DC’s icon gets rebooted in “current” continuity, unlike the “Action” title that takes place five years in the past. The first few reviews this week will be of some of DC’s icons, before the weekend reviews move into gothic and horror content for Halloween month.

General Information

Title: Superman #1

Author: George Perez

Illustrator(s): George Perez (breakdowns), Jesus Merino (pencils and inks) and Brian Buccellato (colours)

Cover Date: November 2011

Cover Price: $2.99

Buy the digital edition.

Premise

A strange fire-based entity attacks Metropolis in the middle of the press release surrounding the merger of the Daily Planet and the Globe.

High Point

Superman is powerful, but not without limit. Even then, the last few panels prove that there are times when powers aren’t always a good thing.

Low Point

Those last two pages would have been far more effective if they hadn’t been spoiled back in July. There’s a reason Bureau 42 skipped that story.

The Scores

There are definitely original elements to this incarnation of Superman, but that’s primarily in terms of the job titles that would appear on business cards. I give it 4 out of 6.

The artwork is great. Perez really gets these characters and how to lay out a page, and Jesus Merino is no slouch himself. The two together are fantastic. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story is well structured. There is a complete story here, but there will clearly be more to come. (Think of it like the 1977 Star Wars. The war is far from over, but a major first step has been taken.) We also get introduced to the new status quo in a way that feels very natural, especially to those who are aware of the 1970s and early 1980s status quo. I’ve read very few of those issues myself, but the names of the characters used here have jumped out at me. I give it 5 out of 6.

The characterization is great. Superman is a bit of a smart alec, but not as much as the cocky, younger version in “Action” right now. We also get great feels for Lois, Perry, Jimmy, Miko and Morgan Edge in very little space on the page. I give it 6 out of 6.

This is a grown up Superman doing what he does best. The emotional response was dampened primarily because the big hit in the issue was spoiled by a major press release on July 21. I give it 4 out of 6.

The flow is very smooth. The only bit that feels out of place is a tie-in to Stormwatch, but it still remains to be seen exactly how that fits in to the big picture. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a strong first issue, but not quite up to the levels of Morrison’s Action Comics. If you only pick up one Superman title, pick up that one instead. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Superman #1 receives 34 out of 42.

The New 52

Here are handy links for the reviews of all 52 new #1 issues:

1. Action Comics
2. All-Star Western
3. Animal Man
4. Aquaman
5. Batgirl
6. Batman
7. Batman and Robin
8. Batman: The Dark Knight
9. Batwing
10. Batwoman
11. Birds of Prey
12. Blackhawks
13. Blue Beetle
14. Captain Atom
15. Catwoman
16. DC Universe Presents
17. Deathstroke
18. Demon Knights
19. Detective Comics
20. The Flash
21. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
22. The Fury of Firestorm
23. Green Arrow
24. Green Lantern
25. Green Lantern Corps
26. Green Lantern: New Guardians
27. Grifter
28. Hawk and Dove
29. I, Vampire
30. Justice League
31. Justice League Dark
32. Justice League International
33. Legion Lost
34. Legion of Super-Heroes
35. Men of War
36. Mister Terrific
37. Nightwing
38. O.M.A.C.
39. Red Hood and the Outlaws
40. Red Lanterns
41. Resurrection Man
42. The Savage Hawkman
43. Static Shock
44. Stormwatch
45. Suicide Squad
46. Superboy
47. Supergirl
48. Superman
49. Swamp Thing
50. Teen Titans
51. Voodoo
52. Wonder Woman