I think its a fair criticism that the plotting is a bit weak in places , but at this juncture the good character work and spot on voice for Clark is making up for those weaknesses, at least for me. However we have to remind ourselves this is all just starting. In a few months if the plotting is still spotty it could become problematic, but right now I'm enjoying everything else enough that I'm willing to overlook some things for now.

As for the pacing, its going to feel different because we've gotten spoiled to essentially two biweekly Superman books for the last two years. Now we are back to two monthly Superman books. I've enjoyed the brisk pace and it's going to suck a little that things are gonna slow down quite a bit.

[Lvenger]

First issue in and I'm still very disheartened with Bendis' approach to the Superman mythos. Sure, there were some nice moments like Superman dealing with the Dominator armada, the creation of the new Fortress and Clark zipping off mid conversation to stop global catastrophes all rendered gorgeously by Ivan Reis but they were counterbalanced by an uneven and messy plot. J'onn's horribly out of character suggestion for Superman to lead the human race into the stars was all kinds of wrong (which is undermined by the DEO and other groups in the DCU being in contact with alien races) J'onn has never been portrayed as wanting to upheave humanity's political and societal structures in favour of a galactic community so that scene not only came out of nowhere, it carried a hint of politicised writing. Very generic language was used of course but it could still come off the wrong way.

Bendis' characterisation of Hal, Barry and J'onn were awful which makes me dread the idea of a Bendis written Justice League. Jon's complaints about school were also heavily OOC as Jon has talked to the teachers, socialised well and studied after hours in both the Lois & Clark mini series and Super Sons. Not surprised Bendis continues to make the Super Family look awkward. Also, I'm surprised no one's complaining about Superman moping around in the early pages, when Post Crisis/Pre 52 Superman got criticised for being too mopey during the New Krypton/Grounded phase. Overall a pretty meh issue when it comes to Bendis' writing, though I expect The Unity Saga to get worse when he brings up Rogol Zaar again.