2011 Comic Book News Archives

June 30, 2011: Two New Men of Steel, But Only One's a Keeper

Superman: Secret Origin Superman: Earth One By Tom Speelman

The new Superman movie, "Man of Steel" is due out next year. As a reboot ala "Batman Begins," it aims to reinvigorate Superman, the world's first and foremost superhero.

I was a bit of a late Superman convert. I only saw the Christopher Reeve movies last year, but I still have fond memories of watching the '90s cartoon in reruns on Cartoon Network. I also read Geoff Johns' and Gary Frank's Superman: Brainiac storyline and enjoyed it very much.

So, armed with those memories, I sought out two books DC published that redefine Superman's origin. Granted, almost everyone in history knows the origin story. Grant Morrison managed to tell it in 8 words over 4 panels in All-Star Superman #1! Still, both of these are worth checking out, one more so than the other.

First up is "Superman: Earth One", a 136-page hardcover, original graphic novel. It's written by J. Michael Straczynski who wrote a highly enjoyable and nuanced 6-year run on "The Amazing Spider-Man". The "Earth One" part reflects how this is the start of DC's line of the same name, which they've touted the line as a chance to have fan-favorite creators (like Straczynski) tell stories about their iconic heroes without the baggage of their 75+ year history.

Straczynski, a lifelong fan, wrote on DC's blog, The Source, that "as a kid growing up on the mean streets of New Jersey, Superman was an icon for me" and how he always keeps the famous S logo somewhere on him. Clearly, he has a lot invested emotionally and spiritually in the character. Yet, despite that passion and a clear desire to make things new, "Earth One" somehow winds up a variation of what we already know.

Inspiration from Smallville and Superman Returns is evident, particularly in Shane Davis' artwork. His Clark is a mix of Tom Welling and Brandon Routh. That's not a bad thing; both Davis' artwork and Straczynski's script are very tight and streamlined. Clark doesn't even don the tights until halfway through the story, a move as unprecedented as it is original. And unlike Smallville, you can actually see Clark decked out in red and blue.

In fact, this Clark could almost be a stand-in for Hamlet: a boy on the verge of manhood, unsure of himself and how he fits in the world, and with no father (real or adopted; no Pa Kent here) for his guidance. Even when he dons his signature suit, tie, and dorky glasses, he still looks ill-fitted for the part, in a series of panels wonderfully drawn by Davis.

Another twist here is that Tyrell, the main villain, turns out to be responsible for Krypton's destruction. Besides his stupid name, he has a stupid appearance, looking like a member of KISS painted blue and white with mechanical wings. Despite that his motives, backstory, and dialogue are interesting and really click while being read.

The key phrase there is "while being read." Ultimately, Tyrell fails to make a lasting impression. The book explicitly states an outsider gave Tyrell's people the weapons to destroy Krypton, something that reinforces Tyrell's disposability and weakens his impact. It's also such obvious sequel setup that it's eye-rolling.

While Straczynski and Davis were busy carving out a new vision, another team worked hard to refurbish the one we already had. DC wunderkind Geoff Johns left a 28-issue run on Action Comics to do the 6-issue "Superman: Secret Origin" with frequent Action collaborators, penciller Gary Frank and inker Jon Sibal. This book is now in hardcover. This series is meant to update the origin after the events of Johns' Infinite Crisis miniseries. It's a simple job and this book does it really well.

Johns broke into comics after working as assistant to Richard Donner. He mixes the film series set into motion by his mentor with the various TV series and cartoons, even my beloved '90s version, as well as pre-Crisis aspects of the character. Donner, however, dominates: Frank's Superman, lithe and graceful as he is, looks like the late Christopher Reeve and Clark's dialogue reads like it's been lifted straight from his mouth.

But Johns, rather than paying tribute, fuses all the homaging with his own original ideas. Sgt. John Corben becomes the supervillain Metallo per orders of General Sam Lane. Rudy Jones, a.k.a. the Parasite, is a greedy Daily Planet janitor who is exposed to toxic waste derived from Kryptonite. Lionel Luthor is a raging drunk. Lex himself feels not just superior to everyone around him, but also embittered and spiteful. In chapter 2, when he and Clark are still in high school, he responds to Clark's invitation to hang with a snooty, arrogant "Why would we do that?" beautifully captured by Frank and letterer Steve Wands. This Lex is later established to hate not just Superman but anyone who isn't him or one of his worshippers. This provides a sharp contrast to the charitable persona that he presents, even picking one random citizen of Metropolis every day to change their life. Coincidentally, that's what makes him indirectly responsible for the creation of the Parasite. It's characterization like that, and not just providing an entry point for a bigger baddie, that make Lex a better character than Tyrell, and is ultimately what holds "Secret Origin" up. Every good hero needs a good villain. Tyrell isn't it.

To sum it up, despite great innovation and an obvious creative passion, "Earth One" suffers from a weak villain and a too-narrow scope. Both it and "Origin" have a clear goal, but "Origin" incorporates a large chunk of the familiar Superman characters and mythos to do so, something "Earth One" doesn't do in its quest to rewrite it all.

As comics readers know, Johns has a bit of a reputation for controversial story lines. Remember when Superboy-Prime punched a wall? But with "Secret Origin," he's made a tight, fast crowd-pleaser that everyone, hardcore fan or casual reader alike, can enjoy. Even with the brand new Superman due to roll out in September, this is still a great book. So check it out and go up, up, and away.

Tom Speelman



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