Superman Lost

It feels like it's been a bit of a Superman year so far (which seems fitting, given that the new movie is due out this year). After reading Steelworks recently, it was time to move back to the trades I'd received as Christmas gifts.

And next up was (coincidently) Superman Lost.

Superman Lost, by Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz and Jeromy Cox, tells the story of Superman facing his toughest challenge to date: reintegration. When responding to routine (well, routine for them I guess) Justice League mission, Superman returns to his home and wife Lois Lane a few hours later. Only, for the Man of Steel, it hasn't been a few hours but has been twenty years. The tale that follows shows Superman, accidentally flung to a far corner of the universe during that fateful mission, attempting to find his way home with no map, inconsistent powers and a second adopted home which seems ignorantly intent on wandering towards destruction. However, when Clark Kent's alter ego finally returns to Earth and the life he left behind, is he still the hero we all knew, or is that man still missing amongst the stars?

From the moment of its announcement, I've been eagerly awaiting getting my hands on this series. Written by the great Christopher Priest and focusing on a scenario that Superman has never yet (to my knowledge) face, I expected great things in this trade (and I say trade because, despite the additional wait, I really wanted this tale collected).

Luckily, for the most part anyway, I was not disappointed. Superman Lost is a brutally emotional tale, one which feels like it imbues both Castaway and 12 Years a Slave in equal measure (for their shared experiences of being trapped and far from home rather than any more heavy tones I should point out). Priest writes a fantastic Clark Kent in this story, one who it really feels on every page is struggling with everything he's lost (hence the dual meaning of the title), both when being away as well as having returned. With every scene, with every interaction, you can absolutely feel the pain which Clark is going through.

Then there is the supporting cast, which of course means Lois Lane. Priest's depiction of Lane is equally as great as his depiction of Clark: a person who struggles with the weight trying to help her partner while at the same time cannot begin to understand what he's been through. I think that Priest's idea of the time dilation angle is truly brilliant, separately the couple even more and giving them an even bigger road to reconcile along. Then there is Lex Luthor who is very much a footnote in this story, having no real skin in the game beyond his standard objectives. However, his limited participation in this story is so blood-curdlingly evil that you can't help but be both sickened and impressed in equal measure, as well as worry for Priest's own mental health.

Of course, the story is only half the ... Well, story in a comic book and Carlo Pagulayan, along with Jason Paz and Jeremy Cox, provide a stellar second half. With a style which looks a lot like, and remind me of, Rags Morales' pages (particularly from Identity Crisis), Pagulayan's panel really help Priest sell the anguish these characters are going through. The subtle, underpinned pain in Clark's face almost constantly during this series is so painful to look at that it just seems to heighten the feeling of 'crisis' (a fitting word for a DC series) being experienced. Then there is the fantastical locales Supes finds himself in during his exile which is equally rendered with gorgeous, vibrant colours that it is a fitting entry to that long list of exotic planets already in the Superman mythos.

But I said that this story worked for me for the 'most part' and its the locale which is one of its undoings. A part of me had expected a travelling story similar to Silver Surfer: Requiem, with Clark finding himself in many places over the decades. However, his (for the most part) imprisonment on one particular planet felt like it undercut the lost part just a little bit, especially one which ended up having a number of similarities to Earth. Of course, this is a minor quibble compared to the ending which felt like it almost 'swept the problems under the rug' in order to end on something of a fresh start. It makes me wonder if Priest had planned for a 12 issue series which got cut down and forced him to truncate his story, but I did feel that the end invalidated a lot of what happened in the lead up to it.

(Also, spoiler: The Justice League went off to save Clark's 2nd adopted home, but it ended up being a 10 year mission. I'm curious how the other, more mortal members avoided aging during that?)

Superman Lost is a really wonderful and heartfelt story of ... loss, really. Loss of the life you knew, loss of everything you loved, loss of identity and, yes, just generally being lost. Despite my feelings on how it wrapped (which is maybe a big sticking point for me, I don't know. I'm still mulling it over), Priest, Pagulayan and co have offered a story seldom seen in superhero comics, a story about growth, consequences and the philosophical idea that, sometimes, when something big and life-changing happens, you can't just pick up where you left off.

Or, more fittingly, you can't go home again.

Lt. Worf presents 'Steelworks'

Last week, I picked up my first comic of 2024, the trade collection for Steelworks.

As a part of the Super family, I've always had an interest in John Henry Irons ever since his appearance in the final days of the DC Universe before the New 52 (specifically Action Comics 1001 to 1004, if I recall).

Because of this, when this series came out last year, it got my attention, especially when it was revealed that Star Trek alumni Michael Dorn, Mr Worf himself, was writing it (having provided his voice in the animated series).

Well, I missed the singles but, now I had a chance (and thanks to the recent ending of Superman and Lois having highlighted the character), I finally got round to picking it up (just as I was finishing TMNT: Black, White and Green) and reading it.

This series sees the titular Man of 'Steel' (along with his moniker sharing niece) opening up his new company, Steelworks, with a plan and drive in place to make Metropolis a literal 'City of Tomorrow.' However, when old enemies re-emerge to take him down and steal the alien power source at the heart of his plans, Steel (along with the rest of the Super family) will wield his hammer to protect both Metropolis' present and future.

