SUPERMAN #13
by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort
Urgh... More late reviews...
OK, I had very high hopes for Superman #13. Superman is a very difficult character to write. How do you make someone who is impervious to nearly all damage, able to connect with readers? Most attempts to humanize Superman have either come off as cheesy, or too depressing. In some cases (Superman 2), efforts to depower Superman have actually ended up... depowering Superman. Which is why All-Star Superman was such a good book. It was a fun and cheesy book at the core, yet readers were able to sympathize with the Man of Steel. When I read the preview of Superman #13 in the pages of Batwoman #13, I adored the Silver Age feel it brought to the book. However, when I opened the book, and got past the spectacularly corny (in a good way) opening, it was nothing but a downhill flight from there. When we finally see Clark (not Superman) getting ready for work at the Daily Planet, we find Jimmy Olsen doing some un-Jimmy Olsen things. Then, at the Daily Planet, Lobdell writes both Lois and Perry as some of the most unlikable characters in a Superman book. Next, it's endless out of character writing, from Clark getting fired for trying to start a REBELLION against his publisher among other things. Even worse, DC contradicts their big Wonder Woman/Superman thing by introducing a new love interest for Superman. The cliffhanger has no punch, and, does not succeed in hyping me up for H'El on Earth. Lobdell does redeem himself with the well written opening scene mentioned earlier, and trying to do his best All-Star Superman impression with the big action scene towards the middle.
I loved Kenneth Rocafort's work in Red Hood and the Outlaws, and even in the Action Comics trade. His art here is sloppy, and rushed. He uses very rough lines here, that hurt the book a lot. His characters don't look as graceful or pretty as they did in Red Hood. A minor saving grace: Rocafort draws a very detailed leviathan thingy in the action scene towards the middle, and as with Lobdell, he still manages to draw the opening scene well.
Superman #13 is a disappointment. Lobdell's work in Red Hood and the Outlaws wasn't that good, and that is reflected here. Rocafort is usually a great artist, but he brought his D-game to Superman. The creative team just lost a potential new regular reader. I'm not coming back for issue 14.
STORY: 1.5/5
ART: 2/5
VERDICT: 1.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment