Superman Birthright #7 - Mobile Edition

DC Comics
Superman Birthright #7
By Koppy McFad
February 15, 2004 - 13:29

DC Comics
Writer(s): Mark Waid
Penciller(s): Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan
Cover Artist(s): Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan

This miniseries is a retelling of Superman's origin, combining some details from the Silver Age with the John Byrne version-- not always comfortably, as this issue shows.

Waid restores Clark Kent to being the town doormat without resorting to depicting him as a klutzy, 98-pound weakling. Instead, he cleverly shows that being a mild-mannered reporter in a newspaper full of extoverted, loud-mouthed journalists is enough to get Clark the short end of the stick. Poor Clark hasn't been this sympathetic since the Crisis.

We later get a flashback on the friendship of Lex and Clark when they were kids back in Smallville. It is bizarre to see a Luthor that is so insecure and fearful, something that just doesn't jibe with the Luthor we have seen, both pre-Crisis, post-Crisis or even on television. It is almost like Waid is trying to make Luthor as sympathetic as Clark. In Lex's case, he just doesn't succeed.

The art is nicely done, particularly the scenes of poor Clark in Metropolis and Superman's rescue attempt on a bridge. The flashback scenes in Smallville don't come off as well. The scene in the barn is confusing and it is hard to recognize the young Luthor as being the same person as his adult self.