Superman (USA) di G.Perez, K.Giffen, D.Jurgens

[Azrael]

There seems to be a 'new direction' happening as we see some minor changes and Superman prepares to finally face an opponent worthy for his appearance in the "New 52." Could this be what we've been waiting for?
The Good
It's not a secret that many of us have been disappointed in how SUPERMAN has been progressing. Especially when you compare it to ACTION COMICS, we've been left wondering why Superman got so...boring in the five plus years between the two titles. Touted as the beginning of an 'insanely epic arc,' it's a little odd that that there's a feeling of taking a few steps back since we're only seven issues into this reboot/revamp/reset/whatever. That being said, things are indeed looking up.

Seeing Superman in action is what we want to see. There is some interaction and reaction from the public whose lives he's trying to save. While it could be a little annoying, it also served to inform us what their opinion is on the Man of Steel. Too often Superman was portrayed as the savior to everyone. The public loved and adored him. That may be the case for many, but it makes perfect sense that some might be skeptical or even fearful. For me, the greatest part in this first battle was the tiny detail of his cape withstanding blasts from his opponent. We saw in ACTION COMICS #2 that it's pretty much invulnerable and its little details like this that can bring a smile to my face.

Clark is finally showing up for work at the Daily Planet. This is where things get a little confusing. I was under the impression that the Daily Planet as a newspaper was pretty much finished. Or more that we haven't really seen mention of it as the focus has been on the television network. Lois had been given a promotion and was pretty much running the digital division of the new network. Jimmy has been running around with the news crew, reporting to Lois rather than taking pictures all the time. Yet we see Clark working at a computer at his cubicle with Perry White barking orders while Lois is off to the side trying to talk to Clark along with Jimmy. I'm not exactly sure what this means in terms of the television station angle but Clark working a beat for the Daily Planet is one thing that I'm happy to see. He made it clear in the first issue that we didn't agree with the merging of the two companies. The beat he is assigned to will make things fun and interesting to see.

Then we have the main villain. If you've seen the solicits and the text on the cover, you know Superman will be facing Helspont. This former WildCATS villain should prove to be an interesting opponent for Superman. This reinforces the merging of the DC and Wildstorm Universes and opens the door to new possibilities for Superman. Helspont arriving definitely is an improvement over the nameless alien villain of the month we'd been seeing in the first few issues.

The art looks good here. Artists have to be conscious to draw this slightly younger Superman rather than rely on the standard familiar depiction we've seen for decades. Like it or not, Superman is younger and that needs to be shown. The details during the battle and the environments were nice to see. Jurgens and Merino are getting into their groove. We have the updated Superman but there is still a feel of the classic Superman stories I read when I was younger.

The Bad
I mentioned the public's opinion. We know in the pages of last week's JUSTICE LEAGUE that the public is overjoyed anytime the League shows up. I did enjoy the differences in opinions but some of them started getting a little ridiculous.

I felt a little confused at seeing the bullpen in the Daily Planet with Lois and Jimmy running around. They may not work directly for the Planet and it is possible they could head over to whatever floor the paper is being run on but it's not something we've really seen in this series. It's great to have this familiar feel back but I felt like I missed something.

We are finally getting a decent villain for Superman to fight. Unfortunately that fight doesn't quite take place just yet. Superman does have to fight some others before that fight can happen. It is an improvement from what's been going on before but still feels like a build up filling in the time for the big event.

The Verdict
I've been sadly losing interest in this Superman title more and more each month. Finally it appears that the sun is coming out. Things are looking up for this series. With the intention of a new direction (or at least new story arc), there aren't huge drastic changes but you can feel that an effort is being made to up the ante for this book. That feeling is much appreciated and having Helspont around the corner is enough to get me excited for future issues (I cannot wait to see what he has planned for the DC Universe). This is starting to feel like the Superman comic I've been waiting for.

