After a brief glimpse of what’s to come in Action Comics #1000 and months of teasing, Brian Michael Bendis’ first full issue writing for DC Comics is here. It only makes sense for one of the biggest names in comics to tackle the most famous superhero of all time. Bendis is kicking things off with The Man of Steel, a weekly event series meant to introduce both new and long-time fans to Bendis’ take on Superman. This first issue does little to get you excited for The Man of Steel, but it does plenty to endear fans to a fresh new take on Superman.
We start with an introduction to the story’s central villain, Rogol Zaar. It’s difficult to explain how without sounding cynical, but the new foe is unspectacular in every way. It feels like over the last five years both DC and Marvel have been spoon-feeding us these cookie-cutter villains: giant, overly muscular aliens that all look the same and all share the same misguided sense of morality. Zaar is just another of these villains. The design, by artist Ivan Reis, is unspectacular in every way. Honestly, Zaar just looks like Doomsday with hair and an ax. He’s also got a vendetta against Krypton and may have been responsible for its destruction, which are both groan-worthy cliches.
Meanwhile back on Earth, Bendis offers up a complex Superman with a light-hearted personality. Here, Bendis does what he does best: explore character dynamics through breezy and heightened dialogue. It may not be what everyone wants from a Superman book, but it makes for a very fun read. Frankly, a series of short slice-of-life Superman stories sounds much more appealing than another showdown with a bland villain.
Bendis shines during dialogue-heavy scenes, which, as any Bendis fan will tell you, comprise most of everything he writes. However, Reis’ work stands out when Superman takes flight. During an early encounter with two C-list villains, Reis’s artwork brings just as much lighthearted wonder to Superman as Bendis’ dialogue. One can only hope that the two manage two find a balance as the series continues.
There’s a lot of potential here, but The Man of Steel #1 is a lackluster debut from Bendis. You cannot deny the immense talent that went into this book, but it still doesn’t make for an engaging story. Instead, you’ll find yourself clinging exclusively to the characters. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that if Bendis intends to bring those character-heavy moments to the center of the plot, but the uninspired villain will make that all the more difficult. It would be great to be proven wrong in the next issue, but there are plenty of better comics running right now and this issue makes it hard to justify adding this series to your pull list.
Final Score: 6/10
The 10 Strongest Members Of Superman’s Family, Ranked
Superman is the first and most powerful superhero in the DC Universe. Due to all of his heroic actions, Superman has earned an inspirational role in the DCU and serves as a beacon of hope for many new heroes. In addition to inspiring heroes in the present, his deeds inspired heroes thousands of years later to develop the Legion of Superheroes.
Superman can’t be everywhere all the time, so he’s lucky enough to have a Superfamily behind him to help. Even with his super strength, there’s no way he can stop every criminal simultaneously, so these other heroes all stepped up to help defend innocent people. Whether they are on the battlefield or saving innocent lives, all of these people are proud members of the Superfamily who will do whatever they have to to accomplish their goals.
Hit Next to discover the 10 strongest members of Superman’s family!
The post The Man of Steel #1 Review: Bendis Struggles With Superman Debut appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.
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