Mild Mannered Reviews - "Superman" Comic Book Reviews
Superman 100-Page Comic Giant #3
Scheduled to arrive in Walmart stores: September 2018Cover date: September 2018
"Up in the Sky: Alice"
Writer: Tom King
Penciller: Andy Kubert
Inker: Sandra Hope
Cover: Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson
Reviewed by: Glen J. Clark
Click to enlarge
While in the middle of a battle, Superman hears a voice, " Clark, I need you." Batman informs him of an incident that happened in Gotham last night. A foster family, parents found dead, four children, two dead, one alive, but injured with a bullet wound and one missing. Superman gives his condolences, but Batman tells him to go talk to the girl found alive in the hospital. The girl recounts the previous night's events to Superman and finishes with a spaceman took her up in the sky. Clark takes the story to the Daily Planet but Perry White will not hear about one murder of many that happened yesterday in Gotham. During a random act of violence as a T-Rex wreaks havoc down the streets of Metropolis, Green Lantern Hal Jordan relays information he learned about how this "spaceman" left Earth. He tells Superman that the entire Corps has the missing girl's picture and there is an All Points Bulletin out for her safe return. While Superman continues his day of heroic actions, his memory is tormenting him as he recalls the story told by the girl in the hospital. Seeking advice from his Earth father, Jonathan Kent, he comforts his son by agreeing with his reason not to go looking for her before telling him that she has hope, and right now she is probably thinking, "It's going to be okay, someone will come save me". Batman tells Clark that the little girl in the hospital took a turn for the worse and died last night. Mind made up, he tells Lois that he knows he can't save everyone but perhaps he can save her, and flies off into space.
To be continuedŠ
Story - 3: This one was tough. I enjoyed the story, but I feel like we were given an abbreviated retelling of a story from someone else who actually read the story and was telling us what happened. However from reading other material by Mr. King, I feel as if he is great at the slow play style of storytelling, so I am not going to completely dismiss this first part just yet. There are some major problems that I have however. The first one I have mentioned before, there is no Jon Kent, the absence of Superboy is evident, and I feel his presence in this story would have made this tale a bit more personal for Clark. Being a parent makes you view the death of a child in a completely different way. The other problem as there was a Jon Kent in the story, but it was Clark's Earth father Jonathan Kent. While this confirms that these stories are not in current continuity, these books were designed with the intent of bringing in new readers, and I feel using Pa Kent here could be confusing to new readers who might seek out the current main Action and Superman comics.
Art - 5: It's Andy Kubert, the man is one of the best in the industry. Every page, every panel is a masterpiece. One of his strongest attributes is the way he handles facial expressions. You can almost get what they are feeling without reading the written word on the page. But it's not just facial expressions that make this book stand out. During all the pages of heroic acts, each one is almost a full splash page, and are all epic. One that really stands out is an image of Superman saving a train from certain destruction. This is about as iconic an image as you can get with the Man of Steel. The art alone makes this book worth picking up.
Cover Art - 5: While I wish the cover focused on the new material in this book, and not one of the reprints, at least it is new art and not like last month's rehashed material straight out of an issue. For me this cover does a good job at hooking the reader into what to expect when you pick up this issue and read it.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2018
Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2018
- Superman #34
- Action Comics #991
- Superman #35
- Action Comics #992
- Supergirl #15
- Superwoman #16
- Super Sons #10
- Super Sons Annual #1
- New Super-Man #17
- Trinity #15
- Justice League #32
- Justice League #33
- Doomsday Clock #1
- Superman #36
- Action Comics #993
- Superman #37
- Action Comics #994
- Supergirl #16
- Superwoman #17
- Super Sons #11
- Teen Titans #15
- New Super-Man #18
- Trinity #16
- Justice League #34
- Justice League #35
- Batman #36
- Doomsday Clock #2
- Superman #38
- Action Comics #995
- Superman #39
- Action Comics #996
- Supergirl #17
- Superwoman #18
- Super Sons #12
- New Super-Man #19
- Trinity #17
- Justice League #36
- Justice League #37
- Doomsday Clock #3
- Superman #40
- Action Comics #997
- Superman #41
- Action Comics #998
- Supergirl #18
- Super Sons #13
- New Super-Man #20
- Trinity #18
- Justice League #38
- Justice League #39
- Superman #42
- Action Comics #999
- Superman #43
- Supergirl #19
- Super Sons #14
- New Super-Man #21
- Trinity #19
- Trinity #20
- Justice League #40
- Justice League #41
- Doomsday Clock #4
- Superman #44
- Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman HC
- Action Comics #1000
- Superman #45
- Supergirl #20
- Super Sons #15
- New Super-Man #22
- Justice League #42
- Justice League #43
- Trinity #21
- Trinity #22
- DC Nation #0
- DC Nation #0 (Additional Review)
- Action Comics Special #1
- Superman Special #1
- The Man of Steel #1
- Super Sons #16
- Super Sons/Dynomutt Special #1
- New Super-Man #23
- Justice League: No Justice #1
- Justice League: No Justice #2
- Justice League: No Justice #3
- Justice League: No Justice #4
- Doomsday Clock #5
- The Man of Steel #2
- The Man of Steel #3
- The Man of Steel #4
- The Man of Steel #5
- New Super-Man #24
- Justice League #1
- Justice League #2
- The Man of Steel #6
- Superman #1
- Action Comics #1001
- Justice League #3
- Justice League #4
- Doomsday Clock #6
- Superman 100-Page Comic Giant #1
- Superman #2
- Action Comics #1002
- Adventures of the Super Sons #1
- Supergirl #21
- Justice League #5
- Justice League #6
- Superman 100-Page Comic Giant #2
- Superman #3
- Action Comics #1003
- Adventures of the Super Sons #2
- Supergirl #22
- Justice League #7
- Justice League #8
- Doomsday Clock #7
- Heroes in Crisis #1
- Superman 100-Page Comic Giant #3
- Superman #4
- Action Comics #1004
- Adventures of the Super Sons #3
- Supergirl #23
- Justice League #9
- Justice League #10
- Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1
- Heroes in Crisis #2
- Cursed Comics Cavalcade #1
- Superman/Top Cat Special #1
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2018.