The follow-up to 2010's breakout hit, Superman Earth One Vol. 2 takes us back to the alternate universe to continue J. Michael Straczynski's retelling of the iconic character.
Exploring more of Superman's struggles with power and loneliness, Earth One is a more realistic and human take on the Kryptonian's story. In this tale, Superman is not quite the "boy scout" we are used to seeing him as. His attitude is more akin to Batman's "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you" mantra. Superman still fights for the greater good and does what is necessary to aid those in need, even if it means letting the citizens of a war torn nation kill it's dictator.
The main arc of this story involves the familiar foe, Parasite, on his rampage toward Metropolis draining the life from everything in his path to quell his hunger for power. It is up to Superman to stop this menace before he destroys Metropolis or worse, Superman himself.
Shane Davis has returned as the artist and he has really succeeded in defining the "Earth One" look. There is sort of an anime quality to the style, much like the critically acclaimed Akira. Parasite in particular has that look almost like a Dragonball Z villain, but it totally works. The characters all look familiar, but have a more modern look and feel to them (including the Hans Gruber looking Lex Luthor). Straczynski's writing helps to illustrate this modern feel. All of the dialogue feels natural and modern, which immerses the reader into the world.
If this were a trade paperback collecting a monthly series, I would say that it is perfect, but it is not. Fans have waited two years for this sequel and I guess I just expected more. The story is good, but it tries to accomplish too much and tends to gloss over points that I would have liked to seen explored further.
In the future, I hope DC decides to launch an Earth One comic series (similar to Marvel's Ultimate Universe). They have a lot of talented writers and artists who could create a unique retelling of the DC Universe set on Earth One.
Superman Earth One Vol. 2 hits shelves on November 6th! Be sure to check out this action packed continuation of the Earth One mythos.
Superman Earth One Vol. 2 is a 7 out of 10 Parasites!
0 PC Beasts Commented:
Post a Comment