4 su 5

Da CVine

[Lois Lane]

Guardando ho notato che c'è

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Azrael]

Guardando ho notato che c'è

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Lois Lane]

Guardando ho notato che c'è

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

mah

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Azrael]

Guardando ho notato che c'è

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

mah

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Lois Lane]

Guardando ho notato che c'è

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

mah

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Si,

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

beh meno male...è un gesto storico! iconico!

[Green Lantern]

ma su sta collana quand'è che si degneranno di mostrarci finalmente le nuove versioni di

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Lois Lane]

Io se devo essere sincero spero poco per volta.

Non voglio un effetto ultimate per il quale ogni 5 numeri veniva presentata la nuova versione di qualcuno. Credo che se il reboot voglia funzionare non debba trasformarsi in una corsa dove lo stesso autore o due o tre autori in poco tempo creano versioni di chiunque.

Sì è ripartiti da zero per dare una nuova continuity facile per il lettore nuovo ma anche per gli autori nuovi che in questo modo hanno meno "lacci e laccetti" che gli rendono difficile la narrazione (cosa che io trovo stupida, ma tant'è), e quindi è meglio se dando tempo al tempo ogni autore ispirato crei con calma la nuova versione di un personaggio.

Io spero anche che nascano nuovi comprimari interessanti e nuovi villain.

[Green Hankey]

il 7 è fino ad ora il numero migliore della serie...

Bravi Giffen e Jurgens 

[Azrael]

Superman #7 Review
A new creative team takes charge of the Man of Steel.

For the first two months of the New 52, I read every single issue DC put out. But after that, certain cuts needed to be made, and I was surprised to see that Superman of all books was among the first on the chopping block. Despite DC's efforts to move forward and embrace new storytelling approaches, Superman felt old-fashioned, tired, and just plain dull. The fact that the early issues reeked of editorial interference and pointless interconnectivity didn't help matters.

Fortunately, DC didn't wait too long before switching to a new creative team. Issue #7 sees Keith Giffen come on board as writer an co-plotter, with Dan Jurgens serving as co-plotter and layout artist, and Jesus Merino sticking around to handle the finished art. Giffen and Jurgens aren't exactly young, up-and-coming creators either, but the book still manages to feel far more fresh and contemporary than it has up to now.

Readers shouldn't have much difficulty jumping back into the series if they've lapsed (I certainly didn't). Giffen doesn't veer too far from George Perez's approach, with the series balancing Superman's acts of heroism and increasing public popularity with his more mundane struggles at the Daily Planet. The difference is all in the execution. Giffen's Superman simply reads better. The dialogue is far stronger and more refined, for one thing, and Giffen also employs just enough humor to ensure that the book doesn't become grim and overly serious, as it was prone to do before. The dual sides of Clark's life are handled better. The writers paint him as a man growing increasingly confident in his role as defender of Metropolis, but still human enough to empathize with.

With Merino still around, the series doesn't sees much of a visual shift in the transition to the new team. The difference is that the pages have an extra sense of energy thanks to the new collaboration between Merino and Jurgens. There's a real sense of power as Superman barrels into his foes. Nor are the facial work and character interactions ignored. The character designs and figure work are a little plain at times, but certainly built on a solid foundation.

Unfortunately, this new arc can't shake the sense that Superman is still the victim of editorial interference. There are the editorial captions, certainly. But the inclusion of Helspont as the current villain doesn't help either. The writers don't do much to establish Helspont as a character with a deep or interesting tie to Superman's world. Unlike the rest of the characters, the villain is fairly poorly written, with way too much expository dialogue directed at absolutely no one. For whatever reason, it's been decided that Superman is to be the link between the Wildstorm books and the rest of the DCU. It's a decision that still isn't doing the series any favors.

That aside, this issue is a pleasing return to form for DC's signature hero. Yes, the book is safe in a lot of ways. The new creators don't attempt to push any boundaries yet. But a solid, competent, more traditional Superman book is exactly what the franchise needs right now, and Giffen and company deliver that.

