Superman #27
Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 19, 2017
Cover date: September 2017
“Declaration”
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Penciller: Scott Godlewski
Inker: Scott Godlewski
Cover: Lee Weeks & Brad Anderson
Variant Cover: Jorge Jimenez
Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel
Clark is exhausted and after recent events who could blame any of the Kents for wanting a vacation. Renting a camper van they begin traveling and first arrive in Niagara Falls for a spot of superhuman body surfing. It isn’t all fun and games though, Lois ensures education is part of the trip with the history of Deborah Sampson. It is a wonderful trip that strengthens their family bond. A dinner with a war veteran friend lead to a life changing experience that will stay with them forever. Relaxation, family time and romance is long overdue for the Kents, can their bliss last?
Story – 4: A touching look into family life for the Kents framed with educational beats to ensure Jon is still learning something along the way.
Though it is full of heart the story lacks something for me. I felt the issue at the Hamilton County Fair worked far better because there was a subplot for Superman to sink his teeth into. I’m not averse to stories of Clark & Lois not having to deal with crime but only so long as the road trip mixes action & adventure in with the drama.
Art – 3: The art felt a little light. The detail was quite minimal, and to a degree slightly cartoon-like in the process. It wasn’t helpful that there were no super-heroics to allow for a little variety in stylistics and composition. It is not far a departure from the layouts by Gleason but more detailed art probably would have helped the dramatic beats resonate more.
Cover Art – 5: I love Lee Weeks’ artwork and this reminds me of all the work he did for Convergence and makes me a little sad he’s not still on the book now. His cover of father and son soaring through the air really has a feeling of warmth to it.
Variant Cover Art – 5: How brilliant is this? A perfect balance to the drama. I liked their exploration of America and their history lesson, but here they look like they are also having a lot of fun.
How good is it to have the Kents as a fully fledged family in comics? I remember a while back that some big shot said comics featuring husbands and wives (and kids) don’t work. How wrong they were.
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I’m never a fan of this kind of patriotic comics. Not in my country nor in other countries. Mostly when those comics are edited in the whole world and not just the origin country because it’s impossible to relate to something that isn’t part of one’s life (not meaning that one specifically lived that but as part of one’s legacy). But I really liked how they placed the focus more in the people, their circumstances and for what it means for humanity and less in specific historic (or historical, don’t know exactly the word) facts. A story that everyone can… Read more »
Good to see that Superman is still as American as apple pie.
I liked parts of this issue, and actually love the idea of July bringing something of a patriotic theme. But the dialogue and character were way off in spots.
At two separate moments, there are disparaging things said about either movies or celebrities. What’s worse, they read like certain political talking points. I’m not at all happy about that. Those scenes could have been tweaked easily to be inclusive, not judgmental and derogatory. That never fits Lois or Clark as characters, and it really took me out of the story.
I thought this was fantastic. A simple story but full of heart and Americana. Superman comics are in a good place right now.
It seems like Superman is the only character that gets criticized for being “too patriotic.”
If you’ve seen the new Spiderman movie, they strategically placed the American flag in the background of multiple shots.
I’m tired of writers (and others) being afraid to make Superman proud to be American.
I hated it. I’m not American and I couldn’t care less for the history lesson. It felt to me more like reading a wikipedia page than a Superman story.