I’ve never been a big reader of Superman. I don’t really
understand how such a strong character can have truly challenging obstacles to
face as to make him believable; he’s just too overpowered. All things being
equal though, there are stories that make Superman a great character, All Star Superman was one, and Superman: Red Son is another. This book
is a third. What all of these stories share is taking of the preconceived notions
of what Superman is, and spinning them into something unique. JMS does this in
this story quite well. He takes the mythology we all know, (Clark Kent being
found as a child, being abnormally strong, and standing up as a protector and
doing the right thing), and modernizes and tweaks it so that it feels fresh and
new.
From a narrative point of view, JMS rocks the scripting. He
introduces the character at a moment where he is uncertain of who he is, who he
wants to be and what he wants to achieve, making him instantly relatable. The
easy hook would have been starting the book off with a bang, showing Superman
in action, which is a great hook for getting readers set for an action filled adventure,
but at the cost of setting the reader apart from character. By narrowing in on
the quiet, small moments, JMS allows the reader to connect with the character,
and allows them to generate a vested interest in Clark Kent as he goes from
drifting twenty-something to grounded reporter and hero.
It’s impressive how effortless JMS makes storytelling appear
in this book. Everything is pitch perfect as it builds towards its eventual
ending. He deftly introduces the character and his emotional state of mind,
while fleshing out his history in flashbacks, all while building to an
explosive final act and satisfying conclusion. He manages to give each secondary
character their moment to shine, while still keeping their ‘screen time’
organic feeling. You don’t realize how much more adapt a master is at writing
well-constructed narrative compared to the average writer until you experience
it. The only reason I bring this up is that I just spent the evening reading
comics, (and there were some good ones in the pile), finishing off with this
graphic novel, and the amount of satisfaction I received by reading the book
was immense in comparison. It took me a few moments to figure out why, and then
it hit me: the pacing was perfect. So perfect that I’ve made a mental note to
re-read this story when I want to study story structure more, as it sits head
and shoulders above most.
The story itself is a great introduction to the character of
Superman, and does not rely on the reader having any prior knowledge. The book
opens with Clark Kent riding the train into the big city after living his whole
life in a small, rural farming community. He admits to his new landlord he has
no idea what his plans are, and we watch as he searches for belonging. It is
quickly revealed that Kent is exceptionally good at whatever he does, but he is
unable to choose what he wants to pursue. He eventually begins to slowly
gravitate toward his future, and we learn about his origin and growing up with
his Earth parents. By the time a threat arrives, causing Kent to have to decide
if he should show the world what he has the ability to do, we have seen him
start to understand himself after wrestling with knowing what he can do and
what he wants to do, while this new threat forces him to decide what kinds of
rights and responsibilities he has.
The story is one about growing up and finding your footing.
It also has the uplifting message that many Superman stories have: you shape your
destiny and because of this, you can never lose faith in who you are or stop
believing in what is right. This is a message that can feel far too boy scout
in a Superman story when it’s done wrong, but in JMS’ hands, it rings true. In
his dedication JMS writes “that [the Superman] symbol means that all things are
possible” and this story embodies that message in a way that does not preach,
but inspires. You can’t help but be lifted up as you read the sage words of Jonathan
Kent as he speaks to young Clark, and then see Clark take those words to heart
when he faces adversity.
There is a lot I could say about the wonderful art of Shane
Davis, who knows how to convey emotion so well as to not need dialog to explain
what people are thinking, but I think I’ll let those that read the book
discover it for themselves. All I’ll say is that he can do a lot of things
well, and he helps make this book a full package.
I went into this book expecting a good story, and I ended up
getting something even better. JMS hit all the right notes, and he managed to
capture the essence of a character that often feels old and uninspired, and
breathe new life into him. I plan on reading the book over again before the
month’s out, and the idea of that excites me.