7.5 su 10

Da IGN

[Azrael]

The re-launch of "Superman" six months ago was the sort of comic that sounded great in theory, but the execution proved to be a bit lackluster. That's no doubt why we've had a creative team shuffle starting with issue #7 with Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens and Jesus Merino taking over the present-day stories of the Man of Steel. So far, we're off to a much more promising start than "Superman" #1 gave us.

Giffen and Jurgens' story quickly re-establishes the status quo; Superman's more recent (and slightly less trusted as a result) debut, Clark's position at the Daily Planet, his relationship with supporting cast members Lois, Jimmy and Perry. It's a bit of a cliché when Clark is beset by all three of them at the same time and ends up agreeing to things he hadn't planned on, but I had to admit that there was a liveliness to their banter and overlapping conversations that had been missing up until now.

As for the rest of the story, it's entertaining. Giffen and Jurgens bring the original "WildC.A.T.S" villain Helspont firmly into the DC Universe here and his presence is a curious one. In many ways he's not just a Wildstorm character being added into the DC world, but almost a character from the previous DC Universe moving into this one. That's not literally the case, but rather Helspont is a character that knows much more about the general composition of the DC Universe than most of the characters do. Giffen and Jurgens are able to drop clues about situations we haven't seen re-introduced yet; fans of Jack Kirby's Fourth World group in particular might squeal at the discussion of the God Veil and the twin worlds of Dark and Light in perpetual conflict. (Don't say you weren't warned.) However, as a foe against Superman, Helspont is more bark than bite. The end of the issue promises some of the latter and Giffen and Jurgens give us just enough hint of a threat that I'm interested in seeing what they do next.

Jurgens and Merino's art is an interesting combination. Jurgens is an artist whose breakdowns/pencils vary greatly based on who is going to finish them and the Jurgens/Merino pairing feels different from what we've seen up until now from Jurgens. There's a curious delicate nature to Superman himself; the end result is much more slender and slight than Jurgens's past depictions of the character and not just because of the slightly different costume. It's good, though; I like Superman's hair in particular, which manages to feel simultaneously old-fashioned and modern, bringing just the right elements of both to the character. They draw a wonderfully mean Helspont. Jim Lee's character design with the flaming blue and black demon head still works wonderfully and that cloak-as-shadow adds a level of nastiness to him.

There are a couple of strange hiccups in the art where it feels like it doesn't quite match the story. (Considering Jurgens co-plotted the story, it's a little odd.) The most notable moment is where Superman uses his x-ray vision to look at his attacker and notes that half of its inner workings are held together by etched runes, but that intriguing notion is barely evident in the drawing that we get. It's very frustrating because the idea sounds great.

Overall, there are several little touches throughout "Superman" #7 that made me feel like this creative team was moving in the right direction. The Daily Planet scene, for example, was great, but it goes beyond that. Even something as simple as there being a monorail station in Metropolis made me smile; it's just the right sort of moment where you'd nod and say to yourself that yes, Metropolis would have a monorail. My biggest regret with "Superman" #7 was that this wasn't "Superman" #1. Finally, one of DC's most important flagship titles feels back on track.

3,5 su 5

Da CBR

[Azrael]

I was thankful to see Dan Jurgens return to Superman given his long history and his comfort with the character. I was especially excited by Ivan Reis's beautiful cover — it gave me hope that this arc would be better than the previous arc. It has strong characterization and, for the most part, visually engaging art. It's still not knockout, but it's better than it was.

