Faster Than A Speeding Bullet, Part One: Superman

Superman. Kal-El. Clark Kent. The Man Of Steel. The Last Son of Krypton. The Man of Tomorrow.

To me, he's almost seemed like one of the hardest characters to write for. His array of powers and the fact he is indestructible whilst powered by a yellow sun means very little can believably threaten him.

Kryptonite was introduced in the Forties (first on the radio adaptation, then added to the comics) to give the character an Achilles Heel. But Superman has even died and got better.

Although granted, he's not alone in that matter in the DCU!

There have been some really shockingly bad Superman stories. The Blue-Red energy Superman storyline in the Nineties springs to mind, which was a bold attempt to re-imagine the character, but fell flat on its face in my opinion. Heck, I bought those issues excited at a new jump on point for Supes. They are now excised form my collection!

I was also shocked to discover that I didn't enjoy Kurt Busiek's run on Superman. Camelot Falls, The Third Kryptonian, etc. just didn't do it for me.

Conversely, Brian Azzarello's Superman For Tomorrow story was stunning. It helps that it had beautiful artwork from Jim Lee of course. But the heart of it was that it didn't focus on Superman's abilities. It looked at what Kal-El can't do. When a bunch of people around the world vanish - including Lois - Clark doubts his ability to continue as Superman and finds a kindred spirit in a priest who is struggling with a crisis of faith.

Mark Millar's Red Son, Geoff Johns & Richard Donner's Last Son and Geoff Johns' Legion Of Super Heroes and Brainiac are also excellent examples of Superman storytelling. Check them out.

I have mentioned that the recent New Krypton storytelling and its effects on the Superman titles have seemed fairly lacklustre up until the current War of The Supermen event.

Well, I am excited to say I think Superman is coming back with a bang. Up there in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it clichéd writing on the part of this blogger? Well kinda. But no! It's two incredible writers! J. Michael Straczynski and Paul Cornell.

Superman #700 will come out in June. It's a bumper celebration issue with a beautiful cover from Gary Frank, evocative of the Superman movies, and three different stories. Dan Jurgens, the writer who penned the 'Death Of Superman' is doing one of them. Another comes from recent Superman scribe and Starman legend James Robinson.

The third story comes from the new ongoing writer J. Michael Straczynski and is billed by DC as being an "explosive, all-new direction for The Man of Steel". In July, JMS gets the whole issue to himself and beings his new storyarc. DC's solicitation says this:

After the devastating events of WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, how can Superman possibly continue his battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way? Find out here in "Grounded" part 1 and get in on the starting line of a modern-classic SUPERMAN story!

JMS is also taking over on Wonder Woman, contributing to the landmark #600 issue in June and then owning the show with issue #601 in July.

I'm really psyched about this, two of DC's iconic characters have languished with more sales due to uninspiring stories. Now we have JMS tackling Superman and Wonder Woman and Grant Morrison continuing on Batman.

I have high hopes that on the horizon we will get a new Justice League Of America line up akin to Morrison's classic run or indeed Brad Meltzer's Tornado's Path story.

Next up, we talk to Paul Cornell about Action Comics.

Ben Fardon is the owner, proprietor, manager and filing clerk for Proud Lion. Bascially, Ben is Proud Lion is Ben. He often uses the personal pronoun 'we', in an attempt to not feel like a man alone. In that context 'we' refers to Ben, the bricks and mortar, the stock and the branding that comprises Proud Lion. It also makes him sound kind of crazy. 'We' are OK with that.

Ben has been reading comics since he was five years old and his Dad bought him a Transformers comic at the local newsagent. In the same comic were reprints of Iron Man in the red and silver armour. To this day, Tony Stark is his favourite superhero.

He likes eating, swimming and science fiction Tv series. He recently became addicted to The West Wing.

One day, he'll finish a script for something.

Proud Lion Recommends Brightest Day #1

Brightest Day settles into its groove with issue #1, reminiscent of the pace of its spiritual predecessor 52.

For me, Countdown and Trinity struggled to get that same style. 52 was a complex comic book weaving multiple story arcs together. Some issues would only have a few pages to the different threads, but each narrative had momentum.

Brightest Day #0 established that the now alive Deadman would be our guide. His white ring continues to make him skip between the other returnees, yet leaves him invisible to them. And now we discover he is unable to intervene too, as he witnesses modern day pirates and slavers about to brutalise children.

Thankfully, Aquaman and Mera are back. Words I never thought I'd type by the way. Fishboy - sorry, Aquaman - was always a character I mocked, but Brightest Day #1 makes him a bad-ass. Something is not right in Arthur curry's world, but it certainly makes him a much more interesting character.

We also see Martian Manhunter's continuing renovations of Mars, when a psychic flash pulls him away and onto the next leg of his journey. One panel also hints that things aren't quite right for J'onn J'onzz either.

There's also a look at Hal, Carol and Sinestro and the White Lantern battery becomes akin to something from English legend. Plus, more of Hawkman and Hawkgirl - who are also characters I never really liked until Brightest Day #0.

What is telling, is that certain characters are notable by their absence. If you want to see what Maxwell Lord is up to for example, you'll need to keep buying.

