Broken Frontier

In April 2004, the Superman books introduced readers to the new creative teams for each of the four titles. One year later, the Superman line is set for another fresh start with many new faces (in May, following a one-month guest stint by Judd Winick, Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund). But did the Class of 2004 creators live up to the hype DC promoted them with? Action Comics and Adventures of Superman are examined this week, with Superman and Superman/Batman next week.

Action Comics #814 – 823; Primary Creative Team: Chuck Austen (writer), Ivan Reis & Marc Campos (art).

Chuck Austen should not have been writing Action Comics.

As he showed with Superman: Metropolis, Austen’s best writing comes when he’s dealing with characters and relationships. Action Comics is the Superman title that generally focuses on superheroics and hitting really big, scary villains. I suspect Austen was aware of this incongruity but his efforts to strike a balance produced rather uneven scripts. The extended fight that ran through issues 815-818 could have easily been trimmed down by half. Adding to the disappointment, the villains involved were primarily throwaway characters (Shockwave, Weapons Master) with little personality and even less reason to be involved in a Superman story. Austen tried to make readers believe that Superman was in mortal danger but it’s hard to believe that foes like these could succeed where Lex Luthor, Brainiac and the Parasite have failed. Unfortunately, Austen’s own villainous creations proved to be equally lackluster, as they included a Sodom & Gomorrah (a husband and wife duo who apparently could turn things to salt – a power they claimed to have but never actually used) and the Repo-Man (a large, super-strong, um, repo-man).

What was most unfortunate about Austen’s run, however, was how close he came to some inspired moments and scenes. Austen’s Superman had an element of fun to him that you would expect from a man who can fly across the universe and experience sights that the rest of the world can only dream of. The relationship between Superman and Superboy was also fun to read, as it was played as more of a big brother/little brother dynamic, rather than father/son. Austen also managed to make some of the two-dimensional characters engaging – Silver Banshee transformed from a shrill, sad villainess to the embodiment of humanity’s fears, the obnoxious Creeper showed moments of human frailty, Presus became a nightmarish dark reflection of Superman and Doomsday’s quest to understand his new sentience made him seem like a threat again. Even the much-maligned resurrection of the Lois/Clark/Lana love triangle gained some plausible motivation.

The pencils of Ivan Reis managed to hide some of the script’s weaknesses, as he provided a nice variety of perspectives and a good sense of pacing to the story. The double-page splashes during the fight scenes were powerful but as the run wound down, their recurring frequency left the impression that the art team was using them to fill pages that should have had script.

Austen could have written a good Superman run, as he explored themes of acknowledging weakness and finding strength. Unfortunately, all too often, he failed to take that lesson to heart.

Adventures of Superman #627- 638; Primary Creative Team: Greg Rucka (writer), Matthew Clark, Nelson and Andy Lanning (art).

That Greg Rucka is the only of the current Superman creators continuing after this month speaks volumes of his work on the Adventures of Superman (artist Karl Kerschl will join Rucka). What criticisms I have about the title seem almost petty when compared to the numerous things that he is doing right.

As with many of his projects, Rucka’s Adventures of Superman stories function best when read as a whole, gaining substance when put in context with the larger tale he is weaving. That larger tale involves the villain, Ruin, who apparently is one of Superman/Clark Kent’s confidents turned evil. Rucka seems to be hinting quite strongly that Clark’s long-time friend and former Vice-President of the United States, Pete Ross is the villain. The only thing that bothers me, is that Pete’s knowledge of Clark’s dual identity is built on a past story arc that has essentially been negated (Rucka retroactively revealed that President Lex Luthor passed this information on to Pete. At the end of the “Luthor Knows” arc, Manchester Black supposedly erased the information from everyone’s memories). Beyond continuity issues such as this, Rucka also took a few months to get a handle on the character of Clark Kent. Clark represents the human side of Superman and quite easily that can be interpreted as being the more ineffectual side of the character. At first Rucka’s Clark acted like a caricature (almost in the same vein as Christopher Reeve’s Clark) but he has gradually refined him, letting the character serve as Superman’s conscience and touchstone with the real world. While the Man of Steel lives in a world of action and cannot afford to show weakness, Clark is free to be pensive, question his decisions and learn from his mistakes.

Rucka’s greatest contribution to the Superman saga thus far has been his use of the supporting cast. Lieutenant “Lupe” Teresa Leocadio has quickly become a welcome addition to the Superman family. Not only does she bring romantic tension to the title, but also an intriguing backstory and along with the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, a way to ground Superman’s fantastic adventures in the real world. Lois Lane, another character that gives many writers trouble, has found new life in Rucka’s run, portrayed as a tough, independent investigative journalist, which contrasts nicely with her softer role as Superman/Clark’s wife and partner. Finally, Rucka’s use of Mr. Mxyzptlk has been nothing short of astounding. He joins Alan Moore, Jon Bogdanove and Louise Simonson as the only creators that have used the character to his full potential. Playing off the rule that Mxyzptlk can only appear in the real world every 90 days (he appears in every 4th issue of Adventures of Superman – 90 days apart), Rucka uses the character to fill 3 key purposes. First, Mxyzptlk tempts readers, using his powers to tease with foreshadowing of upcoming events. Secondly, he provides a point of perspective for both Lois and Clark, forcing them out of their comfortable roles. And of course, as he should be, Mxyzptlk is a fun character.

The art team of Matthew Clark and Nelson (later, Clark and Andy Lanning) help convey the real world weight of Rucka’s story. Their Metroplis is a sprawling, modern city, filled with interesting sights and characters. The ‘normal’ people in Adventures of Superman all have distinct and expressive looks, while the supervillian’s costumes have a simple sensibility that lends a plausible impossibility to the tale. Like Rucka, Clark and Nelson also handle Mxyzptlk aptly, borrowing heavily from the character’s original 1940’s design. My major critique of their artwork stems from their rendition of Clark/Superman, who at times appears to be a little too young and inexperienced.

The strongest of the core Superman books, Adventures of Superman is the measuring stick that the incoming creative teams will be placed against.

- Fletch Adams