Between the bombast of events like Absolute Power and the launch of DC All In, writer Joshua Williamson has not-so-quietly been building what might be an all-timer run on Superman. And it takes an issue like Superman #21, which dials down the action and focuses on the extended cast of the series, to prove that.
In the DC Comics issue drawn by Dan Mora, aka the hardest working artist in the comic book business (seriously, how does he draw so many books in a month?), Superman tries to take Lois on a date since they’ve both been so busy now that Lois also has superpowers. While this gives the creative team a chance to jump all over the place, from target practice on the moon to a quiet moment in Smallville, it sneakily digs into Superman’s worries over the impending danger they face from Doomsday, the Time Trapper, and warnings of some bad things coming down the road from General Zod. How do two people who live together, work together — in both their reporter guise, and as superheroes — turn it off to have a romantic time together?
The answer is… They sort of can’t. And that’s okay. It’s more about them taking a moment and being with each other, rather than there for everyone else that counts. A lot of ink has been spilled about how Superman’s real power is empathy, and that’s what Williamson pushes to the forefront here.
But beyond that, there’s a fun device throughout the issue, one-pagers in the style of romance comics — that check in with other members of the extended cast during this downtime issue. They’re each a delight in their own way, ranging from gags to simmering romances. And to get back to my original point, digs into how, at its core, Superman is a soap opera just like most comics. You rarely get a creator running long-term on a title enough to string out multiple villains, relationships, an amnesia plot, and big action at the same time. But that’s exactly what Williamson and Mora are delivering here.
There’s often a lot of discussion online about issues like this (or TV episodes) that readers will claim “nothing happened.” Actually, a lot happened in this issue, and these sorts of focuses on character are important to make the next bits — the alien invasions, the dastardly villains, the loss and the triumph, matter. Clark can’t turn off his brain for a date with his wife, but this issue allows him, and the reader to reach a sort of conclusion about how Lois and Clark’s relationship works now that will almost assuredly be tested as the series continues.
While it might be a little too early to put this up there with the greats, Superman is getting there, faster than a speeding bullet. Up, up, and away.
Superman #21 Rating:
Superman #21 Official Synopsis:
Following Doomsday’s fiery attack on Metropolis, Clark and Lois realize they have been so busy saving the world that they haven’t had time together, so they plan an epic date night! What could go wrong? Well, for starters, a massive alien armada is bearing down on Earth looking for revenge against… SUPERMAN?! What secret has Clark not told Lois about the future?
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