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A cataclysmic event has struck the Earth. Millions of people
have vanished without trace. No one has been left unaffected
- not even Superman, who has lost his beloved Lois. A year
has passed, and as the action heats up and the stakes are
raised, the Man of Steel is left with many questions and few
solutions. For a hero who tries to have all the answers, it's
torture...
Superman
seems to be constantly experiencing crises of faith these
days, fretting over the conflicting priorities of his busy
life, for instance, his work/life balance or the dangers inherent
in his superpowers. It's fitting then that in this, the first
of a two-volume saga, he should seek the counsel of a priest
and confess his "sins".
Is
this all-American hero's crisis of faith a personification
of the American nation's collective guilt and confusion at
the effects of its mighty powers? Writer Brian Azzarello (100
Bullets) seems to suggest so as he moves the action to
a Middle Eastern country where a dictator has recently been
toppled but the new regime isn't much better. Superman learns
to regret meddling in this country's affairs.
The
art, by penciller Jim Lee (WildC.A.T.S) and inker Scott
Williams (Batman: Hush, Danger Girl), is exquisitely
detailed. Its impact is boosted by the breathtaking airbrush
work of colourist Alex Sinclair (WildC.A.T.S, Batman:
Hush). Along the way, the artists pay homage to some of
the classic poses from the earliest Superman comic
covers. Nor are they afraid to show us a Man of Steel who
can appear frighteningly intimidating.
Azzarello's
script teases and defies the reader's expectations. On several
occasions you might be led to believe that thought panels
are Superman's but in fact they turn out to be some other
character's. Some of Azzarello's other dramatic twists and
turns are somewhat confusing, though, particularly the Man
of Tomorrow's battles against four elemental spirits.
Be
warned: this volume ends on a cliffhanger, and you'll have
to wait a few months for Volume 2 to come out in paperback,
though the hardback
is out now.
This
book, which also includes sketches by Jim Lee, is a daring
and stimulating study of the familiar fictional hero.
Richard
McGinlay
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