Thus - as I said at the start - the rhythm from 52 returns. I have no doubt that this will be a fine addition to the DCU.

DC Comics certainly have a distinctive art style that many of their artists use and it certainly makes their comics accessible if somewhat homogenised compared to the distinctive artistic styles on offer at Marvel. That said, at least DC never makes me suffer through Humberto Ramos and his quirky brethren.

Brightest Day is recognisably a DC Comic, but this is one of those cases where it works very, very well. Five different artists worked on this issue, yet rather than lurching from one style to the next like Brian Michael Bendis' Daredevil #50, Brightest Day #1 is a smooth ride. Some panels simply sing, the rest do the job nicely.

If you loved Blackest Night, 52 or you're a fan of any of the twelve returnees you have to buy this title. For more info, check out the special minisite DC have set up.

Brightest Day #2 is out May 20th.

Ben Fardon is the owner, proprietor, manager and filing clerk for Proud Lion. Bascially, Ben is Proud Lion is Ben. He often uses the personal pronoun 'we', in an attempt to not feel like a man alone. In that context 'we' refers to Ben, the bricks and mortar, the stock and the branding that comprises Proud Lion. It also makes him sound kind of crazy. 'We' are OK with that.

Ben has been reading comics since he was five years old and his Dad bought him a Transformers comic at the local newsagent. In the same comic were reprints of Iron Man in the red and silver armour. To this day, Tony Stark is his favourite superhero.

He likes eating, swimming and science fiction Tv series. He recently became addicted to The West Wing.

One day, he'll finish a script for something.

Proud Lion Recommends Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #1

Shared universe storytelling. Complicated plots crossing multiple comic titles. Some people love it. Others find it a barrier to enjoying superhero comics.

Personally, I enjoy the rich tapestries of the Marvel Universe and the DCU. When I was a kid, the first comic I adored was Marvel's Transformers comic and the brief appearance of Spider-Man was wonderful. Every boy imagines that his toys can interact. Imagination isn't bound by constraints of publisher, film studio or TV network.

However, others hate the fact that comics will sometimes require you to read other issues to understand the impact on their favourite characters. J. Michael Straczynski spoke in the comic media about how he disliked guiding Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four through Civil War, bound by the decisions of Mark Millar and the Marvel editorial policy. Indeed, he allegedly left Thor rather than compromise his storytelling again during the current Siege event.

JMS is a writer I admire and I appreciate his viewpoint. In 2000, a writer who's work I really don't care for also weighed in one this issue. Dwayne McDuffie (a writer fired from JLA by DC and Fantastic Four by DC - just saying) wrote a blog entry called Crisis On Mono-Earth! where he stated that:

"Shared universes are too hard to follow. The vast amount of information a reader has to master, simply to understand a typical monthly superhero comic is ridiculous. That's all well and good for geeks like you and me but it's become impossible to be a casual reader anymore. Casual readers should be our bread and butter; they certainly used to be. But I defy you to pick up a random issue of most current comics and be able to understand what's going on in it without the equivalent of a Ph.D. in trivia."

Whilst I dislike McDuffie's writing, he maybe has a point. In recent times successful events like Secret Invasion and Blackest Night have thrown readers in at the deep end. Civil War brought many lapsed comic book fans back into the fold, primarily because you could get by with just the main book and little or no knowledge of the then current continuity.

Marvel launched the Ultimate universe to give new readers a fresh take on their famous characters. The recent Ultimatum refresh of the Ultimate Comics range has shown that the need for gateway comics for new readers and accessible stories for casual readers are still very important.

Marvel's Astonishing X-Men series was the home of Joss Whedon's X-Men storytelling for a few years and then moved on to Warren Ellis' custody. It will now be relaunched as part of an expanded line of Astonishing comics.

Marvel's press release said:

"Pioneered to be the books for both the casual and hardcore fans, this new imprint kicks off with two can't miss series: ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE by superstars Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert, and the series that started it all back for a bold new era, ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #1 by the duo of Warren Ellis and Kaare Andrews.

Here's how Astonishing works: set firmly in the Marvel Universe and providing the perfect starting point for all readers, new or old, these books will tell the most epic stories of heroic action set against the back drop of the real world. New readers will be able to jump right into these epic adventures, while die-hard Marvel fans will also find exciting insights and dramatic changes for Marvel's most prestigious characters."

Marvel's David Gabriel (Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation) added:

"The Astonishing line is exciting for us and the entire industry because it provides the top creators the chance to take on our top characters in stories that you won't find anywhere else," he says. "They are firmly set in Marvel continuity but also accessible to new readers. If you're looking for big changes and character developments or a place to start reading if you are new to comics, this is where you come. Thanks to Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, the name Astonishing is synonymous with excellence. That's what this line is all about, from the creators to the characters."

All of that long hyperbole leads me to the review itself because the first of these new books is now out. Part one of the six part Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine is a bold piece of storytelling, hurling the titular characters back to prehistoric times.

