he’s called
New Super-Man for a reason – he’s very young and inexperienced, still learning
how to master his super-powers. In the course of the story, he refers to having
been endowed with Superman’s abilities, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he
got them from Superman. In fact, they
seem more mystical in nature, as he taps into them through his qi (which may have been George Lucas’
inspiration for the Force).
As I said, young and
inexperienced, and when New Super-Man clashes with the JLA, there’s an sense of
awe that reminds me a great deal of Peter Parker. And he is accompanied by his
own version of the Justice League – Chinese versions of Batman, Wonder Woman
and the Flash. As a team, they are in search of the Red Jade Dragon, an ancient
Chinese relic from the Qin Dynasty. New Super-Man has been led to believe this
artifact will enable him to unlock all his powers.
But it was the evil
All-Yang who told him this, so it’s up to the JLA to educate him on taking what
bad guys say with a grain of salt. And it certainly doesn’t help that said Red
Jade Dragon is in the possession of one of the DCU’s archest villains.
All this builds up to a
battle between the two Justice Leagues, followed by a team-up, followed by a
greater commitment of the Justice League of China.
The artwork seems a little
uneven, but in issue #16, there were some major throwbacks to the comics of the
Golden Age, which I appreciated. I am uncertain who the lead artist is on the
series, but I have time to explore that and form a clearer opinion on the
artwork.
I think it appropriate
that DC turning the book over to legitimate creators of Asian heritage. If this
variant Superman is an effort by DC to add diversity to its comic book
offerings, but I am uncertain this is the best means. A Chinese super-team,
sure, but creating another Superman –
and Chinese variants of the DC A-listers – seems redundant to me.
But it has my curiosity
piqued, and I’ll continue reading for a while.
Rating: 6/10