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james_desantis 's review for:
Superman Vol. 1: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth
by Brian Michael Bendis
I'm happy to report that after the Man of Steel mini-event, Bendis has put together a strong arc for Superman.
See, Superman isn't really a easy character to always write. You have to give him villains and stakes, and it's not always so easy for someone who is nearly unstoppable. However, the more important factor is giving Superman the humanity that some people don't seem to want to put in to their superman stories. You want to feel for the guy, since he's always trying to do the right thing, and I think Bendis does it better here then he did in the mini-event (Which I thought was good but not great).
So Superman is doing his Superman things. See, last we've seen Clark he had lost his wife and son. On the search to find both he spends his time around earth saving and helping people. His self doubts if he's doing enough, and his friends trying to push more responsibility on him is a interesting little twist. However, when the Phantom Zone begins to open and the world gets sucked in, we are in trouble since all of Superman's greatest foes live within. One of the biggest of all time? Rogol Zaar himself! The main villain from the Man of Steel event. If Superman can barely handle him one on one, how can he face off Rogol Zaar and a army.
Good: I really like the art here. I think it's a big reason I enjoyed this so much. Everything looks epic, especially some of these amazing fight scenes. I like what Bendis is doing here with Clark. Giving him the humanity in the internal thoughts and caring for us all, while also fighting his best to keep a strong front. The second half of this arc flies by, with massive fights, but they're highly entertaining. I'll also state the last issue is great because of a defeat, and a surprise return. Bendis is shaping up to make his Superman run pretty dang entertaining.
Bad: There's moments of over the top silliness with the dialogue. I think Barry (Who the artist got mixed up and drew Wally instead in one part) is way too silly and dumb. I mean, don't get me wrong, joking Barry is nice but it felt a little meh here. I also thought the first half is a little shaky and they throw a lot at you with the past and such.
Overall, this is great for fans of the more action packed superman while still keeping the heart of the character. I'm overall impressed with this title, more than I thought. It hasn't reached the heights of Peter's run yet, but I'm hoping it does. A 4 out of 5.
See, Superman isn't really a easy character to always write. You have to give him villains and stakes, and it's not always so easy for someone who is nearly unstoppable. However, the more important factor is giving Superman the humanity that some people don't seem to want to put in to their superman stories. You want to feel for the guy, since he's always trying to do the right thing, and I think Bendis does it better here then he did in the mini-event (Which I thought was good but not great).
So Superman is doing his Superman things. See, last we've seen Clark he had lost his wife and son. On the search to find both he spends his time around earth saving and helping people. His self doubts if he's doing enough, and his friends trying to push more responsibility on him is a interesting little twist. However, when the Phantom Zone begins to open and the world gets sucked in, we are in trouble since all of Superman's greatest foes live within. One of the biggest of all time? Rogol Zaar himself! The main villain from the Man of Steel event. If Superman can barely handle him one on one, how can he face off Rogol Zaar and a army.
Good: I really like the art here. I think it's a big reason I enjoyed this so much. Everything looks epic, especially some of these amazing fight scenes. I like what Bendis is doing here with Clark. Giving him the humanity in the internal thoughts and caring for us all, while also fighting his best to keep a strong front. The second half of this arc flies by, with massive fights, but they're highly entertaining. I'll also state the last issue is great because of a defeat, and a surprise return. Bendis is shaping up to make his Superman run pretty dang entertaining.
Bad: There's moments of over the top silliness with the dialogue. I think Barry (Who the artist got mixed up and drew Wally instead in one part) is way too silly and dumb. I mean, don't get me wrong, joking Barry is nice but it felt a little meh here. I also thought the first half is a little shaky and they throw a lot at you with the past and such.
Overall, this is great for fans of the more action packed superman while still keeping the heart of the character. I'm overall impressed with this title, more than I thought. It hasn't reached the heights of Peter's run yet, but I'm hoping it does. A 4 out of 5.