Jurgens and Giffen drop readers right into the action on the first page. This sets the tone for the rest of the issue because the story moves along quickly. But Jurgens and Giffen complement the action with humor, and even though the issue opens with a big battle, it doesn't feel weighty. The major conflict involves Helspont, a member of the alien Daemonites originally from the Wildstorm universe, and one of his lackeys, who is meant to be both a challenge and a calling to Superman. Bystanders are used as comic relief, but a majority of the narration is through Superman's thoughts, which provide insight into some of the changes in the DCU (like Superman's costume), as well as providing a bit of humanity to the character. Everyone knows that Superman is a good guy, but that is reinforced when readers can see the internal conflict Kal-El faces when he battles one of Helspont's minions in downtown Metropolis. More importantly, Superman is consistently depicted as a hero. From the first page, Giffen and Jurgens remind us that Kal is intelligent, thoughtful, and strong.

My favorite part of the issue involves Clark at the Daily Planet. So often, Superman writers try to mesh Clark's personal duties to the Planet with his duties as Superman, but few seem to be able to mix the two seamlessly, The focus is usually on one or the other, but rarely on both. Giffen and Jurgens, find a way to pair this responsibility with the rest of the conflicts in the issue so that Clark's fight with Helspont has more riding on it then just telling an action story. Without meaning to, Clark agrees to let Jimmy stay at his apartment, agrees to pick up Lois's sister, and promises Perry that he will change his writing style. The quick banter makes for a humorous situation but also a character defining moment because Clark, being the good guy he is, will not want to disappoint anyone — even if his fight with an alien menace may make it so that he cannot fulfill all his promises.

While his writing is strong, Dan Jurgens' art is a mixed bag in this issue. On the one hand, there are moments, particularly involving Helspont, where the characters are beautifully drawn and colored. Tanya and Richard Horie color this issue, and do a fine job of it. Superman looks vibrant and powerful, and Helspont — from his flaming head to his massive body — looks like a villain who will offer Big Blue a serious challenge. Jurgens knows how to make Kal-El look heroic, and much like Gary Frank, Jurgens' Superman always looks powerful and confident.

Yet the art stutters when it comes the composition and visual storytelling. Some of the lines are so thick that dense panels — those involving many characters or a lot of background detail — look cluttered. Because the story has so much going on, a lot has to be drawn so I don't fault Jurgens for the compacted panels. Furthermore, some of the action scenes lack consistency. On one page, Superman is tossed through the air in the first panel, but he's shown standing in the next panel, then in the panel after that, he's holding up part of the road as a shield. This kind of clunky transitioning is noticeable and distracting, but thankfully this is the only time it occurs in the book.

That said, I enjoyed this comic more than the previous Superman issues. Jurgens has the history with the character needed to help sell his persona, and through working with Giffen, Jurgens has helped produce an engaging story that showcases the many different facets of Kal-El, Clark Kent and Superman. By being aware of Clark's life outside of being a superhero, Giffen and Jurgens have added another layer to this story, one that makes for interesting conflicts, and one which makes me, as a reader, excited to see how the story is finished. I was a bit disappointed after he first arc, but now I'm more confident.

6 out of 10

Da Newsarama

[Azrael]

SUPERMAN #1 GOES BACK TO PRESS

SUPERMAN #1 has sold out again, and will be going back to press for its third printing. From the creative team of George Perez and Jesus Merino, this launch issue kicked off the modern adventures of the Man of Tomorrow in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, debuting the character's iconic and distinctive new look.

The third printing of SUPERMAN #1 will be available in comic book stores on May 2, 2012.

[Azrael]

SUPERMAN #11
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO
Cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 B&W Variant cover by DAN JURGENS and
NORM RAPMUND
On sale JULY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• A powerful and violent being from a different dimension has been mistakenly brought to Earth – and only SUPERMAN can stop it!
• What is the true nature of SUPERMAN'S costume?

[Matches Malone]

SUPERMAN #11
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO
Cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 B&W Variant cover by DAN JURGENS and
NORM RAPMUND
On sale JULY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• A powerful and violent being from a different dimension has been mistakenly brought to Earth – and only SUPERMAN can stop it!
• What is the true nature of SUPERMAN'S costume?

Ha il super-pannolone armaturoso!