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Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials

Wednesday Comics #2

Wednesday Comics #2

Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 15, 2009

Cover date: July 15, 2009

"Superman"

Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Lee Bermejo

"Supergirl"

Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Amanda Conner

Reviewed by: Barry Freiman

Click to enlarge



Superman, by John Arcudi and Lee Bermejo, has the Man of Steel heading to Gotham to talk to Batman about his feelings. He tells Batman he feels badly about turning the creature over to S.T.A.R. because the creature was right - Superman is an outsider. Batman basically tells him to snap out of it and Superman flies off in a huff wondering why he thought he could talk to Batman about this at all.

Well, it's only week two of Wednesday Comics and John Arcudi, the writer of the Superman strip, is already showing his inability to relate to Supey. Whenever a writer seems to have difficulty in defining who Superman is, or getting behind the simple idea that Superman always knows the right thing to do (except when he doesn't and then he figures it out eventually), they bring in Batman. The Caped Crusader represents a counterpoint to Superman. However, the downside to this predictable Superman writer tool (even Geoff Johns fell prey to it in the "Superman and the Legion" storyline) is that using Batman to humanize Superman immediately puts Superman in an intellectually subordinate place relative to Batman. This isn't a World's Finest strip - it's Superman.

It makes no sense that Superman would seek out Batman to talk about feeling like an outsider. Batman is what happens when you don't talk about your feelings. Batman relishes being the outsider; he's such an outsider he formed a team called the Outsiders.

Superman really should be able to go with his gut on this one. The boy raised by the Kents should know instinctually that he's not an outsider. The man married to Lois Lane should feel a lot more human than Batman.

Now don't get me wrong. I have no problem with guest stars - especially in the one strip being read by a global audience in USA Today - but trotting out the Dark Knight in week two is a bit too telling about the writer. You need to find someone, you call in Batman. You need to talk about your feelings, you're better off with Robin.

Over in Supergirl, by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Krypto and Streaky are causing thousands in damages all over Metropolis. Supergirl saves a TV reporter who's covering the super-pets' rampage. Supergirl catches up to Krypto in time to see him chewing up all the mail at the Metropolis Post Office.

There's not much serious goings-on in the Supergirl strip and that's perfect. I can see this strip having a broad appeal to older fans willing to accept an out-of-continuity romp and young kids especially young girls. Kara really shouldn't be the more relatable character as between she and her cousin but she's been iconically represented that way since 1959. She is the one who has to live up to her cousin's reputation. But Clark, who arrived on Earth as a baby, should be more human than Kara who lived in a Kryptonian city until she was a teenager. But I digress mainly because there isn't all that much to say about this week's Supergirl except that it was a lot of fun - which is all it's supposed to be.

See ya next week in the funny pages.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2009

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2009

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