REVIEW: Superman: Earth One, Vol., #3

[adkal]

Oh, Ok! Thanks for the explanation Adkal. I'm not a regular or even seasoned reader. A few times, I simply just buy a few volumes/annuals.

No problem.

Sometimes these things are akin to 'insider nods' and references - just so you know, even Batman has used a Superman-signal to get his attention

The only thing I would say I liked about the story, was that I totally predicted the ending, but was off the mark. This is in regards to Alexandar Lex. I was certain she was one going to die, and as a result, we'd get the Lex we know very much, who wants ManofSteel dead.

It's a shame the old threads were deleted last year - quite a few of us predicted that 'Lex', in the end, would be female. (Some had hoped it would be a merger (especially with the Lex2 being bandied about), but that's by the by)

[Mister BoMan]

I have a question about the male Lex. He pretty much is dead, but why is Alexandra keeping his body in a suspended animation capsule? Is there a chance he could be alive or is she just preserving his body? Just wandering when I saw that in the book. It reminded me of Victor Fries and his wife Nora in BTAS.

[Rakzo]

I have a question about the male Lex. He pretty much is dead, but why is Alexandra keeping his body in a suspended animation capsule? Is there a chance he could be alive or is she just preserving his body? Just wandering when I saw that in the book. It reminded me of Victor Fries and his wife Nora in BTAS.

It wasn't well explained but I think she's just preserving his body.

[Mister BoMan]

Thanks Rakzo. I kinda thought about that, since she really loved Lex. I will say there is an interesting take on Lex2 here.

[adkal]

It wasn't well explained but I think she's just preserving his body.

Lex was the uber-physicist-engineer while Alexandra is the xenobiologist (so specialising in synthesising and manipulating biological systems). Her specialism opens up to scenarios such as Bizarro being a failed re-gen project, Cadmus, genetically-engineered Superman-counter-soldiers etc.

But, yeah, she's just preserving his body [for when she's able to bring him back].

[daBronzeBomma]

Question: As someone who bought the first two EARTH ONE graphic novels and found them both interesting enough, but yet is on the fence about buying the new one, would you recommend Volume 3? Is it on the same level as / consistent with the first two volumes, in terms of type of story that was already being presented? Has there been a drop-off from the first two volumes?

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Got a chance to read it, and boy what a disappointment. If the first volume was the train hitting the dime and soaring up, up and away into the air, and the second volume was it crashing right into the ground, I was so hoping this volume would complete the trainwreck arc and have the fire from the crash hit the mother#(*!ng gasoline. As is, it was distinctly 'meh'. Clark only had one gigantic douchebag moment, and while Zod was terrible, there were also even a couple good bits. Plus, it suffered from not having Shane Davis due to flashing back to parts he'd drawn before, setting up a hell of a dissonance. JMS thinking he can write clever dialogue is just the most adorable thing in the world, but other than that? In an ideal world, this is just slightly below what would be considered publishable. God, I wanted to absolutely despise this. Ah well.

[LordUltimus]

Does anyone else think that Lisa is being set up to die in the next volume and be E1 Supes' Gwen Stacy?

[dornwolf]

Does anyone else think that Lisa is being set up to die in the next volume and be E1 Supes' Gwen Stacy?

Been pretty obvious since her first apperance. The "hooker with a heart of gold" trope is a mean mistress. She's either dead or written out in a pretty weak manner.

[Broddie]

Been pretty obvious since her first apperance. The "hooker with a heart of gold" trope is a mean mistress. She's either dead or written out in a pretty weak manner.

Just bought the third Superman volume yesterday. A step up from Vol. 2 (which had the lamest Parasite I've ever seen).


I like Clark and Lisa Lasalle together. I personally wouldn't be able to do it but it makes sense that no matter what type of universe he lives in; Superman will never judge. Well Earth-3 is an exception lol. Still more often than not Supermen end up ethically going in the right direction despite their shaky origins (ie: Red Son) and it really goes with the Jesus parable.

Even Mastermen with Nazi Superman explored something similar this past week. That's what makes him someone for us to look up to and aspire to emulate at his core. The fundamentals of Superman is that he always is a champion of the oppressed. It's also a cute little nod to Superman's dating history with double L's like Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris etc.

Also this is probably the most selfless version of Lex we've seen across the entire multiverse so far. He died doing the right thing. The good is that out of the 3 books Zod was the best villain so far. The bad though is that he's still kinda pretty much rushed through and left undercooked.

For example flipping the Zod/El beef dynamic as him being kin to Jor-El and a sibling rivalry being the basis of their issues is not a bad concept. Yet it seems very inconsequential because it doesn't really do enough to distinguish this story from one where they just are peers turned rivals. So it could come across as unessential gimmickry.

I do like that familiar Superman elements are more prominent now. Like his wit or the implication that he could turn coal into diamonds. Good stuff. New way to present the familiar so it's successful in it's goal in that regard.

JMS is very good at letting the characters develop organically (ie: Clark calling Martha, Clark and Lisa, Clark and Lois, Lex Squared) but he's not as sharp with the main villains in this series it seems. This is the third time it has happened though I do like Alexandra Luthor. She's got potential to be a great arch nemesis in the long run.

Not perfect but a fun read and it was pretty much more good than bad if you ask me.

Bring on Vol. 4