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A review by twilliamson
Superman, Volume 1: Son of Superman (Rebirth) by Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi
4.0
Needlessly complicated backstory aside, Tomasi and company return the pre-Flashpoint Superman back to the present universe and establish for him a new status quo: he's still married to Lois, and now has a son, Jonathan, half-Kryptonian, half-human. Jonathan's just learning how to sort out his powers, and Clark and Lois are doing their best to be supportive parents while Clark juggles being Superman again.
What this volume does so well is bring back an honest, altruistic character in Superman--one who is easily able to balance being a fantastic, wise father to his son, a loving and supportive husband to his wife, and a symbol for hope and good as Superman. It feels like it has been altogether too long since we've been able to see a character as wholesome and as hopeful as this Superman, and the return of the guy I love is so very welcome. Lois, too, is so much more interesting as the confident mother and wife--her wisdom and concern helps to ground the other two characters. Jonathan, too, is exactly the kind of kid I want to read about: he's hopeful, uncertain, eager, and his relationship with Lois and Clark both is warm and honest.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't be a modern comic without some serious narrative issues. The return of Eradicator is almost interesting, but the story arc devolves entirely into yet another six-issue fistfight that attempts to be complex but only engages in very shallow storytelling. There's no weight to any of the Kryptonian subplot, and the punchy action tends to be a distraction from the familial relationships that make Superman's return so much better than the New 52 storylines. I think too many writers think action is what sells books, but Superman, to me, has never been about action--he's about virtue. When a book turns away from putting a character in tough positions to showcase how he can work out how to do the right thing, it loses much of its value. The seeds for great stories are all present in this book, and the course correction feels so much greater than previous efforts; nevertheless, I still want DC to strive for better.
What this volume does so well is bring back an honest, altruistic character in Superman--one who is easily able to balance being a fantastic, wise father to his son, a loving and supportive husband to his wife, and a symbol for hope and good as Superman. It feels like it has been altogether too long since we've been able to see a character as wholesome and as hopeful as this Superman, and the return of the guy I love is so very welcome. Lois, too, is so much more interesting as the confident mother and wife--her wisdom and concern helps to ground the other two characters. Jonathan, too, is exactly the kind of kid I want to read about: he's hopeful, uncertain, eager, and his relationship with Lois and Clark both is warm and honest.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't be a modern comic without some serious narrative issues. The return of Eradicator is almost interesting, but the story arc devolves entirely into yet another six-issue fistfight that attempts to be complex but only engages in very shallow storytelling. There's no weight to any of the Kryptonian subplot, and the punchy action tends to be a distraction from the familial relationships that make Superman's return so much better than the New 52 storylines. I think too many writers think action is what sells books, but Superman, to me, has never been about action--he's about virtue. When a book turns away from putting a character in tough positions to showcase how he can work out how to do the right thing, it loses much of its value. The seeds for great stories are all present in this book, and the course correction feels so much greater than previous efforts; nevertheless, I still want DC to strive for better.