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michaelclorah 's review for:
Superman: Birthright - The Origin of the Man of Steel
by Mark Waid, Mark Waid
I've read this book a few times now, waiting for that spark, that moment that enlightens me as to why so many other Superman fans consider this book such a classic. I still haven't found it.
Sure, it's a good comic with a few awesome moments (Perry's keep/fire Lois list!), but nothing about it stands out to me. In the pitch material at the book's end, Waid says the point of the series is to explain why he does what he does and why we should relate to him, but NOTHING in this book does that for me. At what point does it seem like there's another path for Clark? Waid spends time trying to forge a connection between young outsiders Clark and Lex in Smallville, to show their differing paths, but there's no point where it even appears they could've gone in different directions. Lex is always a jerk. Clark is always a good guy. Their "friendship" never feels natural - Clark's narration refers to moments when Lex's guard comes down, but we never see that moment). The last nearly-half is entirely plot driven, and although it's an interesting notion to see a young Superman before the public trusts him, the lack of clarity and impactful images in Yu's artistry undercut the trust he's earning in the finale. We also don't see enough of Clark's reporting to really feel the impact of it being Clark's story, rather than Superman's punching, that actually brings down Lex. It's great that Lois stands up to bullies, but Waid overplays that hand a few times and makes her offputting with her criticisms of Perry's editing (I doubt he personally edits many stories - he's the EiC with several editors below him) and her unwillingness to show Jim Olsen the simple politeness of calling him by his preferred name. (And I LOVE Lois more than I love even Superman.)
Geez...
Reading this over again, it sounds so much harsher than I intended. This is a good comic. There are some nice scenes with Clark and his adoptive parents, and seeing young Clark establishing himself as a journalist is terrific. Having Superman earn people's trust is a great touch, and I have to admit, I got teary on the last page when Clark's message to his parents gets through to Krypton's past. Yu's figures are usually very striking, despite his layouts not always supporting the majesty of the action, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Lois and Clark.
It's a good book, but I can't convince myself that it's a great one.
Sure, it's a good comic with a few awesome moments (Perry's keep/fire Lois list!), but nothing about it stands out to me. In the pitch material at the book's end, Waid says the point of the series is to explain why he does what he does and why we should relate to him, but NOTHING in this book does that for me. At what point does it seem like there's another path for Clark? Waid spends time trying to forge a connection between young outsiders Clark and Lex in Smallville, to show their differing paths, but there's no point where it even appears they could've gone in different directions. Lex is always a jerk. Clark is always a good guy. Their "friendship" never feels natural - Clark's narration refers to moments when Lex's guard comes down, but we never see that moment). The last nearly-half is entirely plot driven, and although it's an interesting notion to see a young Superman before the public trusts him, the lack of clarity and impactful images in Yu's artistry undercut the trust he's earning in the finale. We also don't see enough of Clark's reporting to really feel the impact of it being Clark's story, rather than Superman's punching, that actually brings down Lex. It's great that Lois stands up to bullies, but Waid overplays that hand a few times and makes her offputting with her criticisms of Perry's editing (I doubt he personally edits many stories - he's the EiC with several editors below him) and her unwillingness to show Jim Olsen the simple politeness of calling him by his preferred name. (And I LOVE Lois more than I love even Superman.)
Geez...
Reading this over again, it sounds so much harsher than I intended. This is a good comic. There are some nice scenes with Clark and his adoptive parents, and seeing young Clark establishing himself as a journalist is terrific. Having Superman earn people's trust is a great touch, and I have to admit, I got teary on the last page when Clark's message to his parents gets through to Krypton's past. Yu's figures are usually very striking, despite his layouts not always supporting the majesty of the action, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Lois and Clark.
It's a good book, but I can't convince myself that it's a great one.