It’s a big couple of weeks for Superman, with Man of Steel releasing and his 75th anniversary and all. Plus, there was the release of his hotly anticipated book Superman Unchained with Scott Snyder as the writer and Jim Lee as the artist. While Superman has had his struggles with something even deadlier than Kryptonite of late, namely poor writing and poor sales, things may be looking up.
Scott Snyder has made Batman one of the best books of the New 52 from the very start, so when I heard he was taking on Superman next, I was pretty stoked. Couple his great writing with the artwork of Jim Lee, and it would seem like the perfect formula for success. However, that’s been a formula that’s been a bit elusive for Superman in recent years, so it was by no means a sure thing. However, I’m relieved to say that if Superman Unchained #1 is any indication of the quality of the series, he’s definitely in good hands. Scott Snyder knows just what sort of voice to give the character, and Jim Lee draws just about the coolest looking Superman out there.
This first issue is one that’s filled with confidence. Superman has confidence in his abilities, as both a hero and a reporter, which is nice to see. There’s also an unspoken confidence that he will always might the right choice, the moral choice, and that’s an important aspect to the character. I know conflicted, brooding “heroes” who see the world more in shades of grey than black and white are supposed to be more interesting, but Superman needs to be the one character, perhaps the only character left, with that unswerving belief in the absolutes of right and wrong. I guess maybe that’s why some have found him such a challenge in recent years and why some believe he’s no longer relevant because we live in a supposed “post-absolutes” culture. However, anyone who takes any amount of time to think about it knows that life itself functions on absolutes, and just because we’d like to pretend they don’t exist or flat out want to ignore them doesn’t mean they go away. For Superman, to be that beacon of hope and inspiration, that symbol of all that is good and right, he must be a character who believes in absolutes. The fact is, without absolutes by which to determine good and evil, right and wrong, Truth and lies, our world would be a real mess (oh wait, I think it’s already headed in that direction…).
Superman Unchained is perhaps the most promising start to a Superman series in some time, certainly since the start of the New 52. Scott Snyder has perfectly captured the character both in and out of costume, and Jim Lee just makes him look flat-out cool. These are good days for the Man of Steel and hopefully there will be plenty more of those in the days to come.
Score: 6 of 7
A BIG thanks to Astro-Zombies for providing the material for this review. Learn more about them at astrozombies.com.
