THIS is superman, THE Superman
You know, there are certain characters Greg Pak can really click with, and when he does his writing instantly becomes top notch. While Superman/Batman is basically a cinematic treatment of two characters fighting very powerful foes and lacks in writing substance, here we get a taste of what superman truly represents, a noble, kind-hearted protector, and I'm glad that Pak has embraced these concepts completely.
I think it's logical to start with supermans characterization because most of his titles have been lacking in the very aspects that make superman so cool and interesting. Superman is written as he generally should be, as a calm, gentle giant who stands up for the little guys when they can't do it for themselves. What I liked most about supermans portrayal was the simple fact that He wasn't ONLY protecting humans, because to Superman, every life has value, which is exactly why he fights to preserve it. Greg also realizes that superman isn't the type of character everyone can honestly fight, considering that he is one of the most powerful beings on the earth, so instead of making another powerhouse he created an interesting opponent, who isn't necessarily the villain of the story, which makes his role in the plot all the more interesting. Speaking of which, while there are many plot points that move the story forward, there are still many unanswered questions, which keeps the reader captivated, from the very start Greg managed to tie an knot and he is slowly unraveling it.
However, I'd place one thing over everything I've just stated up until now: Lana Lang. I know she has a fairly bad reputation from the TV series, but damn she is absolutely fantastic here. She doesn't feel shoehorned in nor is she annoying. In many ways she stands alongside superman with her wits and smarts. Her chemistry and banter with superman is extremely fun to read, I couldn't possibly get bored with it. Personally I don't understand why DC didn't use her as a pair for superman instead of Wonder woman, it's 10 times more fun and interesting considering that she actually brings clark down to earth. I hope that if and when superman and wonder woman split up, there will be room for lana, at least for a little while, because lets face it, you can't escape Lois Lane.
The art is a usual very dynamic and light. This time around Kubert does a much better job with faces, they no longer look weird. Also, the action is top notch, I guess Pak wasn't kidding when he said that ACTION would be a huge part of action comics, go figure. Overall, this issue was great, and If you are a superman fan, i am certain you'd like it.
