So today we have two variations on Superman, both trying to answer the question: How do we make Superman interesting?
Superman #1 - What Price Tomorrow - This was the first Superman I read. Turns out, it takes place 5 years after Action Comics #1. Superman has saved Metropolis a number of times now & the Daily Planet has been purchased by the DC Universe equivalent of FOX News Corp. Suddenly, Superman's every action becomes fodder for the wild speculation and crap journalism that is the 24 hour news cycle. At the same time, superman is being attacked by a series of aliens that only key on him. The damage caused in these battles leads to a legitimate question: Is Superman a net positive or negative presence for Metropolis. Sure, he can do almost anything, but does his power draw more danger to Metropolis than it detracts? It an interesting question to ask, but this book isn't really interested in answering it. What could have been an interesting study in what happens when the wack job pundits have a legitimate argument instead becomes just a red herring as Superman saves the day and convinces the jerks that he his good. It's a kind of wish fulfillment that most comics seem to shy away from these days in favor of a more adult discussion, but hey, if you're going to have a comic unreasonably positive and uplifting, I suppose it should be Superman. (side note: actively tries not to destroy and entire Metropolitan area. Something Zach Snyder should take note of.)
6/10
Action Comic #1 - This is the book that launched the whole New 52! for DC. I cover Superman's early days, before he has his whole costume, and before he became ludicrously overpowered. It's nice to have a superman who can't fly. The book also features Lex Luthor. Lex is a fantastic character because most everything he does makes logical sense. He's may be an rich asshole, but he isn't necessarily wrong. He is troubled by the idea of a super powered being from another planet. A powerful alien species could bring devastation to the planet, even Stephen Hawking has said as much. Anytime throughout history that a nonnative organism is transplanted to a new environment, chaos results. Be it Europeans bringing smallpox to the Americas or Asian Carp infesting the Great Lakes, foreign species have the potential of unanticipated devastation. Intentions aside, Superman represents a possible threat to the existence of the human race. Therefore, Lex Luthor is a man determined to find an antidote to the Man of Steel. Lex actually has a lot in common with Bruce Wayne/Batman in that way. Superman is essentially a sentient WMD, and Lex is searching for the kill switch. The dramatic tension come from the fact that Superman is always striving to be good, so we root for him. If he were ever to become conflicted in the way that less powerful heroes tend to be, Lex suddenly becomes the one with the right idea. It's a Superman book though, and ultimately Lex taints everything he touches while Superman wins the day. This is a much better story than Superman #1, but I think I'm done with the Man of Steel for now.
7/10
Which brings me to: Green Lantern Corps #1 - So it turns out that the rebooted Green Lantern Universe is pretty awesome. With the demotion of Hal Jordan, two more human Green Lanterns have been selected to take his Place, Guy Gardner and John Stewart. The story opens with Guy interviewing for an assistant HS Football coaching job, and John trying to get work as an architect. Since their status as a Green Lantern is public knowledge, neither of them is having much success. Apparently people would rather not work around a guy who draws attention from intergalactic war criminals. So off they fly to Oa, and wouldn't you know it, some bad guys are in town, destroying entire worlds. The Guardians who control the Lanterns grew the lanterns in the soil of a secret world. The race of people who tended this power became infused with it and now are basically walking Green Lanterns themselves and they are NOT happy. The Guardians, wary of the growing power of their free labor force, decided to strip the planet of all of the green lantern power cells and leave the planet to die. Then lots of cool stuff goes down, including using imprisoned Yellow Lanterns as a WMD. The tone of the story is a sort of Dirty Dozen in space. I don't understand why this title is so compelling, but it is awesome!
9/10
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