Straczynski, J. Michael: Superman: Earth One
Superman: Earth One (2010)
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Illustrated by: Shane Davis
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 136 pages
Why I Read It: This is my hubby's baby, not mine. He was the one who learned about the title, who picked it up, who read it and decided that I absolutely had to read it too. So despite him slipping it into my comic TBR pile, I ignored it for a while because I'm more of a Batman girl, and had no interest in it. But I finally found a good time to tackle it, and tackle it I did.
The premise: ganked from publisher's website: Forget everything you know about The Man of Steel and brace yourself for a staggering new take on the world's most popular Super Hero.
Best-selling, Hugo Award-winning writer J. Michael Straczynski (BRAVE AND THE BOLD, Thor, Babylon 5) and red-hot rising star artist Shane Davis (GREEN LANTERN, SUPERMAN/BATMAN) team up for this exciting launch of the EARTH ONE graphic novel series. Set in an all-new continuity re-imagining DC's top heroes, EARTH ONE is a new wave of original, stand-alone graphic novels produced by the top writers and artists in the industry. The groundbreaking new line rockets into effect right here with the Super Hero who started it all - Superman!
What would happen if the origin of The Man of Tomorrow were introduced today for the very first time? Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth's favorite adopted son as he grows from boy to Superman like you've never seen before!
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Um, nay. What's there to spoil? Seriously! It's Superman! I can't talk about how different this is from other Superman story arcs, but I will tell you what worked for me and why. So onward!
The Story: Okay, so here's the skinny. Of late, I've really started to realize that I don't like Superman. Yes, most of it's because I'm a Batman girl. Yes, I'm still angry and bitter that Bryan Singer left X-Men 3 is the hands of a lesser director in order to take on Superman Returns (which I refuse to see on principle, because the actors there look younger than the actors who played the same characters on Smallville, but in the movie, they're supposed to be OLDER!), and as a result, one of my favorite comic-film franchises went to hell. But also, as I've gotten older, I've gotten cynical. It's hard for me to look at everything Superman stands for (and there's a great article about it here that everyone should read) and not let loose a Joker-like cackle. But even recent readings have left me cold toward the Man of Steel. First, it was Brian Azzarello's Luthor, but I've also started working on the first issues of every single New 52 that DC has produced, and the Superman stuff I've read so far isn't impressing me much.
I say all this to stress the following: Superman: Earth One is a Superman I can stand for.
It's not that I've always had a bone to pick. My pre-teen self adored Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman television series, and for a time, I enjoyed the geek-fest that was Smallville before the writers and Lana Lang combined annoyed the crap out of me. I've also read other Superman adventures in comic book and graphic novel format that I've enjoyed. It's only been recently that I've found myself cynical and grumpy. But this Earth One is still worth checking out.
Why does it work? Because unlike the teenaged angst in Smallville, Clark Kent feels like a real person trying to make his way in the real world, to discover his purpose, which isn't so easy to find. All he's ever wanted was to be normal, but his powers prevent it. Watching Clark move to Metrapolis and try out various avenues of employment was interesting and fascinating, as was his inner struggle to accept who and what he is. Flashbacks tell his origin, of course, and reveal the Kents' expectations and hopes for him, and the current action of the story places Clark in a position where he must choose to either embrace his destiny or ignore it. It's a great story, and I sincerely hope there's a second volume to continue the story.
The Art: The art is one of the best selling points of the book. Each page was gorgeous. The colors. The ease in which the eye can absorb the art. I loved everything from Clark Kent's foppish style (which doesn't debut until late) to the heroic images of Superman himself. The art, I believe, is one of the main reasons I was so easily engaged, but let's face it, when the art and writing are both excellent, how can you not be engaged?
My Rating: Excellent
As I said before, I sincerely hope there's a second volume. I know I have an upcoming volume of Batman: Earth One to look forward to, but I was very engaged by Clark Kent's story, this reboot that seems on par with the current political climate while still embracing Superman's values. The art and writing go hand-in-hand to make a great story, and the newspaper article at the end really puts the story in perspective. This is a Clark Kent I can really sympathize with and understand, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of his journey.
Cover Commentary: While the interior art is awesome, I don't care for the cover. The art itself isn't bad, it's just that with the red eyes and bulked up chest, Superman looks more like a bully than a hero, and it turned me off. Like I said earlier, this languished in the TBR for a long time.
Next up: Farthing by Jo Walton