An
angelic Man of Steel? Yes, no, and maybe. This latest issue of
Superman takes a brief moment to explore one of the lesser developed
aspects of this last son of Krypton, his invariable ability to be
perceived as a divine power. This story finds Superman still reeling
from his recent encounter with Arion. Cloistered at the Fortress of
Solitude, Superman reflects on his early days as champion of
Metropolis and a specific incident involving an elderly woman and her
belief that he was nothing less than an avenging angel sent by god to
root out evil and wickedness (ala Jonathan Edwards’ famous “Sinners
in the hands of an angry god” sermon).
Busiek
and Nicieza do a great job of showing their understanding of the
Superman character with this issue. So much of Superman’s inner
conflict comes from the fact that he is, by unfortunate
circumstances, forced into an uncomfortable and ill-fitting Christly
role. Throughout the issue Superman’s discomfort with the elderly
woman’s exaggerated belief in his role as savior is poignant and
sad. Like hearing that a newborn infant has contracted some exotic
illness, we know that things will end badly here; but we are never
quite sure how badly things will end or what effect they will have on
Superman at a time when he is despondently ruminating over his role
in humanity’s history. For the most part, Busiek and Nicieza keep
the dialogue smooth and believable, only occasionally are they
slightly heavy-handed on the “fire and brimstone” sermons of the
story’s elderly woman.
The
artwork of this issue is punctuated by a striking cover by artist Al
Barrionuevo. In a single picture, Barrionuevo summarizes the good and
bad of Superman’s heroic role in life. He is both an angel floating
down to engage in the divine just as much as he is a victim waiting
to be torn apart by the clawing, needy hands of the masses. Great
job, Barrionuevo. Inside the book, Vale and Merino keep the panels
smooth and simple. The style of artwork is detailed and gritty as
Superman navigates the alleys of Metropolis’s “Suicide Slums,”
yet it is still able to achieve a distinct contrast of grandeur when
the Man of Steel battles an electromagnetic monster at the South
Pole. Also, Vale and Merino make extensive use of Superman’s cape
and its ability to speak. At times in the story, it serves as a cloak
to conceal him from the rest of humanity and, at other times, his
cape is an angelic representation of the divine. However, the artwork
does lose its detail and descriptive quality in the close-ups of
Superman. He becomes a bit of a blank character identified only by
his distinctive cow-lick hair style.
Overall:
8/10. A small story that needed to be told.