Broken Frontier

A Superman from another Earth thrust into our own fears that history may repeat itself… and he may be the cause.

For years Alex Ross was far better known for his artwork than for his writing. In more recent years he has co-plotted stories with several different writers but now he swings out and handles nearly everything from script to art. The results are rather a mixed bag.

The Kingdom Come Superman is haunted by the memories of what happened on his version of Earth and more to the point; he sees signs that his history may be repeating itself on this Earth now. In his search for signs of the future, a sense of purpose and a reason for hope, he risks losing what little of himself he has left.

Probably the worst that can be said of this comic is that if feels like a vignette. The story tangentially ties into the original Kingdom Come miniseries by providing a bit of background but it adds nothing essential to that acclaimed mini-series. On the other hand, it also does not really provide any forward momentum for the current Justice Society of America "Kingdom Come" story arc either. It is a nice little character moment but in the end that is all that it is and it will more than likely read better when it is part of the greater whole once the arc is collected.

The art, provided by Ross as well, is certainly up to his usual standards. His characters have a solidity about them. The Kingdom Come Superman is a bit thicker about the middle. Not fat but stocky in his old age. His face is lined and seamed with the years in a very human way and not overdone as some artists are tempted to do. Ross also excels in the little touches – the way fabric moves and wrinkles, the way Cyclone’s power is depicted as ever-present in the gentle floating of small tendrils of her hair. The only thing Ross does not provide here is the color. Although he usually paints all of his work, this time the color effects are added by Alex Sinclair and he does a masterful job of blending his talents with Ross’s to give the finished product a similar look to Ross’s usual painting techniques.

For the $3.99 price tag, the issue is bolstered by some nice back matter by Ross on how he took the story from art to script to finish but even added to the whole it isn’t enough to make the comic really worth the price. There is lovely art and an interesting little character piece but in the end there just isn’t enough here. Hopefully this issue will be included when the story arc is collected but until then this story does nothing to advance the overall arc and is only of value to purists, completists and fans of Alex Ross’s art.