The writer Jason Aaron has been writing Wolverine's core solo title Wolverine: Weapon X for sometime now, to great acclaim. It's nice to see that his writing voice for Peter Parker is suitably different and at points I'm reminded of the superb JMS/John Romita Jr. run on Amazing Spider-Man. Peter's scientific mind shines through, an aspect of the character that is regular forgotten in the crappy post-Brand new Day era of Spidey storytelling.

I urge Spidey fans who - like me - despair at the current state of Amazing Spider-Man to try this book. It's also well known that Wolverine is one of my least favourite Marvel characters, but here he works in a way that feels true to the character without being as arrogant or obnoxious as I usually find Logan. In fact, I am slightly reminded of Mark Millar's excellent Old Man Logan story arc.

Topped off by beautiful art from Adam Kubert (Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Superman: Last Son), this first issue is a joy and it's easy to see why IGN gave it 9.1 out of 10.

Here's the first few pages, taken from Comic Book Resources.

Ben Fardon is the owner, proprietor, manager and filing clerk for Proud Lion. Bascially, Ben is Proud Lion is Ben. He often uses the personal pronoun 'we', in an attempt to not feel like a man alone. In that context 'we' refers to Ben, the bricks and mortar, the stock and the branding that comprises Proud Lion. It also makes him sound kind of crazy. 'We' are OK with that.

Ben has been reading comics since he was five years old and his Dad bought him a Transformers comic at the local newsagent. In the same comic were reprints of Iron Man in the red and silver armour. To this day, Tony Stark is his favourite superhero.

He likes eating, swimming and science fiction Tv series. He recently became addicted to The West Wing.

One day, he'll finish a script for something.

Proud Lion Recommends Superman War Of The Superman #1

Phew, after a few weeks of chaos thanks to Mount Doom over in Mordor (or is it Iceland?), we're finally all caught up and I can take some time to tell you about some great new comics.

Saturday 1st May was Free Comic Book Day 2010. Among the titles on offer was War Of The Superman #0, the first part of this bookend Superman event.

In 2008 the Brainiac storyline saw the return of the Bottle City Of Kandor. Restored to full size at the end of that story, the Kryptonians tried to live on Earth alongside humanity, but misunderstanding and conflicts drove them out.

Instead they created a new crystalline planet and placed it in Earth's orbit, but on the other side of the Sun. New Krypton became their new home and they choose the villainous General Zod to lead their defence force.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Lex Luthor and General Lane began to work together to combat the perceived alien menace.

War Of The Supermen sees all these elements come to a head. The cynic in me saw War Of The Supermen as a way of clearing house for DC. The past year of Superman comics has seen Kal-El leave Earth and travel to New Krypton, as documented in the 12 part World Of New Krypton series.

In his absence, Action Comics switched to focus on Nightwing and Flamebird, two young Kryptonians who had travelled to Earth to attempt to uncover the conspiracies surrounding their exodus and Lex Luthor's further plans. The core Superman title also switched focus to follow Mon-El, the old friend tasked with protecting Metropolis while Superman was gone. Suffice to say, sales plummeted.

The dawn of a new era of Superman storytelling is just around the corner and I'll talk more about that soon. This is why I assumed War Of The Supermen would be a sham event. But James Robinson and Suprgirl writer Sterling Gates have surprised me.

War Of The Supermen has some brutal punches in it's first proper issue. It was obvious New Krypton had to go, but the timing of that moment has a devastating impact on Supergirl.

Igle's panels of Zod's warfleet on the move are striking, underlining the subtitle of this miniseries, 'The 100 Minute War'. Interspersed with the continuation of the story thread of Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, desperately trying to uncover her father's machinations, this first issue plays to the strength of the established supporting cast. Mon-El, the Guardian, Superboy, Krypto, Nightwing and Flamebird are all seen waiting in the wings ready to join the fight.

I'd say that I have only two criticisms about this first issue. Firstly, Superman has very little to do other than a quick skirmish with Zod and comforting Supergirl. Secondly, the debris of New Krypton is littered with Kryptonite, yet Superman and his kin seem completely unaffected. Even though issue #0 took steps to reiterate the affect of the green rock on Kryptonians. Still, this maybe addressed in the second issue, so i'll forgive it as dramatic license for now.

Bottom line is, if you enjoyed the free issue last week, give issue one a go. Now's a good time to get involved in Superman again. In the coming months acclaimed writers J. Michael Straczynski and Paul Cornell take over on the Man Of Steel. I'll have more on that later this week.

Up, up and away...

Ben Fardon is the owner, proprietor, manager and filing clerk for Proud Lion. Bascially, Ben is Proud Lion is Ben. He often uses the personal pronoun 'we', in an attempt to not feel like a man alone. In that context 'we' refers to Ben, the bricks and mortar, the stock and the branding that comprises Proud Lion. It also makes him sound kind of crazy. 'We' are OK with that.

Ben has been reading comics since he was five years old and his Dad bought him a Transformers comic at the local newsagent. In the same comic were reprints of Iron Man in the red and silver armour. To this day, Tony Stark is his favourite superhero.

He likes eating, swimming and science fiction Tv series. He recently became addicted to The West Wing.

One day, he'll finish a script for something.