Dorn's debut(?) comic was an interesting read. While I liked the character's portrayal of an idealist and someone wanted to change the world for the better, I struggled to find his voice as I read it (I often attempted to imagine Worf himself speaking the dialogue but it just didn't fit). What i really enjoyed about this trade though was the idea of power and its corrupting effects, as Steel attempted to resist that urge while others simply wanted to horde the physical macguffin to acquire more of its figurative counterpart.

Speaking of, the villain felt a little cartoony and almost moustache twirling, making me wonder if Luthor would have been a better fit (being a mirror image of what Dorn was portraying Irons to be). Because of this, I felt the story was kind of like a throwback to comic stories of the past. That said, all of this didn't make the story any less entertaining, although, the inclusion of the Action Comics prequel to this story thread certainly caused the trade to feel very cluttered and bogged down until issue 2.

On the art side, provided by Sami Basri, it was certainly a style that i liked. Much like aspects of the story, I got the vibe that it was another 90's throwback. That said, there were certainly some nice panels, like the villains armour (which had a very New 52's Steel look to it. I wonder if that was meant to be symbolic?) as well as the shot of the whole Super family flying in to help (and, of course, any shot of Steel. His look with the Cape and the 'S' is just awesome ... in my opinion).

I do wonder to myself if I had expected too much from this series. It was written by Commander (or is it now Captain?) Worf, the voice of the man himself, no way this isn't great!

That said, despite it's flaws, Steel was still good(ish) read. Sure, it felt a little long (no thanks to those Action Comics installments) but it was still fun and, overall, I'm glad I gave myself the chance to check it out.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White and Green

I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have done since I was a kid. I saw the film when it came out, the 80's cartoon and even the noughties cartoon (as a bigger kid). I even had the toys

I also love anthologies. Be it prose or comics (and to be fair, the latter has more examples, like Superman Red and Blue), I really get a kick out of getting multiple stories wrapped up in one because you are always guaranteed getting something you enjoy.

Therefore, when I saw a former which celebrated the latter in the form of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White and Green on the shelf of my LCS, I knew I had to pick it up. Coupled with the long list a fantastic creators including Jock, Patrick Gleason and Pauline Ganucheau who had worked on the contents, showing us the many sides of the heroes in a half shell, it really became a no-brainer (so the opposite of Krang).

After reading it, I found Black, White and Green was very much a mixed bag for me in terms of the storytelling. Some tales, such as the Book of Splinter and Green Means Go, I really enjoyed as they provided an action packed adventure while also focusing on the notion of family or providing a level of nostalgia.

However, while there were good reads enclosed, there was also an equal number of stories which struggled to vibe with me, giving the whole book a feeling sluggishness and making it difficult to focus on.

The artwork, on the other hand, I felt much more positive about (albeit after a nights sleep and some reflection). While many of the stories maybe didn't resonate with me, the art styles which accompanied them seemed to perfectly imbue the genre and context behind the Clan Hamato's adventures.

No more is this shown than in "The Brutal Sword of Leonardo" which, while not being a great story (from my perspective), was a phenomenal visual treat, with a style which really resonated the series' samurai roots.

Of course, there were other highlights to me beyond this. These included the aforementioned Green Means Go and Book of Splinter as well as Sin Sewer, Identity Theft and lastly Shredder Gets Caught on Things, which might have been my favourite story with its cartoon style and nostalgic look back at incarnations of the past.

The TMNT have and will always hold a special place in my heart. They were my first superheroes and this book doesn't nothing to sully that viewpoint. From my subjective perspective, this isn't a perfect book, but it is a good one that is enjoyable and visually stunning (albeit appreciated after a step back).

I've always thought anthologies could offer something to everyone and I'm glad this trade continued to prove me right.

Once an addict ...

It's been 10 months since I've written on this blog (although, not 10 months since I read a comic).

This amount of time is surprise to be sure given how big a part writing used to be in my life. However, since the 'closure' of Pipedream Comics over two years ago, it's fair to say that I've felt burned out, hence the reason for the break.

In that time, I've gone back to simply reading for the enjoyment of it, without any ulterior motive and, I've got to admit, I'd forgotten how much of a relaxing experience reading and appreciating the art was.

However, in that time, I've also come to realise how limited are my means of discussing the comics I'd read was (my family aren't really big comic fans). As such, it's a little 'isolating' having my opinions stuck in my head.

Therefore, I figured it was about time to start over and try and take up writing again. Of course, whatever I say isn't going to be as 'professional' as the work I did when reviewing, I think maybe that is the point.

What I say here should be for me and if others find it and make use of my words then all the better.

So, my plan going forward will be just to write for me (as it always should be, truth be told), with my focus on simply my current collection (I hope to re-read Captain Britain and MI:13 in the near future) as well as any new trades (such as recent Christmas gifts of Criminal Vol. 3, Superman: Lost and TMNT: Black, White and Green) I pick up (or a story arc in singles, whichever I happen to pick up).

While it probably would be nice to write on a consistent, weekly basis, I'm confident that kind of routine would undo my hopes of making it fun. Therefore, simply ensuring that I write something reasonably regularly is enough of a routine for me.

With that all said, consider this my (rather wordy) new year resolution for 2025.

Because once an addict, always an addict (I guess).